Alright, I've been in Sydney almost a month now and I LOVE it. Its an amazing city filled with nice people, great sites, incredible weather and really good food. For those of you not aware I am working as a nanny. I started off working 10-12 hour days 6/days a week but now I'm down to 4-5 hour days as Nicholas (the 5-year old) is back to school. Fun parts of my job include driving around Sydney, meeting other nannies from all over the world, living one on one with Australians, interacting with locals and learning their culture and oh yeah, playing with a kid! You guys know how much I love kids and although this one can be difficult, we've already bonded and we have great times. Kids do say the darndest things.The other day I was talking to Jyo and she asked me to describe Sydney and I actually had to pause and think...how would I describe it? So let m
e try.
e try.The City:
Sydney is HUGE. With a population around 5 million, I dont feel intimidated. Sydney is modern with its artsy, European areas like The Rocks (down by the Harbour). I find it one of the safest cities I've ever visited. There are cameras everywhere (buses, sidewalks, stores) litereally and I've never felt watched or preyed on at any time. The local transportation is awesome, buses have their own lanes and if a bus cant get you there...a train or ferry will. I absolutely love train stations thanks to my travels around Europe (2001/02), so I try to take the train in place of the bus as often as I can. Nothing like feeling naseous filing down a steep escalator deep underground, or the rush of a breeze as a train approaches or the general sounds and smells of a train station. I'm so weird eh? Anyway, crosswalks are awesome here because all traffic stops and you can cross the street in whichever direction you choose. You get places faster. And the ferries are smaller than my Vancouver island ferry so you feel a little cramped. There are no restaurants or cafes of any kind because...you're at your destination within 30 mins. And I've never seen water sparkle as it does here.
Sydney is HUGE. With a population around 5 million, I dont feel intimidated. Sydney is modern with its artsy, European areas like The Rocks (down by the Harbour). I find it one of the safest cities I've ever visited. There are cameras everywhere (buses, sidewalks, stores) litereally and I've never felt watched or preyed on at any time. The local transportation is awesome, buses have their own lanes and if a bus cant get you there...a train or ferry will. I absolutely love train stations thanks to my travels around Europe (2001/02), so I try to take the train in place of the bus as often as I can. Nothing like feeling naseous filing down a steep escalator deep underground, or the rush of a breeze as a train approaches or the general sounds and smells of a train station. I'm so weird eh? Anyway, crosswalks are awesome here because all traffic stops and you can cross the street in whichever direction you choose. You get places faster. And the ferries are smaller than my Vancouver island ferry so you feel a little cramped. There are no restaurants or cafes of any kind because...you're at your destination within 30 mins. And I've never seen water sparkle as it does here.
Fashion:
OMG, 80's is back. I've never seen so much day-glo in my life. You literally need sunglasses to walk into a store here as neon pinks, blues, greens and yellows eat you alive. I shop everyday as the prices are reasonable and there is a store that sells Billabong clothing (my favourite) every two steps. Loose fitting tops are very stylish as are Ugg boots but I've yet to price them. You pretty much see people casual in the Bondi area but if you head into the CBD (Central Business District) around Martin Place you will see suits everywhere. The standard flow is pretty much a white top and black pants. It's insane but a great place to guy-watch. I love men in suits.
OMG, 80's is back. I've never seen so much day-glo in my life. You literally need sunglasses to walk into a store here as neon pinks, blues, greens and yellows eat you alive. I shop everyday as the prices are reasonable and there is a store that sells Billabong clothing (my favourite) every two steps. Loose fitting tops are very stylish as are Ugg boots but I've yet to price them. You pretty much see people casual in the Bondi area but if you head into the CBD (Central Business District) around Martin Place you will see suits everywhere. The standard flow is pretty much a white top and black pants. It's insane but a great place to guy-watch. I love men in suits.
Bugs and local wildlife:
No mosquitos as of yet, which is a huge relief as Fiji was swarming with them.
Spiders are everywhere. I have been unable to discover the name of the spider pictured but they are everywhere and in every size. Literally you walk down a path and you will spot 10 from standing in one position
. They freak the crap out of me. My friend Jackie (US) has lived here for 3 years and she was telling me about the large brown huntsman spiders that look like tarantulas (not poisonous) and I was extremely grateful not to have encountered one...well I did. I saw one yesterday and the day before. They are F&#*ing huge and they jump from ground to wall in the blink of an eye. Luckily I recognized it and picked a different route. I didn't have my camera with me unfortunately but I have a feeling I haven't seen the last of them. Gekos are as common as ants. They are cute and you see them everywhere but tinier than the large ones in Fiji. Bats are visible from early dusk on and they are so cool. Cockroaches are disgusting and they are the size of the palm of your hand. They scurry across the sidewalks at night so I have taken to walking down the middle of the street. I had one run across my thong (flip-flop) and I kicked and lost the bug and my shoe. We have green parrots that live outside our flat and they are cute. And I spotted my first cockatoo this morning at the bus stop. I have yet to see kangas as I will have to go to the zoo to see them. That's coming up.
No mosquitos as of yet, which is a huge relief as Fiji was swarming with them.
Spiders are everywhere. I have been unable to discover the name of the spider pictured but they are everywhere and in every size. Literally you walk down a path and you will spot 10 from standing in one position
. They freak the crap out of me. My friend Jackie (US) has lived here for 3 years and she was telling me about the large brown huntsman spiders that look like tarantulas (not poisonous) and I was extremely grateful not to have encountered one...well I did. I saw one yesterday and the day before. They are F&#*ing huge and they jump from ground to wall in the blink of an eye. Luckily I recognized it and picked a different route. I didn't have my camera with me unfortunately but I have a feeling I haven't seen the last of them. Gekos are as common as ants. They are cute and you see them everywhere but tinier than the large ones in Fiji. Bats are visible from early dusk on and they are so cool. Cockroaches are disgusting and they are the size of the palm of your hand. They scurry across the sidewalks at night so I have taken to walking down the middle of the street. I had one run across my thong (flip-flop) and I kicked and lost the bug and my shoe. We have green parrots that live outside our flat and they are cute. And I spotted my first cockatoo this morning at the bus stop. I have yet to see kangas as I will have to go to the zoo to see them. That's coming up.Sports:
Sydney is huge for their sports. Football is none-existant here but 'footy' (rugby) is very popular as is cricket. I have no idea what either are but I am learning. Nicholas just started rugby and his older brother Wil is filling me in. Nic's dad Lance is teaching me about rugby as well. He is surprised I dont know more about it as Canada has an excellent team (well I knew that much). I asked Nic one day if he had ever played hockey and he answered, "wha
t is that?" I nearly drove off the road.Language:
Its taken me a bit to get used to their language here but I'm getting better. I've learned that elevators are lifts and garbages are bins and that capsicorns are green peppers. Working in an Australian home with locals has taught me quite a bit but I still ask questions. Like, what is a jumper (a jacket apparently) and sorry, which room is the parlour (TV room apparently) and its toilet - not washroom (working with a 5 year old teaches you that proper wordage is important). Mainly Cassie and I watch the commercials and laugh at how Australians pronounce things (it's knock-ia instead of nokia) but really we love them. Its great.
Food:
I havent sampled a lot of it yet. I did branch out and I ate some street-meat, a kebab and it was damn good! Cass and I ordered Thai one night and I dont think we said one word to each other the entire time we ate. The Pad Thai was excellent and we inhaled the spring rolls. We'll b
e ordering that again soon! The average cost of a meal here is $17. A Cheap meal would be fastfood @$7.50 (Oporto Chicken). The locals eat cereal called Weet-Bix (delicious) and Cruskits (crackers) with Vegemite (some kind of yeast extract). Vegemite is like a staple here and I finally tried it today and it was the nastiest thing I have ever tasted. It was a cross between very, very salty and...poo. I'm sorry but I dont know how to describe it. Disgusting.
e ordering that again soon! The average cost of a meal here is $17. A Cheap meal would be fastfood @$7.50 (Oporto Chicken). The locals eat cereal called Weet-Bix (delicious) and Cruskits (crackers) with Vegemite (some kind of yeast extract). Vegemite is like a staple here and I finally tried it today and it was the nastiest thing I have ever tasted. It was a cross between very, very salty and...poo. I'm sorry but I dont know how to describe it. Disgusting.So that about rounds up my general description of Sydney. You guys will have to remind me to tell you about the day I got lost driving around Sydney. I was stressed and in awe of this great city. I'm very comfortable driving here and I know my way around really well now-must say I'm impressed with myself. I just feel very 'at home' here and...I feel like I really fit. I know that must sound confusing and weird but that's the only way I can describe it right now.
If you ever get a chance to visit Australia, Sydney is a must-see.
2 comments:
nice summary I think. You're spider in the web is a just a common Orb Weaver, it is harmless. Although Huntsman are not lethal to humans you do not want to get bit by one!
Interesting to know.
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