Wanderlust Heaven!

And on to Sydney, my final stop in Oz.  I worked in Sydney in 2000-01 and have very fond memories of the city and its people.  The projects I worked on were my all-time favorites, I had a great group of clients there, several of whom are now good friends, and the city itself just sparkles.  This visit was to be short – just 2 days, really – and I stayed with my ex-colleague George Crocker and his family.  George is running a food products business near Sydney and seems to be very happy about living in Sydney.  I can’t blame him.  I picked a terrible time to visit – George and family had just moved houses a few days before I arrived (but somehow their new house looked perfect) and then were leaving on holidays the very day I was leaving Sydney.  So they had a lot on, but it all worked out fine. 

As I left the airport and headed into the city I noticed 2 Krispy Kreme shops, and was a bit surprised that this chain was popping up in Oz.  It was a huge thing in the US 5-6 years ago…before the Atkins diet craze…which is now old news.  So I wondered about Krispy Kreme’s infiltration of Oz and whether it would have a rollercoaster ride a la the US experience. 

I spent most of the daytime each day walking around my old haunts – Darling Harbour, where I once lived, the Rocks area which has many sights (and pubs), Manly Beach (named because one of the early British administrators thought that the local Aboriginal men looked toned, confident, and ‘manly’) and downtown.  I also took some ferries across the harbour and soaked up the sunshine.  Sydney gets about 330 days of sun a year and has nearly perfect weather, similar to L.A.  I was nostalgic about my time in Sydney years ago – my living conditions were good, the work was busy but enjoyable, and I was able to catch the 2000 Olympics.  Everything had come together very nicely for me and I recalled it warmly. 

One might I went out for drinks and dinner with my friend Bernie, whom I met through my old buddy Iain.  It was good catching up with Bernie – he’s a self-assured, sharp fellow and good fun.  We met at the excellent ECQ Bar at the Quay Grand Hotel – which overlooks Circular Quay and the Harbour Bridge.  There aren’t many finer views you can have with a beer in your hand – although the 36^th-floor Horizons Bar in the Shangri-La Hotel across the way is very close competition.  We later on moved over to a nice Japanese restaurant for a real feast – I hadn’t had Japanese food for some time and it hit the spot.  Bernie and I spent a fair bit of time discussing business and real estate, and I want to continue this dialogue with him in coming months as there may be something we can join forces on.   

The next night – my last night in Sydney/Australia and also the eve of my 39^th birthday – I went out with an ex-client and good friend whom I hadn’t seen in a couple of years.  I’ve always admired this fellow’s sense of irreverence – when I was working for him he never let me get too serious, and he taught me a few critical lessons about enjoying the ride.  We wound up in the city at several ‘mature entertainment’ places and caught up on life, business, and the other key stuff.  He recently left his long-time employer (and my ex-client) and took a break…he’s now focusing on some real estate projects and perhaps some independent consulting as well.  Given my interest in Australia and Aussie real estate, he had some helpful counsel, and there may just be some ways for he and I to work together in the near future.  I’m trying to avoid doing much serious thinking about life after my trip, and business opportunities I should focus on – but I also shouldn’t micro-manage my thought patterns and conversations and if that’s what comes up, then I’ll run with it.  My friend also gave me some useful insights on families and being proactive about letting those whom you love know it.  I’m not particularly skillful in that area so will take his advice to heart starting now.

Our evening went quite long – and we had some fine views.  I didn’t get home till about 3:30 a.m., and had to get up 3 hours later to say goodbye to George and his family (wife and daughter were flying to Taiwan that morning), and then head to the airport myself.  As expected, my 39^th birthday didn’t come in gently, and in fact as I sit here on a flight to Manila tapping out this posting, my head still hurts a bit.  I’m sure we would have been out late no matter what…but in any event it was a great way to usher in my birthday and I think it’s one I’ll long remember.  The next day, my friend couldn’t remember where he stashed his car…hopefully he’s figured it out by now!

So the Aussie portion of my journey is now over.  I had a fine month and will miss Oz.  I’m certainly excited about next destinations, right now the Philippines – and per my point in an earlier posting, it’s hard to feel sad when you’re not returning to your cubicle/desk.  But Oz does have a way of grabbing you and even changing you.  Whenever I’m there I’m struck by the sense of ‘mateship’ (even if it may be diminishing) and the sunny nature of the people.  And while real estate and cars are as big an obsession as they are in the States or elsewhere, I do feel that Australians are generally good at valuing experiences and mood over possessions.  I came to realize that years ago while living in Sydney, and also realized that this is one of my core values.  I don’t have many possessions, and generally feel that by owning things you wind up having to take care of them, fix them up, etc.  It really detracts from thinking time and getting out there in the world.  That’s my view, anyway, and when I’m in Oz I feel a certain connection with the overall vibe.  So perhaps I’ll be back there soon, in some capacity.  Stay tuned.

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