What do you miss about Australia?
December 20th 2007 17:23
After spending five months in Germany, I am heading back to summery Sydney this weekend to enjoy Christmas with my family and to go on yet another fun-filled holiday to Noosa on the Sunshine Coast.
I will continue blogging while I'm Down Under because this actually lends itself wonderfully to reflecting on various experiences and making amusing observations about the differences between Australia and Germany. I will return to Germany at the start of February.
Anyhow, after leaving good old Oz for a substantial period of time once again, I am really starting to realise what I miss the most about our sunburnt country when I'm away (and, funnily enough, it's not the sunburn).
So, here it goes -- my TOP TEN THINGS TO MISS ABOUT AUSTRALIA:
1. The laid-back people. (It's such a cliche, but so true! I find people in Australia are definitely more open, spontaneous and friendly than most other nations.)
2. Stunning Sydney. (And I don't care if I'm just biased because I am from there.
)3. The prevelance of sunny weather. (I actually like cold temps, but what bothers me in Europe is the amount of grey, depressing days.)
4. Being able to go on a tropical beach holiday in an idyllic setting without leaving my own country. (Germans are especially jealous of that because they love beaches and warm places.)
5. The huge amount of Asian restaurants and their superior quality. (Finding a decent Thai eatery in Germany is a struggle. And most Chinese stuff I've tasted here does not compare to Chinese in Oz.)
6. The beautiful birds that we see on a daily basis in our suburbs and backyards, e.g. cockatoos, rosellas, lorikeets. (Most people can only see them in the zoo.)
7. Shops being open on Sundays.
8. Carols in the Domain.
9. Bondi Burgers at Oporto.
10. Twist-off beer caps!
Some of the things I DON'T miss about Oz include: the bugs and spiders, the lousy public transport system, getting really sunburnt, the bushfires, and the super-expensive food and alcohol (so much cheaper in Germany!). But I won't dwell on these negatives because they are far outweighed by the positives.
All you fellow Aussie Orblers and travellers, what do YOU miss most about your country while you are away?
Dee Why Beach, Sydney
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Comment by Damo
For the Sake of Argument
My Apologetics
I spent 3 months in Sri Lanka.
After 2 month I developed a desire for:
A hot shower instead on the regular cold showers.
Drinking water from the tap,
Actually find drinking water.
Traffic that stays on the correct side of the road, and actually on the road.
Police that don't ask for a bribe
Government offers that do something and do not expect bribe.
My own soft bed.
Comment by Eva W.
Life in Germany
It sounds like you had a pretty tough time over there in Sri Lanka. I hope it was worth it!
Thanks for stopping by.
Comment by AmyHuang
Sydney Table
Project Job Search
Travel Debate
Travel String
Love Adventures
When I came back from Peru after a four month volunteer project, my first meal was fish and chip.
Our seafood is tops. And nothing beats our fish and chips. (Even the best fish and chip in Brighton, UK was a depressing disappointment!)
Comment by Eva W.
Life in Germany
I guess lots of people would agree with you, but I am personally not a seafood lover (how very un-Australian of me), so the fish and chips would never make it onto my top 10 list.
Oh well... I never said this list wasn't biased.
Comment by Rosemary
Alpaca Notes - Tasmania
Comment by Ash
Australian Traveller
Flashes of memories
The weather on the Sunny Coast is not so sunny hey. I hope you have enjoyed the cyclonic weather as much as I have - although it`s rather muggy now which isn`t very pleasant.
What do I miss most about my country? Well I come from Africa so I`d have to say the wildlife, the wide open spaces and the people. Definitely not easy to find once you have left them all behind.
Happy holidays
Ash
Comment by katyzzz
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katyzzz...returning the favour
Comment by postmoderncritic
Postmodern Critic
Daily Inspirations
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Padsoc
The vibrant gay community (unless I happen to be in San Francisco, Vancouver or Paris)
The easy accessibility of Asian food, especially Thai and Vietnamese (just like you said)
Lift, the Coca-Cola soft drink (unless I happen to be in Hong Kong)
The natural beauty
The cleanliness
The incessant sunshine
The beaches
The down-to-earth, unpretentious quality of the people, but NOT their accents
The multiculturalism
The English language
Thanks for the post, it got me thinking about all my adventures... Sydney is a pretty good base, even though I would like to be in San Francisco, Paris or Barcelona...