From a Visiting Friend who lives in HKG

The following is an excerpt from my friend who just visited for their family vacation.

-----------------

Peachy, me and Katriel just had a great vacation in Australia. We were planning this trip since 2006, saving up on the plane tickets and the expected expenses along the way.

One of our main reasons for deciding to visit Australia is to see how it is living there. Peachy and I are looking at 3 countries wherein we would like to eventually migrate….USA (West Coast), Australia (Sydney), or Canada (Vancouver). We’ve already been to the US, and we decided to go to Sydney next.

We stayed in Australia for 19 days, going to Sydney and the Gold Coast. Peachy had some business to do the first week, hence we were booked at the Hilton Sydney. The rest of the time, we alternatively stayed at my cousin Ton’s place and my classmate Elmer’s place. We also went to Gold Coast where all the major theme parks in Australia are located.

Some of my insights on our trip:

1. Totally different pace of living. Its slower than what you are used to. Nagulat nga ako that malls and other stores generally close at 5 or 6pm! Wala ka nang mapuntahan after 6pm. People kasi value their time with their families, hence they close shop early. Only a few shops are open after 6pm.

2. People love to have a good time. People love to spend time with their families, playing sports, going to the beach or just grabbing a drink with friends. Unlike HK wherein people literally kill themselves over work or school, people in Australia have a very healthy mix of work and play. This is one of the major factors for me and Peachy when deciding which place to eventually migrate.

3. Very friendly people! People here are so friendly! You could literally strike a conversation with anyone on the street. A lot of people were striking up a conversation with Katriel, and Katriel was asking me why do the people talk to her. Sa HK kasi puro suplado ang mga tao dun.

4. Fresh air! One thing you immediately notice upon arriving in Australia are the beautifully clouds. Its soooo clear and picturesque! People here clearly take care of their environment.

5. Great Beaches. There are so many beaches around Sydney. The sand is white and pure, and the water is greenish blue clean. Going to the beach here is just like going to the grocery. It’s a part of life for Aussies.

6. No helpers. Unlike what we’re used to in Manila or even here in HK, they don’t allow for helpers in Australia. You are on your own. Though this may inconvenience you at first, eventually masasanay ka rin.

6. Great Food! The food is absolutely fresh and tasty. The steaks are totally great! The seafood is really really fresh.

6. Expensive! I was quite surprised that prices of stuff in Australia are quite expensive, even comparing it to HK! A Big Mac meal is around PHP230, and a regular food court meal is around PHP380. Talk about expensive! But then again, if your living there, they say that just having a simple work is enough for you to get by (and still enjoy your weekly steak and having fun!).

9. Very diverse people. Am not sure in other places, but in Sydney I was surprised of the various nationalities living there. If you didn’t know you were in Sydney, you wouldn’t know where you were because of the so many different people around you (Indian, Chinese, Pinoys, Korean, Japanese, etc.).

10. Chips only, no rice. The favorite food staple here is fish and chips, and any other food paired with chips. Bihira lang ang may rice! For pinoys, medyo mahirap mag adjust. You usually can get your rice meal at Chinese places. But in general, its chips.

11. G’day mite! The Aussie English initially is quite confusing and hard to understand. Getting a hang of it could take some time. But I’d take that anytime than the HK English.

Definitely one of the best, if not the best, places my family has been to!

If you have never been to Australia, I strongly suggest you take a visit and I’m sure you will love the place!

Cheers!

Photo by Darby Agregado

-------------------

• Chips is what Pinoys call french fries.
• It may look expensive if you convert it to another currency, it slightly becomes affordable once you earn locally
• Everything closes early. Yes it does. It just takes some discipline to schedule where you want to go. Restaurants and bars closes late. Shopping malls closes early except for Thursdays. If you think about it, if you have a family, do you have time to go out at night to shop, or go 'malling'.