Working in a multinational company for the past 7 years has given me travel privileges that most people only dream about. I have traveled several times to a total of 14 cities in 5 continents at the company’s expense no less – Guangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai, Singapore, Kobe, Bangkok, Mumbai, Taipei, Hong Kong, Costa Rica, Cincinnati, Dubai, Newcastle, and most recently Sydney.
Sadly, I became quite travel-weary after the 6th trip or so. Somehow I ended up actually dreading at the thought of another business trip. Mainly this is because I know I am just going to see 3 locations only: 1) airport 2) office 3) hotel. For me, business trips also often mean long stopovers in the airport, mixed up travel and hotel reservations and doing your “real work” in the hotel after office hours of full day meetings. As you can imagine, the picture I’ve painted is not exactly what I would call fun.
Recently though, a close friend of mine convinced me to stop these negative thoughts and still try to enjoy the new place. I am glad I listened to him. If not, I would have just attempted to just work, work and work. I wouldn’t have realized what a delightful place Sydney is.
Originally, I was actually a bit apprehensive about my trip to Australia. I’ve heard some horrific stories about how deep the racial discrimination is in Australia, especially towards Asians and Chinese. To say I didn’t have high expectations of the trip would be an understatement.
Surprisingly, I found the people there to be quite friendly and interesting. Other than the fact that the immigration officers were too paranoid about the tourists bringing in some stuff that would pollute and corrupt the land (they went through each and every single thing in the luggage – even your undies!) AND the fact that they couldn't understand my accent, they were quite nice. It was indeed a pleasant surprise.
Although I only had a sum total of less than 6 hours to actually see some parts of Sydney other than my office, hotel and airport, these are the top 5 things I like about the city:
1. Views
The view in Sydney is absolutely breathtaking. I could spend the whole day just sitting by the bay, listening to the sounds of the waves crashing to the shore and talking about nonsense stuff with a friend. Sydney is one of those cities that look magnificent whether day or night.
2. Weather
Although Sydney has 4 seasons, the weather is something that you can actually live in, without worrying that you might just end up freezing to death or dropping dead on the street from heat stroke. I had the fortune of being there at its nicest time – not too cold, not too hot. But the locals say that the coldest it can actually get is about 12 degrees Celsius, which is not too bad.
3. Population
Although Sydney is a bustling modern city, it still is roomy enough for one not to feel too crowded. Even though there are lots of tourists around, you can actually have a photo of you in front of the Harbour Bridge or Sydney Opera House without sharing it with at least 10 other tourists. It is not too garishly lighted up nor it is too dull. It has modern buildings, but also retains the classic architecture. It is a perfect mix of city and suburbs.
4. Relaxing atmosphere
Unlike most cities, Sydney has a very relaxed and easygoing atmosphere about them. It gives the impression that the people there still find time to enjoy the simple pleasures in life. I think this is especially important when you start thinking about raising a family or doing something other than just climbing the corporate ladder.
5. Great food
There is a variety of great food – seafood, pizza and pasta, Chinese takeout, Japanese, etc. The choices are endless.
I am definitely visiting Australia again within the next few years - even at my personal expense if need be. And this time, I’ll make sure I have more than 6 hours to enjoy this wonderful city. :P
Awesome, dude!
Sadly, I became quite travel-weary after the 6th trip or so. Somehow I ended up actually dreading at the thought of another business trip. Mainly this is because I know I am just going to see 3 locations only: 1) airport 2) office 3) hotel. For me, business trips also often mean long stopovers in the airport, mixed up travel and hotel reservations and doing your “real work” in the hotel after office hours of full day meetings. As you can imagine, the picture I’ve painted is not exactly what I would call fun.
Recently though, a close friend of mine convinced me to stop these negative thoughts and still try to enjoy the new place. I am glad I listened to him. If not, I would have just attempted to just work, work and work. I wouldn’t have realized what a delightful place Sydney is.
Originally, I was actually a bit apprehensive about my trip to Australia. I’ve heard some horrific stories about how deep the racial discrimination is in Australia, especially towards Asians and Chinese. To say I didn’t have high expectations of the trip would be an understatement.
Surprisingly, I found the people there to be quite friendly and interesting. Other than the fact that the immigration officers were too paranoid about the tourists bringing in some stuff that would pollute and corrupt the land (they went through each and every single thing in the luggage – even your undies!) AND the fact that they couldn't understand my accent, they were quite nice. It was indeed a pleasant surprise.
Although I only had a sum total of less than 6 hours to actually see some parts of Sydney other than my office, hotel and airport, these are the top 5 things I like about the city:
1. Views
The view in Sydney is absolutely breathtaking. I could spend the whole day just sitting by the bay, listening to the sounds of the waves crashing to the shore and talking about nonsense stuff with a friend. Sydney is one of those cities that look magnificent whether day or night.
2. Weather
Although Sydney has 4 seasons, the weather is something that you can actually live in, without worrying that you might just end up freezing to death or dropping dead on the street from heat stroke. I had the fortune of being there at its nicest time – not too cold, not too hot. But the locals say that the coldest it can actually get is about 12 degrees Celsius, which is not too bad.
3. Population
Although Sydney is a bustling modern city, it still is roomy enough for one not to feel too crowded. Even though there are lots of tourists around, you can actually have a photo of you in front of the Harbour Bridge or Sydney Opera House without sharing it with at least 10 other tourists. It is not too garishly lighted up nor it is too dull. It has modern buildings, but also retains the classic architecture. It is a perfect mix of city and suburbs.
4. Relaxing atmosphere
Unlike most cities, Sydney has a very relaxed and easygoing atmosphere about them. It gives the impression that the people there still find time to enjoy the simple pleasures in life. I think this is especially important when you start thinking about raising a family or doing something other than just climbing the corporate ladder.
5. Great food
There is a variety of great food – seafood, pizza and pasta, Chinese takeout, Japanese, etc. The choices are endless.
I am definitely visiting Australia again within the next few years - even at my personal expense if need be. And this time, I’ll make sure I have more than 6 hours to enjoy this wonderful city. :P
Awesome, dude!
2 comments:
Why, oh why? Oh I'd like to know... Did you notice that your blogs always contain lists?
Sahia: Lists calm me down, for some reason. Let's discuss your aversion to lists over coffee sometime. I hope to convince you how lovely lists are. :)
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