Dangerously easy life
For the first time in my life I find myself in an environment that offers me anything I look for: despite its beauty and the many beloved people that my home sweet home take cares of, in Sicily it could be more difficult to find an acting course, or some other out of the box activities offered with quality.
Now I'm in a place where the language spoken and the opportunities offered make up a combination a can take advantage of.
I have been to 2 acting classes so far: the teaching methods are pretty interesting and let us step back to our childhood: lot of games and learning by enjoying... in fact not that different from many AIESEC things... always good fun!
Although it may be still a bit early to really find out what I'm getting out of this course, I must say that a good first result is already achieved: meeting interesting people.
Being there, challenging yourself in a room full of unknown faces for something like acting, not really that common, it means to me a good deal of courage and will to step out of the box and give some spicy to your life: it's by default that I like those people attending the acting course with me!
However, is not just the acting classes or any other activity I'm considering to pick up that made me reflects of the easy life Sydney offers.
First of all the people: Australians drink a good deal... but unlike many European cultures, their drinking is not a tool they need to open up and becoming social animal. They generally are opened and easygoing people. Their "G'day mate, ou are you?" has being pretty frustrating at the beginning: everyone you meet will ask you this question... it's not that is annoying to reply every time... but more because you actually don't need to reply! It's a question that doesn't need an answer... they ask but they actually don't care, and what's more frustrating is that it does NOT introduce, most of the time, any further friendly chat.
Still, it a sign of people ready to talk to you: asking information on a street or try to start a chat with the shop's employee and you'll get something back... they seems positive and smiling people!
And Australian are into sport... people run, ride, serf... almost any kind of sport including those unknown overseas... with, I believe, excellent results on the balance of each individual doing sport. At 5pm all the offices get empty and pubs populated... plenty of activities are offered in any forms and the weekends could be easily filled in with anything you like.
Full of restaurants of any traditions and tastes, and with green parks in the very middle of the city, some relaxing time is soon taken.
Last but not least, Sydney is a big city, mostly sunny, that offers jobs opportunities at any levels: either you are a European students who can get a working/studying visa, or a local person looking for a new job that could easily be bus driver: "Everyday people queue to see me" ...that's what the job offers ad (for becoming a bus driver) says on the bus and also what the funniest driver ever stood up and shout when we were stopping at the red of a traffic light!
He, which name I regret I didn't ask, was welcoming and selling tickets to all new passengers with funny comments... seconds after the trip from the city centre to Bondi started, he provided us with some daily news: cricket results and the latest news from president Bush... he politely nick-named sweetheart a girl who looked lost and asked for some information... then, prior describing it as the best women's underwear shop in the area and as soon as he opened the doors at the stop just in front of the shop, he probably couldn't help to shout out how much he liked that bra!!
An excellent example of how emotional intelligence influence our life in a much more relevant way of our IQ, our bus driver had the power to make everyone in the bus smiling and many, like me and the girl sitting beside, decided it was better to put away our book travel companion and just listen to him and his funny talks.
Now, I'm not saying that all Australians are like the bus driver... but 2 months into my new adventure I definitely came up with the conclusion that, with its people, weather and surrounding, social and business life, Sydney definitely is an easy place to live in.
But then I wonder: wouldn't it be dangerous to get use to all that?!
Now I'm in a place where the language spoken and the opportunities offered make up a combination a can take advantage of.
I have been to 2 acting classes so far: the teaching methods are pretty interesting and let us step back to our childhood: lot of games and learning by enjoying... in fact not that different from many AIESEC things... always good fun!
Although it may be still a bit early to really find out what I'm getting out of this course, I must say that a good first result is already achieved: meeting interesting people.
Being there, challenging yourself in a room full of unknown faces for something like acting, not really that common, it means to me a good deal of courage and will to step out of the box and give some spicy to your life: it's by default that I like those people attending the acting course with me!
However, is not just the acting classes or any other activity I'm considering to pick up that made me reflects of the easy life Sydney offers.
First of all the people: Australians drink a good deal... but unlike many European cultures, their drinking is not a tool they need to open up and becoming social animal. They generally are opened and easygoing people. Their "G'day mate, ou are you?" has being pretty frustrating at the beginning: everyone you meet will ask you this question... it's not that is annoying to reply every time... but more because you actually don't need to reply! It's a question that doesn't need an answer... they ask but they actually don't care, and what's more frustrating is that it does NOT introduce, most of the time, any further friendly chat.
Still, it a sign of people ready to talk to you: asking information on a street or try to start a chat with the shop's employee and you'll get something back... they seems positive and smiling people!
And Australian are into sport... people run, ride, serf... almost any kind of sport including those unknown overseas... with, I believe, excellent results on the balance of each individual doing sport. At 5pm all the offices get empty and pubs populated... plenty of activities are offered in any forms and the weekends could be easily filled in with anything you like.
Full of restaurants of any traditions and tastes, and with green parks in the very middle of the city, some relaxing time is soon taken.
Last but not least, Sydney is a big city, mostly sunny, that offers jobs opportunities at any levels: either you are a European students who can get a working/studying visa, or a local person looking for a new job that could easily be bus driver: "Everyday people queue to see me" ...that's what the job offers ad (for becoming a bus driver) says on the bus and also what the funniest driver ever stood up and shout when we were stopping at the red of a traffic light!
He, which name I regret I didn't ask, was welcoming and selling tickets to all new passengers with funny comments... seconds after the trip from the city centre to Bondi started, he provided us with some daily news: cricket results and the latest news from president Bush... he politely nick-named sweetheart a girl who looked lost and asked for some information... then, prior describing it as the best women's underwear shop in the area and as soon as he opened the doors at the stop just in front of the shop, he probably couldn't help to shout out how much he liked that bra!!
An excellent example of how emotional intelligence influence our life in a much more relevant way of our IQ, our bus driver had the power to make everyone in the bus smiling and many, like me and the girl sitting beside, decided it was better to put away our book travel companion and just listen to him and his funny talks.
Now, I'm not saying that all Australians are like the bus driver... but 2 months into my new adventure I definitely came up with the conclusion that, with its people, weather and surrounding, social and business life, Sydney definitely is an easy place to live in.
But then I wonder: wouldn't it be dangerous to get use to all that?!
1 Comments:
Hey Augusto,
is it dangerous to always live like this? Could be. This could be the reason why there are so many Australian's abroad. We have a relatively small population but a combination of isolation and economy provides excellent motivation to pack the bags and go exploring.
I am really enjoying reading your blog and your insights into Sydney. Keep em coming,
cheers
John
hhtp://westgarth.nomadlife.org
By Westy, At 1:40 AM
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