Sydney, Australia

I had the privilege of going to Sydney, Australia last week. I've been wanting to go there for years; and it is as beautiful as I've heard it to be. It is surrounded by beaches and harbours; and the public transportation system is great, with it's buses, ferries, and railways. The people are also friendly; and overall, I had a really enjoyable trip.

One of the reasons I love to travel is to experience and learn about other cultures. I found that I was able to keep up with the US elections while I was in Australia, almost as well as I could have if I were in the US; for Obama, McCain, Palin, and Biden were constantly in the headlines in the Australian newspapers. Australians have compulsory elections and those who don't vote are fined. It's an interesting concept; and maybe it's because of that, they seem to have an interest in in politics in general.

Common American retail establishments existed throughout Sydney - Starbucks, McDonald's, KFC, Woolworth, etc. I was there on Oct 31st and found that they don't really "celebrate" Halloween. While the food was really fresh and tasty, particularly their fruit and seafood, it was all quite expensive. Even though I am used to California traffic and real estate prices, I found that Sydney traffic was just as congested and possibly worse because some roads did not have multiple lanes; and their properties on the harbour were reportedly around $30 million. An apartment, likely similar to a small condo, costs over $1 million.

I found Sydney to be similar to Singapore in many ways: the demographics, with a large Asian population; English as the primary language; the Opera House or Performing Art Center as a landmark; and the geography, surrounded by water.

I was able to catch the last evening of La Boheme and to listen to Mozart's Requiem at the Opera House. I was surprised that the building was not well-equipped to accommodate the elderly or the physically-challenged. However, overall, it was a really neat experience.   I was most moved when, along with the Mozart Requiem, they performed Barber's "Agnus Dei"  (Adagio for Strings for choir).   What a beautifully haunting melody.....

I would love to go back one day. The next time, I'd like to visit the Outback and see more of the Australian wildlife (koalas, wombats, wallabys, kangaroos, etc) than just at the Featherdale Wildlife Park; and to hike more than I did at the Blue Mountain trails.

And, the Olympic Park was impressive. It's nice that most of the venues were all in one place. I'm sure that was convenient during the Olympics. However, I felt that they could enhance the Vistor Center and offer more to visitors who are interested in the Olympics. To me, it seemed like they just tried to convert the Olympic Park more to be used by the residents in everyday activities (swimming, concerts, recreation, etc); and neglected to preserve the significance and memories of the Olympic experience. I have been to the Olympic village in L.A., Barcelona, and now Sydney; to the Olympic centers in Lausanne and San Diego; and am planning to go to see the one in Beijing. I've always loved the Olympics and what it represents.

It really was a well-rounded trip. I caught some cultural events, saw the Olympic sites, saw tourist locations, visited beaches and harbours, went to an art gallery and a museum, and rode the buses, trains, and ferries.

While I have heard some great Christian music coming out of Australia from artists such as Rebecca St James and Darlene Zschech with Hillsong Church, I would've loved to see more of the Christian influence while I was in Australia. Still, it was a blessing to have had a chance to go there.