All Too Familiar

Sydney is a great city—clean and friendly, shiny and new. The harbour is stunning with the majestic Harbour Bridge on one side and, one of the most recognizable images of the modern world, the Sydney Opera House, on the other. This white, shell-like icon is up there with the Eiffel Tower and the Empire State Building as one of the most photographed landmarks. The roofs of the Opera House are constructed of 1 million glossy white Swedish-made tiles that glisten in the Sydney sun.

And not only is it recognizable, it has literally come to represent ‘Australia.’ The skyline, the bridge, the blue water of the harbour, and the Opera House together are a dramatic and unforgettable sight.

Interestingly enough, the Sydney Opera House has won tons of design awards, but the actual architect, Danishman Jorn Utzon, has never actually seen it in person. The huge design and construction venture experienced cost blow-outs and there were occasions when the New South Wales Government was tempted to call it quits on the building. In 1966 the ‘situation’ – arguments about costs and design and the Government actually withholding payments – reached a crisis point and old Jorn just up and resigned from the project and huffed his way back home to Denmark. The building was eventually completed by others in 1973. More than 30 years later, the Sydney Opera House had its first interior designed by Utzon. The Utzon Room, a transformed reception hall that brings to life Jorn Utzon’s original vision for his masterpiece, was officially opened just a few years ago in 2004. But, of course, he has still yet to see it. The old curmudgeon must still be bitter, I guess.

Besides the funny accent, insane obsession with Aussie Rules Football (footie), and cars driving on the ‘wrong’ (sorry mates, left) side of the road, Sydney can easily feel like ‘any big city, USA.’ It’s big, clean, and could be Chicago or Toronto. It doesn’t have the old historical feel of most European cities, and certainly doesn’t have the ‘foreign’ feel of a city with a different native tongue. Many like it for these very reasons—it’s easy to get around and brings a certain ‘comfort of home.’

Now, perhaps I differ from many US travelers in that, although I think the city is nice, I find it rather boring and a bit too familiar. Perhaps I’m a bit spoiled after coming from my fabulous adopted city of Chicago—which you just can’t beat. And by the way, if you haven’t been there yet—go now—I promise it won’t disappoint. Well, maybe wait until spring when it warms up a bit.

I don’t want to sound like some holier than thou, over adventurous traveler who longs for some remote desert in Turkmenistan (although that could be cool to see). Don’t forget, I’m still a Jewish girl from New Jersey…I like my cleanliness, I hate bugs, and can’t go too long without some good sushi (c’mon—I grew up eating lox and graduated to snacking on sake (salmon) sashimi—it’s the same thing!). But, I just feel like I learn a hell of a lot more when I ride the boundaries of my comfort zone and immerse myself in a possibly more foreign environment. Now, all this being said, I’m about to venture into the depths of Southeast Asia to countries like Vietnam and unbelievably poor Cambodia—so maybe I will be longing for the familiarity of a city like Sydney all too soon. We’ll soon see.