Jonathan and his wife Melz are one of the coolest, and humblest, couples I know. They have been living away for years now, doing all sorts of creative and inspiring things in Sydney, but I have just been told of a move back across the ditch so Jonathan can take up an exciting new role as Principle 2D artist at Gameloft. Yes, game-nerds, he will be designing games for a living. Tom Hanks in BIG springs to mind! Over to you, Jonathan.
I’m living in…
Dulwich Hill, Sydney. Or as the locals say... "The Chill".
I’ve been here…..
Since August 2001. I originally only wanted to come over and work here for a year. The good thing about that was I managed to convince my girlfriend Mel to come with me. "Come on!... it's only one year."
I’m here because…
I applied for a job at Walt Disney Animation Australia as a traditional (Pencil/Paper) Animator. I don't know why I thought a year would do me. When I got here I realised I had a lot to learn professionally. Also, Mel and I quickly made heaps of friends and I fell in love with Sydney and every year we found it harder and harder to think about leaving.
The first thing I bought when I arrived was…
The earliest thing I can remember buying was a pack of four Bagels. I have since learnt they aren't that common here. However, here is a tip, go to Ella cafe in Redfern and order the blueberry bagel with cream cheese... Yum, freshly baked!
My favourite thing about where I live is…
The weather, beaches, friends, food quality, food variety, ethnic diversity, the love of sport, strong Aussie dollar, lack of rust on cars, bike paths, little suburbs with little shops and the Opera house.
The thing I miss about NZ is…
Family to the max! Waiheke island and beautiful Rocky Bay.
The thing I don’t miss about NZ is…
Small town mentality. I think we fear other countries bigger than us. I often hear of the "Asian invasion".
I wish I could…
Have a white bungalow in Mt Eden, with a nice slightly upward sloping back yard. In the yard would be a sunny deck, a proper Finnish sauna and a brick oven that I build with the help of my Dad.
Since leaving NZ I…
Have become a little less funny. Or maybe, it is that I have become more adult and spend time thinking about and discussing things like term deposits, health insurance and updating my Linkedin profile.
The best place for coffee in Sydney is…
Campos Coffee in Newtown. Have the Affogato, I think they use white chocolate ice cream.
The best place to eat in Sydney is...
Quay, Tetsuyas, New Shanghai in Ashfield and Sumalee Thai in Newtown. The first two are top notch, world class resturants, where you spend 4 hours grazing and only talk about the food. New Shanghai is only a step up from a food court but is cheap, super tasty and you can watch them make your dumplings. Sumalee Thai is simply the best Thai in a town full of Thai restaurants.
I stay in touch with what’s going on in NZ by…
Listening to my wife Melanie.
Before I came here I thought Sydney was…
A big trashy city and Australia was mostly red dirt.
And I thought I...
Looked cool in baggy pants.
The biggest change in me since I moved here is…
I am now married, have a 4 month old boy, swim a lot and I have lost 20kg.
When people visit I always take them to…
Petty Cash cafe in Marrickville where they serve tea with tea cosies and souvenir tea spoons. Also, a big favourite is the Bondi to Coogee walk with a swim at the Maroubra rock pool.
For me, home is…
Where Mel and Miko are. Unless I am in the dog box which means I am literally, in the dog box... which is also weird because we don't even have a dog?
When friends are visiting NZ I tell them to…
Go to the South Island because I haven't. I know, embarrassing.
If I could describe my life here in three words it would be…
Warm And Friendly.
The biggest change in me since I moved here is…
I am now married, have a 4 month old boy, swim a lot and I have lost 20kg.
When people visit I always take them to…
Petty Cash cafe in Marrickville where they serve tea with tea cosies and souvenir tea spoons. Also, a big favourite is the Bondi to Coogee walk with a swim at the Maroubra rock pool.
For me, home is…
Where Mel and Miko are. Unless I am in the dog box which means I am literally, in the dog box... which is also weird because we don't even have a dog?
When friends are visiting NZ I tell them to…
Go to the South Island because I haven't. I know, embarrassing.
If I could describe my life here in three words it would be…
Warm And Friendly.
x
