Byahe tayo !

From the very first time I saw Sydney - the Harbor View has become my favorite site.  For many times my friends & I would walk the entire bridge from one end to the other - coz on the other side were the best restaurants in the city - specifically the Rocks which was an old warehouse or docking place for boats.

Australia may not be as clean as Singapore - co’z people don’t get “fined” for throwing stuff on the road.  But even without the fine - people usually pick up their mess especially at national parks where they love to have a barbie - that’s the Australian slang for barbeque.

Speaking of Ozzie slang madami yan - like a pressy is a gift, to bring your sunnies means to bring your shades/sunglasses, and to feel crook means to feel sick .. at madami pang iba and they actually call each other mate.  There is whole dictionary of just Aussie slang.  At  minsan ang bibilis nila magsalita kailangan habulin mo at maintindihan mo.

Unang dating ko pa lang  dito parang ang dami daming puno of different shapes and sizes… at ang daming open space or parks where you can just go and do your thing - walk, read, jog, celebrate with a Barbie. Some people who don’t like to go to the beach would just put a mat on the grass, wear their bikinis or trunks and get a tan … I even saw some girls taking their top gear off while at the Governors park overlooking the harbor bridge.

The beaches here are all white sand - mapa Sydney, Perth or Gold Coast wala pa akong nakitang hindi white sand.  The best properties and most expensive ones are those near the water - people like Nicole Kidman and Russel Crow’s houses are in the Suburb, the millionaires row.

Every religion, denomination, etc is welcome.  The people are also quick to donate for a good cause.  Like their English counter parts they like to be cordial - so they always say good morning.  Unfortunately, I also noticed that when they say how are you - parang in passing lang,  then they don’t even wait for your response and just walk on … samantalang tayo sa pinas di ka nga nag gu-good morning pero pag nag good morning naman e talagang nag chi-chikahan ika nga.

And since they pride themselves of being multi cultural - dito sa Sydney talaga pag sakay mo ng train me Asian, Ozzie, French, German, African etc.

If you decide to drive from one state to the other - you will definitely pass by many parks or other places of interest.  Their national parks are large and well taken care of.  If you go to the Gold Coast all their theme parks are there  - Movieworld  (parang Disneyland),  Waterworld, etc.

Ang gusto ko rin dito walang snow - after I have experienced my first snow in Beijing, China - I knew mahihirapan ako to stay in a country where it snows.  And most of the year it is sunny but not humid.

Ang daming pwedeng puntahan - if you want snow you can drive about 3 hours to Snowy Mountain.  If you want to go hiking or walking may mga walking track.   If you want caves and mountains you drive 3 hours the other way and you have the Jenolan Caves and Blue Mountains.  That’s why they say most Australians have never been out of their own country - because even if they stay here and drive cross country they have enough of everything.  There are acres and acres of “Wine country” where wine tasting is free.  Acres and acres of agricultural land too.  But unlike New Zealand e mas marami pa ring tao kaysa sa sheep.

Buildings here are a mix of old and new - the old buildings look like you are in London - the New once para sigurong little new York - pero dito both can co-exist in one street as they really make it a point to save or renovate the old buildings.

And if you want a taste of opera or watch plays - you can get it here.  Most international artists bring their world tours here - the venue can be the opera house or if it is a big concert they go to the park where you can picnic and drink wine while listening to music - I actually did that in Perth one evening with a friend of mine - we went to see the concert of STING while munching on biscuits and cheese and sipping red wine….. This is the place where I watched the stage production of Miss Saigon and Beauty and the Beast … I plan to watch Phantom of the Opera soon.

They say people here are laid back - not really, as they take their work seriously - employers are just more understanding of the fact that your family life always comes first - so they do not force people to work late or work on Saturdays unless it is really, really important.