When I was a kid, growing up in a city called Sydney, I thought it was cool that there was another city called Sydney in this great big world of ours. Of course, I thought my Sydney — which for several years now has been part of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality in Nova Scotia, Canada — was THE Sydney, and that the other one — yes, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia — was just ‘the other Sydney’. I can’t remember exactly when it was that I found out the other Sydney was actually THE Sydney.
It’s not uncommon for there to be more than one city/town with the same name (there’s Paris, Texas; Athens, Georgia; even Nova Scotia’s capital, Halifax, has a counterpart on the other side of the big pond), and I’m sure it’s not very uncommon for people to get them confused (like when I was asked at a job interview here in Malaysia why I went to school in Australia). But just how far can such confusion go? I once had a girlfriend whose luggage got sent to Santiago, Chile instead of her actual destination, Santiago de Campostela, Spain. But could people actually mistakenly end up in one place when they meant to go to the other?
Apparently this does happen. Case in point: Monique Rozanes Torres Aguero, an artist from Buenos Aires, Argentina. She bought tickets online and then flew to Sydney, Nova Scotia, thinking she was going to Sydney, Australia. The really crazy part is that for a short time after landing in my hometown, she actually thought she was in Australia. Lucky for her, the folks back home are right friendly; she’s been having a great time. Read the full story here.
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3 Comments
She looked like she was having a good time!
Also, I used to remember growing up in England feeling how funny it was when I was told that every major town or city in England has a counterpart with the same name in another part of the world… It was an interesting concept for a schoolboy, I must say.
Jordan;
How lucky she landed in our home town LOL. The lady that took her under her wing so to speak is doing a fabulous job of being a good-will ambassador. Way to go Sydney!!!
hugs, MOM
I still get a kick out of London, Ontario..lol It seems everyone from there or going there hv to say they are going to London, Ontario.