It's the time of the year again. A year in Sydney has ended and it's time for me to move again. The rental lease is up by end june and so its busy offloading the accumulated junk and repacking all over again. To think that it felt as if I had only just unpacked....with all the travelling to Budapest and other places, it didnt feel like I had been in Sydney for very long.
During dinner the other night, YX asked Stan and I how did we find Sydney to date. While we liked the fresh produce and beautiful scenic views, we both found it to be an extremely expensive city to live in, and that working people are generally lazy. To that, James and YX nod in complete agreement. It is very difficult to get Ozzie to work beyond 5pm. It is almost sacrilegious to expect them to work overtime or slightly beyond their working hours (even with overtime pay). James commented that most people who would be working overtime would be the Chinese or the Indians. Unless it is a bar work or some special professions, most Australian caucasians would be packed up by 4.45pm and leave n the dot. They value their after hours time too much. However because the Australia economy is doing so well, most people do not seem to see the need to work so hard. Of course it is not meant to be a sweeping statement that everyone is so, but the general mentality is unfortunately not something to be proud of coming from an asian viewpoint.
Just recently, my Hk excolleague's husband was posted to Sydney for a month to peform some training to the local staff. He works for a prestigious finanical house. Yet he was frustrated as the attitude was somewhat "too laid back'. He complained that people doesnt come on time, and yet expect to leave early or on the dot, not caring if they actually complete learnin what he was handing over within the timeline. Being his responsibility, he wanted to propose the staff to return on the last sat and sunday to complete the training so that he could return to Hk on time to perform other duties. I laughed and told him it's impossible. Expecting them to return on weekend is harder than expecting himself to win lotto. The probability of him striking rich is much higher than the chances of them agreeing to return. Of course I was proven right. Even as I relate the story to james and the rest, before I even shared the outcome, James as an australian himself said outright "No freaking way they will ever come back on sat to finish the work."
THAT is the australian culture for you, which to many developed asian countries, is a bane. Of course, one has to realise that there is no right or wrong. It is just a different culture and one adapt to it when you live here. However, the fact that I know I can never withstand such mentality, it will be a choice of leaving Australia or never to work so that I do not aggravate myself to death. I think I would choose to leave. Afterall, there is no life after 6pm in this city unlike Asia and especially that I do not booze, there really is not much to do. I am yet to be that old to be able to enjoy such a spartan lifestyle.
Anycase, it will be a busy period with packing, as well as planning our next move and long holiday. So much to do, again, so little time.....
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