Gosh, a lot of misinformation about Sydney. Yes, it is an expensive place to live. Gas costs heaps and property, does, too. I hate paying for parking but the last time I looked it was a few dollars per hour in downtown Sydney. I take the train or bus into the CBD.
There was trouble a year ago at one of the beaches. Lots of resentment built up in Aussies over the years. They don't consider ethnic people as fair dinkum Aussies and I know that. Everyone more or less gets along over here because there is so much open space. There are plenty of beaches for everyone. I actually prefer busy beaches like Bondi but forget about parking near the beach. Same thing happens in Venice beach. The old days are gone when you could park there no worries. Muslim communities are not popular in Australia and it didn't help when a gang of them raped a girl. They got really long jail sentences and that caused trouble on both sides. So the Lebanese don't feel that they are Aussies even though they were born here. I understand that sentiment. The Aussies resent just about everyone from overseas. In recent years people have emigrated from Vietnam and now some countries in Africa. With each migration the older people become part of the scene whereas the newly arrived get some negative attention. If you go to some shopping centers such as Parramatta you will find it a melting pot of people from all over the world. I suppose that is the future and some are not happy about that.
The gay scene is more open here than perhaps in some other countries. It is similar to attitudes in San Francisco. I could care less about homosexuals because I long ago realized they are not a threat to me. I think many men are worried that gay men will come onto them. That is not what happens. So I can see there is resentment. I happened to have had a girlfriend who had a deceased gay brother and she had heaps of gay mates from America and Australia. They fall in love like the rest of us and I came to see them as individuals and not as anyone strange. Running a gym will make anyone tolerant because gay men do frequent gyms. I treat them like everyone else.
Yes, I have been to City Gym in the city that is a hang out for many gay men and things go on there that I would not like to see in my gym. So it is horses for courses and I guess we men have to accept that some men dig other men. That should mean there are more women for those of us who are straight. Then there is the lesbian community. They and I don't really get along so well for some reason!
I find the anti gay sentiments on Getbig by many regulars rather worrisome. What the heck is all that resentment? Maybe straight guys feel good when they can bash gay men. Ignorant men in Sydney used to bash gay men. That is not tolerated anymore so that is a good thing. I think we all can do a better job of respecting others and this includes their sexuality. Getbiggers also are anti fat and that is another worry. Who out there looked great before taking up bodybuilding? Therefore, we should all be tolerant of fat people and skinny people. It isn't so easy to reverse obesity. Oh, bodybuilders can control fatness levels but it is not so easy as you get older. In the old days I could lose 20 pounds in two weeks and get abs. Nowadays if I diet I lose muscle and remain without a washboard. So I tend to not bag anyone and never fat people.
Australia is a good place to live. Sydney is a huge city but it is still relatively safe to live in and I never worry about being attacked or mugged when in the city or the suburbs. People do their own thing and mostly ignor what others are doing. There is lots of space for everyone here and you just have to work hard to get ahead.
