After the initial shock of being back in Australia, stupefied by the amount of space and time around me, I am really warming up to this Australia gig. I have finally started to stop comparing everything to Japan and accepting my country for the beautiful place that it is. It’s magic. My first day of walking around Sydney, I really did feel like a Japanese tourist. My mum phoned me whilst I was on the train and I answered with a whispered “I can’t talk, I’m on the train” before it occurred to me that yes, in fact I could talk and no one will even batter an eyelid. At that point I wondered quietly to myself, when did I become such an anal-retentive nana? And except for the 30% of the nation (possibly all located in my hometown) that are hideously obese, the people here really are beautiful and TALL. I am dwarfed by everyone here and I love it! It makes for a nice change from being the giant foreigner. Here, no one is staring at me on the train, yet I find myself staring at them. And if I do catch their eye, they do this really strange thing. They smile. It took me a while to work out what the weird thing they were doing with the corner of their mouths was, so for a moment I just sat watching them. After the smiling I was completely baffled when a stranger struck up a conversation with me at the train station. Even at Hungry Jacks the cashier asked me how I was! And then actually listened to the answer. Then at Subway the woman was interested in my Christmas plans (Yes, I’m doing the fast-food circuit). I had no idea that it was possible for people to be so friendly.
I spend two nights in Sydney at my gorgeous mate Andrew’s house in Coogee and was lucky enough to catch up with Andrea while she was in the country and had my first beer in 3 years with one of my oldest mates, Borz. Got to do all the touristy things all over again and experience some scary Aussie culture (word of advice: do not get on a train). We had a wicked time with beautiful friends and beautiful weather. Loved it. x
Photo evidence that I really am a short-arse in Australia
Andrew and I being posers as usual
After the initial shock of being back in Australia, stupefied by the amount of space and time around me, I am really warming up to this Australia gig. I have finally started to stop comparing everything to Japan and accepting my country for the beautiful place that it is. It’s magic. My first day of walking around Sydney, I really did feel like a Japanese tourist. My mum phoned me whilst I was on the train and I answered with a whispered “I can’t talk, I’m on the train” before it occurred to me that yes, in fact I could talk and no one will even batter an eyelid. At that point I wondered quietly to myself, when did I become such an anal-retentive nana? And except for the 30% of the nation (possibly all located in my hometown) that are hideously obese, the people here really are beautiful and TALL. I am dwarfed by everyone here and I love it! It makes for a nice change from being the giant foreigner. Here, no one is staring at me on the train, yet I find myself staring at them. And if I do catch their eye, they do this really strange thing. They smile. It took me a while to work out what the weird thing they were doing with the corner of their mouths was, so for a moment I just sat watching them. After the smiling I was completely baffled when a stranger struck up a conversation with me at the train station. Even at Hungry Jacks the cashier asked me how I was! And then actually listened to the answer. Then at Subway the woman was interested in my Christmas plans (Yes, I’m doing the fast-food circuit). I had no idea that it was possible for people to be so friendly.
I spend two nights in Sydney at my gorgeous mate Andrew’s house in Coogee and was lucky enough to catch up with Andrea while she was in the country and had my first beer in 3 years with one of my oldest mates, Borz. Got to do all the touristy things all over again and experience some scary Aussie culture (word of advice: do not get on a train). We had a wicked time with beautiful friends and beautiful weather. Loved it. x
Photo evidence that I really am a short-arse in Australia
Andrew and I being posers as usual
No comments:
Post a Comment