It’s been three weeks since i’ve been in Sydney which also means that im half way through the program already! I’ve been busy with my internship and classes. Work is definitely catching up 

and classes are picking up as well. I didnt really do too much outside of completing all the tasks from work or study. I did go on a surf camp trip over the weekend with all my roomates and people from the CEA CAPA for 3 days. My first time surfing didnt really success, but I still like to consider myself a surfer anyway. We were supposed to have three surfing lessons, but unfortunately the weather was terrible that it was raining so heavily and hailing so we had to cancel two classes. It was fine tho I honestly wasn’t in the mood for surfing that weekend. I know it might seem like i didn’t enjoy the surf camp, but I actually did like it and would definitely go surfing again. 

One thing that I like about Australia is how laid back the people are. I think the laid back culture is what I identify the most with, especially growing up in a fast-paced city as someone who likes to take it slow. I was kind of surprised that people take it slow here even in the city. Before coming here, I thought Sydney would be like New York City where it’s so fast paced and people would rush anywhere. However, it is actually so different from what I imagined and that made me realize it is possible to take it slow in a busy city. 

Sydney is such a diverse city that one in four locals is foreign born. The diversity here allows me to interact with so many people from all different backgrounds. When thinking about cross-cultural situations here in Sydney, it’s actually less about interacting with the Australian culture but more about all different cultures because it’s a culture blending city. I absolutely love the opportunity Sydney offers to know people from all places. I think the key to navigating cross-cultural situations here is to have an open mindset and stay curious about different culture. I learn so much from talking to the volunteers coming into the kitchen where I work, and it’s been really fun getting to know all these different people and their cultural backgrounds.