Finding a place to stay was my first goal when I arrived in Sydney. Thank God, it took me only one day, because I wasn’t seeing myself staying in a backpacker hostel. I was totally depressed after the two first inspections, but when I arrived in front of the ‘Bayview Towers’ I was agreeably surprised. I even thought that the place was too good to be true. The thing I didn’t know was that I found a place in one of Sydney’s fanciest areas.
You know how it is when you arrive in a new country, you meet new people and of course you have to introduce yourself every single time. And one of the questions people ask the most is the classic : ‘Where do you live?’ And this is how I realized there was a gap between the Eastern suburbs (rich and predominantly European) where Elizabeth Bay is and the Western suburbs (the opposite).
Talking to someone from the Eastern Suburbs :
‘- So Hadi, where do you live?
– Elizabeth Bay.
– Waw! Classy area!’
Talking to someone from the Western Suburbs :
‘- So Hadi, where do you live
– Elizabeth Bay.
– (Look of incomprehension)
– It’s in the City, close to Potts Point.
– Aaah! Kings Cross.
– No, it’s close to Kings Cross but it has nothing to do with it!’
And if I get upset every time someone tells me that, there’s a reason. Kings Cross is maybe the dodgiest (Australian for messiest) area of Sydney, where you pass by all kinds of strip clubs, gentlemen’s clubs (whatever that means), adult shops, homeless, crazy/drunk people and prostitutes. If you’ve been to Paris, it’s a mix of Châtelet and Pigalle in one street…
Now I’m going to use some pictures to make my point.
So this is Kings Cross :
And now this is Elizabeth Bay, one of the most quiet and pretty area of Sydney :
It’s like night and day. Isn’t it?
Have I made my point or what ?
daysinhadistan 