Sydney

Getting There 

Getting started isn't easy. I'm in the airport, I've cleared security and I'm on my way to the gate, and I get a text notification from Qantas: the departure time for the PHL-DFW flight has changed to from 12:08 to 4:10. Heart-attack inducing--that means I'll miss the flight to Sydney and be stuck in Dallas overnight. 

 But wait! Now there's another text: departure time changed back to 12:08.

Nope, don't get too hopeful. Changed again: to 2:08. At least I can still make the connection.

At 1:30 the gate is mobbed, the clock is ticking, and there's another change (the fourth change, for those of you keeping score at home). Technical problems with the airplane. Boarding delayed for 20 minutes, then another 20 minutes. I join a long line for customer service to find out what happens if I miss my connection.

All's well that ends well? Eventually the plane actually departed, and I still had three hours to make the transfer in Dallas. 

 

ParkRoyal Hotel

Full of tourists and showing signs of wear, but really a lovely place to stay. The room is spacious and comfortable. No kitchen stuff, but apparently that's normal for Australia. There's a free breakfast that has something for everyone. East Asian (steamed dumplings, fried rice); English (baked beans, cold toast); European (cold cuts). Scrambled eggs, friend eggs, omelettes. Whole fruit, cut fruit, canned fruit.

There's a surfeit of front desk staff, but the excess of manpower is cancelled out by a deficit of competence. Part of the problem (but by no means all) is that more than half of them are not native speakers of English. TBF that's also true of the hotel's guests, so I hope there's enough language competency to go around at least.

Sydney 

Looks like NYC only cleaner. Or maybe looks like NYC had a baby. All the skyscrapers look like they were just built yesterday. And they are trying to outdo one another with exotic shapes and patterns.

It certainly is a lot less White that it was 30 years ago. Around the tourist areas it's actually very rare to hear an Australian accent. Lots of South Asians and East Asians. Even AAPI--that acronym I always have to do a double take to remember what it means. I met two Tonganese in one day: one a limo driver and the other an attendee at synagogue services (what???)