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.
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.
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