My Favorite thing about Sydney is the mix of cultures. There are so many people who come from different parts of the world. I have spent a lot of time in Ultimo, the university part of the city, but even in other areas, there is a wide range of different cultures and customs.

This is the Thai market in the basement of Paddy's market. They have everything from live fish to dragon fruit and everything in between. 

Being so close to Asia, people from different Asian countries represent in high populations here. Not far from my apartment (They call them flats here) is China town. In Chinatown, you can find legit Chinese food, some really fun Karaoke bars, and Chinese shopping markets. Not far from Chinatown is Thai town and Paddy’s market which holds a complete Thai grocery market, Australian souvenirs, clothing markets, and a dollar store. Vietnamese-Australian fusion food is also a common mix here.

The Bottom Level of Paddy's Market is basically the one stop shop for cheap souvenirs.

There is surprisingly a large group of Europeans that have made Sydney their home. The second day I was here. I was invited to do a human pyramid game with a group of people from Spain. Apparently, it is a common practice in Spain to climb on top of each other and make human pyramids. I wasn’t very good but I had fun and got to try the game with my new flatmates (roommates).

Me trying the Human pyramid thing with the people from Spain

I also have gotten the chance to talk politics with another student who was from France. We ended up having very similar viewpoints on a lot of global political issues and talked for a long time. I have had similar conversations with other students from Australia, Italy, and Canada.

I have 5 flatmates. One from Russia with an Australian accent, One from Italy who has become my good friend, one from China who I haven’t met, One from Malaysia who is really nice, and another girl from the US who again I haven’t met.

Trying Bondi Beach on a rainy day with my flatmate Italian Madeline, (to the right of me) her best friend Stefania, (to the left of me) and our friend from Colombia, Sarah. 

People speak in many different languages and accents here and it is not uncommon to switch into a different language mid-sentence. Oddly enough Spanish has come in handy multiple time and the fact that I have an American accent isn’t that big of a deal.

Sydney is very Global, a bit like New York in a lot of ways but even more global because of the heavy emphasis on acceptance for and from everyone.