Which Sydney?
There are so many "Sydneys", not just a monolithic one. Just as many residents have long felt, there are multiple townships that collectively are labelled with one regional name reference, but with characteristics that can be as different and far apart as chalk and cheese, individualistic and communal, outdoor and inward looking.
Taking these thoughts to another dimension, there can be at least two different Australian economies, if not more. Often such various communities and economies interact in trade, pass by each other on the street or sit beside each other on buses and trains, but their internal drivers, passions and preoccupations can vary and differ. Yet at the same time, they are all influenced by commonalities at grassroots or suggested by national nuances. Politics, religion, landscape topography and the nature of work may divide them, but choice of food, lingo, sport and relationships may bring them back again. Just like having Cadbury hot chocolate after a serving of Malaysian chicken red curry, albeit cooked with potatoes and meat, on a recent Qantas Boeing flight. When overseas, Australians from different backgrounds still gather at iconic homes away from home - like working expats having their morning coffee meetings at the Dilbumah cafe inside the Chevron complex facing Raffles Place in Singapore.
Driving through Sydney districts, I sample through some of the variety on most weekends, provided I am willing to travel and persist through a long day and night - but the resulting rewards are worth the experience. I savour the details in the way people drive ( for example between the Illawarra area and Asian demographic suburbs), in the language used on shop displays along main streets and in the number of retail outlets still opened for business after 5pm and on weekends. I can see the various ways in which some communities gather, celebrate, reflect and relax. Viewing, playing or ignoring sports perhaps contribute to a critical parameter that differentiates Australians at key stages of life from school to the pub. Attitudes to mateship and family spring up as another significant parameter in different parts of Sydney. Specific usage of public versus private transport, preferences for hot versus cold dishes in everyday snacks or quick lunch time meals and having a choice of pets also all come to mind.
When faced with the same set of joys and pain, such differences are quickly cast aside. Whether caught up in the annual firework displays at the harbour, or recognising the sacrifices made by troops based overseas, Sydney siders - and other Australians for that matter - can naturally dive into what unites us rather than separate us. Whether we hail from the mountains, plains, inner city or coastal shires, we endure pricey parking fees, persistent traffic jams, shopping centre crowds, inflation rates higher than what we are told and the need to protect our skins better. We also love the breeze over our hair, the sight of the deep blue bays and beach sides, long weekends away, queueing up, outdoor activities and just having a chockie on a beaut day.
Taking these thoughts to another dimension, there can be at least two different Australian economies, if not more. Often such various communities and economies interact in trade, pass by each other on the street or sit beside each other on buses and trains, but their internal drivers, passions and preoccupations can vary and differ. Yet at the same time, they are all influenced by commonalities at grassroots or suggested by national nuances. Politics, religion, landscape topography and the nature of work may divide them, but choice of food, lingo, sport and relationships may bring them back again. Just like having Cadbury hot chocolate after a serving of Malaysian chicken red curry, albeit cooked with potatoes and meat, on a recent Qantas Boeing flight. When overseas, Australians from different backgrounds still gather at iconic homes away from home - like working expats having their morning coffee meetings at the Dilbumah cafe inside the Chevron complex facing Raffles Place in Singapore.
Driving through Sydney districts, I sample through some of the variety on most weekends, provided I am willing to travel and persist through a long day and night - but the resulting rewards are worth the experience. I savour the details in the way people drive ( for example between the Illawarra area and Asian demographic suburbs), in the language used on shop displays along main streets and in the number of retail outlets still opened for business after 5pm and on weekends. I can see the various ways in which some communities gather, celebrate, reflect and relax. Viewing, playing or ignoring sports perhaps contribute to a critical parameter that differentiates Australians at key stages of life from school to the pub. Attitudes to mateship and family spring up as another significant parameter in different parts of Sydney. Specific usage of public versus private transport, preferences for hot versus cold dishes in everyday snacks or quick lunch time meals and having a choice of pets also all come to mind.
When faced with the same set of joys and pain, such differences are quickly cast aside. Whether caught up in the annual firework displays at the harbour, or recognising the sacrifices made by troops based overseas, Sydney siders - and other Australians for that matter - can naturally dive into what unites us rather than separate us. Whether we hail from the mountains, plains, inner city or coastal shires, we endure pricey parking fees, persistent traffic jams, shopping centre crowds, inflation rates higher than what we are told and the need to protect our skins better. We also love the breeze over our hair, the sight of the deep blue bays and beach sides, long weekends away, queueing up, outdoor activities and just having a chockie on a beaut day.
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