I will not hide the fact that I borrowed the title of this note from Babel (“How it was done in Odessa”), although Sydney and Australia themselves do not resemble this glorious Black Sea city in any way. Except for the optimism of its diverse inhabitants.
This is the fourth time in my life that I have been in Sydney, staying from a few weeks to several months, and I never tire of being amazed at how this city lives, the little things that define the daily lives of its inhabitants.
Australians, like all inhabitants of the Earth, are different people. Young and old, rich and not so rich, optimists, melancholics and hypochondriacs… But there are rules, traditions, and habits that are “the same for everyone” in Sydney. No matter who you are by profession, no matter where you moved to this country from (and most people here are immigrants in the first, at best in the second, third, or fifth generation), you voluntarily accept the rules of the game (that is, the rules of life) that have developed. You get used to them.
Let’s not start with the most important thing, but the most noticeable at first: when meeting a passerby, Australians greet him. The usual “hello” or “good afternoon”, at least with a smile and a nod of the head. This good custom persists to a noticeable extent, however, only on the sparsely populated streets of Sydney and on the hiking trails of Australia. The city lives by its own laws of the “big city”, but even here, if you meet someone’s eyes, be prepared for the fact that they will smile at you and you will be able to read the traditional “heya” (hello) on your lips. This is not in such high esteem among young people, but even from their representatives, if you ask a question, the response will be extremely friendly and friendly, with a smile.
What other habits and traits distinguish Australians?
To begin with, the people of Sydney really like to relax and know how to do it. They also like to travel. After all, traveling is the best vacation! Therefore, on Friday evening or Saturday morning, the stream of cars taking their passengers to the mountains, to the shores of rivers, lakes and seas, stretches in an endless stream along the roads to the north or south. Why not west or east? Yes, simply because the road to the west of the country will inevitably lead deep into the continent, to desert places where the hot sun and wind rule. And to the east of the city there is only the Tasman Sea, or rather, only the Pacific Ocean, which has taken on the coastal name that navigators gave it in the old days.
The Tasman Sea, like the entire ocean, is capricious and fickle. It is immersed in a sleepy calm, then foams with white whitecaps, and then suddenly falls into a storm frenzy, crashing onto the shore with all its primeval might. But always, flirting with the shore, it, like a palm, strokes it with a lazy or stormy roll.…
Despite the fickleness of the ocean, there are many beaches here, and there are also many people on these beaches. And no bad weather (except perhaps a violent storm) is capable of forcing Australians to leave the sea for a long time. Well, except for the bars, countless cafes and restaurants that are crowded on weekends.
Here you will find cuisines from all over the world. There are a lot of Italian cafes where you will find not only traditional pizza or pasta, but also many other goodies. Chinese restaurants and eateries will surprise you with dishes that you didn’t even know existed. Greek, Croatian, Vietnamese, Indian, and Arab establishments with their own cuisine will expand your knowledge of culinary geography! And the car counters with drinks and delicious ice cream? Oh, that’s something!
And in every town in Australia there are monuments to famous (and not so famous) people, heroes of local history, memorial parks and even memorial benches! This is already a tribute to the English tradition, when the bench becomes “named” in honor of the person who donated money for its installation. We’ll never know who Miss R or Mr. N is, but it’s always good to sit on a designated bench after a long walk.…
An evening in Sydney is a landmark event. Small streets and alleys, numerous “streets” and “avenues” are going out and sinking into twilight. The sky is blooming with stars, and a picture unusual to the eyes of northerners appears, as in a photograph: no dippers of two Bears, no Latin symbol of Cassiopeia, only unfamiliar constellations led by the Southern Cross, glorified in songs. You’re in another hemisphere– get used to it!
And the main streets of the city live an intense life for several more evening hours: crowded bars, restaurants and cafes change the schedule of the day of their already retired and already closed morning craft colleagues (in Australia there are cafes that open from six in the morning and close by noon). Almost all shops are closed, except supermarkets, and then until a certain hour – their owners and staff also need to rest.
All the noisy thoroughfares are gradually going to sleep: urban street life mostly freezes around eleven o’clock in the evening. The city wakes up early, and at eight in the morning many of its residents are already at work. Is Sydney a city of “larks”?
Being in Australia as guests of children who have become almost aborigines here, we naturally try to follow the local schedule of life. And how, having the opportunity to go somewhere – to get to the sea or to the mountains, to stay at home? To be honest, the ocean coast is preferable to me. What do I see in the murmur of his surf? What does the ocean care about me, a resident of the Central Russian lowlands and uplands? I don’t know, but the ocean heals me, interfering in everyday life by right of the guardian of eternity.:
I believe the ocean as a doctor.:
everything will be alright,
and then – somehow!
I’m learning geography again.,
other people ‘s names , understanding the essence;
I’m trying to understand –
Let it slip through your fingers again…
Ah, this is our late love!
Being in a foreign country for a long time or for a short time, you definitely need to feel like you belong in it, and then it will open your heart to you, like a kind neighbor to whom you looked “for seagulls”. To communicate with whom you are glad and who is glad to see you… And there is no need to rush the time by thinking about the inevitable departure. His time will come, and then today’s reality will become just a good memory. And good memories are the life you’ve lived, and without them our future just might not happen.
