Canberra bashing

I have this really bad habit of Canberra-bashing. It's sort of fun, taking the piss out of this town. After more than two years of living here, I still don't like Canberra much, and I've resigned myself to the fact that this is the way it's going to stay.

I am, however, trying to move from my current stance, which is completely loathing the place with all of my being, to accepting that this is where I live and it isn't my first choice of city but hey, here I am and despite this I'm happy. I'm working on it.

It's hard to do it when everything that shits me gets blamed on Canberra. Like "god it's cold, I HATE the cold, I hate being cold AAAARGH I HATE CANBERRA SO MUCH", or "Man, I wish I could get a job as a counsellor, Sydney has lots of jobs and Canberra has none AAARGH I HATE CANBERRA SO MUCH" or "I miss SUMS and I don't wanna join SCUNA and I HATE CANBERRA SO MUCH"... basically anything that annoys me gets blamed on Canberra. Which is sort of unfair.

Even when I lived in Sydney, I was in love with the city. But now that I don't live there, this is growing into something of an obsession, an almost unhealthy one, since it's detracting from my everyday happiness. I'm not doing myself any favours here. It doesn't help that even Sydney people think of the city as the centre of the universe, or at least Australia. I had to laugh listening to ABC Classic FM this morning where someone was saying that Kookaburra National Musical Company has only actually produced shows in Sydney so far. At least Sydney Theatre Company has the good grace to call themselves that rather than the National Theatre Company.

Conversely, I find it highly annoying that Canberra calls its art gallery the National Gallery (I HATE CANBERRA SO MUCH! ...oops) - the Art Gallery of NSW is bigger and better in my (rather biased) opinion. But hey. This might be just another example of me indulging in Canberra-bashing once again, hehe.

The thing about it is that hating this town takes a lot of energy, and ultimately it makes me feel unhappy and discontent. I don't think that I'm ever going to like it. But what I'm aiming at here is just to stop carrying on about how much I detest it, in the interest of my own peace of mind. Is this possible? I guess I'm just going to have to wait and see. 

Comments

[Adie]

Oh dear god AMEN, sistah! I SO hear ya on that score. I'm getting to like Adelaide more and more, but I'm finding that the more I do that the more I'm putting Sydney on a pedestal. *sigh*

[Chas Dean]

Word.

I couldn't stand living in Sydney again (I'm allergic to the place in many senses) but I'm over Canberra.

As difficult as the weekend in Melbourne was, I'm looking forward to moving there now. Stuff to do, a public transport system that works, lovely people etc.

[Adele]

I loooove Sydney, it's my home town and it would take a hell of a lot for me to move. (When I'm at Circular Quay, I remember my gr-gr-gr-grandfather who had a warehouse metres away & have a faint inkling of what Aboriginals must mean when they speak of their Country.)

That aside, I agree that Hating something (or someone) takes up far too much energy and heart-space. Better off trying to concentrate on what you & it can agree on, what you do like about it.

[bells]

People hating Canberra is so old.

[Emma Someone]

I was contemplating this the other day as well. I love Adelaide for what I have here and do tend to put Sydney on a pedestal.

[Rachel]

When I first moved to Canberra in 1994 I loved it...for about a year and half and then I was over it but I had to stay for another 2.5 years and at my first chance I got out. Ten years later I came back and I'm really liking it - I'm really happy here - it suits me. Doesn't stop me having moments of Melbourne-envy and Vancouver-envy though!

[Leigh]

I came to Canberra in March 1995, with a plan to stay for 3 to 5 years. I too loved Sydney, and enjoyed everything it had to offer.
I'll not go back there to live now though.
Like Rachel, I've found that Canberra suits me very well. It is however, a very "underground" sort of place, and lots of it's life is hidden from general view. An interesting fact, when the Bell Shakespeare company comes to Canberra, they give as many performances here as they do in Melbourne - more than in Sydney - (or at least for some shows). The performance I was at was a full house, so whatever else you say about Canberra, it cannot be called a cultural desert!
Oh, and the National Gallery isn't for Canberra as a town, and doesn't depend on it's size, it's called that because it has a national responsibility regarding the visual arts. So you're entitled to your opinion, but that one's Canberra bashing