A year in Sydney

Well that's a year in Sydney then. And doesn't time fly and all. Yes, the years're starting to go by like months, the months like days etc. etc. Apart from a bumpy start - that includes no job and accommodation for an angonisingly long time - the past year in Sydney has flown by and thankfully without major hassles. And given the current state of the global everything, I'm lucky now to have semi-permanent, visa provided, employment in Australia for the next while. But for all of that, life here has been, wellll..a little boring. And not without its bouts of homesickness. For all the superlatives that people spout about Sydney harbour and the beaches and the lifestyle, sometimes living here really does seem very very far away. And with the sheer size of Australia (and my lack of a car) it's a lot harder than living in Dublin take a long weekend or to hop on a short flight and find yourself in a different country and culture to explore. Living in Japan for a year was a long sequence of new things to do and see and, given my relatively short working day, I was able to do and see a lot. Here I'm working a long day, the routine resembles that in Dublin that much more (except I hardly know anyone), and after a while there's not much new to see, especially without a car. But definitely if you're here for a couple of weeks, it's easy to come away with a shining impression, of the harbour and the city. And the view of the skyline from the Botanic Gardens is definitely pretty. So on the plus side: + the Harbour View + Botanic Gardens + Food Courts + Weather + Circular Quay + Shopping Centres + Friendly shop staff          But on the downside.. - Sydney "Pubs" (not exactly inviting) - Few travel opportunities - Car dependency (partly my fault) - Corrugated metal roofing (pet peeve) - TV (awful awful) - Aussie Bacon (why can't they get it right?) - Supermarkets (why so dirty?)