Today has been a rather challenging event. A frustrating early meeting followed by a little too much comfort swearing, rude waitstaff, gridlocked traffic and wind. The wind surely didn’t help.
I’m in Sydney, I’m craving my country paradise.
Is it a sign of getting older? Is it how life is at the moment? Or has this place really changed in recent times??
I try to draw my focus to the beautiful friend I spent time with today, to the dedication of my colleagues and the lovely food I was treated to however I feel the depth of the spiky attitudes of everyone else in between truly weighing my spirit down.
I try to draw my more logical mind to the peaceful experiences I’ve had in the suburbs – Oatley, Manly… And I remember that it is an incredibly picturesque city.
No matter what logic my mind tries to apply I must admit that Sydney is often like this for me these days.
Once upon a time I was a very proud resident of the big smoke. In those days, despite my country upbringing I mixed it with the best of them. Well. Kind of. At least in those days I trained myself not to look up at the big buildings thereby disclosing my regional roots.
Considering the average price of rent and living in the place it’s little wonder people are grumpy. I would be too if I was living on two minute noodles and two day old bread.
I speak to taxi drivers about their desires to escape. At the front line of the chaos these people see it all, and develop a set of rules for their driving businesses based around avoiding frustration – don’t pick up drunk people, plan any excursions in your time out around the peak hour traffic, complain at all costs about the unfairness of the Antichrist now known as Uber (I am no longer find it amusing to have this conversation).
A lot of my friends still live in the big smoke and I do enjoy the time I am lucky enough to spend with them, however I generally find Sydney visits to be exhausting, frustrating and often purely annoying.
Why?
It’s the people in between the good people. The people who have their head rested in a mobile phone on the street causing me to swerve out of the way.
The snooty serving agents in various cafes that I will never return to nor recommend.
The young dudes that can’t be bothered to stand up for elderly nor pregnant ladies on public transport.
The blank expressions, black suits and general bleakness of life on the streets.
The chaotic traffic and angry drivers and
The boldly entitled, bombastic and verging on unethical business practice that I seem to witness each time I visit.
I wonder if the general attitude is contagious. I wonder if I caught it.
Give me my quiet, sleepy and green oasis any day. I’m off to another city in the am and I wonder if patience will find me along the way.
