Beach Chic

I'm back!!! After surviving a devastating, self-inflicted hacker/virus attack, I'm finally back on track. I know it's been long since my last post. In fact, so much has happened that it seems it's been ages! For the past couple of weeks I was on a uni break, which was plagued by misfortunes just so you know. Nonetheless despite the bleak weather and all other factors which were working against me, Silvia and I did manage to have some fun. We went to the beach and out & about the city:

Even bad weather could not stop us!

We did, however, get a bit of sunshine.

Hyde Park

St. Mary's cathedral

The domain (public park area)

NSW Art Gallery

Escape the hustle and bustles of the city.... in the city itself! The Royal Botanical Gardens

A little lost bunny at Darling Harbour.

And finally a touch of fashion... my 'relaxing' beach outfit :).

 That's it from me for now 'mates' :p. Currently you can only reach me here or via my email or phone number. No Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn (poor customer service I must say). Hopefully I will be 100% back in cyberspace soon! Miss you all!

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Festival Sydney

Last week was a whirlwind of fashion, friendship and festivities. The MBFFS was in town and boy did it bring the city's fabulous fashionistas! As a volunteer I had the chance to watch most of the shows, but the ones that I liked best were Camilla's colourful kaftans, the Australian Fashion Week Review (the grand finale was just spectacular! Too bad I didn't have my camera with me for the show :( ) and most importantly the Runway for Research show. Why? Well because the show was a part of the National Breast Cancer Foundation's 'Fashion Targets Breast Cancer' campaign (initiated by Ralph Lauren) for breast cancer research. It was very emotional to see breast cancer survivors and their family members walk down the runway in beautiful gowns alongside professional models.

The campaign, whose main slogan is 'Add to your wardrobe. You could save a life.', has teamed up with various designers, including Camilla, Akira and Lisa Ho, to raise fund for and awareness of breast cancer research by drawing on the elements of elegance, fashion and inspiration. To date Fashion Targets Breast Cancer has raised over $2 million in Australia.

Overall, the event was ultimately what it set out to be - consumer-focused, entertaining and inspiring. The atmosphere was more relaxed than the one at fashion week; the models smiled, the guests were excited and happy to be there and no one had their nose up in the sky! I enjoyed every moment of it. I'm glad to have made some new fashion-loving (yes, I just made that word up :p) friends and to have met some lovely bloggers. Now I feel I am a part of the blogosphere :)

 Au revoir mes amis!

Student Life

Sydney's skyline

So here I am at Sydney! The journey was torturous to say the least but I made it with no regrets. I’m going to try and keep this short and sweet (something I find extremely hard to do). Let’s begin by taking a look at the 3 P’s (ok, so I might have stolen this from marketing…):

Places: Sydney is a strange and hybrid city. Architecture-wise, old buildings stand right next to modern ones – that’s first thing that struck me. I hope it’s not only me who finds sky-scrappers stuck to previous century 4-storey structures unusual. Two particular buildings that stand out in my part of central Sydney are the UTS Tower and the Ernst and Young offices. The former one has been labelled the ugliest building in Sydney for two consecutive years and the latter one has 18 floors of underground parking (I wonder if it’s just parking or a secret safe?). Australia is also famous for its coastal lines. During my 6km walk from Coogee to Bondi beach I could not stop taking stunning photos. The Gap at Watson’s Bay was also extremely beautiful, unfortunately it is also known as a suicide spot.

The Gap - beautiful but deadly

People: Sydneysiders, and Australians in general, tend to be very warm and welcoming. In fact, I found them extremely friendly. ‘Good day’, ‘Hey mate’ and ‘Hi, how are you going’ are repeated a million times in a single day to friends and strangers alike. Wait, did you read this? ‘How are you going?’ There is something very awkward in this phrase, isn’t there? It seems like a combination between ‘How are you doing’ and ‘Where are you going’. So the Aussies are playing it smart, trying to ask two questions at once. But the funny thing is that they don’t actually expect you to reply! Their laid back and friendly nature translates into the educational and professional spheres. It is ok to call your lecturer or boss by their first name and a little chit chat about your weekend on Monday morning is the norm. One thing I like about the Australians is that they tend to have a very sarcastic sense of humour! Paradise to my ears, finally I do not have to worry about offending anyone with a bit of sarcasm.

UTS Peer Networkers welcome new students with a dance and loads of free food (I must say getting free food for the first couple of weeks at uni can be a blessing).

Prices: Well now, have I convinced you to come to Sydney? You might want to consider the fact that prices in Sydney are quite high. The rising value of the Australian dollar on the currency exchange market may be to blame, but, as with any major metropolitan city, living in central Sydney does not come cheap. Rent fees start from AUD 150 per week for a twin share room (struggling to do the math? Try this www.xe.com/ucc ). Grocery costs are high as well. Fresh produce, such as fruit and veg, are particularly expensive. But you can always find a bargain at the many markets scattered throughout the city. Universities charge by the subject – on average AUD 3000 – and students are expected to complete 6 to 8 subjects a year. Failed a subject? No worries just pay again and do the same subject next year! So while students are indebted with AUD 18 000 (Approx. GBP 11 200) for each year of their studies, UK university students are lamenting that they will soon be charged GBP 9000 per academic year. Not surprisingly Sydney has been ranked 16^th in World's Most Expensive Cities 2011 (http://images.businessweek.com/slideshows/20110608/world-s-most-expensive-cities-2011/slides/16).

Bondi Beach, the purple coloured water indicates a rip (a strong current that drags you out to sea). Lunch on the beach does not come cheap here!

Nonetheless, education standards are very high and I find studying in Sydney quite intense – the number of contact hours with lecturers are at least twice the amount we get in UK. Subjects are very practical, highly specialised and the majority of the teaching staff has extensive work experience in their field of study. Actually, I was pleasantly surprised when my Principles of Advertising lecturer mentioned he had worked for many years at Saatchi and Saatchi (one of the world’s biggest ad and media agencies).

Old vs. New

To conclude with, every country has its pros and cons. I find Sydney a fascinating yet peculiar metropolitan hub where people of countless backgrounds and nationalities thrive on the Australian principles of respect, inclusiveness and freedom.

xo