Whale Watching

Friday, July 11th, somehow I convinced my thin-blooded children to leave the warmth and comforts of home to explore the city. Rumored from Scott’s co-workers, there is a chance to see whales from the Manly Ferry. July is THE month to spot whales as they migrate. As we boarded the right side of the boat, we found our perfect spot to search for whales. Yet after a few seconds I knew our mammal scavenger hunt had been turned into a social event. How could any whale compete with three little girls and a rough-n- tough Aussie boy? Those little girls could not keep their hands off of Morgan’s hair. The boys exchanged stories of sharks, whales, and other sea creatures. They all giggled, squealed, excessively talked, drove away any adult who did not have a child of their own, and occasionally glanced for whales. Part of their journey was spent not looking out over the ocean, but towards the upper deck where middle school boys taunted the young motley crew below. Mason’s new mate, Jason, decided to join in the mischievous fun by yelling back “Scr** you!” (By the way, those middle school boys never once said anything perverse or ugly.) I ever so slightly tilted my head, peeked my left eye in the direction of the adult who I assumed was responsible for this boy, expecting some kind of a reaction to the comment, but there was nothing. I chalked it up to a cultural thing. Oh how I pray every night for God to shield the kids’ ears. We departed the ferry with no whale tales to share - Maybe on the way back. I was finally able to separate Mason and Jason at the wharf. Morgan on the other hand was ready to ditch the girls due to their obsession with her golden locks. We walked along the pier outside Manly Wharf towards Ocean World. I knew it would be a brief, brisk walk. As quickly as the cold wind blew by, I yelled “Don’t complain!” before they even uttered a whine, whimper or moan. Fifteen minutes later we were ready and waiting for the next ferry. This was our last chance to find a whale before going back to the apartment. As we waited, I had a nice conversation with a Lebanese woman. She stood there with her husband and three year old grandson, Ubee (I am guessing on the spelling.) asking us questions about America and our thoughts on Sydney. They consider themselves Australians, and have lived in Sydney for 30 years. The grandfather did not speak English though it was obvious he was talking about Morgan. If I didn’t know better, I swear they were trying to arrange a marriage between their grandson and my daughter! We chose the upper deck for the trip back. As I scolded the kids for yelling down at the lower deck, I heard a familiar voice down below. It was Jason and his dad returning back on the same boat. You would have thought it was a 20 year reunion or something. Jason’s dad and I talked the whole way back to Circular Quay. He was giving his wife a break by taking their almost six year old boy out of the house while she took care of the six month old baby boy. Jason’s father suffered from hearing loss in his right ear. I had to repeat much of what I said. (It also made me think back to Jason’s comment. Maybe his dad did not hear what his son had said?)
Here are some interesting facts I learned about Sydney on our journey back:
1. You can experience in one day all four seasons – hot, cold, rain, and wind. (And that is the truth!)
2. If the sunset is orange, it will be warmer the next day. (Also I have found to be true.)
3. The residents of Milsons Point fought to shut down over 30 years of Sydney childhood memories by closing Luna Park due to noise issues. Several years ago (I think 8) the Heritage Foundation turned Luna Park into a historical site and reopened it. (Maybe that’s why I see a lot of unhappy faces around here.) ;-) We can’t hear the noise thanks to the buildings in front of us blocking the screams and laughter.
4. They had Star Wars figurines as Happy Meal toys! Could you imagine the lines at Mickey D’s if those were available back home?!
Before we knew it, our 30 minute ferry ride was over. None of us looked for whales, but it was still a great adventure. As we said our goodbyes for a second time, I asked Jason to say hi to his mom and new baby brother. Without missing a beat, he says, “I can’t. My mom tells me ‘Pi** off!’ if I get near the baby!” (I don’t think it’s a hearing loss issue.)