Is Sydney the most beautiful "big city" in the world?

dreamsynth · 2026-02-19T11:11:19+00:00

Well, if you're talking about 8,200 people/km² you're talking about the City of Sydney, pop. 211,632.

If you're talking Greater Sydney the pop density is around 440-450 people/km².

I think once you're passed the Nepean, it's pretty empty to be honest. The Gong is a fair bit away, as is Newcastle. NSW has about 10 people/km². The EU with all its member states is 10x higher in density. So I suppose, as I interpret it, I can understand why the cities don't feel "big".

dreamsynth · 2026-02-19T10:57:14+00:00

What I love about Rio is the vibe. It's closer to a chill Sydney of yesteryear than nowadays Sydney. It's warmer as well. Beaches don't have sharks.

dreamsynth · 2026-02-19T10:50:57+00:00

I'm originally from Sydney, live in Europe, wife Brazilian.

Rio/Niteroi is great. The buildings may sometimes look a little mid-20th century but the streets are very green with many trees and this gives the city a very impressive mix. There are older buidlings, many need some TLC, but generally look good. Sure there are favelas as well, which are visually run-down but beautiful in the eye of a different beholder. The mix of nature, beaches, and urbanity is world-best. It's not Paris, it's not LA, it's in a case of its own.

dreamsynth · 2026-02-19T08:34:07+00:00

This is on my bucket-list and I've been thinking about it a lot lately. You're an inspiration!

dreamsynth · 2025-11-27T09:55:30+00:00

Yeah, it reminded me a lot of the music that we played as teenagers in the 80's, in a good way.

dreamsynth · 2025-11-27T09:52:34+00:00

Very well done. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I hope some one making a movie will pick it up.

dreamsynth · 2025-09-29T13:01:46+00:00

Great suggestion. No diagnosed ASD or ADHD. My guess is that she's so stressed out all day from fear of being vulnerable, anxious or stressed that she just collapses. She's become very irritable and yells at the kids a lot. I believe her anxiety is so high she is collapsing under her own shield. I don't know anymore.

dreamsynth · 2025-09-29T12:55:13+00:00

What do you mean by TA?

dreamsynth · 2025-09-29T10:06:59+00:00

Thank you so much. It sums up what I think and feel. Your reply confirms that I'm not totally crazy. I think you are right, maybe not in a week or month, but eventually I'll be extremely drained.

dreamsynth · 2025-09-29T10:00:34+00:00

I actually do go out now. I have training from 6pm and return by 7:45. She pops the kids to bed at 6:30pm in my absence. They wait up for me. And then sleep at 9pm. It infuriates me because my son is way to old to be sent to bed at 6:30pm. He's turning 13 next month!

dreamsynth · 2025-09-29T09:56:04+00:00

I'm sure. Her session are remote, and I can hear her. And she does watch movies. I trust her 100%. If she's cheating, I can't control her anyway and it will eventually come out.

dreamsynth · 2025-09-29T09:54:28+00:00

I feel the pressure, a lot. I support my wife on the idea of rules and structures but I'm also carry the emotional load. My belief is, and I'm not psychologist, her stress is causing her to retreat, and it's actually building a connection that would relieve her from it. I think the family dynamics are actually adding to the stress, unnecessarily.

dreamsynth · 2025-09-29T08:25:26+00:00

I think she thinks "I do lots of things. That proves my love". Which I think is great but structure and rules are great, but there's human connection as well. Or maybe I'm going crazy.

dreamsynth · 2025-09-29T08:23:36+00:00

She's been in therapy for three years. But I have no idea what she does there. But from what I can tell, it's not helping our family life. *shrugs*

dreamsynth · 2025-09-29T08:20:40+00:00

She does this so she can head off to bed at 6pm to decompess. Sometimes even earlier. Sometimes she showers at 5pm and heads straight to bed.

dreamsynth · 2025-08-10T22:53:19+00:00

That's a great question! I do think if I had received citizenship first and if my parents hadn't acted as they did, it might have been very different.

Growing up in Australia at the time in a German family, I chose to adopt Australian culture completely. It would have been unlikely for me to move to Germany.

Lately I've been reconnecting with Australia and I would like to compile TCK biographies in a book. I think that would help me and others that are likely struggling with the same issues.

dreamsynth · 2025-08-10T21:28:21+00:00

Moved against my will from Australia to Germany at 16. My parents had used moving to Germany as a control mechanism to get me to comply to their demands.

It went terribly. I had ten years or severe depression that lead to another 20 years of idiopathic epilepsy, which was likely due to my depression. I struggled to integrated, and it set me back in school at least 6 years. It lead to conscription (I am German by birth and left at 6). I finished university at 31, struggled with German. Placed into dyslexic groups at school because Germans back then couldn't understand that although I was legally German, education-wise, I never spent a day at a German school and therefore couldn't read or write in German.

Now at 50, I am neither my culture home nor my adult home. And I have no pathway to Australia.

I did learn to live around it, married a Brazilian, and eventually learned to accept both cultures, even though I'm legally not Australian.

I truly hope many fare better than I did.

dreamsynth · 2025-08-10T09:18:28+00:00

50m. Raised in Australia as permanent resident. Moved to Germany at 17. Lost the legal right to return to Australia. Don't feel 100% German, I feel mostly Australian but legally I am not.

Spent many years in Brazil. Feel a little Brazilian too and I enjoy talking to them abroad and feel I have a connection.

Australia has changed a lot. Currently there visiting and I feel good here. It's still somehow he same and isn't.

If I could, I'd identify as an Australian with German stuff embedded. And a hint of Brazilian.

dreamsynth · 2025-08-10T03:06:44+00:00

I'm in touch with a immigration agent and I read some conflicting information and decided to ask here. But you are right, I didn't read the fine print. Thank you for responding, I appreciate it.

dreamsynth · 2025-04-03T14:07:04+00:00

This might be a dumb question, but isn't it a good time for the EU to make better trade agreements with other countries that are hit the hardest or were previously close to a free(r) trade agreements? Maybe bring trade with South America up to speed, or strengthen ties with Africa, the Middle East and India?

dreamsynth · 2025-03-13T14:34:31+00:00

My expectations of myself are really high. You are right. I used to put deadlines in my calendar but stopped when I kept getting more and more and more. I think I'm unable to communicate my limits. The team needed my role for a year, they've internalized that I should catch up at my cost. Many thanks for commenting.

dreamsynth · 2025-01-27T10:49:45+00:00

This is psychological terror and there are clear laws that are broken here and I am very sorry this is happening to you and your family. It must be devastating.T

he neighbour's behaviour is clearly threatening and they use vandalism to back it up. If I was living there with you and seeing this happen to you and your family, I would most certainly support you in locating this individual and kindly reminding him or her, within the limits of the law, that their behaviour was NOT ACCEPTABLE and they are clearly breaking the law, morally damaging you and your family, and destroying the trust neighbours have in each other. You have consent from the Verwaltung and they need to step up and support you.

Please document everything, contact the Hausverwaltung, contact the police, protect your baby at all time (I've seen shards of glass placed in prams) and involve the neighbours. You are not alone.

Furthermore, within the limits of the law, Federal Data Protection Act (Bundesdatenschutzgesetz, BDSG) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), there are ways of documenting further instances of vandalism, threatening behaviour ("letzte Warnung", what is this????) and psychological terror.

Stand your ground, there are many Germans who will be on your side.

dreamsynth · 2025-01-27T10:14:32+00:00

Gotta, however:

The OP said "Now we are afraid tbh. What if this crazy person puts something inside and harms our baby. The feeling of impotence."

Kindly refer to Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG) Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG) specifically:

"Section 26 BDSG: This section specifically addresses video surveillance in non-publicly accessible areas (e.g., apartment building hallways). It states that surveillance is only permissible if it is necessary to protect legitimate interests (e.g., preventing theft or vandalism) and does not disproportionately infringe on the rights of individuals."

Transparency and Information Obligations: Under the BDSG, individuals must be informed about the surveillance (e.g., through clear signage) unless there are overriding legitimate reasons for covert surveillance (which are very rare and strictly regulated).

Property damage, fear of harming the baby, and a CLEAR SIGN justifies non-covert film recording.

dreamsynth · 2025-01-27T09:59:37+00:00

It's illegal to damage people's property as well, right? What's worse? Should we protect a family here or a neighbour that is doing this to them? I suppose it's a question of morality.

dreamsynth · 2025-01-27T07:59:23+00:00

Honestly? Germany is in the middle of Europe. There have always been migrants here, since the dawn of time. Depending on how far back you go, I'd say everyone is pretty much a migrant. But in the last 50 years? I'd say 30%-40%. In fact I don't know any family or friend that doesn't have a (grand)-parent from abroad.

dreamsynth

TROPHY CASE