Cultural Diversity

On our last day in Sydney, we got a taste of the two ends of the cultural spectrum. In the afternoon, we attended the matinee of Otello in the Sydney Opera House. Even though I watched the BBC movie in preparation for the trip, I would have been perso (lost in Italian) without the surtitles projected above the stage.
The Sydney Opera House is remarkable beyond just its iconic shape. For one thing, there are no wings. The stage is deep but there is very little space to the sides or back. All the scenery and sets are stored below the stage and brought up on an elevator when needed. Another amazing thing is the architect. Jørn Utzon, the Dane whose design won the worldwide competition, knew what he wanted the SOH to look like but not exactly how to build it. As soon as the design problems were overcome, he was forced to resign amid cost overruns and withdrawal of political support. He has never set foot in the finished Opera House. However, now in his 90s, he is overseeing modifications for accessibility- via webcam from Denmark!
After the high-brow opera, we were ready for another Australian tradition: Australian Football League. Also called AFL or Aussie Rules, this game is AWESOME. 18 players a side, no pads, tackling is allowed, and the play doesn't stop when a whistle blows. The ball is shaped like a rugby ball, which means it bounces in entirely unpredictable directions. The ball can be punched, kicked, bounced, or carried, many of the catches are aerial, there are interceptions on about every other play, and each side runs a score into the hundreds. It's the aggression of hockey with the nonstop action of basketball and the complete craziness of a national obsession, without the boringness of American Football. By a fluke, we got front row seats. Let me just say the view was impressive!
The other fabulous thing about our seats were the two darling old ladies next to us. They turned out to be twins in their late 60s, Jan and June. Wendy and I pestered them with questions about what was going on, and amused them with our Americanisms. In return, June gave us homemade fruitcake and Jan called the mascot over to take a picture with us. The ladies were decked out in Sydney Swans gear, totally red and white. In the middle of the first quarter, they took off there matching ball caps and put them on our heads. Then they pulled out their auxillary matching red beanies. They insisted we keep the hats. I love it! AUSSIE RULES RULES!!