SYDNEY LIFE SL01, #SYDNEY#SYDNEYSIDER#AUSSIE #AUSTRALIA

 

Started packing our bags with some excitement, some anxiety, some hope, some fear and a lot of anticipation. Moving to a new place is not easy. (But who said we believe in following easy paths). We were going to leave the current status quo and a new status quo would eventually be formed. We were well prepared that we would not be seeing our families for a long time now. But, all in all, a bold step to move to the other side of the world and create our small world in the big universe was already taken.

 

Having read so much about how the Australian culture is, how the Aussies are and what they actually do, we were having a rich set of information about the southernmost continent. Having grasped so much about the continent,we arrived to the land down under, with some preconceived notions as;

 

Our preparedness/(preconceived notions as u may say it):

 

• Australia has the most dangerous animals, insects and reptiles in the whole world. So, one rule that everyone should follow is donot go in the isolated areas. Also, always keeps your eyes and ears open. Who knows where you would see a redback spider or frilled neck lizard or a green tree frog.
• Never to wear a pair of shoes without turning them upside down and making sure there is nothing inside. Not to wear open footwear when you walk on the streets on this country.
• Never to wear a jacket before making sure that there is nothing inside.
• Always apply sunscreen before heading out. This place is prone to skin cancers
• Never to walk on streets after the sun has set.
• Being the foodies that we are, we thought there would not be tastier food available in Australia and as a result we stocked up as much as we could. ( As if we were  going to a new planet all together)
• Always carry a rat-kill (insect kill ) in your bag just to protect yourself from unwanted stuff.
• Never talk to strangers, because you never know when they would feel angry on you and come to hurt you just because you are an Indian.
• Just be aware because people come to hit you with hockey-sticks on the airport itself or they might just be taking a note of your whereabouts to come and trouble you. ( Hypothetical one 😉 )
• Be careful before you give your opinion, not to talk in any language other than English, not to talk loudly because you dont know who might just take offence.
• Always have a thick skin because THE AUSSIES are habituated to the rough tone and the rough language. The  donot intend to hurt you but thats just how they are.
• Lastly, if everything doesnt go as expected take the next flight and come back to your home country. ( Hypothetical one 😉 )

 

Pleasant Surprises:

 

• Yes, Australia has the most dangerous animals, insects and reptiles in the whole world. But they are mostly found in the outback. So it’s relatively safe to go out without irrational fear and be calm about it.
• After my first week in this place, I don’t remember a single time when I had actually checked my shoes, coats or clothes before wearing them. I have become pretty acquainted with it. The rough people with the rough attitude! Cool, aint it!
• There have been so many times when I have headed out without applying any SPF. Although I have then made sure that I am not in direct contact with sun rays.
• Walking on CBD streets at 1:00 am has been quite an incredible experience. You find all sorts of party people around you. Some of them are just having fun with their friends outside the clubs, on the stations and living their hearts out on the streets of Sydney. Some of them are drunk but dare not come close to any stranger. You will hardly come across somebody who tries to get close to you after being excessively drunk. ( A funny example, when I was coming out of a convenience store and  a drunkard guy came straight at me. I was dumbfounded with his sudden presence. Out of surprise, he just asked me to dance with him on a petrol pump outside the convenience store at 12:00 am midnight. I decided to ignore him and walk away. Immediately after that his wife/girlfriend {who had seen all of this from her car and was laughing about it} came and took him away back in the car.) Some weird experiences to add in my dictionary and laugh about 20 years from now. 🙂
• Foodies…. We get some amazing vegetarian options in the city ( Indian options too). Of all the Indian options that I have tried, “The Spice Room” is my personal favourite.
• Oh man! So many times I just go out without even carrying my purse/bag. Forget the rat-kill that I mentioned. All I need is my keys, opal card and a bottle of water.
• Although all of us are well aware of the upfront straightforward nature of Aussies, in my personal experience I have found them really really kind than most of the other nationalities. If you are stuck somewhere and go to them for help, there is no way they will leave you without trying to help you. They will do everything in their capacity to give support to you. ( For example, I just a needed to print a piece of paper and went to the receptionist. Sadly, she wasn’t there, so the other admin guy tried helping me but didn’t know how to operate the printer. Later he gave a call to the receptionist to ask about her whereabouts. When she came, she figured out that my pendrive was not compatible with the printer. Hence she took the extra effort to insert the pendrive in her laptop, and take a print from another printer that lied in the room next door, before she finally handed over the printed paper to me.. I mean, was all this effort needed from her end? She could have just refused to me saying that the printer is not compatible with my pendrive. I would have been thankful and moved on. But, this gesture shows that they are really kind and helpful by nature. 🙂
• People never came with hockey-sticks in their hands on the airports
• I am never ever afraid to talk in my own language in an unknown country too.
• Thick skin, thick language and thick attitude is all that matters in the long run.

 

I am totally soaked into the beauty and the pleasant surprises this place has offered me. I cant wait to look forward to some new adventures and new experiences at this place.

In the end, all I can say is lets just patiently wait till one more magic wand is turned and you are welcomed to another world of surprises.