Then I had to find my hostel.
The only trouble was, I'd totally forgotten to write down the address of the place. I knew what it looked like from photos on their website and I knew it was near the convention center. So I set off, asking directions and looking like a pack-mule.
I had my huge REI backpack, then my shoulder bag slung low in front and I was holding a black handbag with my arms through the handles in front. And I found after a few blocks that if I leaned just so, the weight distribution was far better and I could (somewhat) comfortably walk.
A 7-11 attendant sent me down one street, then I found a group of young folks hanging outside a hostel and they told me to go other entirely opposite direction. So I trekked.
I finally found the place and gratefully stepped in to secure my bed. It was alive with action, apparently it's quite the party central. There's a huge number of youth from all over the world and there are people attending the parliament that are of older generations too. I'd say they're pretty brave. It's kind of a wild place.
The New Thought delegations held a preconference the next day in which we were welcomed by a young aboriginal gentleman named Jeremy Donovan. The Agape Int'l ensemble, Erika Luckett and Lisa Ferraro all performed beautifully. Rev. Michael Beckwith, Rev. Roger Teele, Rev. Christian Sorensen and Dr. Kathy Hearn along with other representatives of the New Thought communities all attended and gave welcomes and prayers and the like.
The youth delegates in attendance were asked to put together a piece to share with the gathering outlining our vision for the philosophy in 25 years. The result, having been compiled by 13 New Thought youth in around 25 minutes is our "15-Minute Credo" and can be viewed at newthoughtnewsservice.blogspot.com.
It's been a few days since all of that and I've done and seen a great many things since. I've really enjoyed adventuring around the city with Megan Carlisle, Bree Alten, Suzie Wolds and others. I've been enjoying excellent food, coffee, drink, and the culture of Australia in Melbourne.
On Friday Megan, Bree and I went grocery shopping at the Queen Victoria's Market on the other side of town. We'd tried the two days before to go but were too late each time; it was a small victory just to have found it while it was open.
We bought a quick bite of cheese, bread, olives and juice to tide our hunger. There are hundreds of shops selling everything from cheese to cured meats in a bazaar/souk sort of fashion. There are display cases for each small shop displaying their products and you order from the attendants behind the counter. It was amazing.
After eating, we started shopping for some food to get us through the next couple of days. We ended up with a box full of various veggies and bags and bags of fruit and bread and such. Good stuff.
Yesterday I got to watch the Gyuto Monks of Tibet begin to create a sand mandala 50 paces from our impromptu news room. They've constructed an elevated platform upon which they have a penciled design drawn on a thick piece of wood. They have these ribbed metal cones into which they funnel variously coloured sands. Then, with another metal instrument they rub the ribs on the cone filled with sand and, as a result of the vibrations created by that interaction, sand is slowly coaxed out of a hole at the point of the ribbed cone. They direct the fall of sand into the intricate patterns with as much dexterity as a cake decorator.
I bought a beautiful blue blanket from the Monks' table and a few laminated bookmarks with quotes from the Dalai Lama, and then had my purchases blessed by the head monk. It was a wonderfully sacred experience to support the group financially and to have my contribution honored so.
Last night Megan, Katie, Bree, Susana, Megan's friend Nataliya, our new friend Rowan and I had an incredible meal at a Pay-It-Forward style restaurant in St. Kilda called Lentils As Anything. It was a really cool place, small, with little tables (and one to seat 7), a great creative vibe with incredibly delicious vegan food. We got a pumpkin curry, dahl, rice, two types of salads, and a lentil burger (BEST DISH). We were all pleasantly sated, it was just the right amount of food. And so much fun, to sit and eat with good friends and then decide what we could pay based on our resources and what we felt the food was worth. Yum, yum.
Today I've got some catching up to do. I'm feeling like I've not fulfilled my responsibilities to my contributors in the arena of reporting yet. I've not felt called to put anything together yet; but I'm about to start working on something. So that'll be up soon.
Until next time.
No comments:
Post a Comment