By Nashauna Drummond, Staff Reporter
The famous Opera House by the Harbour in Sydney. - Nashauna Drummond Photo
UNTIL I visited Australia last month for a conference, all I knew about the country was the Opera House in Sydney, that it's called the land Down Under and, thanks to cable and Steve Irwin (the crocodile hunter), I was fascinated by the Aussie accent ('whats up mate?') and the variety of their wildlife.
Everything about this two-week trip was a new experience. The adventure began when I left Norman Manley International Airport at about 11:00 on a Monday night. When I finally arrived in Brisbane, Australia, it was 11:00 a.m Thursday or 8:00 p.m. Wednesday in Jamaica. All that is now a blur except for two things. My two-hour stop in Singapore and the ride from the airport in Brisbane to my hotel, if only because my coach driver was the 'dead stamp' of Hagrid in the Harry Potter movie.
WEATHER
I was told to take comfortable clothing, and coming from the tropics that meant jeans and
T-shirt. Man, was I wrong! Although the sun was out in all its glory it did not generate enough heat to warm me. Dressed in sweater and all, I was still cold. Coffee became my best friend, offering me momentary comfort from the chilly temperature.
PEOPLE
The Australian population is comprised of mainly Europeans and Asians with a small number of aborigines. I had heard that Australians are racist but I found no evidence to support this, except for a young lady at my hotel in Brisbane who took a bit too long to bring my coffee.
What I found is that despite the mundane expression they wear most of the time, Australians are pleasant. They seemed so chirpy for the most part that at one point I began to wonder if anything really bothered them.
Most people in the service industry convenient store clerks and taxi drivers are from South Pacific islands and the Middle East. They
seemed to have been infected with the Australian
pleasantness.
After Brisbane I spent a few days chilling out in Sydney. There I went on a shopping spree at Paddy Market, a large 'arcade' that sells just about everything at very reasonable prices. Unfortunately Paddy's is only open from Thursday to Sunday.
As I explored the city something else became abundantly clear people of Asian descent outnumber the Europeans by about three to one. Seriously, there were so many Asians it was easy to forget you were in Australia and not Asia.
ENTERTAINMENT
There wasn't much happening in terms of entertainment during my stay in Sydney. The operas were scheduled to begin after I left (not that I was particularly interested but a little culture couldn't hurt).
So what did I do for entertainment in Sydney? I went Latin dancing. While the Spanish club is for members only, it is accessible to foreigners with a valid I.D. and a cover fee. The little club was jammed with Latinos. I had a great time, I was in my realm. I found a little Peruvian dance partner (actually he found me) and I had a ball although my partner didn't seem to realise when a song was over and the music had stopped.
I also walked a great deal and got lost so many times I could become a Sydney tour guide. Each morning after breakfast, adorned in sweaters and gloves (I was the only one walking around Sydney in gloves), I just walked.
THE OPERA HOUSE
Of course, no visit to Sydney would be complete without a stop at the Opera House. A well-known Australian landmark, this building is impressive if only because of its roof and the magnificent view of the harbour. On the afternoon I visited, the harbour bridge loomed gigantic and ominous against the afternoon sunlight. Thoughts of climbing it and bungee jumping from it flashed across my mind.
FOOD
While in Brisbane my gastronomic system was exposed to some unrecognisable foodstuff a lot of vegetable and mysterious meat kind. Once, I swear I had something that actually moved. I got to try their prized kangaroo, which tastes a lot like beef.
Sydney has a wider variety of dishes that were more familiar to me. There are numerous Italian restaurants and cafes. I therefore had my fill of pizzas, plus I found a Subway sandwich shop, so I survived. Of course Asian food is extremely popular with a wide assortment of dishes served in Chinese, Japanese, Indonesian and Malaysian restaurants.
ANIMAL KINGDOM
One of my greatest expectations from this trip was to see the exotic and amazing animals in Australia. When I arrived I actually expected to see kangaroos hopping across the runway. However, my sole experience with the animal kingdom was a trip to Lone Pine Koala park on the final day of my stay in Brisbane. I got up close and personal with these oh so cuddly koala bears. One tried to kiss me but generally they just hug you like a baby and they are so soft. They do nothing all day except eat and sleep. What a life!
I got a chance to feed the kangaroos but they didn't seem interested in a boxing game. To really experience Australia's animal kingdom requires a trip to the outback. That's for another trip though. See you next time, mate.
