Landing in Adelaide
My trip began with 25 hours of flying. Yes, it was just as awful as it sounds. We endured a six hour flight to Los Angeles, 15 hours from there to Sydney, and then 4 hours to Adelaide. Needless to say, I was exhausted when we finally arrived at our hotel. However, it was still daytime in Adelaide, and I was determined to beat the jet lag. We asked our concierge for lunch recommendations and were told to go to Star House, a dim sum restaurant in Adelaide’s Chinatown. It was only a five minute walk from our hotel. However, the walk was cold. I had just showered and regretted not blow-drying my hair, as the cold wind made it feel like ice. Australia has the opposite seasons as New York, so it was winter in Adelaide. Luckily, this meant it didn’t dip below 50 degrees Fahrenheit but having come from 90 degree weather, I was quite cold.
Upon arrival at the restaurant, they told us they were closing soon but could fit us in. Inside were many elaborate fish tanks filled with what would become our meals. Feeling ravenous, we ordered lots and lots of food. We got noodles, a variety of dumplings, tea, and red bean buns. I had never had a red bean bun before. It was one of the most delicious foods I’ve ever eaten. It was sweet but savory and warm at the same time, and was honestly one of the best things I had eaten throughout the entire trip.
There is nothing like the feeling of having your first real meal in a day. I personally don’t think airplane food makes the cut for an actual meal. This was my first meal that wasn’t rushed, and I could actually enjoy since I’d left home. It was perfect. First the green tea came. The burst of warmth that enveloped me made up for the cruel weather outdoors. Then, the noodles came. They had a wonderful combination of vegetables and mushrooms and were thin and yummy. Then, the dumplings came. I burned my mouth inhaling the first one, a shrimp dumpling. Then there was also spinach and shrimp which were delicious. We were already full when the red bean buns came. Before this moment, I had never had a red bean bun before, or any bun for that matter. As soon as I took a bite, though, I realized I was biting into what would become one of my favorite foods. I haven’t had a red bean bun since then, but I’m convinced that none could ever top the one I had at Adelaide’s Star House. It had the perfect ratio of sweetness to savoriness, and was warm and gooey. We got the rest of our food to go and ventured back out into the cold.
Cleland Wildlife Park
The next day we went to Cleland Wildlife Park. I admit that when I woke up that morning, I thought it would be the same as going to an ordinary zoo. However, it ended up being so much more than that! When we entered, we met with a private guide who walked us through the Park. She gave us a bucket filled with kibble, carrots, corn, and apples and let us feed little wallabies hopping around. The wallabies, like kangaroos, are a type of macropod native to Australia. They are smaller than kangaroos and can measure 1.8 meters from head to tail. I think they looked like a cross between rats and a kangaroo. They were friendly, and would hop up to the trail and eat kibble out of my hands. Their little claws and ears were reminiscent of a rat’s. However, I’d never try feeding a rat.
The tour guide brought us to Cleland’s Koala Sanctuary, where we got to hold koalas. They are fluffy gray creatures that just sleep and eat all day. Koalas do everything in trees, particularly Eucalyptus trees. According to my tour guide, one koala has to eat the equivalent of six eucalyptus trees per year. Smaller species of Eucalyptus can reach 4-5 meters in height but other species can reach as tall as 40-50 meters which is 160 feet. To put that into perspective, the average male giraffe is only 17ft, or 5.18 meters. Then think about a little koala eating–minimum – six times that height. The reason koalas have to eat so much is because they are very picky eaters. They will spend the majority of the day sleeping and only awaken for around two hours to eat their eucalyptus.
Koalas remind me more of furry, human babies than they do wild animals, so I wasn’t surprised to discover that like babies they have trouble walking around. Have you ever seen a koala walking around on the ground? I haven’t, but I hear that’s for a good reason. Koalas are meant to live in trees. They have cartilage in their bones so that they can sit comfortably in the curve of a tree. This way they can eat and sleep in a tree all day without getting uncomfortable like we would.
After holding koalas we brought our kibble, corn, and apples to search for kangaroos. They were easy to find and even friendlier than the wallabies. They hopped up and instantly reminded me of dogs with longer tails and ears than a normal dog. They would hop up in groups and take turns eating out of my hand. Once they got a full mouth they’d step back and chew comedically, almost like swishing mouth wash. A little over an hour later, our kibble buckets had been drained and the kangaroos lost interest in us.
Kangaroos weren’t always limited to Wildlife Parks. Kangaroos have been native to Australia for at least 16 million years and have coexisted with the Aboriginals for over 60,000 years. Over the last 200 years however, kangaroo populations like so many other wild species have tanked as a result of deforestation and expansion. Now organizations like Cleland have taken up the fight to protect wildlife like kangaroos and help to immerse visitors in the wonders of nature they are trying to safekeep.
The Chelsea Market
The following afternoon we took a trip to Chelsea Market, a large indoor food market in Adelaide. Our first stop was Si Sea, a Mediterranean tapas-style restaurant with a surplus of seafood. We ordered pasta with garlic prawns. Our pasta was thick pappardelle noodles swimming in golden creamy garlic sauce. The small prawns balanced the richness of the pasta perfectly. We ate the whole bowl, practically licking it clean.
Next we went to LeSouk, an Algerian booth with delicious paella. It was topped with a spicy red sauce that was sharp in contrast to the well blended flavors of vegetable paella. I was already full at this point, but it was too good to not eat. Our waiter then recommended traditional Algerian tea which we accepted begrudgingly. It was a fresh mint tea with roasted pine nuts which ended up being delicious. Our server accomplished an impressive feat of pouring the tea from nearly the level of his head without spilling a drop. The tea itself was rich and sweet. We ended up drinking the entire pot. It also perfectly balanced the paella.
We then got Turkish delight from the Turkish Delight Mediterranean Sweetery at Stall 8 of the Market. We were so full, though, that we saved this sweet treat for later. We picked rose, pistachio, and a traditional pomegranate and rose flavor. It was so enjoyable to pick out the colorful cubes of deliciousness.
Our final destination was Saudade which offers traditional Portuguese custard tarts. The tarts, called Pastel de Nata, are made of light, smooth custard nestled in flaky layers of crispy puff pastry. This was the perfect end to our escapade into the Adelaide Central Market. The varying cultures present in the market.
Adelaide Symphony Orchestra
As soon as I got back to the hotel, the jet lag made me fall asleep immediately. So as the afternoon went by, I slept like a rock. I woke up to an alarm going off at 5:00 p.m. It was time to get ready for our night at the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra at Adelaide Town Hall. I reluctantly dragged myself out of bed and into the shower. By the time I was out, I had only half an hour to do my hair and makeup and get changed. Somehow, I managed to get dressed up and we rushed across the street from our hotel to the Town Hall.
Soon we were seated and who I thought was the conductor came on stage. She surprised me when she turned to the audience with a smile and a microphone in hand as she began to speak to the audience. It turned out that she was a member of the orchestra who had worked closely with the conductor. She spoke about the orchestra and then invited the conductor on stage before taking a seat in the orchestra. The conductor bowed and soon began the performance. I was blown away by the entire orchestra but found a particular love for the violins. They produced a sharp, gorgeous sound that was easy to tell apart from the rest of the orchestra. I found myself honing in on their sound throughout the entire performance. Since then, I have steadily been listening to more violin pieces while doing homework.
Kangaroo Island
Early the next morning we got on a plane to Kangaroo Island. We ate and shopped in the main town before driving up at least two miles of flat, straight clay road sandwiched between pastures of sheep until we reached the resort. However this wasn’t just a resort it was also a dedicated wildlife sanctuary on 150 acres of land.
Despite the ambiance of the island and the scenic views, driving around was quite apocalyptic. Kangaroo corpses littered the side of the roads as we drove during the day. The Island may be home to humans but it is first home to diverse wildlife which cannot be barred from crossing to road. The other disturbing scene was that at any moment you could turn a corner and see miles of scorched earth. Kangaroo Island had many severe bush fires in 2020, burning trees to black and grey stumps. Much wildlife died in the fires. Koalas specifically are very slow and many were unable to escape burning Eucalyptus trees. The Kangaroo Island community is now working to protect remaining wildlife as they rebuild their home.
Seal Bay
One of my favorite experiences on Kangaroo Island was Seal Bay. Its name is quite misleading with the Bay being home to the third largest breeding colony of sea lions in Australia. The sea lions’ population was decimated due to fur trade induced hunting in the 19th century. Now, National Parks like Seal Bay help protect them. On our visit it was easy to spot baby sea lions sandwiched between older ones cuddling on the beach. Surprisingly, Australian sea lions don’t live in families. Females and pups cuddle simply as a way to warm up after hunting in the cold ocean for food.
While sea lions might seem like cute, innocent creatures, they can also be violent. Male sea lions can get aggressive in breeding season when they battle each other to claim and defend their territory in order to establish themselves in the colony’s hierarchy. If a male loses he moves on to another colony ensuring genetic diversity in larger populations. If a male wins a fight he will mate with females at what are known as pupping sites. This begins the unusual breeding cycle. Sea lions are known for their unique breeding cycle which lasts 18 months. This assists them since they have little resources available to them and are prey to many other species in the sea. Whales, killer whales, and great white sharks can sometimes be seen off the shores of Seal Bay. Like the sea lions, whales including the Southern right and humpback whales have been hunted to near extinction in the 19th century. Their populations are still recovering which is good because the Sea Lions were some of the most adorable animals I have ever seen (not as cute as koalas, however).
Death and life always seem to go hand in hand in nature. We were lucky enough to see a double rainbow right before stumbling upon a whale skeleton. The skeleton was the remains of a juvenile humpback whale that had washed up to shore after a storm in 1984. The Park suspects that the baby had been separated from its mother during migration which happens by Kangaroo Island from every May to October. Humpbacks like this are a type of baleen whale which does not attack sea lions. They swallow large gulps of water to intake nutrients like krill. It shocked me that a baby whale’s skeleton could sit so comfortably in a movie-like scene. Dead animals aren’t exactly what I associate with baby seals and double rainbows but nature offers both beauty and reality.
Flinders Chase National Park
The next morning we went to Flinders Chase National Park. Something we began to notice was that wherever we went within the park and throughout the rest of our trip there were always signs or guides delivering an Acknowledgement of Country which recognizes that the lands we were in are also the lands of the Aboriginal peoples. We often saw the message, “The state government acknowledges Aboriginal people as the First Peoples and Nations of the lands and waters we live and work upon and we pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.” This was somewhat shocking to me in comparison with our own culture. While Aboriginals are an entirely different group than Native Americans I couldn’t help but think of our own country’s treatment of Native Americans. I wasn’t used to hearing announcements left and right acknowledging native peoples. While I was surprised, it was a good surprise. I learned that the purpose of the Acknowledgement is to celebrate the First Nations’ cultures and combat racism against and exclusion of First Nations people. It pays respect to Aboriginals who are the “custodians of the country.”
Our first stop within Flinders Chase National Park was Remarkable Rocks. These rocks earned this name for their unique shape. The rich orange-brown granite boulders perch on a cliff high above a sapphire blue ocean surrounded by green expanse. At first sight you would think the rocks are carved and fake but the rocks have gained smooth curves and perfectly shaped sharp edges due to over 500 million years of slow erosion. You would be hard pressed to find anyone who wouldn’t be amazed by the rocks. Towering above me, they seemed like enlarged cartoon scenery. The enchantment of the rocks was broken by howling wind and the slippery smoothness of the rocks which aren’t ideal conditions for standing on the edge of a cliff.
Our second stop within Flinders Chase was Admirals Arch. Like the Remarkable Rocks, the arch seems surreal. You have to hike down a paved path giving you a gorgeous view of the ocean the entire way down. As we neared the bottom we started to spot long-nosed fur seals sun bathing on the rocks. They blend in with the brown and green land so looking for them was like playing a game of I Spy. It was notably chillier at the bottom of the path when we reached the arch. Cool ocean breeze beat the rocks and perfectly camouflaged seals laid out on glistening brown rocks. The arch almost seems like an entrance to a cave but instead of darkness you see the ocean for as far as the eye can see.
Landing in Sydney
It was dark out when we landed. We were pros at navigating Australian airports by this point so we grabbed our luggage and got a cab quickly. As soon as we walked out of the airport, I was amazed by Sydney’s architecture. They had many tall, elegant buildings that seemed straight out of the 19th century and other modern buildings that looked more like displays of art. Soon we arrived at the gorgeous hotel and checked in. During the cab ride, I had found an Italian restaurant that was open, despite it being late, a minute from our hotel, so once we were ready we went back out into the cold Sydney night. When we found the restaurant, I was a little confused. The inside was dark, so I thought it might be closed. But we entered to find that it was being lit by small lights and candles. We were to hungry to care, and we sat down. After ordering, I looked around the restaurant to see various different couples clearly on a date. My mom and I could barely contain our laughter now realizing that this wasn’t exactly a ‘family’ restaurant. Regardless, the food was very good.
The next day would be the official part of the tour. What tour you might ask? I am a member of the National Children’s Chorus, and every year, we are given the opportunity to travel across the world to go on tour. This year’s was Australia, and Sydney was the first official day with the chorus. Some of my friends had also come early. That morning, my mom and I met with three other families in the lobby, and we all ventured out to see Sydney. Our hotel was in walking distance from arguably Australia’s most famous site: the Sydney Opera House. It is a stunning structure that sat directly across from the Sydney Harbor Bridge. I felt so small sandwiched between the two colossal structures. We all took photos despite the grey clouds but didn’t stay for long because we knew we’d be back in a few days time. Our most important performance of the trip (of our lives possibly) was going to be here at The Sydney Opera House. It might be an understatement to say I was awestruck as I stood staring up at the architectural masterpiece.
After World War II, many music-lovers began to advocate for the creation of an Opera House that could become a symbol of Australian culture. Bennelong Point was chosen for its optimal position facing the Sydney Harbour. The Point also has historical significance for it was named after an Aboriginal from the Eora nation who helped ease relations between the original British settlers and natives by serving as an interlocutor. While this history had been ignored for a period of time, there are now efforts to spread awareness about the site’s indigenous history.
After Bennelong Point was chosen, officials released an international competition to design the opera house. The winning design belonged to Danish architect Jørn Utzon who was the first to envision the unique shell shapes which are iconic today. However, Utzon departed Sydney midway through the project after a conflict with the Minister of Public Works at the time, Davis Hughes. Construction continued on a different path than what Utzon had imagined. He had planned to create two lavish main theaters one with red and gold and the other with purple and silver. After his departure, the interior design was changed so that every hall is relatively plain. The purpose of this was to make sure all focus is on the performance on stage. Many of the theaters are completely black and plain. That said, a notable exception is the Main Hall which is a masterpiece of wood and pops of color. After the Opera House’s completion, Utzon was too old to travel back to Australia meaning he never saw the finished version in person.
We walked about two minutes away from the Opera House and into the Royal Botanic Garden. The Garden is 203 years old and is the oldest Botanic Garden in Australia and the second oldest in the Southern Hemisphere. In the 1770s, convicts from across the U.K. were sent to Australia as punishment for various crimes. British prisons were overfilled so the British’s solution was to send offenders to their newly established Penal colony: Australia. The first fleet landed in 1778 and the Garden became central to the community. They attempted to farm the land with little success. It was soon disregarded by the majority of the colonists. However, Governor Lachlan Macquarie saw the potential that it had to become Sydney’s garden. It has since evolved into a renowned hub for science, horticulture, and conservation.
That night we prepared for the welcome dinner. Every tour starts and ends with a massive dinner with everyone in the chorus. I did my best to get dressed quickly and stop looking like a jet-lagged zombie and we went downstairs. I reunited with my friends I hadn’t seen in months. Soon the ‘kids’ table had formed and our parents sat together some distance away. I was introduced to new people from Los Angeles and even some from New York City whom I hadn’t known, and we all sat down and enjoyed ourselves. Soon a band started to play, and we got up and danced with other kids. We had to run down the center of the ball room. Once it started to dwindle down, a couple of us went out of the hotel and into the chilly night air. I was starting to regret my outfit and wished I had a warmer jacket, but we were already out. We knew that we had rehearsal at 7:00 a.m. the next morning, so we couldn’t stay out for long. We settled for an ice cream shop where we got matcha and vanilla flavored ice creams.
Despite it being too early for anyone with jet-lag to be awake, we all groggily dressed the next day in our uniforms and zombie-walked to our rehearsal spot a few blocks away. We were caught by surprise when we entered to find the small church filled to the brim with other children. Other kids appearing to range from 12-18 years old filled every inch of the pews which had hastily been formed into a circle, leaving space in the middle for the conductors. I was surprised. Who were these kids? Why were they here? Were we crashing someone else’s rehearsal? Soon we squeezed into our voice parts and rehearsal began.
An Australian conductor introduced himself and explained to us that we would all be singing together at the Sydney Town House in two days time. But as exciting as that performance would be, I couldn’t put too much of my focus into it. I was more concerned with the performance we had tonight…at the Sydney Opera House. So we rehearsed with the other choirs and started on new pieces including one about the original Australian colonist prisoners who had created many songs about their experiences in what was a strange, foreign land to them. Then we rehearsed on our own, practicing as diligently as possible. Luckily, we knew our songs as it had been our repertoire from the spring season and had performed it many times including in Carnegie Hall. Still, with only one rehearsal between us and the Sydney Opera House I was a little scared. But we sang through hours of rehearsal and soon it was over. Surprisingly, we had free-time for the majority of the day. I’m still not sure whether this was time to enjoy Sydney or time to prepare – the calm before the storm. We elected for the former and took the time to delve deeper into Sydney’s rich culture. Of course that translated as us getting on a bus to find the nearest Brandy Melville. So we shopped and ate lunch and got back on a bus to the hotel. We timed ourselves perfectly, leaving around 1.5 hours to shower, rehearse, and get performance ready.
The Sydney Opera House
Queue the bobby pins, elastic ties, bun-donuts, and most importantly the hairspray. The stuff followed us wherever we went. After performances when I take out my hair, the top remains stiffly slicked back in bun formation. I try to avoid hair spray when I can, but the Sydney Opera House was more than enough reason to shut my eyes, hold my breath, and spray the can on every inch of my head. Then came the makeup. I strived for the perfect performance ready look. Not too little, so I didn’t feel bare on stage, and not too much, so I wasn’t a noticeable pancake in a sea of faces in the same uniform as me. The tricky part was that for this performance we couldn’t have anything. But the thought of traversing through a foreign city en route to a performance without anything at all was far too daunting. I had to improvise. My phone was small enough to fit in the bottom of my shoe, so that is where it went. I shoved lipgloss in between my skirt and button up and trusted my sweater vest and tucked-tie to hold it in place. I considered shoving a plastic water bottle down my back but settled for carrying it in my hand. I would just have to finish it before we went inside. So we all got on the buses. This might seem like a simple process, but when you are over one hundred kids on the way to one of the most renowned musical spaces on the planet, it can get a little hectic. I was one of many faces bobbing in a sea of black and white uniforms. Soon we made it to the Opera House and were rushed to the front steps. It wasn’t time to perform, it was time to take a photo. So we got into formation and smiled brightly.
We were then dismissed with one hour to find food. We rushed to the Opera House’s restaurant and ordered as quickly as possible. Despite being delicious, the food didn’t come until around 30 minutes into our venture and we had to eat very little before racing off. We navigated through tourists and music-lovers alike until we found an employee of the Opera House where the performer’s entrance was. Many escalators and winding stairs later we were with the group. We got in line and had too walk in order before getting on stage. To put this into perspective, if you just turn around to walk in the other direction the choir will end up in the wrong order entirely on stage. The only solution is to stay in line and make a turn like little geese following the mama-goose until we go on. Once we were ready, the wait began.
Unfortunately, we couldn’t see the other performers just yet. What I had learned in rehearsal that morning was that we would be singing with choirs from across Australia, the Philippines, and Taiwan, all separate but together. This was but one day of the Australian International Music Festival of which we got to participate in the very end of. We waited backstage which was good because I had the opportunity to shove my phones and lip gloss in a friend-of-a-friend’s bag and not have to worry about them poking me all day.
While we waited, a small Australian boy who could have been no older than ten was helping out his mother, an employee of the Opera House. We stood in formation chatting but soon we all began to get quite thirsty. The water I had smuggled in had long since been drunk and thrown out. That little boy became my favorite person in the world when he walked in with small cups of water sandwiched between his elbows and his rib cage and secured in his fists. “Who wants water?” he shouted, and shouting broke out among us. The little boy went to the younger ones first who looked considerably tired from jet lag. Many had only arrived last night, so I understood their pain. To my surprise, the boy had an impressive system. He quieted the shouting kids by saying he would bring them water last if they kept shouting, and that was enough of a threat to make the loud banter lessen into excited whispering.
Soon he got water out to everyone, and seconds came around. I talked with my fellow altos who turned out to be girls from the Austin and Dallas chapters. We traded performance stories and laughed. Then one of our directors walked in, and the room fell silent. We knew what this meant; it was time. As quickly as we turned into over-excited kids, we turned back into professionals, about to sing in the one and only Sydney Opera House. We faced forwards and took many turns through halls and staircases until we popped out on stage.
If I could have, I would have stood still and gawked at the hall with my jaw on the floor. This must have been the largest crowd we had ever had. The main hall of the Sydney Opera House may be stunning from the audience, but it is even more fiercely impressive from the stage. Rows of people towered before us. I immediately understood why this is the most renowned music hall in the world. However, a large part of looking professional is not looking around at every interesting thing around us. We stood, got in position and stood looking intently at our conductor. The piano sounded and our conductor’s hands went into motion. We sang through each piece. I was carefully analyzing every note coming out of my mouth and watching the conductor like a hawk. Panic spread through me as I heard the wrong note pierce through next to me. Someone was off. The good part about choir is if one person singing quietly is lightly off, the audience won’t know the difference. But I knew. And it took all my willpower to not turn my head ninety degrees and give the kid a death stare. But instead, I kept singing until our set was over. The sound of booming applause filled my ears, and I abandoned the performative smile I had been wearing for an honest one. We did it. There might have been a little hiccup along the way, but nothing noticeable. We successfully performed at the Sydney Opera House. I still don’t think it has fully sunk in.
I expected to walk back off stage the way we had come but instead followed the line up and into the audience. What was going on? I was very confused. Back home, the junior division of the choir is allowed to sit in the audience to watch the older kids perform but I hadn’t done this in years. I was elated as we took seats near the other choirs and excitedly awaited the other performances.
It was beyond evident why each group was performing in the Main Hall of the Sydney Opera House. Without an audience watching, I didn’t bother to close my mouth as I openly gaped at other performances in awe. Other choirs performed. My favorite was one from the Phillipines. They performed a capella and danced as they sang in perfect sync. A capella is hard enough but to do that as you dance in time without anything else to keep you on beat, it takes so much more work. They sounded amazing. After the choral performances came the orchestras. I was surprised by the skill of the high school student my own age. Unlike our program, most of these ensembles were from one school. The orchestras were truly stunning. I was amazed by the different instruments of the orchestras. I was only used to American orchestras with typical American instruments. But music is different when you are on the other side of the planet. I couldn’t recognize most of the East Asian instruments but appreciated the beautiful sounds the student coaxed out.
It takes a long time for a choir to get off stage and for orchestras to pack up and unpack so there was time in between sets. One of my neighbors, a conductor of another choir, took the time to ask me about our chorus and why we were 25 hours flying from home. Eventually, I found out that the Australian international Music festival included a choral competition. Apparently, all the performances we watched were those of our competitors. This was confusing, because we had never heard anything about a competition. I couldn’t ponder on it too long because soon, the concert was over, and my only priority became finding my things in whatever secluded back room I had shoved them in. Eventually we all got our things and walked out of the stage door of the Opera House into giant crowds of fellow choir members. A mix of songs could be heard throughout, as small groups broke into song and overlapped with one another into a beautiful blend of noise.
Taronga Zoo
One of my favorite memories in Sydney was the Taronga Zoo. This time we didn’t have to stay in a massive blob of green shirts. We were allowed to explore on our own. We walked around seeing many of the nails that I had seen on Kangaroo Island and new ones as well. Despite being there for fun, we were on a clock. Some of our parents (including my mom) weren’t at the zoo and were instead climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Other parents had gone elsewhere in he zoo and didn’t need to get back as early as us. So it was up to us to get back in time, before the group, so that we would have time to get ready for a special dinner tonight. We were told we were going to a place called Sky Feast Tower, but we didn’t know what this was — just that we would have to get ready for it. We planned our escape through Sydney’s ferry and metro system and set the clock for when we would have to leave. Then we debated the best attractions to see and set off. However, our master plan was interrupted by the sound of a roar. We clung to a fence and viewed a massive tiger prancing about an enclosure. I had seen a tiger before but never this close up and never roaring in my face.
The Taronga Zoo is home to Sumatran tigers, an endangered species. There are only 350 Sumatran tigers left in the wild so the few in the zoo are incredibly important. Native to Indonesia, they are the smallest tigers in the world. The species is potentially also over 2 million years old. And as we found out quickly, they are known for their distinct roar which can be heard from 2 miles away.
We moved on to see spiders, kangaroos, dingos, and even gorillas. Soon our time ran out and we speed walked to the ferry. After a detour through the red panda section, a ferry ride, a train ride, and a walk later, we were back at the hotel. We had to get ready quickly but we were happy to not have to wear uniforms.
Sky Feast
We were off to Sky Feast Tower. Since we were such a large group we had to go in two sessions and we were the early session. We entered the building and waited in line until our reservations were confirmed and we were sent to the elevators. These were special elevators that only went to the Sky Feast slower. We crowded into the elevators. The trip was shorter than expected, but we still had time to talk. It turns out the people I was squished next to had a daughter who went to a college in a city that my family friend went to, and they were actually friends, so I had accidentally met the family of a friend of a friend. We also talked to the people in the other elevator in a less conventional manner. There were cameras in each elevator and a screen displaying the other elevator, and we waved.
We exited the elevator into a bustling restaurant. We were in what from the outside looks like a massive donut. The restaurant was slowly rotating around the spire so that we had a view of all of Sydney at night. There was a divide between the seating and the food which was served buffet style. To put it into perspective, the seating was in a circle like the outside of a donut, and the food was in a smaller circle in the center like a munchkin. Soon we were debating about whether the inner circle was rotating or the outer. We sat down to eat and watched the view. After leaving we got sodas and snacks and watched a movie in the hotel in our dress clothes. Then we went up because the next day would be an adventure too.
Sydney Town Hall
Out came the bobby pins and hair spray and we were off to the Sydney Town Hall. The Town Hall is a massive space with seats intended for the audience stretching in front and above the sides of the stage. We were split into sections with half the choirs spilt between the seats on the sides of the stage. In this formation, we towered above the other audience seats below and had a great view of the stage. We were then mixed with the kids of the other choirs so that we were no longer a sea of black and white uniforms but now multiple colors of blue, yellow, red, and more dispersed throughout. I sat with some of my friends, some girls from Australia and some from Taiwan. At first, we didn’t have much time to talk, because we had to rehearse the new songs. When that was over, we were told to stay seated, so we began to introduce ourselves. Luckily, we all spoke English and started unloading dozens of questions on one another. What’s school like for you? How long have you done choir? We asked about each other’s countries, the food, the people, and the languages, and the questions seemed to never stop. One of the Australians explained the Australian folk song we were singing, and we talked about the differences in language despite both speaking English. It was a lot of fun until we started laughing too loudly and were told to be quiet. Then the conversation continued in hushed tones.
Before this, I had never had a long lasting interaction with a kid my age with similar interests from an entirely different country. Despite being from the other side of the world, we all had a lot in common and enjoyed each other’s company. Soon rehearsal started up again, and we had to stop talking. That night we all sang together. We may have been from completely different countries and choirs, but for that moment we all sang as one unified voice. This was probably my favorite performance ever. The Sydney Opera House was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but so was this. I had the chance to connect with people from across the globe. It might sound cheesy to say that music can be life changing, but for once, I actually understood how music can bring people from entirely different backgrounds together. It was surreal.
After the performance, the festival had brought a band to perform for us. So after tearing bobby pins out of our hair and ridding ourselves of suit jackets, sweater vests, ties, and music binders, we all danced together. We didn’t even stay with our own choirs. We danced with people from the other end of the world, and sang along to the band’s songs like normal friends would. Afterwards, we walked around Sydney for a while, until we were ready to go back to the hotel. We had finished the two greatest cross-cultural connection that we all might ever experience within just two days. Performing with people from across the world is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Nothing can compare.
If I could have, I would have stood still and gawked at the hall with my jaw on the floor. This must have been the largest crowd we had ever had. The main hall of the Sydney Opera House may be stunning from the audience, but it is even more fiercely impressive from the stage. Rows of people towered before us. I immediately understood why this is the most renowned music hall in the world.