Cultural Immersion: Sydney (Australia)

▪ The country (Australia)

Australia

Australia is a country, and continent, surrounded by the Indian and Pacific oceans. Its major cities – Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide – are coastal, but its capital, Canberra, is inland and nicknamed the "Bush Capital."

Sydney

▪ Tourist spots

▪ Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre. It is one of the 20th century's most famous and distinctive buildings and it was formally opened on 20 October 1973.
Though its name suggests a single venue, the building comprises multiple performance venues which together are among the busiest performing arts centres – hosting well over 1,500 performances annually, attended by more than 1.2 million people. ( Read more)

Interior of the Concert Hall - Check out the OFICIAL WEBSITE

▪ The Sydney Harbour Bridge
The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge across Sydney Harbour that carries rail, vehicular, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central business district (CBD) and the North Shore. The dramatic view of the bridge, the harbour, and the nearby Sydney Opera House is an iconic image of Sydney, and Australia. The bridge is nicknamed "The Coathanger" because of its arch-based design. (Read more)

Do you like adventures? Try to climb the Harbour Bridge, check out this website >> www.bridgeclimb.com 

▪ Tower Eye
Sydney Tower is Sydney's tallest structure and the second tallest observation tower in the Southern Hemisphere. The name Sydney Tower has become common in daily usage, however the tower has been known as the Sydney Tower Eye, AMP Tower, Westfield Centrepoint Tower, Centrepoint Tower or just Centrepoint. The Sydney Tower is a member of the World Federation of Great Towers. (Read more)

▪ Toronga Zoo
Taronga Zoo is the city zoo of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia and is located on the shores of Sydney Harbour in the suburb of Mosman. It was officially opened on 7 October 1916. Taronga Zoo is managed by the Zoological Parks Board of New South Wales, under the trading name Taronga Conservation Society, along with its sister zoo, the Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo. 
Read more  (OFICIAL WEBSITE)

▪ The Rocks
The Rocks, situated between the Harbour Bridge and the northern edge of Sydney’s Central Business District and is one of the oldest neighborhood. The Rocks historic area was once home to the Gadigal aborginal people and later became the country’s first side of European settlement. (Read more)

▪ Queen Victoria Building
A high point of Sidney is the Romanesque-style Queen Victoria Building (or also “QVB”), the building is a five-story shopping center that fills an entire city block and houses nearly 200 retailers.The QVB was designed as a marketplace and concert hall. (Read more)

▪ Cuisine

▪ Vegemite
Vegemite (/ˈvɛdʒᵻmaɪt/ vej-ə-myt) is a thick black Australian food spread made from leftover brewers' yeast extract with various vegetable and spice additives developed by Cyril Percy Callister in Melbourne, Victoria, in 1922 and currently owned by Mondelez International. A spread for sandwiches, toast, crumpets and cracker biscuits as well as a filling for pastries. (Read more)

▪ Kangaroo meat
Kangaroo meat is widely available in Australia, although it is not among the most commonly eaten meats. In old fashioned colonial recipes, it was treated much like ox tail, and braised until tender forming a rich gravy. It is available today in various cuts and sausages. Also eaten (in specialist restaurants) is emu meat and crocodile meat. As these meats need specialist preparation they are not found in mainstream restaurants or at home, however products are now available in supermarkets made of kangaroo and emu meat. (Read more)

▪ Pavlova
Pavlova is a meringue-based dessert named after the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova. It is a meringue dessert with a crisp crust and soft, light inside, usually topped with fruit and, optionally, whipped cream. The name is pronounced /pævˈloʊvə/, unlike the name of the dancer, which was /ˈpɑːvləvə/. (Read more)

▪ Tim Tams

Tim Tams are two chocolate biscuits sandwiched with chocolate cream and coated in creamy. They landed on our shelves in the early 1960s and their allure refuses to wane with decades. (Read more)

▪ Anzac Biscuits

The recipe for those amazing biscuits was designed to have maximum nutritional value and to be able to stay fresh on the long sea journey to reach soldiers in Gallipoli. The dark flavour comes from using treacle or golden syrup as a binding agent. (Read more)

▪ Billy tea
Billy tea is the drink prepared by the ill-fated swagman in the popular Australian folksong "Waltzing Matilda". Boiling water for tea over a camp fire and adding a gum leaf for flavouring remains an iconic traditional Australian method for preparing tea, which was a staple drink of the Australian colonial period. (Read more)





▪ Habits

One of the good traditions of local people is barbecue, which is attended by people of all ages. Many even called barbecue ‘the national sport,’ so common and beloved this event is. (Read more)

Local merchants can be truly called the most honest ones in the world. They absolutely frankly tell buyers about all pros and cons of their goods, and will reduce the price to a minimum.

▪ Music

Australian folk music is a term which may be applied to traditional music from the large variety of immigrant cultures and those of the original Australian inhabitants.

Celtic, English, German and Scandinavian folk traditions predominated in the first wave of European immigrant music. The Australian tradition is, in this sense, related to the traditions of other countries with similar ethnic, historical and political origins, such as New Zealand, Canada and the United States.

▪ Climate

 You can plan a trip at any time of the year, as there is a mild weather in Sydney 12 months of the year. Even in winter the temperature rarely drops below 18°C. However, weather changes quite quickly in Sydney, so while going for a long walk, it's best to take an umbrella. On evenings it may become really cool, so you take some warm clothes with you. Fans of a beach holiday are recommended to go on vacation from November to April. (Source)

Read more 

▪ Cost of living

Sidney is a beautiful city with many good atractions and good food, however the cost of living in the city is high, it’s also usually into the top ten list of the most expensive cities to live in and is the most expensive Australian city. (Read more)

▪ Famous personalities

               Hugh Jackman                             Nicole Kidman                                 Mel Gibson

       Actor, singer and producer.      Actress, model and producer.               Actor and Filmmaker. 

▪ Extra

The city has an excellent public transport system. Tourists who plan to move around the city actively are advised to buy a travel card; it works on all kinds of public transport, including ferry. Travel cards can be designed for a day or a week; the cost is USD 20 and 60, respectively. 

Read more >> oficial Sydney website.

▪ Best things to see and do in Sydney

Cultural Immersion: Tokyo (Japan)

▪ The country (Japan)

Flag of Japan - Read more

Japan is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean with dense cities, imperial palaces, mountainous national parks and thousands of shrines and temples.

Tokyo

Tokyo, Japan’s busy capital, mixes the ultramodern and the traditional, from neon-lit skyscrapers to historic temples. Read more

▪ Tourist spots

▪ Sensō-ji
Sensō-ji is an ancient Buddhist temple located in Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan. It is Tokyo's oldest temple, and one of its most significant. Formerly associated with the Tendai sect of Buddhism, it became independent after World War II. (Read more)

▪ Shinjuku Gyoen
Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden is a large park with an eminent garden in Shinjuku and Shibuya. It was originally a residence of the Naitō family in the Edo period. Afterwards, it became a garden under the management of the Imperial Household Agency of Japan. It is now a park under the jurisdiction of the national Ministry of the Environment. (Read more)

▪ Golden Gai
Shinjuku Golden Gai is a small area of Shinjuku, famous both as an area of architectural interest and for its nightlife. It is composed of a network of six narrow alleys, connected by even narrower passageways which are just about wide enough for a single person to pass through. Over 200 tiny shanty-style bars, clubs and eateries are squeezed into this area. In this area, shooting photograph and video on the street is prohibited. (Read more)

▪ Disneyland
Tokyo Disneyland is theme park at the Tokyo Disney Resort in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan, near Tokyo. Its main gate is directly adjacent to both Maihama Station and Tokyo Disneyland Station. It was the first Disney park to be built outside the United States, and it opened on 15 April 1983. The park was constructed by Walt Disney Imagineering in the same style as Disneyland in California and Magic Kingdom in Florida. It is owned by The Oriental Land Company, which licenses the theme from The Walt Disney Company. (Read more)

OFICIAL WEBSITE

OFICIAL WEBSITE

▪ DisneySea
Tokyo DisneySea theme park at the Tokyo Disney Resort located in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan, just outside Tokyo. It opened on September 4, 2001, at a cost of 335 billion yen. Owned by The Oriental Land Company, which licenses Disney characters and themes from The Walt Disney Company, Tokyo DisneySea attracted an estimated 14 million visitors in 2013, making it the fourth-most-visited theme park in the world. Read more

▪ Imperial Palace
The Tokyo Imperial Palace  is the primary residence of the Emperor of Japan. It is a large park-like area located in the Chiyoda ward of Tokyo and contains buildings including the main palace , the private residences of the Imperial Family, an archive, museums and administrative offices.

It is built on the site of the old Edo Castle. The total area including the gardens is 3.41 square kilometres (1.32 sq mi). During the height of the 1980s Japanese property bubble, the palace grounds were valued by some to be more than the value of all of the real estate in the state of California. (Read more)


▪ Cuisine

▪ Sushi 
Sushi is, perhaps, the most famous worldwide Japanese food, a trip to Tokyo would not complete without trying this gastronomical delight in its homeland. Amid the variety of sushi available, there's a staple ingredient present in all - vinegared rice. Topped with various seafood, e.g. raw fish – Nigirizushi, it forms one the best-known types of sushi. (Read more)

▪ Tempura
It was introduced to Japan by the Portuguese missionaries in the 16th century. The dish comprises vegetables, seafood and other ingredients, all battered in eggs and flour, and then fried in vegetable oil to form a crispy texture. (Read more)

▪ Sashimi
Sashimi is considered a Japanese delicacy, regarded by Japanese chefs as the finest dish in formal Japanese dining. In essence, it represents fresh, raw seafood or meat, thinly sliced and served with a soy sauce and other ingredients, such as wasabi or ginger - most commonly offered. Traditionally, sashimi is recommended as a first course, ahead of something strongly flavoured. (Read more)

▪ Soba
Soba is a type of noodles made from buckwheat flour, which has been known as a traditional Japanese food since the Edo period (1603-1868). The Japanese have different opinions on how to best enjoy soba, but the chilled version or that cooked as a noodle soup are the two most popular. Soba is usually taken with a soy sauce, called tsuyu, placed on the side for dipping (cold soba), or boiled in it (hot soba). The most common type of chilled soba is Mori Soba. (Read more)

Source: www.gpsmycity.com
Image Courtesy of: IQRemix

▪ Wagashi
Wagashi is a traditional Japanese confectionery which is often served with tea, especially the types made of mochi, anko (azuki bean paste), and fruits. Wagashi is typically made from plant ingredients. (Read more)

▪ Mochi
Mochi is Japanese rice cake made of mochigome, a short-grain japonica glutinous rice. The rice is pounded into paste and molded into the desired shape. In Japan it is traditionally made in a ceremony called mochitsuki. While also eaten year-round, mochi is a traditional food for the Japanese New Year and is commonly sold and eaten during that time. (Read more)

▪ Ryoku-cha
Ryoku-cha is the generic name for a variety of steamed, green leaf teas that are widely served in Japanese restaurants. Visitors may also encounter hoji-cha, which is roasted green tea with a brownish hue and delicately nutty flavour.Genmai-cha is green tea combined with roasted brown rice. With its pale yellow colour and mild flavour, genmai-cha combines the subtle, grassy tones of green tea with the delicious aroma of roasted rice. (Read more)

▪ Sake
Sake is a Japanese rice wine made by fermenting rice that has been polished to remove the bran. Unlike wine, in which alcohol (ethanol) is produced by fermenting sugar that is naturally present in grapes, sake is produced by a brewing process more like that of beer, where the starch is converted into sugars before being converted to alcohol. (Read more )



▪ Habits

The Japanese are very sensitive to their homes, so you should certainly take your shoes off at the entrance to the house.

Handshaking and any other physical contact during the greeting are not accepted among the local residents. Nodding replaces all forms of greetings usual for Europeans.

Read more about Bowing

Read more about Etiquette in Japan

Famous personalities

              Hayao Miyazaki                               Gackt Camui                                 Ken Watanabe 

            Animation director                   Musician, Singer, Songwriter,                        Actor 

                                                                Record Producer, Actor

▪ Climate


In Tokyo the climate is temperate, with fairly mild and sunny winters and hot, humid and rainy summers. Similar to the rest of Japan, the city is affected by the monsoon circulation. In winter the northwest cold currents will prevail, while in summer they will be replaced by hot and humid currents of tropical origin. (Read more)

▪ Cost of living


Japan is a beautiful country with a high standard of living, the country also has a reputation for being one of the world’s most expensive countries to live in. The majority of expats will head to Tokyo, wich is 23 different wards all rolled into one megacity. (Read more)

▪ Music

Traditional Japanese music is the folk or traditional music of Japan. There are three types of traditional music in Japan: theatrical, court music (called gagaku), and instrumental.

Theatrical:

 Court music:

Instrumental:

▪ Things to do in Tokyo

▪ Extra

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