Latest and Favourites

It’s been a while since I last shared my favourites of the month. Living in a new country has given me a chance to introduce flavours, routines and hobbies while simultaneously abandoning some others.

These are some willy-nilly-picked customs and behaviours that I have seen or done for the first time in my life.

No Shoes

One of the first days in the city, I saw a couple walking down the street.

They looked happy, engaged in their conversation, wearing comfortable clothes and not a single shoe in sight. I was shocked when a few days later I saw another guy walking around with no shoes. Turns out that walking barefoot in Sydney is not that weird of a thing.

Some Australians (or at least, “people in Sydney”) are happy to walk around with no shoes occasionally.

I believe that by walking barefoot frequently your feet get used to the feeling of the hard floor and the tiny rocks and sticks getting on your feet.

I also read it is incredibly beneficial for your spine so perhaps I should try it myself someday!

Banana Bread

Do you know those days when you are feeling tired and stressed and don’t have time to have breakfast so you end up buying a random snack in a local coffee shop?

I had one of those days two weeks ago, one of the few quick bites left in the bakery next to my office was a Banana Bread slice.

I’ll be honest, banana bread doesn’t look like the yummiest snack. And that could be the reason why I have never felt the impulse to try it before, but my lack of options left me with no choice but to get a slice and run to work.

Such a yummy treat! I have seen Banana Bread as one of the options in cafes often in Sydney, and I am not surprised!

It is extremely moist, sweet and filling.

I’ve had it a few more this week. None of them was as delicious as the one that I had at the local cafe, which happened to be my first one, but any banana slice always makes a nice treat.

Banana Bread has successfully substituted my beloved Croissants (still haven’t found a good one in this city) and I am positive that this dessert is going to be one of my writing companions in Australia.

Possums

The first time I saw this funny animal was in a photo. My partner sent it to me when he saw one on top of a tree. It was our first month in Sydney and we were splitting our ways in order to find a flat.

One night we made a short night trip to Hyde Park (central Sydney) to see if we could find some possums, but we were not successful.

My current office is between Hyde Park and the closest train station. I have no option but to walk through Park every day and night. And last week, I finally saw a family of possums on a tree!

People suggest not getting too close to them since they can get aggressive, but how can you avoid such cute pets?

So when last week, my colleague saw a possum on a tree before I did, I got close enough to get his attention and he cautiously came down the tree to get the date I was offering him. My colleague had a few more dates, so he gave me a couple and I was successfully feeding two of the possums.

Bringing your coffee mug

One of the most shocking things I have seen in Sydney is customers bringing their coffee mugs with them.

I had seen people walking around the city with fancy, reusable cups before. However, this is the first time that I witness someone ordering a Flat White at a cafe using their porcelain mug. No lid whatsoever.

Seeing people walking around with their mugs gives this city an extra sense of coziness and relaxation.

Daily Ferry

One of the crazies and coolest changes for me has been getting used to getting short boat trips multiple times a week.

The home’s location is pretty close to the Harbour, and slightly far from the train station. I feel more encouraged to walk to the dock and pay the extra, yet affordable fee for a ferry ride with outstanding landscape views, rather than walking 20 minutes to the train station.

And I get to enjoy some stunning views!