My Time In Sydney

As the plane descended after 15 hours in the sky, I awoke from my daze to a beam of sunlight piercing through the slit of my window cover. I unraveled the cover and unleashed an array of colors accentuated by the ocean blue sky. We had arrived in Sydney.

After settling into our accommodation, I decided to just relax and get ready for classes the next day. I woke up rather early, around 5 am, and went for a light jog through darling harbor and into the city. Here is the route I took:

I remember pretty vividly while on the bridge thinking to myself that this is already one of the most visually pleasing and comforting runs, I have ever been on. The weather was perfect, and the sun was slowly rising which provided a nice sunset for me to look upon. On my way back, I decided to walk the rest of the way and just enjoy the view. When I returned to the accommodation, I got ready and mentally prepared for class. I felt like I was back in high school with the seven-hour day. Though it was tough, my grit withheld with the help of some coffee.

On my day off, I took a trip to Manly. While the beach was great, Ill get to that later, the ferry there in of itself was an experience. Starting with a view of the Sydney Opera House, the ferry sailed through the hills with all the architecture surrounding the boat, allowing me to gaze at the beauty of Sydney.

The day was beautiful, and it was a perfect day for the beach. Once I got there, it was by far the nicest beach I have ever been to and the most beautiful as well. The aesthetic of Manly was cozy and made you feel welcome. The water was as blue as it can get and the buildings surrounding the beach added to the vibe. I didn’t get any pictures as I didn’t really think to take any, I was just so amazed of the natural and architectural beauty that I was really just enjoying the moment.

This past week can be defined as beach week as all I did was go to the beach and surf. Here are some shots of Bondi, Cronulla, and Manly:

I also bought an orange in Cronulla, and I can confidently say it was one of the best I have ever had. It was easy to peal, no seeds, and was very sweet.

Sydney Continued

This past week has included many great experiences and adventures! I celebrated the lunar new year and got to see the festivities that Chinatown had prepared. I went down to the lunar new year festival and was surprised to see just how many people were there! There were a bunch of side shops set up along the street selling anything from pottery to food. This was taken I believe before Chinese New Year’s Eve.

I also got dumplings on my own the day after to celebrate as well as its usually what I would eat to celebrate Chinese New Year eve and Chinese New Year. As you can see from the picture, I already started eating the other dish I got before taking a picture.

Another highlight of my week was that I went to Maroubra beach! It was very similar to other beaches with the beach being surrounded but the hills and the homes on those hills, but it was less crowded. The town’s vibe was also unique, and I realized that every beach town so far has something special about it. Though I am being very vague, it’s something that you just have to go to feel and see for yourself to understand what I am talking about.

A cool thing that I did this week was the tour of the Sydney Opera House. I went into it not expecting much but our tour guide really made the experience engaging and enjoyable. The history of the opera house was also very interesting, and I didn’t expect so much drama to be involved with it. The design of the building itself, from the designs of Jorn Utzon, is very intricate and so complex that it’s hard not to be impressed when seeing it up close. The concert hall and opera halls were also very intricately designed to make sure everything sounded perfect when someone was performing.

Exploring Nature

The past week I was pretty eventful as I got to go to Wentworth Falls, part of the NSW National parks. Though it took me around 3 hours to even get there, the destination was definitely worth the journey. When I to the town of Wentworth Falls, I was met with a feeling of coziness and familiarity as it was a small town with a park and a neighborhood that was similar to the ones where I live. From the town, it took me about 20 minutes to get to the hiking trail. I didn’t bring any water, so I decided to go on the hardest trail. Luckily, I took the wrong way to the long trail, and took a short cut trail instead to a lookout. Though I had hoped to take the hard trail, the easy trail led to amazing views.

The highlight of my hike was going to Empress falls which was one of the seven waterfalls at Wentworth Falls. This was the only waterfall I was able to go to as the sun was setting and I had no water. I got to jump in the falls and the water felt magnificent but was expectedly cold. I did it twice and it was definitely experienced. I didn’t bring a swimsuit or anything, so I just jumped in with my shorts. It was worth definitely worth it though.

Ballina and Byron Bay

My phone is having trouble sending pictures so I when I figure it out I will post the pictures as there were some of the most breathtaking sites I have seen in Ballina and especially Byron bay.

This past weekend I went to Ballina and Byron Bay. Though I stayed in Ballina, I spent most of my time in Byron Bay. When I landed, I spent the first couple of hours walking the path that led to the all the beaches on the coastline. Ballina itself is much different from Sydnye as it is a peaceful coastal town. I actually prefer it over Sydney because it was a lot more chill and there were a lot of beaches for surfing. After the walk, I took a bus to Byron Bay. There were some complications as I didn’t know they didn’t have opal cards and only took cash. Fortunately, the bus driver was very nice and dropped me off at a place where I could get cash and came back around to pick me up. Once I got to Byron Bay, I knew that I wanted to do the walk to the most eastern point of Australia which would lead me to a lighthouse where you can get a stunning view of the beaches, mountains, and town. Along the hike there were amazing views that made me just stop and look for a while. Once I got to the top at the lighthouse, the views took me away. I decided to stay for the sunset and just laid back on the side of the hill, watching the beach break below on one side and the sun setting on the other. It was truly spectacular.

Time in Melbourne

This past I went down south to go to Melbourne! I had to wake up at 4 am to catch a 6:30 flight but it actually felt good getting up that early because I knew that I had a lot more day ahead of me. When I arrived in Melbourne, I decided immediately that I wanted to go to the Dandedoong mountains to start my day with a hike and see some views. I decided to the 1000 step hike that was a memorial devoted for Australian soldiers in WW2.

After the hike, I went back to the city and decided to explore the city. Melbourne doesn’t look too much from Sydney but it just feels a lot different. The way the city flows and the vibe was different as it felt more diverse in the type of people. I went to the Melbourne Skydeck at night to get a good view of the city and it was magnificent.

The next day, I woke up and went back to exploring. My first destination was the Queen Victoria Market which was filled with small booths selling basically anything from clothes to food. I got some Porchetta from a stand and it was absolutely amazing. I later went to Melbourne Central which was this huge mall close by. The mall was similar to the larger malls in USA. It was connected to a higher-end designer side which I didn’t stay in for too long as I opted for the more affordable side.

After the mall, I went to the National Gallery of Victoria which was an art museum. It was incredible as I love looking at art. I walked throughout the exhibitions and just admired the artwork. I didn’t try to take too many pictures as I just wanted to take in the art. The highlight of the museum visit was definitely the Alexander McQueen exhibition which they were holding for a limited time. The clothes were very fascinating and the history behind them and the story of Alexander Mcqueen was very interesting. Learning about the whole fashion process and looking at all the creative clothing got me very intrigued into the whole fashion world and the runway shows.

Week 6: Another Weekend Another Adventure

This past weekend I continued my travel, this time back up north to Brisbane. I left after class on Friday so I could get there as early as possible and avoid the 4 am wake up again. When I got there, there wasn’t much I could do since it was late so I decided to get to the hotel and get to bed early so I could get up early for tomorrow as I had a lot planned. When I woke up, I immediately went to the train station so I could go to Surfers Paradise, a city near the Gold Coast. When I got there I was amazed by the beauty of the city. Situated alongside the ocean, the city had the beach vibes of Miami but not as busy and crowded. The weather was perfect and I knew that I wanted to go to the Surfers Paradise beach to surf.

I got to the beach and rented a surfboard. However, despite the name of the beach, it wasn’t the best place to surf. The waves weren’t the best but it was a good place to work on my fundamentals. After the beach, I remember that I saw a place that you could rent a moped so I knew that was my next stop. I got an electric moped and went off to explore the city. It was my first time ever riding one but it was surprisingly extremely easy. I rode on the road which I had to really focus on because they drive on the left side in Australia, but I adapted to it pretty quickly.

I rode for a while aimlessly and ended up at another beach called Miami Beach. It was really cool and the name was fitting to the vibe as the suburb and the beach was called Miami. I found out the name came from Miami Hotel which could have been named after Miami, Florida.

After I was done riding around the city, I went back to Brisbane. I got back pretty late but I still walked around mainly to find some food. I found a Chinese restraint and got an absolute feast as I was starving because I hadn’t eaten much at Surfers Paradise.

The next day I got lazy in the morning and didn’t plan on doing anything and jsut get to the airport. It worked out however because my flight got cancelled and the next flight was 6 hours later so that was great. On the bright side, I got to explore Brisbane more because I hadn’t gone to a lot of the places I wanted to see. I really wanted to go the Queensland Museum in South Brisbane, so I made my there and saw some pretty cool architecture.

In order to get to the museum, I had to cross a bridge and, in the plaza, next to it, there were a bunch of people selling clothes out of suitcases which I found intriguing. When I got to the museum, I spent a lot of time in both the modern art and historical sections. I didn’t take a lot of pictures as I do just like to look at the art, but one se t of paintings which were French but inspired by Japanese, caught my eye and I had to take a picture.

But overall, I really liked the museums, maybe a little bit too much because I ended being late for my flight and missed it. Luckily, I got put on another flight only 2 hours away around 8 pm, so it all worked out.

Week 7: Last Week In Sydney

This past week I have decided to just soak in all of what is Sydney. I relaxed and just lived in Sydney. I went to class then went to beach to surf. Though it may sound pretty simple, the going to the beach really made everything for me. I spent probably half my day every single day for the past week at Bondi beach. Something about the beach just makes it really special for me. I cherished every single moment I spent there this past week as I probably won’t be back for a while. Though I did what I usually did at the beach by just surfing, it felt very different this time because I knew that next I wouldn’t be able to anymore. I had grown accustomed to taking the 389 bus to town hall, then the T4 train to Bondi junction, and finally one of the 4 different busses to get to North Bondi. I had grown accustomed to getting my surfboard from storage and walking down to the beach and finding a good place to put my stuff. As I reflect on these moments, I appreciate that I had the privilege to experience all of it but I can’t help but be to sad that I have to move on. Being in Australia has sparked a new fiery passion in me for surfing. When I go back to the USA, I will once again be going back to the beach weekly and surfing always with the thought of Bondi in the back of my mind.

Week 8 and 9: Cairns and Singapore

This week marked a new chapter in my journeys abroad. Two weeks ago, I was in Cairns for spring break, and it was an experience I will never forget. A highlight of my time there was definitely skydiving. When we got to the runway, I was feeling the most confidence. Although I had to wait like 3 hours before I actually got to skydive, I didn’t feel any sort of apprehension. That was until I actually got onto the plane. Once I stepped foot onto the plane, the nerves all hit me at once. On the plane ride up I was just sitting in the plane thinking about how it was about to go down. When it was my turn and I went up to the plane door with the wind hitting my face, I was ready. Sitting in the back of the plane waiting allowed me to hype myself up and get rid of any tension. Then, I dropped out of the plane into the freefall. We did a flip and started diving straight down for about 30 seconds. Then the parachute got pulled and we eventually got back down safely.

Cairns was an overall blast. We had also gone to the great barrier reef to snorkel and dive. The diving part was amazing as we got to see everything and basically breath underwater.

In Singapore, I have been getting situated with work and the new lifestyle. Luckily, I really like my job and my co-workers so far and am looking forward to what awaits ahead.

Week 10: Singapore Continued

This past week can be highlighted by the food I ate. I’ve come to realize that the food in Singapore has the best band for your buck. The hawker centers especially are the places to be as the food is incredible and incredibly cheap. My favorite one so far is the Lau Pa Sat Hawker Center. My favorite dish so far is the duck and rice (I get this almost every day at some point). I’ve tried many different duck and rice dishes and it is very hard to pic a favorite. At the Lau Pa Sat Hawker Center, my favorite place to get food is this Korean and Japanese food stall which gives hefty portions and has many options. Work has also been going very well. I have just been working on gathering data and researching. I have also been making graphs. I will soon be interpreting my graphs and presenting them. But anyways, here is a collage of some of the dishes I have had!

Week 11: Work Work and Work

This past week I have been working a lot and a lot, as you might be able to tell by the title of my post. However, to start the week, a family friend of mine took me out for lunch. We went to a chili crab restaurant by the coast, and it was very good. I never had the crab before, and it was absolutely delicious. I had to get dirty though but that’s the only way to truly enjoy it. After, she showed me around town, and places to see. She showed me where the botanical gardens are which I hope to go to next week, and I asked if there were any single homes in Singapore like the ones in America and she took me to a residential area to see the homes. There were definitely single homes but definitely not like your everyday American single home as these houses were like mansions and very modern. For the rest of the week, I worked in the office. What I am currently working on is a landscape scan where I am doing research on family offices and foundations. To cap of the week, I went to a learning session with my work on Saturday. The topic was about leadership and the speaker was a senior VP at Spotify Singapore. The whole session was very informative and I was very happy to be included.

Week 12: Running in Singapore

This past week I knew that I wanted to explore more of Sydney, so I have been going on a run almost every day. I would usually go to the Botanic Gardens and start running at the Orchard gate right outside the train station. Every time I go on a run, I have to go over three miles, kind of a tradition I have with myself. This gives me a lot of time to explore. The first time I went, I went through the gates and around the left part of the gardens. The gardens itself is huge, so there is much to explore. I saw these otters that were pretty cool in the water at the amphitheater. On my other runs, I went around the gardens to look for another gate and I found one that went through the neighborhoods. But these weren’t regular neighborhoods as all the houses were basically mansions, as like most of the single homes I have seen so far in Singapore. I saw something online that these houses are called good class bungalows and that only the very wealthy can own single homes on private property, thus the single homes mostly being mansions. During these runs, I got cover a lot more of the gardens as I didn’t just run around in a loop. At work, I have been working on a landscape scan, researching donors and potential donors.

Week 13: Getting the Hang of the Whole Work Thing

My internship, I feel, has been going swimmingly. I have been working on collecting and visualizing data and I recently shared it with my co-workers! I have also been working on researching potential donors for an event that we just had. The talk was very interesting with a speaker at the end presenting his app that targets mental health among the youth. The way the way the app worked is that there would be a virtual buddy, I think AI, that one could talk to about their problems or about anything and there would be milestones along the way as you engage with the virtual buddy. The breakfast there was also very good as it was reminiscent to me of a continental breakfast at any hotel in America. I have also still kept true to my commitment to running. This time I decided to just run wherever, and it led me to a great view of the CBD. Additionally, thankfully for my sake there was also a 24/7 Mcdonalds open right next to the train station, so that was a beautiful site.

Week 14: Phuket, Thailand

This past weekend we went on a trip to Phuket, Thailand. My time in Thailand was one that I will be able to remember every detail about many years down the line. Everything about the trip from the food to the sights, and the overall vibe was amazing. On the night we landed, we took a pretty long drive to the villa. While we started to grow restless during the ride, once we got there on top of a very steep hill, it was worth it. The villa was MTVcribs-esque. Once you walked in, you entered a vast space that the living room and kitchen shared. Right outside the living room was the outdoor pool that overlooked the town with led lights glowing in the water.

Our first day in Thailand, we went to the Big Buddha and oh boy was it a sight. I also was able to get some souvenirs for my family!

Saturday in Phuket was day for the books. We started the day with a boat tour going to different islands with a bunch of different activities. We started by going to these islands that looked like they were straight out of a movie. They towered over us and the water was crystal like. We got to swim in the water and it was super relieving as the day was blistering hot.

The next destination was an island with a beach, which was pretty cool but the place was packed with people. After that, we got to go to another island for lunch, and the food was actually super good. After lunch, we got to go to a pretty cool snorkeling spot where we got to see some coral. Next, you can probably guess it, we went to another island that was very super cool because it was like this small island with a bunch of small shops selling food or souvenirs. There was also an opportunity to rent jet skis which I did not hesitate to do. We didn’t even have to sign a waiver and were basically allowed to roam free for 25 minutes. What made it better was that there was a storm coming in the distance, so the waves were pretty turbulent, allowing for the jet ski to start flying in the other whenever you went against them. When you went with the waves, you could launch off the waves like a ramp. Doing this was probably why my jet ski eventually just stopped working and I had to be picked up on another jet ski, but it was all worth it.

At night, we went to a Muay Thai event which was probably the highlight of my time in Thailand. I love combat sports and to be able to watch Muay Thai, which I believe to be the toughest of all the martial arts, was life-changing. I am even considering doing Muay Thai when I head back to the states! After the event, we got to explore the town of Patong.

Our last day on Sunday, we went back to this one restaurant called Sugar and Spice which I will remember fondly. The Pad Thai was amazing and was just what I needed before our flight back to Singapore.

Week 15: Coming to an End

This past week I started to see that my time abroad is soon coming abroad and I wanted to make the best of it. At work, we had a team brief that was pretty fun which included a game at the start and a breakdown of what’s going down at the next event, TMC, the last one before I leave. I also got to go rock-climbing with my coworkers on Friday which was actually very fun. I really enjoyed it and my supervisor, Jen, was a beast at it. I was able to complete level 7, but I think I need more practice to be able to go higher. On Saturday, a couple of us went to the LIV golf tournament which was very cool because this was my first golf event, and I was able to see some of the top players in the world play. I also got a pretty cool visor, so that alone made it worth it. We didn’t stay too long as it was extremely hot, but I really enjoyed it.