Few things which I noticed
Reached Sydney on
4th of August. Slept off the entire day.
As per earlier plan till the last day of my travel I was to wait at the airport for 5 hours and then go to house address, as all my roommates go for work during day.
Fortunate for me and unfortunate for one of my roommate, he had twisted his ankle and was working from home that day. Super, I narrowly avoided the prospect of sitting in airport for 5 more hours after the travel.
Felt it was little colder than the place where I lived for just over a decade in a city which had one of the best climate in India.
As a new comer to Sydney these are some of the stuffs which caught my eyes immediately.
1) There was this button at each traffic pole if pressed, will give a green signal for pedestrians to cross the road, based on the inbuilt algorithm.
2) People seem to have good road or traffic sense.
3) All most all the cars were automatic. I am still coming to on the number plates, in India it was usually like this KA for Karnataka; TN for Tamil Nadu, UK for Uttraakand, so on,I suppose the naming could be bought and you can right whatever you want within few guidelines and the plates have unique chip in them. Not very sure.
4) Variety of cars running on the roads and different ethnic groups had some pattern to their unique taste of cars I suppose.
5) Outside food are costly based on the menu. They are smelling really awesome, each time I cross the those plaza areas. Will try all or most of them once I have enough cash in my hand.
6) People usually greeted or smiled when you see them with a smiley face.
7) Even police personal smile at you and say
how are you today, mate. Cops greeting a civilian.!!!
8) In one road crossing I was waiting for a car to -by as there was no traffic signal. The car stopped and driver waived his hand towards me to cross the
road, surprise. Back in my country none does that, I have not done it while driving in most occasions. Later came to know if the pedestrian sign (Radium board with legs pic on it) is there, the pedestrian has the right to walk and the vehicle had to stop.
9) How to handle round about, 1st exit 2nd exit 3rd exit 4th exit. Always leave way for the person in right hand side.
10) Not much honking by motorist. If the driver was unhappy with the way the other driver is driving, they usually flash the indicator or head lights thank honking.
11) Usage of
Opal card. I suppose these type of technology has reached the metros in India, I didnt get much chances to use them regularly, so these were quite new for me. Swipe in and swipe out.
12) Recharging the Opal Card using the Kiosk
13) Lifts in train station, escalators with bigger inclinations than I had used earlier.
14) Buttons near seats, that red buttons in yellow rode, to press if you had to get down from bus at the next stops.
15) If the
opal card had been used regularly for 4 days of the week and completed 8 trips, rest of the trips for that week is
FREE. It includes buses, trains and ferries.
16) Train seats can be oriented towards the direction in which the train is traveling.
17) Maximizing the number of engers by using double Deckers.
18) I usually pay and prepare coffee using the 7 Eleven coffee vending machine. Later came to know you can prepare the coffee and pay. Need to try that ice cream makers soon. Scared if I will get cold. $1 for a regular coffee, if prepared by a person the same size coffee would cost $3.5 roughly.
19) No separate seats for ladies. Reserved seats are only for aged people and alternatively abled people,
Hurrah!! now no aunty will ask me to get up from my seat, saying in that threatening & commanding tone
"ladies seat." Having said that got up from my seat for a kid, his father was quite happy by that gesture.
20) I reckon people saw me little weirdly when I wore hand glows during my evening walk. While some girls walked in their shorties. Also noted females had lot of different formal options.
21) Public display of affection was quite common and didnt find many hawk eyes people starring at them.
22) Bondi beech was clean but much smaller compared to Marina beach of Madras.
23) Couples were having fun, but they didnt use an umberla like in Madras to cover them-up.
24) Even at middle of the day, was able to see some people jogging.
25) Taxi drivers in most cases dont rob you by taking a longer route. But costly.
26) Free buses to temple on Thursdays in the place where I stay.
27) That natural feeling of affection when you see a south Indian person, they are present in quite some numbers. Few tend to look back, few look at the ground as if they have dropped some money and few just look straight into my eyes without smile, Indian Elders (Elderly parents) who are with their sons or daughters are the ones whom smile back regularly at you when you come across them.
28) Beauty shops are giving more emphasis to nails, eye lashes and hair. Back home, it is more of threading and facials.
Ladies please note.
29) Less number of scanning and xerox shops.
30) Fuels needs to be self filled. There is line in super markets in which you can check out your shopping and pay the amount of yourself using card.
31) Shops closes by 5 to 6pm, that was a surprise. Imagine majority of shops in Spencer plaza or Mantri Square closing by 6 to 7pm? We would ask is there some riot or some politician has ed away?
32) Shop assistance, attend one customer at a time and put the next customer in waiting. FIFO concept. But the number customer they handle are minimal compared to their Indian counter parts. Same with my bank experience.
33) People naturally form queue while boarding the bus.
34) I was advised to avoid looking or smiling at a kid, like we mostly tend to do in my home country. That was weird.
35) Try to avoid holding hands with your male buddies in public. Last weekend went out for buying some meat product from Moree butcher shop. Me and my roommate were wearing red color tops and carrying one famous rights group's umberla. Noticed it only when we were returning from shopping. oopppss....
36) Buying cars seemed easy but Car maintenance is quite a hefty stuff business, insurance, rejo, fuel cost, traffic fines
37) In India it may be easier to get the license but very difficult to drive, however, here its difficult to get license and comparably easier to drive, I suppose, not very sure.
38) Chinese and Indian are very very similar in their social behavioral patterns.
39) Some people are willing to offer help, the other day I was asking for directions at a bus stop, a lady driving her car, stopped and assisted me. I am sure she is Italian based on her slang.
40) Public Libraries are really awesome folks. People use the garbage bins.
41) Most people dont spit in public corners, I suppose because here there are no pan shops. Have to wait and see once pan shops opens-up at ever other corner.
42) When you go for interview, the receptionist is the first person to wish you best of luck to succeed in the interview.
43) Lot of options to try various different & unique cuisines
44) Not many TV channel options.
45) Gambling and betting are legal
46) News channels and print media are like seniors of Arnab Goatsami, based on from people who have spent close to a decade here.
47) We can visit Parliament and checkout the house proceedings which is totally not possible in my home country unless I know someone at a highest possible level.
48) Heard mugging do occur if you are in wrong place at a wrong time.
49) Most of the time during public transport travel, people are hooked up with their electronic gadgets, not much chit chats to over hear. Frequency of trains are quite good.
50) People do beg here, I gave a $2 to an old lady when she came-up to me and asked if I can give her $2.
Started collecting coins, this time it is $1 coins with different obverse and reverse from various years. My better half specifically told, dont start your coin collecting hobby there also
Sorry darling I have already started
Will post more in the coming few days.
