Anywhere else in the world but Sydney.

Sydney sunset from the Balmain wharf. Sydney Australia (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I wish I could underscore a post with music.  If it is possible and there is someone reading who knows how to, please offer up your knowledge!

Today has been underscored by the following music which I’d love to have as background music to my post – for now we’ll just have to go with links.  I am all about the music as many who know me will know, without it the world just isn’t the same.

The Eels – Last Stop This Town

The Eels – Hey Man Now You’re Really Living – whistled by a lovely gardener whom I had a chat with.

Badly Drawn Boy – Something to Talk About

Nick Cave – The Ship Song.

I was talking with a friend a few months back when I started seriously contemplating moving overseas, she had moved interstate in Australia in her twenties and I asked her how that went and what she found the hardest.  In particular I quizzed her about how she went about meeting people and starting a whole new friend network in a new hometown.  You see I’ve lived in Sydney for the past 22 years and it’s hard to meet people in Sydney.  Her words to me were – “Don’t worry you’ll meet people, people will take care of you and help you out.”  My incredulous and unbelieving response was – “Yes but how do you meet people?”.  To which she said to me “Anywhere else in the world but Sydney people will take care of you, look out for you, offer you help, friendship etc.  People are friendly outside of Sydney, you’ll be fine, you’ll meet people.”.  I was a little dumbfounded, cautiously wanting to believe and I did believe her I just ………… well having experienced how ‘closed’ Sydneysiders are for so long it’s hard to get your head around how the world should be or actually is.

Today I experienced the – “Anywhere else in the world but Sydney…..”.

I had three flats lined up to inspect today, the first one while I would be happy enough to live there if it was all I could get just didn’t quite sit right.  I had hours to kill between the first 9am inspection and the second 2pm inspection and didn’t want to head straight back to my accommodation, so I decided to check out the two afternoon inspections ahead of time from the outside and do the scope out the neighbourhood thing as that’s what really didn’t sit well with me on the first one.

Well, I fell in love with the 2pm inspection by about 10am!  As I wandered down the driveway to look at the flat I overheard the gardener at the property next door whistling a familiar song while he weeded and pruned.  The flat looked totally fine and inoffensive and on the way back up the driveway I remembered the name of the song that the gardener was still whistling, ‘Hey Man Now You’re Really Living’ by The Eels.  It’s not a tune you hear whistled everyday and I had a chat with the gardener about it, he was stoked that someone not only recognised the song but recognised it from his whistling it.

Then I went for a walk around the corner and I fell in love with the neighbourhood!  There is a packaging free, Buy from the Bins, grocery around the corner, similar to a food co-op but no membership and it’s run as a private business.  I needed coffee and would rather buy it freshly ground so was in heaven to find this shop and then even more so when the absolutely gorgeous Asian couple who run it were so helpful, friendly, talkative and inquisitive – in a good way.  Having bought ground coffee I really wanted a cup of coffee so went in search of a café and found one.  Not bad coffee but again friendly, chatty, interested in you! the customer! as opposed to the work colleague next to them, staff.

BUT I have been a renter in Sydney for a long time and have learnt the hard way not to get attached too quickly when looking for rental accommodation as it so often ends in tears, or in bad, stained carpet; mouldy bathroom ceilings; and next to no kitchens, that were somewhere around 5th choice on your list.

So I rock up at the property for the 2pm inspection where there is lets just say a very special bunch of people each wanting to discuss their ‘special needs’ with the real estate agent.   I was given the raised  eyebrows and asked “You’ll want an application won’t you?’  and also got asked to stay around to talk with her about my application.  Upon mentioning that I don’t have work she rang their other office for me who are looking for an Admin person and gave me a plug there (I’ve sent her my résumé to pass on). Once everyone else had left she put ‘1st Choice’ on the top of my application, told me that I am the type of tenant that they want in the building as the last tenant had to be asked to leave,  and said that she will ask her colleague to process it first thing on Monday for me (real estates aren’t open on weekends here it seems) implying that mine will be the only one processed if I’m interested in the property, which yes I assured her I am.

I may very well have a flat and potentially a job interview at the beginning of next week!  Far Out!

Anywhere else in the world but Sydney!………… Don’t get me wrong I am still very fond of Sydney, it’s an awesome city and I have some amazing memories and stories.  I think now though it’s best I leave it to the young people for a while. 😉

All this today and tomorrow I get to go to a yoga class for an hour and a half!  *happy dance*  A very stiff happy dance at the moment as it’s been a month since I made it to class and man am I in need of a stretch, not to mention the chance to focus my mind on just what is happening on my yoga mat for that small hour and a half.

Related articles

• 10 Reasons Why I Love Sydney (bryanboy.com)