Vanessa Pratt, Global Business Institute: Sydney Summer 2023
Located in Sydney’s Haymarket suburb, I am living in the Scape Darling Square student housing. Each apartment consists of an eight-person suite with rooms containing two beds and a shared common area. Prior to my arrival, I did not know any of my roommates, but I did know one of them also went to Pitt. During the first week of everyone trying to get to know each other, I became close with my roommate from Minnesota, as well as my other suitemates who can often be seen in the common area. Containing a large couch, TV, dining table, and two fridges, sinks, stoves, ovens, and dishwashers, at almost any hour of the day, you could run into someone going about their typical day adjusting to life as an Aussie. While getting ready for class or my internship, I often had conversations with one of my neighbors about what their expectations for their day were. It was really interesting to hear the different things people were experiencing, especially relating to their duties in their internship or the topic being discussed in their coursework.
Even though Sydney is one of the safest places I’ve ever been to, this building is extremely secure with five security checkpoints to gain entry to a room. First, you must tap your card to get into the building’s entrance with sliding doors. Then, you have to tap on the security gates past the front desk which often has the Scape employees sitting at it. Then you must tap your card yet again to have the elevator take you to your designated floor. From there, you need your card to unlock the door to your suite and assigned room. Although this high amount of security gives me reassurance, sometimes it is a pain if you forget your card, especially when you’re still in the building.
The apartment’s location was also extremely convenient because it was less than a five-minute walk from our classes. This allowed me to get some more sleep before the early 9:00 am classes. I was also fortunate because the walk to my internship in Sydney’s Central Business District was under thirty minutes and provided me with a beautiful view of Darling Harbour. Although walking to most places was easy, I did initially struggle to navigate the public transportation system. Outside Scape, there was a light rail available as soon as we walked out the door. Since the Opal card tapping mechanism was located outside the light rail, it was difficult to remember to tap on before boarding and tap off at the destination. A fifteen-minute walk outside of Scape, we were able to catch buses and trains at Central Station. In the beginning, I often found myself running through the station in an attempt to reach the right platform before the train departed. Google Maps gives you an estimation of how long my travel to the station will take but does not take into account the walk inside the busy station to reach the specific platform.
The neighborhood of Haymarket is full of amazing shops and restaurants, especially Asian food because it is home to Chinatown. I am so thankful for the opportunity I’ve had to live right next to high-quality and diverse food that I would likely never have in the United States. One of my favorite meals was the hotpot dinner I had with my fellow CAPA classmates, where we cooked various meats, vegetables, and more in a hot broth. Despite my hesitation, I tried the octopus and actually enjoyed it! I was also a frequent visitor of a small restaurant called Satang Thai, which served some of the best food I have ever eaten. As international students, we were all eager to bring back souvenirs for our loved ones in the States. Luckily, Haymarket is home to Paddy’s Markets, a huge hub for vendors to sell their unique products, particularly Australian merchandise. If Paddy’s Markets did not have what we were looking for, we were able to ride the elevator to the floors above containing a decently sized mall.
Haymarket has really started to feel like home. I now know the best places to shop, dine, grab a coffee, snack on some gelato, go for a run, watch a street performance, and so much more. In my field trip class, I was able to learn the history of the area, which was previously a dockyard and failed Olympics tourism center. Having this knowledge now, it’s so interesting to see how the area has developed into a kid-friendly location with so much to do for both tourists and locals.
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