Surfing and spa-ing: perfect Sydney activities to go along with the Opening Series
Arriving at Bondi Beach at 6:30 a.m., we met our surfing instructor Nigel at Let's Go Surfing, the surf shop Destination NSW picked out for our surfing lessons. Upon squeezing into my wetsuit, I couldn't help but remark that I felt like Spider-Man (in an ironic twist we would see Spider-Man himself, Andrew Garfield, surfing on the beach later that day).
After practicing our paddling and stances, it was time we put the instruction to use. Crashing along the waves (which was, given how early it was, surprisingly not cold at all) we learned about riptides, timing your stance, and most of all, how much of a workout surfing is for the uninitiated. It truly demands a lot from every part of your body, but the overall payoff is a great experience. There's a sense of achievement from standing up on a wave, even if it is only for a few seconds. It feels as though you've conquered nature.
Next up is a shave at spaQ inside the QT Sydney Hotel. We're greeted by our barber Kris, who's originally from the UK. The room itself feels like an updated take on the classic barber shop as white tiles and whiskey line the walls. After sitting down, a hot towel is placed on my face to soften up the facial hair, making it easier to acquire a closer, more comfortable shave. After that a layer of gel is applied and massaged into my beard, followed by yet another hot towel.
Once the second towel was removed it was time for the lather (shaving cream), and Kris now brings out the straight blade razor. Though I have been under the knife in this setting before, there is still a little hesitation as the film Sweeney Todd pops into my mind. Kris must've seen my eyes widen at the sight of the blade because right before he goes for the first cut, he gives me a reassuring look. Beginning right under my sideburns (AKA 'sideys' in Australia), he very slowly and precisely started to remove the facial hair, starting with the cheeks, followed by my chin and neck area, before moving onto the mustache. It was at this point that I contemplated what I would look like with a Thurman Munson or Goose Gossage 'stache -- I was getting what they called a "Chin Music Shave," after all.
Against my better judgment I allowed him to continue making his way north with the razor under all the facial hair was removed. I glance in the mirror satisfied, but he then goes on to apply another hot towel, followed by another round of lather, and then breaks out the razor once more, this time cutting with the grain. After my face is once again completely bare, a cold towel is applied, followed by a dousing of alcohol which burns, but in a pleasant manner. After one final round of massaging facial oil, he says I am now free to go. I thank Kris for the job well done and peer into the mirror, thinking that I had just been traded to the Yankees -- seeing my face clean-shaven isn't a familiar sight, but regardless of how unfamiliar I am with my own face, a feeling of refreshment wafts over me. Before I leave though, I'm handed a coupon for a complimentary beer and hot dog downstairs. With brew and dog in hand, the Chin Music Shave is officially complete.