Sydney Diary... Vocab, winter coats and travels

"How are you going?" someone asked me my first week at work. I wondered why: "Umm, I will be getting the bus back home."

"No, no, I mean, how are you doing...?"

"Err, oh ok, well, I am fine, thank you!" I mumbled.

That was my first lesson out of the Aussie vocabulary book. There were others.

When someone says: "Sorry," you say: "You are alright", "You right" or "Awwright".

Though I still can't get myself to ask, "How are you going?", I have adopted some of the words. My personal favourites, perhaps British-born knackered (meaning exhausted) and whinge (meaning complain), I attribute to my convent school education.

Then there was my piquant accent. 'P' and 'W' were always heard as 'B' and 'V', my surname being Parkar, I heavily relied on 'P' for Paris to see me through those customer service calls.

Of course, I am complimented many times over my impeccable English and I do make it a point to dispel those myths: India has as many good and excellent English teaching schools.

Four months on, even as I warmed up to the Aussie words, the cold weather hit me black and blue. All those romantic notions about winter coats and long leather boots crashed when the chill set in. Once I got acclimated, it was lovely to walk around and discover the city. The winter gear soon regained its lost glory.

Little streets, cafes, restaurants, walkways, beaches, parks, museums, libraries, bridges and tourist spots, much to see. Work was very close to Sydney Harbour Bridge, a great boon. Meaning easy access to The Rocks, Circular Quay, Opera House, King Street Wharf and Darling Harbour.

My first acquaintance and now dear friend, Kate, had benevolently driven me around some distant places like Mosman, Taronga Zoo and some lush green portions of North Sydney already. I met her in my second week in Sydney for an interview. Though the job did not work out, we kept in touch. A renowned media personality, she is great fun and company, well-read and well-travelled.

I find this truly remarkable quality with most Aussies, renowned or local, they are chilled out and very chatty. There is never a dull conversation or moment, weather, books, movies, politics, beer, wine, food... a topic is always out there. Expectedly, Indian food and Bollywood theme parties are popular.

There is even a Bombay-Delhi kind of rivarly going on with Melbourne. Not to forget the East-West divide. The war is openly declared on the footy ground, the favourite Aussie game. PS: I loyally marched to an AFL match at Sydney Olympic Park and supported Sydney Swans. PPSssst: A scene from Dil Chahta Hai was shot at the Olympic Park station, another reason to go.

Then there were those buzzing festivals: Sydney Writers, French Film, Sydney Film and the colourful Mardi Gras, which was a night out with my diverse hostel crowd. For all its guts, glory and grandeur, the Mardi Gras parade is definitely worth a watch.

The defining NRI moment happened when Asha Bhosle was in town for a concert performing with an American band Kronos Quartet and I bought a $90 ticket to attend it. Ok, so the venue was the Opera House but still...

Finally, the night life in Sydney is as happening as any other city in the world. There's the good and the other. Booze, bash and the hardcore stuff, the quintessential underbelly very much exists.

Underbelly, now that's another much-used Aussie word...

Five