Tradies vs Tradies

I think it's time to sum up my time in Australia now that I am about to head home for a well deserved holiday. It has been a great journey and 2013 is definitely something to remember for the rest of my life.
We're half way through to 2014 and the next 40 days will be the longest holiday I have taken in Europe. Mind that, a month in Estonia is the longest time I have spent there in the past eight years. That's definitely something to celebrate! I can take it easy and do not have to rush to make sure I get to see everyone before heading back to Sydney.
I was on the bus on my way to work last week and noticed utes passing by in the traffic. That made me think of tradies in Australia vs tradies in Estonia. Tradies around here are highly valued, well paid and considered pretty hot by women in general. Handy men and all. Instead of wearing suits for work they wear high visibility shirts and drive utes equipped with tools they need for their daily jobs. They are generally considered smart, ie highly skilled, no matter what their job is. Be it plumbers, electricians or builders. It is interesting to compare the mentality of the locals here to the mentality of Estonians when it comes to tradies. A lot of men doing the same job in Estonia are not that well perceived. Why? I suppose firstly, they are not paid as well as over here, their skills are not valued like they are valued out here. More emphasis is on the men in suits and that's considered a sign of success. But why isn't a tradie in Estonia considered successful? Is it because the job is easy to learn for anyone and is more thought of as a last resort job that anyone can do? Probably yes.
A couple of weeks ago my Chinese colleague asked me if she could ask me a very personal question. At that stage I did not know what to expect. The question really was something astonishing. Because we were members of the same gym she was wondering if it is ok to exercise during that day of month, if you know what I mean! Firstly, I said of course. There is no problem what so ever. The only reason why I wouldn't do it would be that I was not feeling well, generally. She said in China, girls are made think that exercising while having a period is not good for them, so no one does that. As if it is some sort of a disease and does not have a good effect on their health. I was genuinely stunned that girls in China (at least that part of China) are brought up thinking like that. However, I am glad I could be an eye opener for her! Hopefully, that resolves her worries for the future!
At the moment Vivid Syney Festival is on for a couple of weeks. That means, every evening from 7pm onwards the city lights up into a playful spectacle of lights and music. It is truly an amazing way to experience the beauty of the city. Of course it is not the same on photos as it is when experiencing it yourself right in Sydney harbour! I have uploaded a few crappy photos I took with my phone just to record the beautiful sights the city has to offer.

Loving Sydney

My blog has been very quite for the past few months. Not that nothing is happening in my busy work life but I haven't been motivated enough to type up a couple of paragraphs.
I can clearly remember 13th of January, my first day at work. It's been five months since I started a new job and I haven't even noticed time passing by. Just as I am starting to enjoy the craic at work I have to leave again! That's the life of a working holiday maker. Do not get attached to jobs, people, routine. My contract was supposed to finish at the end of May, so I decided not to waste time and booked flights home. I haven't been home for 18 months - it's about time! Too bad, a week later I was told they were going to extend my contract and promote me to an analyst position. Such a shame!! Don't care about the extended contract, I would have been more excited about the new role. Finally something of my preference! I guess it wasn't meant to be. Perhaps something better is on the cards for me in the future. You never know.
Until then, I will enjoy my last few weeks and take some time to think about what I have learned while being here in Australia.
Most importantly - to be happier, smile more, be more tolerant towards people and enjoy life. This is something valuable I will take with where ever I end up in along my journey. Australia has taught me to live, to live life to the fullest. Having spent most of the past year and a half in very uncertain conditions has really showed me that I will be fine, no matter what. It doesn't matter that I do not have a perfect dream job, lots of cash and that I cannot have what ever I want. I only average on six months of work a year, I don't eat monkey brains or rice for dinner, in fact I can travel the world if I put my mind to it. How awesome is that!
There are wonderful people around me and I have no doubt I can count on them when needed, baring in mind, I have only known these people less than a year.
I must praise the Irish. Had the best laugh at work today. Three Irish girls and me all slagging each other in the office. I can imagine the whole office could hear our conversation. Nevertheless, no regrets!
Looking forward to the good old pints in Dublin when I get there in July! Pencil in the dates mates, I'll be in town 1-8 July!
Enough of praise, I should really talk about what I've been up to these days. Nothing much, I've been clocking up 50-100km per day on a bike on Sundays for the past few months. Well, not quite every Sunday but some amazing scenic bike paths and the good old Harbour bridge. I will never get sick of cycling across the bridge. It really makes absorb where I am and how spectacular the views are. What else could I possibly wish for? Enjoying the views of the wolrd's most beautiful harbour. Absolutely love it. To celebrate that I will go for a good old jog in the botanic gardens near the Opera House tomorrow morning, although it is totally out of my way but it'll be worth it :)