Stranger in a Not-So-Strange Land

Now that I’m going on about six weeks in country (sound like a Vietnam soldier or something), I might as well give a review of Sydney and what I’ve seen of Australia thus far. Since it’s fresh in my mind, for one, their immigation system sucks ass. Not sure how things are in the U.S. of A, but in total, it’s going to likely take me a good 10-12 weeks to get this friggin visa. I mean, I like NOT working as much as the next guy, but there are monetary limits! I’m thinking about illegally working as either a game show contestant, male stripper/prostitute or a dingo walker. OK, not even sure that last one exists….and I wish the second one didn’t.

On that note, I have been able to venture throughout this fine city, otherwise known as, come to think of it, I have no clue what Sydney’s nickname is. The ciy of moths? Land of expensive everything? The best English accent on the planet? In order to judge Sydney, you start with the people and go from there. They have been, other than a few scattered surly dudes, a great group of friendly, charming and overall happy individuals willing to soak up the sunshine and share a good many pints with anyone.

The city itself is decorated with a fantastic harbor (sorry, harboUr) area….it’s one of those postcard moments, kinda like when you go to Fenway Park for the first time. The bridge and Opera House are omnipresent, but what also makes it great are the hills and unending mass of water everywhere. Ferries are constantly coming and going, and the sun is shining on most days, which makes it even better. The first time I saw the harbour was night one, and the scene at night might be unbeatable. You could almost compare the downtown/harbour area to Seattle or San Francisco, but more scenic b/c it’s more centralized….and of course Oakland is on the East Bay in SF. The city is great because it makes you feel like you’re in a “real” city, complete with public transportation, skyscrapers and people with stuff to do. The city itself has a London feel to it, complete with areas named Surry Hills and Paddington and its own Hyde Park. More hills, though. This is all balanced off by where I live in Bondi Beach, just a short 20-minute bus ride away.
One thing I’ve found realy nice is that it’s very easy to adjust to life here. Things ma be different, but if they are, it’s off a shade. People pretty much are interested in the same things as the states, they eat similar (even Mexican!) and follow sports with the same passion. The only difference is which sports and maybe some food, but curry is a good replacement.

Otherwise, what I’ve seen so far has been pretty great landscapes and I’m looking forward to venturing out of Sydney now that I have some more free time. Here's a brief synopsis of my stay so far:

The Good: friendly people, scenic surroundings, blue-green water, 5% beer, ease of living adjustment, people-watching on the bus, girls’ accents, no tipping

The Not-So-Good: flies, wind, expensive, immigration system, waiting too long for a buses, coin dollars, no American sports bars, cash-only bars and stores

I’m sure I’ll have other observations about Sydney in the coming weeks, and maybe even post a few pics in the coming weeks!