Our Plane Out of Sydney is Almost Gone

Again, let me begin by apologizing for the absence of entries over the last several weeks. Between school and sailing and Christmas parties, we have managed to be quite busy; not to mention the fact that we have been preparing to return home for the holidays. Needless to say, we are sorry, and without any further fanfare, let us catch you up on our recent activities.

For my part, I feel- quite appropriately- that summer vacation has already started. Since classes concluded three weeks ago, I have simply been trying to enjoy the relative absence of obligation and the nice warm weather. I have been racing on the harbour with Rob and Sue on the Shiralee; I have presented at several Rotary Clubs; I've been trying to surf (although still without much luck); and I've been catching up on some reading. On a more serious note, I have been working on law school applications, most of which are due around the beginning of February. In sum, I have thoroughly enjoyed my free time over the last few weeks, and like Callie, I am looking forward to the upcoming time at home with friends and family. 

In terms of our joint activities, Callie and I, as of Monday evening and thanks to a Sydney Cove Rotarian by the name of John Hastings, have attended an opera, Charpentier's David and Jonathan. Having never witnessed an opera before and therefore in the absence of any formal expectations, it was quite a unique experience. The opera was primarily in French, and the story itself was one of incredible pain and tragedy, which was captured quite powerfully. As of now, I'm not sure that Callie and I desire to become opera aficionados, but we are quite grateful for the introduction. Additionally, we had the opportunity to meet up with John and Kathy for lunch and an afternoon trip to Kurrajong and the Hawkesbury River Valley this past Sunday. Kurrajong is about forty-five minutes to an hour northwest of Sydney and is nestled above the beautiful Hawkesbury River and the surrounding pastoral valley, which reminded Callie and I of parts of rural Alabama. Lunch was great and we enjoyed catching up with the Blahuts as an early Christmas get-together. Beyond that, we have been working to finalize our trip when we arrive back in Australia in early January, and we've been trying to get everything packed. 

I suppose it goes without saying how much we are looking forward to seeing everyone over Christmas and New Years, but at the same time, I think that we will miss Australia in the interim. Granted, we have another semester in the country, but Australia has been such a beautiful and inviting place and this has been such an incredible experience thus far that I think we have come to establish a sense of comfort and identity in this place. We have been lucky to meet some unbelievable people who have provided us with some phenomenal opportunities, and thanks to their grace and hospitality, I think we have begun to think of Sydney a little bit like a second home. Before I digress any further, I'll let Callie show off what she's been making over the past weeks, but as we prepare to return home, I am again struck by how fortunate we are to have this experience, a gift that we are both very thankful for.    

Raspberry Mousse Gateau

A border of chocolate tulip paste and joconde (almond-based sponge) surrounds a mousse comprised of raspberry puree and whipped cream topped with a layer of raspberry glaze.

Brasilia Gateau

Alternating layers of rum-soaked joconde and caramel buttercream are topped with nougatine, toffee-like sheet of caramel and flaked almonds.

Le Fraisier 

A combination of strawberries, sponge and Kirsch-flavored Mousseline Creme (pastry cream and whipped butter) are finished with a layer of pink marzipan.

I completed the Intermediate portion of my studies yesterday, and as you can see, we've been focusing on various gateaus over the past couple of weeks in anticipation of the portion of the Superior assessment in which we will each design and prepare our own gateau.  As much as I enjoy going to class each day, the Christmas holidays will provide a needed break from my usual routine.  That said, we're looking forward to seeing everyone soon!