Well, there’s not a whole lot to report from this past week – just class and a few excursions. Having said that, this blog will mostly be about the culture and history of Australia, at least from my perspective….
For one of our classes, we took a trip to the Hyde Park Barracks to see and experience the living conditions the convicts were in while serving their sentences in Australia. You may already know this, but I’ll give you a little history lesson anyway….After America won their independence from Great Britain, Britain had to find another place to ship all their criminals to (America was not merely started because of the want of religious freedom – it was a location for convict transportation as well!). Australia was the lucky winner. From 1788 until 1868, England transported many of its crooks to this mostly unexplored and very rugged country. This transportation of people was due to overflowing prisons back in the homeland (the poor economic conditions forced many people to resort to stealing to survive. Add in the addition of more police officers, which made it much easier to catch the criminals in the act, and you have a perfect recipe for crowded jail cells). In addition, Britain figured if they got rid of those committing the crimes, they’d eventually do away with crime itself. Long story short, Australia ended up with a bunch of “criminals” surveying the countryside, serving 7 yr., 14 yr., or life sentences for crimes ranging from stealing a slice of bread to murder.
This history still plays a role in how the Australians live and work today. Because they emphasize the convict side of their heritage, they tend to look at things as if they’re starting from the bottom of the barrel and working their way up. In the States, it’s much different. Even in our grading system everyone begins with a 100% and goes down according to how well (or not so well) you perform. It’s the exact opposite here - they all begin with zeros and work their way up. Americans stress success and independence while Australians are much more likely to take whatever comes with a laid-back and easy-going attitude. It’s the ‘American Dream’ and ‘pursuit of happiness’ versus the mindset of ‘Hey mate, I reckon I’ll do the best I can - maybe it’ll work and maybe it won’t. At least I can say I tried’. Another interesting cultural difference… Australians tend to resonate more with the villain or underdog of a story. Many of their movies end in tragedy. Contrast that with the States - we’re all about rising up out of despair, the heros, the victories, and the happy endings. If you really think about it, our different mindsets stem from how our nations were begun (at least the stories we choose to focus on anyway…) - The U.S. overcame extreme odds to win our independence. Likewise, we still strive for success and self-sufficiency in everything we do. This often leads to us having a sense of entitlement to everything we see. Australians, on the other hand, were just kind of given their independence in 1901 when they became a federation. Likewise, they carry a much more underdog attitude in what they do, and they're a much more humble population. The Aussies actually have a thing here called the “tall poppy syndrome” – that’s where society cuts down those that distinguish themselves above the rest (these “tall poppies” are usually full of arrogance as well). If you’re successful here, you most likely shrug it off and don’t advertise that you’ve made it big (what a switch from the States, eh?). They like to view everyone on a much more level playing field. This I find to be very refreshing! Oh, this is also kind of interesting – a lot of insults here are terms of endearments (I’ve been told compliments are hard for them to give – they’re more of a cynical/pessimistic/blunt sort of folk). Sooo the closer you are with someone, the more you probably insult one another :)
Overall, Australia really is just one huge melting pot of people. There is so much diversity here, and it definitely shows in the type of shops you see lining the streets. There are tons of Asian stores and restaurants with the occasional Italian restaurant along the way (there’s even an Italian festival going on this weekend that I just might have to attend…). Other common stores I see quite often include small vet clinics, hair/nail salons, chiropractors, pubs, and Thai massage places (almost all stores on the streets look like small locally owned shops. The bigger chain stores, such as Target and K-Mart, are usually found in the malls). As far as restaurants go, Thai food is HUGE here! I can’t seem to go anywhere without running into a Thai restaurant. I've never really had real Thai food until last week, but I’ve discovered that I definitely like it! Good thing I think it tastes good because it looks like I may be eating a lot of it these next few months :)
While we’re on the topic of food…I tried vegemite this week! Annnd I kind of liked it! In case you aren’t familiar, vegemite looks an awful lot like chocolate, but don’t be fooled! It tastes absolutely nothing like it – much more bitter and salty (I guess it’s really good for you too – chuck full of vitamins and such). Australians LOVE vegemite. I’ve yet to see a fridge that doesn’t have a jar on an easily accessible shelf. The way I had this staple food was on warm toast with a little butter. If your taste buds are curious, I recommend trying it this way. Whatever you do, do NOT put it straight on bread. That’s nasty (even Australians will tell you that’s the wrong way to try it!). And only use it sparingly (it’s one of those acquired taste things…). Anyway, now that I’ve had vegemite I can officially say I’m in Australia. Woohoo!
Australia is very much an outdoor/sports culture - they LOVE their sports, particularly rugby, AFL, and cricket (the popularity of each sport depends on which part of Australia you’re from). I went to my first ever AFL game this past weekend. Unlike in the States, AFL does not mean arena football; rather, it stands for Australian Football League. Don’t let the word football fool you though. This sport is NOTHING like any football I’ve ever seen. The best way I can describe it is by saying it's a combination of soccer, rugby, volleyball, and basketball….very strange. The game begins with a tip-off much like basketball with possession of the ball changing quite frequently, just like soccer/rugby/basketball. The only way to pass the ball to your mates is either by kicking it or hitting it like an underhand volleyball serve. Scores can only be made by kicking the ball (which looks a lot like a rugby ball by the way) through one of three goal posts….quite interesting, eh? Even though I didn’t understand a lot of what was going on, it proved to be quite entertaining to say the least. Annnd the home-team won – go Sydney Swans (seems like they tend to choose the least likely animals as their mascots…). Next on the agenda is to go to a rugby game. I think I’ll pass on the cricket though…watching highlights of it on the news is good enough for me!
Cheers!
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