AUSTRALIA - SIDNEY

In my first Blog of my semester abroad in Sydney, I want to reflect on a particular aspect of life in my host country.

Sydney is a very big city with many suburbs and has a lot to offer, from city life to the beach life. During the most part of my stay abroad, I was living in the suburb Bondi, where you also find one of Sydney's biggest beach  “Bondi Beach”. During my time in Sydney, I got to move around and lived in quite different places and suburbs. Somehow, I have the feeling this led me to see and experience more of Sydney.

One thing that surprised me in Australian culture, oh well at least in Sydney; people cannot afford a place for them self. You will often see people sharing their apartment. So instead of looking for a big house or flat where you can have some privacy in your own home, people look for rooms or flatmates that match their vibe and lifestyle. Also, the rent, as well as the paycheck, is due weekly instead of monthly. I learned from a local, that this is because the rent prices are too high to affort them, therefore people get their money every week, so they can survive with it through the month.

When I decided to do a semester abroad in Sydney I knew, I wouldn’t want to life in the student accommodations, therefore I searched for a place to share or a room. In my first week I was living in a house all by myself before Lara, my Snack-Sister, arrived on my second week in the house. The house can host up to s7 people or students but at the time I arrived it was still new. After two weeks Lara and I decided to move again into a suburb called Kings cross. Kings Cross was known as the party corner of Sydney. Here you could find stripers, drugs, and lots of fun, well, this was till an accident let the rulers change the rules. Now Kings Cross is becoming a more elite suburb with sweet apartments and little cafes or restaurant along its main streets . Lara and I had the luck to become friends with our neighbour in our first house, therefore she let us stay in her Penthouse in Kings Cross for two weeks without payment. We of course accepted this luxury treat immediately. After those two weeks Lara and I decided it was time to move to the beach. This was all the reason we came to Australia, oh well a big part of the reason. One thing that struck me about Bondi and its residents was their enthusiasm for health and sports. Many people schedule their week around their training. They get up quite early to work out before work. Then they work all day, maybe have two beers at the pub, and then go to bed early so they can get up for their workout. Their eating behavior therefore is very healthy - the Aussies in Sydney like to stay fit. As a result, there are numerous vegetarians and healthy eateries, as well as smoothie shops on every corner. During the week, everyone dresses in business attire, but on weekends, practically everyone dresses in athletic or beach clothes. However, I was still unable to inspire myself to begin a sport or eat healthier. On the contrary, I ate a lot of junk food throughout my time in Australia. On a hot day, though, I found myself loving a smoothie. I was also in the water very frequently and took a few surf lessons, but this was the only sport I could find myself doing.