On Friday the power went out again at work when violent storms struck the site with great bolts of lightning, heavy rain and even some hail. Disconnected until after 5pm, there was no point in staying so once the storms had passed it was time to leave. The creeks were roaring with run-off, the air was humid but the land and sky had been washed clear of the accumulated grime of the city. It was a rarely seen world.
I have mobile phone photos 1, 2, 3, 4.
On the weekend I finally bought and downloaded some music that has haunted me for years. Enya's dreamy Storms in Africa was used on Ansett's wonderfully inspiring television advertisement in the early 90's. Another piece I had stored in my head for many years without knowing what it was is Vangelis' L'enfant from his Opera Sauvage album. It was used a number of times for various science and current affairs shows in the late 80's. I only found out its name when searching (unsuccessfully) for a couple of pieces of Vangelis' music to the Carl Sagan series Cosmos, pieces that I had heard on ABC Classic FM's long gone Dreamtime radio show. The samples on the online music shop clued me in to L'enfant.
Now on to Monday when B and I had to visit Maroubra for medical reasons. The 400 bus from Bexley North to Maroubra was full of interesting people, but they paled in comparison to the sight outside near Eastgardens shopping city; a big brown bear carcass carried on the roof-racks of a sedan!
On the way back B was given a sickbag. The manufacturer's location was perfectly appropriate: 8 Durian Way.
This morning on the train I listened to John Williams' Memoirs of a Geisha soundtrack and was transported back to Japan. I read about the complete edition of the soundtracks to the Lord of the Rings movies and I could visualise us back in New Zealand, enjoying the peace and quiet of the South Island. Tonight we are under the flight path and I can hear the big jets overhead descending towards Sydney Airport. I dream of travel.
It is not just sound, for I have been reading Lonely Planet guides to Eastern Europe and Scandanavia. I wish I could book something at the travel expo on November 4, but I fear that other events will preclude this. I grow restless again.