I know I sound like a broken record here, but Sydney does celebrate half-throttle. There's always the chance some OH&S law is violated.
For a country that deems itself young and free, it feels pretty restricted. No smoking, controlled alcohol sales, short opening hours. Mind you, this is all from a Berlin perspective.
Which is pretty ironic – for years Australia was perceived as this wild place at the world's end. Uncouth, uncultured, where women glow and men chunder. You get the idea.
These days it's just like the rest of the world. Maybe it's even more "civilised" due to its economic success: While the mother country, bearer of all culture and good manners, is plagued by riots, Aussies watch in astonishment while having a good wine.
That said, of course Sydney celebrates. And just like Australia itself, it celebrates in an inclusive manner. Beyond cultural festivities, there's NYE, the Mardi Gras, the Sydney Festival.
They are for everyone, some of them are celebrated with the city, and sometimes it feels like the whole world is taking part – it is Sydney, after all, who kicks of the new year. (No offense New Zealand, but no one cares.)
This was my year in the city, it was an exciting year and I'm sure many will follow. I worked, I played, and I got out of here. I might not always have been kind to Sydney and yet I can already feel that I'll miss parts of it when I'll leave it for three weeks this Friday.
-Jens
