The Man-Made and Natural Beauty of Sydney
When I first arrived in Sydney, the city shattered many of my pre-set expectations. Most
cities I often visit, such as New York and Washington DC, have many artificial attractions such
as beautiful monuments or buildings. However, many large metropolitan areas lack natural
attractions due to excess pollution and sprawl. Due to my previous experiences with large
metropolitan cities, I was expecting Sydney to be nothing different. However, once I got to
Sydney, I noticed a balance of both artificial and natural beauty. I have never seen an urban city
seamlessly integrate natural and human-made attractions.
Two sites stick out to me when I think of the integration of man made and raw beauty.
The first site I saw was the One Central Park building. I passed this building on a bus tour, and I
was in awe as I saw a very beautifully designed building with green shrubbery coating the
outside. The second site was Bondi Beach. Bondi Beach blends raw and artificial beauty by
placing beautiful resorts on the edge of massive rock formations. Places like these allowed me
to enjoy a varied experience where I can see some of man’s and nature’s most magnificent
creations within walking distance. I found this attribute extremely unique and completely defied
my expectations.
However, thanks to my preparation in class, many of my expectations were met upon
arrival in Sydney. While preparing for my trip to Sydney, I had to research the local business
etiquette. One common point I found across my research about Australian business culture is
that most Australians practice modesty. They sometimes even downplay their successes. Once
I started working at my internship, my expectations were confirmed. Both my bosses never took
credit for performance achievements and always delegated the success equally to all
employees, all the way from the executive office to the warehouse workers. Working in Australia
is truly a team effort, and I enjoy that aspect of work life
One of the many man-made attractions found along the rocks of Bondi
One Central Park Building