Hey everyone,
Usually I write a little piece about what I did the last few days. I have to do that right now as well. And also hang out my laundry, do the dishes and all that kind of stuff. But I am sitting at the balcony with this sweet notebook on my lap with 20 degrees. And I notice something; I am cold….
This should sound really odd in Holland where it is 5 degrees at this moment. It is going to be probably a really cold winter and I am here in summer temperatures and I am cold. So here a little piece about some strange stuff that is cold down under mentality. Winter in Australia is 15 degrees. And that is really cold for all the locals. They celibrate summer the first of december. So I am still here in spring. I had 2 days this week of 30-35 degrees. I can tell you that I was melting. But now the temperature is down again to 20 degrees. I am cold. Walking here in long trousers and a longsleeve. Ok the sky is clouded and no sun to be seen but still. Another thing here is that their sundown takes only 15 minutes. In Holland it takes a long time and you have enough time between the sun setting down and leaving. At this point between 8 and 8.15 the sun is gone. 8.15 it is pitch black outside. The more I go south it should take shorter and shorter. I am curious.
What else is strange here. (or actually different from the Dutch way of doing) Of course the english languages. As a Dutch person you shouldn’t have to much problems with that. Although after a week you are really tiered. Because you constantly thinking which words you have to use. After 2 weeks you are willing to die to find someone you can talk dutch with. Just for a few sentences. After 3 weeks (or a little bit more) you find yourself thinking english. After that nothing is a problem any more. (Just perhaps the limit of your own vocabulairy) One big hint; speak english even if you have a dutch traveller with you. It saves you a lot of switching between languages. And you learn to know the english languages much faster.
Distances are long. And that is no joke. In Holland you are travelling an hour from Leiden till Utrecht. Over here you are finally in the city. (from where I live, Bondi Beach) And yes that is with public transport. But still. And you are not simply travelling by bus but also by train. Sydney has a big train network going in the city. And off course loads of busses.
And then on the streets. In Holland there is a lot of fuss most of the times when you are passing an approching pedestrian. (walking person) Over here it is left. (In holland mostly right) On the elevator. People who are in a hurry run on the right. People with more time stand still on the left. You want something to be done fast. That doesn’t work here. No worries. And don’t try to rush them up because it simply doesn’t work. There is no hurry. And you just need to accept it takes longer. Which is also the biggest hint in Australia. Look and accept. Take your time and accept.
Was that all. I don’t doubt that it isn’t but for the moment this is all I could think off. So will be continued ;-)
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