So, my mom and I spent three weeks in Australia and New Zealand about four years ago. I flew in from Baltimore (32 hours including a brutal six-hour layover in Los Angeles) and she flew in from Seoul (8 hours?). We landed in Sydney first thing in the morning and decided to beat jet lag by starting out. We headed straight for the Sydney Opera House. ALL, I wanted was a photo in front of the Opera House. I had traveled from VERY far away and was leaving for Melbourne in 48 hours and I HAD to get a photo in front of the Opera House. I thought, ‘Ha! I’ll use it for my holiday card this year. People can show their babies and dogs. I went to Australia and everyone is going to know it!” My mom tried hard. She’ll be the first to tell you, she’s not the greatest photographer. So, I present to you, the photo my mom got of me in front of the Opera House.
Me, looking annoyed and this family of like 10 that would NOT get out of the shot.
Had class yesterday and it was a whole different scene! First, the antagonist said ‘hello’ when I came in to class. Most of the girls were exceptionally nice to me. And the classroom was the most orderly and focused it’s been since we started. It was a PLEASURE to draft collars! I know I say this every week, but I will show that this weekend. It’s so easy and cool to watch it come to life on paper!
Miss Celie's Pants 
Glad to know that the class went nice! I guess sometimes we need to shake things up a bit…even if we feel bad afterwards…. some ppl don’t get it until they are hardly shaken!!
Maybe putting on the gorilla suit did some good after all! I’m glad the atmosphere was improved.
I love that picture! LOL Glad the class was more enjoyable this week!
Great picture! My DH has been to Australia twice, and I have yet to make it there. but we’re hoping to go in 2011.
I am SO glad the class was better last night.
I felt like that when I was photographing the Mayan ruins! I wanted to stand at the top and yell, “All you tourists please vacate so I can get a decent picture!”
Hurrah! Glad to hear the atmosphere was more conducive to study yesterday!
R-E-S-P-E-C-T! RE-RE-RE-RESPECT! Good for you. Enjoy your class.
As for the photo, don’t tell me you didn’t use it for your holiday card.
Hooray for better class conditions! It made me so angry to read about that lady causing problems in a class that should be so enjoyable! Also, I love the picture! That’s awesome. It reminds me of a similar situation when my mom and I traveled to Italy. I took the classic “holding up the Leaning Tower” picture of my mom, taking great efforts to make her appear about half as tall as the tower. Then I had her take a similar picture of me but I was “holding up the tower” with just one finger, except she didn’t get the perspective thing so it was just me, regular sized, pointing at the tower. It was pretty funny when we went through the pictures and still makes me laugh today. Thanks for posting a fun picture and reminding me of a fun memory as well! 🙂
LOL, love the picture! What makes it so great that it is off center and you’re looking at the family of 10 who wouldn’t move and that your mom snapped it. What a great memory! So glad your class was better!
Hello from Australia, I am on the gold coast, about a one hour flight north of Sydney. I adore that harbour, I actually think it is the most gorgeous harbour in the world LOL. Love the pic. So glad to hear the class was better this time.
I laughed so hard at this picture! I’m originally from Sydney and I love it. I go back as often as I can. I should send you a picture of Byron Bay – next time you need to come here for a visit! Oh and I’m about 40mins drive south of Meg on the Gold Coast who has also commented here.
What a cool photo except, well, for the family of 10… You look awesome in orange!
And, look at you!, you whipped that class into shape. I hope it’s smooth-sailing from here on out. 🙂
I am from Sydney but have lived here in the USA for 20 years now(married an American). I get home every 2 years. Based on where you are standing,The Botanical Gardens are to the left, Harbor Bridge in the back ground and to the right the lower North Shore-Cremorne Point,Taronga,all accessible by a wonderful ferry system. Aaahhhh what a shot. The most wonderful harbor in the world…. As children we would stand toward the back of the Opera House(facing the bridge),look into the water while holding onto the railing, and count the jelly fish…….
Good news to hear that the atmosphere in the class has shifted. I admire your courage and determination to return and pursue what you wanted.
The picture – too funny! Is that the result of your mom’s sense of humor or just one of those things?
Glad the class was so much better! Any chance your classmates or instructor read your blog????? Maybe they realized how their behavior was out of hand!
So glad the class was a different story this week, I really hope it stays this way!
And yay for collars! Aren’t they fun!? The class I TA is doing tailored jackets right now and they have to do either a notched or shawl collar as one of the requirements – are you getting into those in your class?
I am so glad things worked out with the class and thanks for making me laugh with the picture your mom took I can relate to that!!!
Love the picture. Your face says it all. Glad your class is much better. Maybe it was good to clear the air. Thanks for sharing your classes with us. So interesting.
Well, -we- can’t tell you were annoyed, and that shirt is really great on you :-). And there are other tourists, well… tourists are sheep, it’s OK.
Congratulations on the class improvement, it sounds like enough other people expressed their own desire to have it more focused on what they’re there for too.. Sometimes being the one who opens her mouth pays off!
So show us stuff about the collars, pretty please?
Yay for the good class!! May it continue…
yay for the class!!! I am so happy you are back to learning and not schooling other folks :O) Especially so we can live vicariously through you :O)
LOL My DH takes photos like your mom! While it wasn’t the photo you’d wanted, it does tell a story. ;^)
Wish there was a drafting class in my area.
LOL- you’re too funny, Cidell!! The photo is a keepsake, thanks for posting it.
Glad to hear about the class.
Woo hoo! Congratulations on the class result. It must be a huge relief!
That photo is just too funny.
So glad the class was better this week. It is the kind of thing that really keeps playing over and over in your mind and makes moving on difficult. You handled it well and this finally woke the teacher up.
Your picture made me laugh. When we went to the Taj Mahal it was very difficult to take pictures without anyone else in it, even at dawn when we were told was the best time to be there. However, we were also told that it wasn’t a scam but to let one of the photographers take out picture (they brought it to our hotel) and I don’t know how they did it, but there is just us and the Taj Mahal behind us in that picture. Framed pictures were our holiday gift to everyone that year.
Great picture! Maybe you can crop it?
I’m glad that your class went better. Hopefully, everyone learned something. 🙂
Rose
love your photo, but what is funnier than watching tourists trying to get that quintessential photo is seeing wedding parties waiting in turn to get their photos taken with the Opera House or bridge in the background. I should know because I did it (and felt foolish too!).
I use to work at Joann’s FYI – you get to use the 40% coupon for any single cut of fabric, so It’s all good!
I am from Australia, too, but not Sydney like all the other commenters! I’m tempted to photoshop you from there into a photo of the Opera House that *doesn’t* contain so many tourists, though. 😀