EXPAT LIFE: It has been a throroughly exhausting ten days in Sydney. As a result, all my plans for posting to my blog have taken a back step and I am posting after the event. We have spent our time split between the hospital visiting my father who is now very sick, and seeing family and friends and spending time soaking up the essence of Australia. One thing that has crystallized for me while I have been in NJ these past two and a half years, is how beautiful my home country truly is. It is an exquisite joy to return and savour the many beauties that Australia has to offer. Yes, I am biassed and those rose-coloured glasses you have on for your short stay here as an expat, do not always see the negative things that exist here in Australia, as in all home countries. But try as I might, I cannot help but enjoy the soul-soothing images that have burnt into my heart that will be my memory of home. These will help keep me satisfied for a long period to come ahead.
The Everyday Beauty of Sydney
We have been staying at a place called Kurnell, better known for some as the home of oil refineries in Sydney (much better than it sounds, I guarantee). Much to my own surprise, I have found this place ideal for a home base where we can find a quiet moment, let our kids explore the beach safely and still be close to lots of natural beauty. This place is a quiet seaside suburb, away from the hustle-bustle of city life, that has truly more attractions than many realize. With a view of the beach to enjoy our breakfast with every day, we have also been lucky enough to play host to an array of bird life that add to the morning splendour with their shrill calls and whistles. Common Australian native birds that are found in many Sydney backyards that have native bush surroundings in the mornings and evenings include Rainbow Lorikeets, Magpies, Currawongs, Peewees, Rosellas and Kookaburras. Being by the seaside, we were able to share brief moments viewing other birdlife more commonly found by beach locations, that we would not normally have seen. Aside from being aggressively hustled away by an over-assertive Plover (I got in between the family group unwittingly), hawks and sea kites perused the morning skies, and a beautiful white-faced grey heron kept watch from a distance.
