So I haven't done a blog since I was in Indonesia, which is such a poor effort on my part so I'm sorry! The idea of writing everything that has happened in Brisbane, Cairns and Sydney is a little bit daunting but speaking to JP over Skype this evening made me realised it would be cool to share some things that I've learnt since I've been living and working in Sydney.
1.) Travelling over Sydney Harbour Bridge with the view of the Opera House to the left of you will never ever get boring. Even in the rain I am taken aback by the beautiful city and the surrounding harbour that reveals itself as you drive or walk over the bridge. Taking the ferry from Milson's point (almost opposite the harbour from the Opera House) to Darling Harbour is such a lovely 10 minute trip that the ferry is always packed with people who have spent the extra money just to make the short journey over the water rather than on the road.
2.) Australians put avocado in everything, including sandwiches. You really will struggle to find a dish that comes without a side of this tasteless green slime. At my work we sell about 10 different types of sandwich and 70% of them are made with avocado. I personally don't understand, and neither did my mum after trying it, but the Australians find it amusing and very strange that I am not a fan of the disgusting fruit that they just can't seem to live without.
3.) Australians really do say g'day mate. All the time. And I've actually gotten so used to it I don't notice it any more.
4.) "There is no 'hurt' in yoghurt" - the phrase that has been drilled into me at work so that I don't say yoghurt with English pronunciation but say it "yo gurt". Many arguments have occurred between my co-workers and me about this haha.
5.) "Foodie" is a term used here a lot more often than in England for people who enjoy cooking and eating food. I found this out when I was called one and was slightly offended as I thought it was a comment on my weight!
6.) People run everywhere here but like to walk nowhere. Australians are super health conscious and there is ALWAYS someone jogging along the road or in the park. People at my work start at 5.30 a.m. and when they finish at 4p.m. they go straight to the gym. Madness. However, people will wait for the bus at the bus stop for 10 minutes, hop on and pay for the ride, only to get off at the very next stop. I often get asked if I take the bus to work even though it's only a 25 minute walk.
7.) Nightclubs are nowhere near as good in Sydney as they are in Europe. The laws in NSW are so strict that I just feel like they're sucking the fun out of everything. You can't enter a new club after 1.30 a.m., you can't buy doubles, you can only buy a shot if you drink it at the bar, all clubs close at 3 and you can't buy take away alcohol after 10. You also get massive fines for drinking anywhere other than a club/bar/restaurant (i.e. on public transport or parks). Aside from the laws, men in clubs are just after one thing, the music tends to just be trance so you can't sing along, and bouncers watch men like hawks while girls can an drunken messes. Matt's been kicked out numerous times for genuinely doing nothing but being male.
8.) This may offend (and I'm sorry) but I am disappointed in the men here. Growing up with Home and Away may have caused me to set my expectations too high. There are hardly any good looking blonde surfers sporting board shorts and I miss the English banter and cheek of English men. From my experience men here are much more forward, leaving no chasing or game and making the whole experience a lot more boring. Of course this is not the way for all Australians, I think it's just the way they do relationships here.
9.) Apparently us English are called "poms" because we look like pomegranates when we're in the sun for too long. However, this issue of semantics is still up in the air as I have heard many versions.
10.) There are celebrities everywhere. I guess this goes for all big cities (still can't believe Sydney isn't the capital) but I'm still getting used to it. Last week I served someone from Home and Away, a regular in the cafe I work at has his own tv programme and now follows me on instagram, Nathan has been invited to the house of the owner of The Palms in Vegas and recently served the Australian star of the Ashes. This is to name a few.
11.) 5 minutes to the left of our flat takes us into the massive city that resembles London in almost all of its features, and 5 minutes to the right leads us to isolated tropical looking beaches. The variety of beautiful places that we can go to is just incredible and it's not difficult to see why people fall in love with this place.
