A Post from Down Under

On a bit of a whim I have left my tiny island of Alameda for adventures in Sydney, Australia. A few observations:

Australians are extremely fit

While it has been reported that more than 60% of Australians are overweight, I don’t believe they are living in Sydney. Every day I see masses of runners, skateboarders, and bicyclists roaming the remarkably clean streets.

Sydney is clean

Water taxis are a major form of transport, but the water in and around Sydney is surprising clean. The city itself lacks the grit I’ve come to associate with American cities like New York and Chicago.

Finance without the collapse?

Banks are everywhere in Sydney. Walking down Oxford Street I pass at least 25 financial institutions in a 2 mile stretch. Interest rates, however, are at a surprisingly high 4.25% with some bank accounts earning as much as 6%. Somehow, the European financial collapse has yet to hit Sydney the way it has the rest of the world.

All in all, a nice little spot here in the Pacific.