It is hard to believe that week three is already in the books for our Asia Pacific Abroad trip. It shows how fast time flies, especially when you are out in such a fantastic city like Sydney, Australia. We have also completed three full weeks of classes, meaning there is only one week before we transition into our new class block. That sounds exciting but also a bit nerve-racking, considering it felt like we started our first block of classes yesterday. The week has been a tad slower due to the nature of the term wrapping up and deadlines rolling by. However, I have gotten many opportunities to catch breaks and enjoy Sydney’s scenery. I even managed to stumble upon the Sydney Stock Exchange on an evening walk once when I was headed towards the train station. I am also thrilled to say I have been trying many new dishes around the city, and I cannot reasonably conclude which type of food I like best because they are amazing. One of my favorite dishes, pictured below, is a soup dish from a local Vietnamese resturant, several blocks east of the UTS campus. Although I am trying not to spend too much money, I got fantastic deals on a few cool souvenirs from a flea market, including these cool Australian oven mitts for two dollars. I also got a set of golf balls and tees in an extraordinary case and a boxing Kangaroo plushie for 12 each. I am pleased with those purchases and excited to do more shopping in the coming weeks. One thing I have heard about is P. Sherman 42 Wallaby Way, the location of the Disney animated movie “Finding Nemo”; a childhood favorite of mine. I will have to try to find this location soon. I will report back if I can figure out the whereabouts of this most pristine address.

On the topic of water, I also decided to return to the Olympic Park in the late afternoon on Sunday. This time, I brought my swimsuit and was ready for a challenging workout in the pool. After taking a bus and a train from Central Station to the Olympic Park Aquatic Venue, I went in and paid $9.70 to swim. To my surprise, the Olympic lanes were not even open. Ahh, what a bummer; at least I could swim in the training lanes, I thought to myself. I wondered if they would still open the Olympic lanes or if I would have to settle with the training lanes. The lady at the front desk did not give me a firm answer, suggesting that there was a chance they would still be open for a little while. After about half an hour of swimming, I hopped out of the training pool to check. To my surprise, they were open, and only a few people were swimming there. I hastily jumped into one of the middle lanes and started swimming. I was so excited that I was swimming in the Olympic Pool.

Although I had a lot to share from my busy weekend, I couldn’t miss out on the Lunar New Year celebrations that were happening in one of the main malls near Darling Harbour. The energy was palpable as people crowded around a group of performers, enjoying their dances and the cool music and sounds they created. Even at my height, I had to stand on my tippy toes to catch a glimpse of the action from any of the three levels of the mall. Some of my best photos were taken while I was on the escalator, but of course, that only provided a good view for a couple of seconds and it was anyone who tried to go on and off the escalator would definitely raise suspicion. After enjoying a super delicious fried rice bowl from the food court, I returned to the action where the performance was taking place. It was a bit of a double-edged sword; the performance was free to watch, but that meant anyone could come and there was barely any room to see. Nevertheless, I was thrilled to have stumbled upon this amazing presentation of the Lunar New Year Celebrations and to be part of the Year of The Snake!

Maroubra Beach

My visit to Maroubra Beach the previous Tuesday, when I had no classes, was quite an eventful day. After sleeping in and enjoying a slow morning, I contemplated whether going to the beach was worth it that day. This was because temperatures would reach the mid to upper 90s or (mid-30s according to the Celcius standards). I decided it would be a pity not to take advantage of the fantastic sunshine at least once that Tuesday. Thus, I packed up my essentials and headed out the door, eager to enjoy some afternoon sun. To get there, I had to take a bus just a few blocks from my accommodation, where several other people were waiting. After many stops, one of them being Coogee Beach, only a few others and I remained on the bus. From the previous weekend, I was super determined to visit Maroubra beach; it was the least crowded and supposedly the most calm of the beaches. That would be a perfect place to lay down on the sand and cool off in the water afterward. I was also recommended this beach by the helicopter pilot who had flown around Sydney the previous weekend. Arriving at the beach, I immediately found a shady area and applied as much sunscreen as possible. I was determined not to get a sunburn and would be extra diligent about putting on lotion that day. After spending some time in the sun, I decided to visit a fascinating sight; I had seen it in writing on Apple Maps but was unsure if it would be there. It was in fact, a giant Rubiks cube statue! I was amazed by how huge it was. It probably spanned over 5 feet on each side. Though it is nothing astronomical, it is a cool touch to the beach and exciting since I have lots of experience solving twisty puzzles. About an hour into my visit, I was deeply disappointed to see that the sky had gone from sunny to dark and clouds had entered the area.

I had only been there a little over an hour, so I did not want to take a 45-minute bus ride home. Although there was no better weather up ahead, I decided to walk around a bit until I got to the Malabar Headland National Park, a park connected to Maroubra Beach with a super long trail spanning 1.5 miles. It is pretty interesting because there is some shooting range at the center of the Park, so that area is off-limits to hikers such as myself. The walk provided a beautiful view of the ocean and surrounding land. It offered views of these large cliffs overlooking the water and rocks far below. Although it was pretty windy outside, I was able to snap a few lovely photos that would look great for a photobook. By the time I was around 80% done with the the trail, the rain had started and slowly picked up pace. I power walked to the nearest bus stop, a 15-minute walk away. However, it was too late. I was drenched by the time I made it to the bus stop. After a long ride home, I am even more intrigued than ever to explore more beaches. While I like calm beaches, I am interested in going to a busier beach like Coogee soon!

The Jet Boat Ride

The Jet Boat Ride experience was one well anticipated for me. I had booked it for a small discount about two weeks prior, with limited knowledge of what would come. I instantly became distracted by a magnificent site when I arrived at the location. In the Darling Harbor, two people wore costumes, performing tricks using water jetpacks. I was lost for words how cool it was. I even saw one person perform a backflip, which was insane. Never before had I seen anything like that. After waiting around twenty minutes, I finally put on my life jacket and climbed aboard the boat. The crew made everyone wear a poncho as it was likely that we would get very wet from the spin maneuver the captain would perform. The boat was filled up; not a single empty seat, but I was super happy with my seat. I was in the front row middle seat. Although the seating was not assigned, I assumed it must not be the most desirable seat. After all, I did not mind getting splashed, but goodness, I got splashed all right. The 45-minute experience had us whizzing around the bay at speeds well above 70km/hr, doing many spins and fast maneuvers suitable for any thrill seeker. On top of this, an all-around sound system blasted tunes to make the experience even more promising. Although I kept my phone tucked away for the journey, I snapped a quick photo after the experience, though I was soaking wet.

Squid Game: The Experience

One of the most anticipated parts of my trip so far, the Squid Game Experience, was a fun one-hour challenge consisting of a showdown between 25 players, with only one coming out the victor. Being a huge fan of the show, I was eager to participate in this experience.

Spoiler Alert: If you plan on playing the “Squid Game Experience” and do not want me to give away the games, skip this section!

One aspect of the experience I loved is that it mimicked the show well without making it too dull or non-engaging for the contestants. This game makes you either come out on top or put you on your knees with tokens of shame. That’s right. Every time you fail a game or act too foolish, the masked guards hand you a “Shame Token,” which you put in your bib pocket. By successfully completing a game or committing an act of bravery, you can receive unique white colored tokens essential to winning the game. The first game we played was half a game and half an orientation. We all took turns playing claw machines to try to receive our bib for the Squid Game. If we failed on our second try, we would be shamed and receive our bib that way. After this, we walked into the second game with one last opportunity to take the walk of shame by exiting the premises. This was the main room where all the bunkbeds were. The guards made no noise; only the referee’s stern words made us know what we were up against. We first played Ddakji, where we had to flip the card on the floor to win. Although I had more than enough physical strength to play this game, I failed to hit my target successfully. Everyone had one try, but only one player was successful; a short lady across the room from my spot. We all applauded her efforts and moved swiftly on to the third game.

The third game was glass bridge. In this game, we all looked at a row of ten or so glass tiles and quickly memorized a pattern before stepping on those five tiles one by one. If we ever stepped on a wrong tile in any of those five rounds, we were eliminated and would receive the token of shame. However, I decided to stand at the front of the line to start the game, which was the best move because I got a free white token for my bravery. In addition to my line, there were three or four other lines that I would be playing alongside during my round. During the memorization face (and not completely aware of the rules), I tried my best to memorize the pattern. However, it only stayed active for a very short time before I was left to my thoughts to decide the path to the end. The first three rounds went well for me, but I got puzzled in the fourth round. My brain had second thoughts about my bravery for going first. I should have gone second or third so I would know how the game works, I thought to myself. An instant later, my tiles turned all red; I had picked the wrong square. I shamely walked off the stage and awaited the next game. Although not in alignment with the order of the games in the show, the next Game was Red Light, Green Light. It was my favorite game, and I was ready to win it. The venue was a large room, almost like a dark warehouse, with virtual fixtures on the floor that would change to large presents once the game began. Everything was the same, and I already knew the rules, so I was ready to go!

However, the referee added a key twist that would significantly influence the game’s outcome later: the presents on the floor would be unsafe landing spots. Any individual caught by the game standing on one during red light would lose the game. Once the two-minute timer had begun, I quickly and carefully walked towards the finish line. “Red Light”. I stopped and instantly looked down at my shoes; by just a few centimeters, I had narrowly avoided losing the round by stepping on a present. Phew, that was close, I thought to myself. The rest of the game went smoothly; I decided to take advantage of the time and not try to sprint to the finish and be caught by the game moving. Thus, I safely reached the other side and passed the round!

The final game was rock paper scissors. The guards tasked every player with beating the triangle guard in a game of rock paper scissors; by winning, they could potentially redeem themselves and get many white tokens. If they lost, they would forfeit every token they had. Once it was my turn, I was ready. I chose scissors and, looking at the guard’s hand, shamely walked to the wall. The guard’s rock had beaten me and I would not be winning Squid Game. All the other players took their turns, and the player with the most white tokens was crowned the winner. Although I did not win or get very close, for that matter, I was thrilled I partook in this game. I am super impressed by all the hard work it took the staff and behind-the-scenes folks to make the experience possible so huge shout to them!

The Royal Botanic Gardens

Although a short visit, I decided to visit the Royal Botanic Gardens. I had heard about it many times but not had the chance to visit. After walking across the Harbor Bridge, which had some fantastic views, I continued to walk and enjoy the evening breeze. After some traversing without leaving the path I was on, I eventually recognized where I was: the same path we walked on in our Rocks Tour just two weeks prior! After scouting the area more, I found the Royal Botanic Gardens. I made my way through the Gardens, gazing upon all the different plants and scenery that one could see there. You can walk through many unique paths and some areas give off a true jungle feel. I wished I had come sooner to explore because I later discovered the gardens close at 8 pm every day. That said, I saw a lot in the 45 minutes I was there and plan on returning at some point. To the side, there was a large bar venue right on the water with a view of the Opera House, and all around, there was plenty of green space to walk around or relax on. In the future, I might even try to run here as it seems like the perfect spot to do a run-through, as well as the Harbour Bridge I walked across.

Wrapping up the Weekend

Thanks so much for reading my blog for this week. There have been so many amazing things happening here in Sydney, and it has been so hard to account for all my amazing experiences down under. I hope you enjoyed reading about my time there.

I look forward to the next week when I will experience the fantastic city of Melbourne! As a side note, I recently discovered the NFL will host international games in Melbourne starting in October 2026, according to recent news. I was so surprised and excited when I heard about this, even though it is still a long way off.

-Colin