Opera House

Got to go and see Sydney and the Opera House yesterday. Pretty interesting building, from an architectural point of view: Apparently the original designer quit just after assembling the outer structure, and he took all his designs with him (apparently, they hadn't considered the concept of intellectual property and ownership at the time). They then hired a bunch of new architects, who then put little buildings inside the original structure, since they had no idea of how the interior was supposed to look. The result was still phenomenal.


Interesting tidbits about Australia:


1. When you arrive they spray the inside of the plane (while you're in it) with insecticide. They don't tell you what it is, but it's supposed to be safe ... and it kills bugs.


2. The average wage is much higher here, and houses, cars, and appliances are much more expensive. And nobody tips anyone in the service industry.


3. All tax is included in the price of goods. So if something's $5, it's likely only $5.


4. Beer is cheaper. And the exchange rate is pretty much 1:1 with Canada.


5. People apparently really do put shrimp on barbies....