My dearest Sydney!

Already two weeks ago we arrived in town and started our collaboration with the non-profit social enterprise Career Seekers. Looking back it was definitely the right decision to skip the typically sightseeing things like Uluru, the Outback or even the Great Barrier Reef (of course they are still on our bucket list), but we gained so much new experiences and also met so many interesting and admirable people, that we are really happy with the decision we took.

Beside that we also have the chance to dive into the Australian work environment and get to know how it is to work in down under. I mean, sometimes it can also be a little bit stressful, but working in a huge skyscraper in a fancy office is REALLY way beyond bad. 😊

So beside being super busy, we are really happy with our collaboration with “Career Seekers” and can’t thank them enough. The non-profit social enterprise works with leading organisations to create employment opportunities for asylum seekers and refugees who aspire to obtain professional employment. Their program supports two distinct groups of asylum seekers and refugees:

Mid-career Professionals – those with tertiary qualifications and professional work experience who strive to re-establish their careers in Australia. These participants undertake paid internships lasting twelve weeks that provide local experience, a local reference and help them establish a network within their chosen profession.

University students – full-time university students who undertake paid internships during university breaks in an effort to link their studies with practical work experience. The Career Seekers university program aligns to existing corporate internship programs.

It is really admirable what the whole team of Career Seekers has already achieved and how many people they helped with their program. Philipp and I are more than happy that we are part of the team during our stay in Sydney and that we can work on something great together.

Beside that and knowing the situation back home, it is also interesting to see how the people in Australia react to the current refugee situation and how they try to handle it. It is amazing how people are more than ever working together and fighting for their rights, especially in a time like today where so many things are changing and the world seems to get separated more and more.  Australia is a country which was developed from immigrants from all over the world and the people are totally proud for their different cultures and their diversity. So even with all the struggles and prejudices, it is still touching for us to see how some people and especially those from Career Seekers are doing their best to make Australia a better place. Experiences like this let you believe in humanity and also gives you hope for the current situation in Europe.

But enough of philosophical thoughts 😅

Sydney treated us very very well so far. Also if it comes to our accommodation in Bondi at the moment.We have the chance to live next to the beach and can enjoy the beautiful and world famous view every day – jackpot 😊 In general we are totally fascinated of Sydney and whole Australia. As in Melbourne, Sydney has an amazing “Cafe/Brunch/Bar/Restaurant Culture” and we can’t get enough of it 😁 When you walk through the city or next to the harbour you are overwhelmed from the view and somehow it is also a little a bit unreal when you see the Opera House next to the huge Harbour Bridge.

Another highlight was for sure the whale watching trip we did last week on a free day. Philipp was a little bit sceptical and didn’t believe that we would see some whales but I really wanted to make the trip. Especially because everybody told us that it would be the perfect time now. And we definitely didn’t regret it. We were lucky and already after 10 minutes we spotted a mother whale with her calf next to it. From there, we had the chance to observe and follow their track for the rest of our trip. It was really amazing and I never saw a whale soooo close in real life – breathtaking and an unforgettable experience at the same time 😊 (beside the fact that we both got seasick after some time)

So all in all we had an exciting and busy time so far and we are looking forward to our last days (!) in Sydney. Crazy how fast the time was running again.

All the best from Down Under,
Melanie & Philipp