From Sydney to Canberra

Last week, I officially moved to Canberra from Sydney.

Whereas Sydney is without a doubt the Asian capital of Australia, Canberra is a small city in the hills where the predominantly white working class, the numerous Australian public service employees, the large and international student community and the cosmopolitan and slightly reclusive diplomatic communities only sometimes mix.

My perception and feelings towards Canberra after the first week is largely formed by the last group, the diplomatic communities. It's quite amazing to walk past 10 embassies and the Prime Minister's home on the way to work every morning.

Impessive seal of the Philippine Embassy

Fenced gates, waving flags, imposing coat of arms next to the entrances, almost-silly national details, buildings which alternate in style between the mock-home architecture of Indian temples, Turkish mediterranea, American red bricks with white windows and Irish country homes and solidly imposing office buildings (European Union).

In a way, the diplomatic community in Canberra does not quite follow "real-world" alliances and friendships neither geographically nor personally. The embassies are seemingly distributed by pure coincidence.

The Australian Prime Minister's home faces the Italian Embassy. Belgium and the United States are neighbours. Turkey and India's Embassies are right next to the Philippine representation.

The Turkish Embassy in all its mediterranean grandeur

Our embassy is facing the Cambodian and Maltese Embassies on one side and the Austrian Residence on the other.(our real geographic neighbour). However, I have never heard our Ambassador talk about Austria. Instead, he is personal friends with the Japanese and the French Ambassadorial couples.

A touch of the Taj Mahal, the Indian High Commission

All these examples are indication to the fascinating sub-culture of the diplomats in Canberra. As such, the environment I am living in now is very different from the real-life dominance of Asians in the Sydney suburb of Chatswood, where i previously lived.

American classicism in Australia. The US Embassy.

I am very curious if my first observations in this little cosmos of diplomats and politicians will hold up in the following weeks and months. Is there still such a thing as neighbourly and regional love in the lofty diplomatic circles or can I find some sort of regional identity, especially of Asian countries thousands of kilometres from "home"?

All pictures taken from Flickr, user peskiepete