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Monday, March 3rd, 2025

Week 7: Sydney Through a New Lens 🎞️🌈

This week, I experienced Sydney from a completely new perspective—one shaped by nature, culture, and hidden gems around the city. With midterms officially done, I finally had more free time to explore with my friends! As usual, I stuck to my routine of midnight walks to the beach, and this time, I finally made it to Coogee Beach! The reason I say “finally” is because my friends and I always got sidetracked by smaller beaches along the way and never ended up reaching Coogee. But this time, we made it, and I couldn’t believe how peaceful and serene it was. […]

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Monday, February 24th, 2025

Week 6: Hunter Valley Trip & Midnight Walk

This week has been my favorite! My International Finance class got a little harder, but thankfully, I did well on the exam. As our departure date gets closer, my friends and I are making plans to explore the city more often. My suitemate recommended two of the best museums she visited—the Australian Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA)—so a few of us, who luckily share the same schedule, decided to visit them after class. One thing that made me especially happy is that both museums offer free entry! First, we visited the Australian Museum (which is located right […]

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Monday, February 17th, 2025

Week 5: Unexpected adventure & The Sydney Opera House

Starting my new class session in International Finance and Aussie Life & Culture has been an eye-opening experience. In particular, the Aussie Life & Culture course challenged some of my previous perceptions about Australia. I used to think of it as a nearly “perfect” country, but I’ve come to understand that, like any nation, it has its own issues to address. Learning about inequality and the unfair treatment of the Stolen Generation made me realize that every country has room for improvement, and Australia is no exception. Beyond the classroom, I had the incredible opportunity to take a tour of […]

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Monday, February 10th, 2025

Week 4: Melbourne visit

Visiting Melbourne has been one of the most memorable experiences I’ve had in Australia. I started my trip with a guided tour around the city, exploring its famous laneways, admiring the mix of historic and modern architecture, and learning about its history. The guide shared interesting stories about the gold rush era, the city’s arts scene, and the cultural influences that shaped Melbourne into what it is today. The next day, I visited Victoria Market, a lively place filled with fresh produce, handmade goods, and delicious street food. The atmosphere was energetic, and I enjoyed walking around, trying different foods, […]

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Monday, February 3rd, 2025

Week 3: The year of the Snake & Sydney Fish Market

My weeks continue to get better and more interesting as time goes on. With no family here, I initially thought I might not be able to celebrate Chinese New Year like I usually do. However, I was pleasantly proven wrong. In Australia, the ambiance of Chinese New Year is very much alive. I was surprised by the number of festivals and performances in Chinatown and some malls that reminded me of home! Before coming to Australia, I expected it to be more like the US with its dominant Western culture, but I was wrong. Australia is incredibly diverse, and there’s […]

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Monday, January 27th, 2025

Week 2: Friday Night market at Chinatown

Week 2 has been an interesting journey. As the weeks go on, the workload has definitely picked up with exams and assignments, but that hasn’t stopped me from going out and experiencing the cultural diversity that the locals offer. One of the places where I really felt this diversity was in Sydney’s Chinatown. The atmosphere is electric, with neon signs lighting up the night and a mix of locals and tourists strolling around. There’s a wide variety of goods for sale—trinkets, clothing, and accessories from different parts of Asia, most of them handmade. It’s the perfect spot to unwind with […]

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