By Carnival 2000 – the CBD
A first visit to Sydney is almost overwhelming to the senses- so many icons: the Harbour, the Bridge, the Opera House, the historic Rocks, Circular Quay, the beaches. This story is not about those.
A work assignment provided the opportunity to live and work temporarily in Sydney CBD, the central business district, for a week- to experience for myself the life of a Sydneysider.
Everything in Sydney is smashed, mashed or scrammed
It doesn’t get more central than Martin Place. An apartment rather than a hotel room provided a greater sense of being at home away. Joining the vast human throng early morning, the gyms already at capacity, lining up with the suited and high-heeled for takeaway breakfast at the nearby up-market food court, then being swept into Wynyard Station for, in my case, a reverse commute to Macquarie University on one of Sydney Transit’s double decker trains.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner, everything in Sydney is smashed, mashed or scrammed – and that includes the streets, trains and platforms. The city that gave us smashed avocado, “scram on rye”, now offered us mashed prawn curry.
In the evening the pre-commuters would pile into the supermarket for readymade microwave meals or deli counter treats, before calling in at the bottle shop (no alcohol sales in supermarkets here) for something to get them through the evening. Happy hour and Friday evening knock-off drinks saw the greatest combination of suits at leisure anywhere in Australia, whilst the decibel level rose sharply walking past every outdoor bar; everyone had so much to say.
We had been guided to Frankie’s Pizza by the Slice– a subterranean hideaway for that endangered Sydneyside species: leather-clad rockers – and for a moment it felt like we were back in Glasgow. Ross, our friendly Scottish barman, amidst the pinball machines, took pity on us, “Sorry, I’d love to make you a vodka martini, but all I’ve got is pre-made Margaritas served in a plastic glass.” But he wrote the names for four cocktail bars on a coaster, and we headed to Kittyhawke on Philip Lane, back amongst the suits and $20 cocktails, back to Sydney proper, and on to the weekend.
To be continued…
See also:
Dr D in Oz 
‘ everything in Sydney is smashed, mashed or scrammed’ I think you described Sydney very well with this phrase. I lived there for a bit some years back and it felt like a city that was every bustling, bustling because of routine but also because of the life within it. Hope it was a good assignment and maybe you will visit again some day.
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Fabulous place to visit, the energy is amazing. Thanks for your kind comments.
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Though I don’t really have the travel-gene, if there are a (very) few places I’d like to visit some day, one of the top three is Sydney in OZ… Thank you so much for posting these glimpses 🙂
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