Trackwork refers to partial train suspensions, mainly on weekends, for track inspections, construction, and other rail work. In Sydney, this is not unusual, and when you try to go out on a weekend, you may sometimes find that you cannot take your usual train and have to switch to a replacement bus partway through.
Last weekend, I experienced exactly that.
That day, I was scheduled to go to a shopping mall about an hour away by train for work at a calligraphy workshop. Unfortunately, the line I use happened to be affected by Trackwork. The train stopped partway, and from there I had to transfer to a bus.
I thought it would just take a little extra time, but in reality, a trip that would normally take about an hour ended up taking around three hours.
Waiting at stations for transfers, taking replacement buses, then changing to another train... By the time I reached my destination, I felt as if I had taken a little trip.
The journey was hard, but the workshop itself was very rewarding.
The participants experienced Suminagashi, a traditional Japanese art form.
Suminagashi is a technique in which ink is floated on water and the patterns are transferred onto paper to create artwork. Because the movement of the water and the way the ink spreads create a different pattern each time, the same piece can never be made twice.
The participants enjoyed watching the ink slowly spread across the surface of the water and turn into unexpectedly beautiful patterns. And at the moment the patterns were transferred onto the paper, there were sometimes cries of “Wow!” from the participants.
The finished works were truly one of a kind.
Even with the same materials, each person’s piece had its own unique expression. Seeing participants happily looking at the works they had made, taking photos of their finished pieces, and saying how much they liked them made the long journey feel worthwhile.
In Sydney, opportunities to introduce Japanese culture are gradually increasing. I believe that by allowing people not only to “see” traditional Japanese culture such as calligraphy and Suminagashi, but also to actually experience it with their own hands, they can feel closer to Japanese culture.
Sydney’s weekend Trackwork is always a real headache. I sometimes wonder why they do not do the work at night, but perhaps that is because I have become used to the convenient public transportation that runs so reliably in Japan. Of course, when you consider the people who would have to work at night, and the fact that wages in Sydney can be two to three times higher for nighttime work, it may be difficult for companies as well.
It seems I will just have to learn to live with Trackwork.
