DANCING WITH FIRE - A Memorable Night in Sydney

For the following entry I have no pictures though I wish I did. I will try and describe this night as best I can but you will need to try and paint the picture in your head.

It was Friday night. Our friends had asked us to come along to some drumming session held at Bondi Beach. We didn't think anything of it, but it sounded like something cool to do. When we arrive, we end up walking to the end of a cliff (overlooking Bondi Beach) where there was a stone circle just before the edge. Beyond the horizon, all I could see was the ocean stretching for miles with storm clouds edging closer as each minute passed.

Suddenly, the light show begins! We were shown a spectacular display of lighting dancing from one end to another. This combined with the ocean waves crashing hundreds of feet against the rocks was the perfect stage which was about to come.

Our friends then take out their African drums, along with bongo's, cowbells and rice shakers. We begin jamming on this cliff top and as we become more insync with each others sounds, more people started showing up from nowhere as if they were being called on stage. Pretty soon there was close to 30 people on this stone circle jamming the night away. All of them had some type of African drum or instrument that when played together creating an energy filled atmosphere. If you weren't playing you were dancing!

The highlight for me was at the peak of our performance, not only was everyone playing something, there ended up to be three fire twirlers all lit up and moving to the beats. I can imagine from a distance all you could see was a dancing flame that was powered by the sound of African rhthyms.

In the end, mother nature held off long enough for us to enjoy what was one of the most memorable nights in Sydney thus far...

- the lone asian