last week in Sydney

It’s amazing how weather can change the way you think about a place. Sydney has been having record low temperatures this past week. Granted it has only dropped into the low 40’s but that is cold when a lot of the houses do not have heating systems (especially the apartment I’m staying in). I’ve been wearing jeans and a hat to bed and huddling over cups of hot tea with my flatmates. The funny part about this cold weather stint is seeing what people wear….you’d think it was 20 below out. Through it all everyone keeps telling me how great everything is in the summer. There are so many outdoor and rooftop bars/restaurants, grassy parks and beaches that I imagine it would be a different city in the summer. I suppose it would be like going to Southern California in the winter and not being able to go to the beach….it would be a different experience.

Besides the cold weather I have been managing to have some fun, meeting some new people and seeing more of Sydney. I went to a group event called “rockin' bowling” last week which is lawn bowling with Sinatra playing and drinks overlooking the Harbour….great times and amazing views. This past weekend I met up with another group of people that took me under their wings; we watched the Australia vs New Zealand Rugby match (similar to the Red Sox vs Yankee rivalry) and then hoped around to a few other bars, building in numbers as we went….really fun night and great group of people from WA (Western Australia).

I had been spending a lot of time working with my friend’s company, gave some training sessions to bar staff and helped facilitate some management training seminars as well as stocktaking quite a few bars around the city. I’ve recently decided to move on from the company and continue some travels, so now I have tons of free time! After looking at the map of the world and picking some places I haven’t been to and always wanted to go, I’ve come up with the following tentative travel plans. I’ll be leaving Sydney next week, flying to Bali (can’t wait for the warm weather/beaches!), up to Singapore, maybe Thailand, and then around the other side of the world to Istanbul, through Greece, maybe hop over to Tunisia and then back up through Spain and into London and Edinburgh before returning to Tampa in September. It’s been a little challenging sorting out all one-way tickets and accommodations in busier areas, I can’t imagine how I could do it without the internet, but I just purchased my ticket to Bali and Singapore and will take it from there.

After a month in Sydney, I’ve been trying to put my finger on what the city is like….and I’d say it’s a mix between London, San Francisco and San Diego. There are tons of British here and a definite English feel, all the same street names as London, a large population of Asians, a large gay population, lots of trendy café’s, restaurants and shops, and then a great laid-back beach feel to the city….which is why the summer would be a fun time to come back. There are also some common phrases that I thought I’d share….first of all, yes, everyone does call each other “mate” here. Some people even used the cliché of “g’day mate”, and “good on ya” is one of my favorites that means “good for you”. A lot of people also shorten phrases like “this avo” which means “this afternoon”.

It’s been easy being in Australia because everyone speaks English, albeit a wide array of English accents, but their culture is westernized and their currency is also called the dollar. I’m getting better at determining the difference between the Australian (Ozzie), New Zealand (Kiwi), and British accents, but it’s difficult when the British pick up Australian phrases. I’ve met a few Canadians and only a handful of Americans. Everyone always asks me if I’m from Canada first (apparently the Canadians are offended when they are asked if they are Americans, and the Americans don’t care as much if they’re called Canadian, and so it goes). And when asked where I grew up I have to say “north of New York and Boston” because nobody has heard of New Hampshire….although I did meet a girl last night who spent 2 years living in Maine (very random).

I’m really looking forward to continuing my travels, and the challenges that go along with figuring out how to ask for the bathroom in Indonesia or Turkey and figuring out exchange rates that are 50,000 of something to US$1....which should make for some more entertaining stories and is one of my favorite things about traveling. I especially enjoy understanding the different cultures and what each finds important in life.

I apologize for the boring pictures, I will be making it a habit to carry the camera around more often. I hope everyone is well and enjoying the summer!!

cheers,
Scott

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