Random stuff about Sydney part 2

Picture of an Australian Magpie.

1) On my second day in Sydney last week, I went to this sport goods store called Rebel Sports here in the North Shore. Just for fun, I asked them for hockey sticks only to get FIELD hockey sticks. When requesting for ICE hockey sticks, they were unavailable. The person assisting me was an Asian guy; he asked me if I was from America or Canada. I said yes, Canada.

2) Speaking of America, my other Cdn friend, Geoff, and I kept being asked if we were Americans because of our accent. It is quite annoying being mistaken as Americans. Aussies really should learn something from SE Asians, since they usually ask if I were from Canada. (They know that Americans like to be mistaken as Cdns, but not the vice versa.) All fairness to the Aussies, they usually use the term “Americas” when asking where I am from. I don’t think they differentiate Canada from USA, instead only calling the 2 as a whole (ie. North America or the Americas).

3) According to Geoff, at the revolving restaurant he works at, the Aussies said with a confused look, “But you look Asian” after he told them that he’s from Canada. (You can’t be serious. That’s like me thinking that all Aussies are white.)

4) Went bushwalking with my aunt today in the Kirribilli part of the town. Apparently that area has the highest real estate value in all of Sydney just because it has a view of the Sydney Bridge and Opera House from the North Shore. Got to this lookout point (can’t recall what’s it called, but it’s around Neutral Bay and the Sirius Cove area.), and saw this couple out for a stroll. The man had a New England Patriots shirt on while the girl had some University shirt with the words – law school on it. I immediately recalled that the Pats are playing today against the Bills in Buffalo, NY. So without any hesitation, I just said, “hey, they are playing today eh? (in a good old Cdn fashion, of course!). The man replied, “yeh, you know the score?” We then got to chat for a minute and it turns out that they just moved here from Boston for work. I am assuming they were lawyers.

5) The big election is happening in all of Oz next weekend. The winning party’s leader will become the next Oz Prime Minister. The current party in power is the Liberals while the Labour Party is the opposition. Apparently, the Liberals have already cut income tax last year, therefore they could stay in power. I guess that’s the same way all around the world eh?!

6) I can’t tell if a kid is from a private or a public school based on his/her uniform. It’s bugging me.

7) My big Two-6 bday is tomorrow. (holy fuck, I thought turning 20 was a shock and then turning 25 wasn’t cool either. But turn 26 is like the beginning of my late 20’s. I feel like I have accomplished nothing. Where the doctor at? I am experiencing my quarter life crisis again, but only this time it is much worse than last year.) Funny that I am spending my bday in the different hemisphere this year. Didn’t go out tonight since I am pretty tired from sitting in front of the computer all day applying for work online. However, I am looking forward to my bday at Bondi Beach tomorrow with my cousin and my friend Geoff. Let the good times roll.

8) Drinking age is 18 year, no wonder why the girls at the pubs look so bloody young. All I could hear in my head is Snow’s “Legal”. (“She’s legal tender and fine. She picked my pocket, but committed no crime. She knows she’s a dime.”)

9) Apparently all the Lebanese live in the same community in Paramatta. There’s a large South African community in my aunt’s neighborhood. They are, of course, white and speak Afrikan.

10) There are a shit load of flies here, even in the city. They are some slow fuckers, but they love going onto people's faces. I actually prefer mosquitos now.

11) I have seen bats flying around near my aunt's house in the evening just before it gets dark. They are massive. (I think I already wrote about this.)