"A Fair Go and Taking the Piss"

Today, I attended a session provided to the graduate students of Uni Melb about Australian cultural values.  The whole time I've been here, I've been trying to put my finger on what makes Australian culture different from American culture.  The place sure feels different and goes about life a bit different, yet it's still a part of western culture and is maybe what you'd call our sibling from mother England.  However, whereas our allegiance to the crown ended centuries ago, Australia is still a commonwealth of the UK; the Queen of England is the head of state (this was a bit shocking to me).

As just a run through for the sake of time, here are the values mentioned at the session.  The value is followed by an Australian turn of phrase meant to illustrate each value:

Egalitarianism - "a fair go"

Anti-authoritarianism - "tall poppy syndrome"

Self-reliance - "no whinging"

Practicality - "give it a go"

Informality - "no worries"

Multiculturalism - "everyone belongs"

Humor - "taking the piss"

I'll just touch on two of the values in the interest of time.  In describing the egalitarian nature of Australia, the speaker provided this quote by Francis Adams, circa 1880s: "This is a true republic, the truest, as I take it, in the world.  In England, the average man feels that he is inferior, in America that he is superior: in Australia he feels that he is equal."  Australia prides itself on the myth of mateship, the idea that your "mates" will do anything for you and you for them.  You need your mates and rely on each other to help you survive the Outback, and the other harsh aspects of the extreme country.  Many Australians also expect and dream of the "quarter-acre block" which is akin to the American dream of a front yard with a white picket fence.  With your mates and a quarter-acre block, life is grand.  All Australians are entitled to these things and they make up part of the Australian way of life.

Australian humor also interested me because of the turn of phrase paired with it.  I'd never heard the phrase, "taking the piss" in my life.  Australians like to have a bit of a go at you sometimes, because they never like to take themselves too seriously and feel you shouldn't either.  If someone is starting to take his or her self too seriously or talking a bit like they know it all, Australians might "take the piss" out of them with a few jabs at their ego.  They also are willing to take the jabs themselves.  "Taking the piss" is a gesture to show you don't take life too seriously and won't get all upset if life isn't perfect or exactly as you lined it out to be.  It's meant to be in good fun, but it reinforces the idea not to take yourself too seriously.  The speaker said that Americans have a hard time with this aspect of Australian culture because it can be a bit off putting especially to a nation that is very proud, a bit naive sometimes, and take themselves very seriously (we're the greatest country in the world, right?).  But no worries, mate.  It's all in good fun.  She'll be right.

Orientation Begins

My orientation to life at the University of Melbourne began today.  Needless to say, life at a university this size will be quite different than my former experience at Centre College.  The University of Melbourne has around 44,000 students, undergraduates and graduate.  Centre College has just below 1,200.  The number of international students at the University of Melbourne is around 11,000.  My home town of Somerset, Kentucky has somewhere around 12,000 people total.  Somehow the phrase, "little fish in a big pond" comes to mind just about now.  However, as staggering as those numbers are, we must grow up sometime.  Last night I was telling my housemate Rob about Centre, and how it was a lot smaller than what I'm about to enter.  He said to me, "Wow, mate, you're in for a shock."  Earlier today before I left for my orientation events, he texted me saying, "I reckon there's more than 1,200 people hanging around the architecture building right now.  Welcome to the big pond buddy!"

I set out today doing as I've done numerous times the past week, walking east down Arden Street, listening to my latest podcast of This American Life as I tromp towards Uni.  However, today was a bit different as I would be mingling with not only international students but all the Aussies as well.  I strode onto campus and headed for the Student Union events.  Immediately, I could tell that the place was much more crowded than the days before.  Pockets of students crouched below eucalyptus trees, laid themselves out on the lawn in front of the beautiful standstone Old Arts building, and sauntered to and fro from all sides of campus.  Union lawn was my destination, and upon arriving I knew this would be an interesting event.  Not one minute into my arrival at Union lawn, with the area teeming with students of all ages, a guy approached me and asked if I wanted to sign a petition to end the seize in Gaza.  A bit flummoxed, I slowly comprehended what he said, and then thanked him but said no.  Not two seconds later, another guy comes up to me and asks if I want to join the Marxism Society.  A more confident and faster no escaped my mouth.  Geez, I'm here two minutes and already I'm being drafted to support Palestine and communism.  Welcome to the rest of the world, silly American.  Most of the tents had promotional booths for campus organizations and clubs.  Other booths had tables promoting the two big papers in Melbourne, The Herald Sun and The Age, different banks to open up student accounts, and various stores that students might find interesting or useful like Ikea.  Another booth caught my eye that had a busty brunette and a bubbly blonde, scantily clad, handing out free Coke Zeros.  I had to go investigate because free stuff is always a plus.  Sure enough, you could get your picture with the girls as well...  so I did.  It's shameful, I know, but I'd better go ahead and admit it now.

So with some free Coke Zeros and a big smile on my face, I headed off to my orientation to the Faculty of Arts.  I am enrolling in a Graduate Diploma program in the history and philosophy of science, which marks the first time I will have ever been an official arts student with no science in the mix.  Science has pervaded most of my studies up to this point, so I find it rather odd but exciting to think of myself mingling with those of the more Platonic bent rather than Aristotelian logic.  The event kicked off with a lecture explaining the ins and outs of being a part of this particular faculty.  The best part, though, was the welcome party that followed the meeting.  Any faculty that thinks serving wine, beer, and some fancy dinner snacks for a welcoming of the new graduate students has my effortless and enthusiastic approval.  With a chance to meet some of the faculty and a few of the students I'll be among this year, it was a great way to start things off, and I look forward to the next few days as I get acclimated to life at the University of Melbourne.  Hey, maybe they'll be handing out free Coke Zeros tomorrow.

Settling In

For the past week, I've been settling into my new place.  Settling in is somewhat difficult, especially when all you've brought with you to another country is clothing, a computer, and cash.  This process has made me keenly aware of how much stuff it takes to make a life.  Of course, by life I mean a life with a certain standard of living and all the luxuries that my American self has come to see as necessity.  In the midst of all this settling in, I've had a few opportunities to have some fun and start living life in Melbourne.

Last Wednesday, my housemate Rob invited me to play some soccer with a group that gets together every week and plays a pick up game.  See, soccer used to be my thing back in high school and although I took a four year detour for the swimming pool, I still love playing.  To my relief, my skills weren't too rusty (what skill I ever had is debatable of course), and I quite enjoyed myself there out on the makeshift field composed of a few bike helmets and some shirts.  Funny enough, Rob's friend Mic told me how to get to the field from where my apartment is, but went there separately.  Off the tram on Royal Parade, I arrived at the spot I thought would be the field and saw a gathering of around thirty people or so.  As I approached the group, all their heads gazed towards my direction and a guy in the middle said, "You here for the run?"  "This isn't for soccer?" I asked.  "Naw, mate.  This group's for runnas."  Embarrassed just a bit, I began scanning for a soccer ball being kicked around somewhere.  Way off in the distance I spotted one, and walked a bit more briskly there than would have been necessary, but I had to distance myself from the "runnas".  Those playing were from all over the world I found out.  Some were from Scotland (and would playfully let you know when Scotland had just scored a goal on you), others from France, Kenya, Iran, and of course Oz.

On Sunday, the country observed a national day of mourning.  The bush fires that have claimed the lives of so many and rising have been happening just north east of Melbourne.  However, I feel so removed from them being in a big city and all.  Every now and then, you get a whiff of smoke or burning wood in the air, but mostly what I know I hear from the newspapers and general public discourse.  Australia's a paradoxical country in many ways.  While suffering a long standing drought for around twelve years, the south eastern portion of the country is on fire and the north eastern part is flooded.  But I've been amazed by how supportive and considerate the Australian people have been.  They are more than willing to give money left and right to different organizations, and I've even heard some say that the general bushfire relief movement has more than enough money.  Of course, more bodies will be found and more deaths will be confirmed and no amount of money will ever make up for that.  As much as Americans don't pay attention to Australia, we could learn a thing or two by their example of generosity and sense of community.  Maybe that's part of living in a harsh environment that can take a lot out of you if you're not "in it together".  In a way, I feel honored to have bore witness to the nation coming together like this to help their fellow mates.  The situation is devastating and the loss of life is terrible, but it has shown the Australian true colors, and I can say with certainty I'm living in a nation that cares for their fellow human.

Another World

I awoke to find that I was still flying.  This was not a dream; I was actually still on a plane and still struggling to find a comfortable position for my head.  Nine hours into the flight, I'd woken up from my night's sleep to find that I was somewhere between Hawaii and Fiji.  Oddly enough, I was sitting by an El Salvadorian (I assume that's how you describe them), and he was glad I'd awakened because now I could return to my job as amateur translator.  Earlier on the flight, I made the fortunate mistake of asking him where he was from.  He didn't understand so I said, "Hablas espanol?"  From that moment on, Francisco and I were best friends.  It's funny when someone thinks you know what they're saying, and you haven't got a clue.  I mean, don't get me wrong, I speak a little Spanish.  I just can't have a political conversation about the new elections of a right wing leader standing up for the rights of the farmers in El Salvador in English, let alone Spanish.  Francisco seemed to think I understood most of what he was saying, and I pieced together what I could.  But I'm just as likely to have it completely wrong.

Flying to Australia is a task.  It's work.  You don't just hop a plane to get there.  Getting there (and it's quite an understatement to call it simply there) takes around 15 hours from Los Angeles.  If you are from Somerset, Kentucky, you've got quite a bit of traveling ahead of you.  I left around eight in the morning on Tuesday February 3rd, trekking up Highway 27 to the Lexington airport through falling snow and icy roads, and arrived in Melbourne, Australia on Thursday February 5th at around eleven in the morning to 90 degree heat and clear blue skies, with the temperature rising.  Just a hint of mint or menthol filled the air, which must have been from the eucalyptus trees.  Leaving a place that had just been covered in inches of snow and ice, enough to cause significant damage, I found myself around 8,ooo miles from home, mid summer in a land of blue sky and hot sun.  The reality set in: I was in another world.

Melbourne is such an energizing place.  For me, a small town guy who went to college in an equally small town, a big city is incredibly fascinating and overwhelming at the same time.  Multicultural Melbourne has quite an extensive tram system that can get you pretty close to where ever you want to go... if you know where you're going that is.  I've been here almost two weeks, and I'm just starting to know where I'm going.  My first trip to the heart of the city was on a beautiful, but hot day.  I arrived at Flinders station, exited under the large clocks nestled above the main gateway that indicate which train is leaving when and where, and took in all I could see.  Federation square, a public square that's appearance is simply too difficult to describe, stood before me with a visitor's center in plain view.  I grabbed a map at the desk, and decided to start walking.  Melbourne's Swanston street was crowded with a mix of different ethnicities, but many Asians and Indians.  This shouldn't have come as a surprise since I am in the Asian dominated part of the world, but it did.  I continued up Swanston Street and took a few pictures here and there.  Trams were rolling by, people were thronging the sidewalks, sushi and Asian cuisine aromas filled the air, and nice tall trees lined either side of the street reaching over towards the other's limbs.  My goal at this moment was to find the Victoria State Library where a much anticipated reunion with my friend Mark would take place.  Mark, who's been in Melbourne for a year is also on a Rotary scholarship.  It's nice to see an old face in a new place, and we spent the rest of the day touring Lygon Street, an Italian precinct with great cafes and restaurants, and the University of Melbourne, my future place of study.  

The heat in Australia is unlike anything I've experienced.  My third day in Australia, Melbourne recorded 48 degrees Celsius.  I'll clarify for the Americans reading: that's around 118 degrees Fahrenheit.  The paper's claimed it was the hottest day in Melbourne's recorded history.  To make matters even worse, a dry hot wind was blowing hard all day long.  To borrow some imagery from Mark, imagine walking around in a furnace with an enormous hair dryer blowing in your face.  It's shocking to the system to feel that sort of heat blowing all over your body as you struggle to navigate a city of 3.5 million people and endless suburbs sprawling in all directions.  Plus, I had a backpack and no clue where I was going.  So, as you may be able to conclude, choosing this day of all days to start my search for housing was quite ridiculous.

As challenging as finding housing has been, I found a place about a week and a half into my stay here.  From what I can gather, that's actually pretty fast, and I'm lucky to not still be looking.  My search consisted of scanning the postings on a local bookstore window on Lygon Street, and the online listings provided by the university.  The search had me going all over the surrounding areas of the university and I saw a fair variety of housing.  Most were, as the Aussie's put it, "quite ordinary" but I've finally found one that fits my budget and my taste.  It's not extravagant by any means, but it'll do just fine.  I'm staying with two other Melburnians near my age, and it looks like we'll be getting along pretty well.  On a side note, my first trip ever to Ikea was the other day to buy some necessary items such as a bed, a desk, and a chair.  This place is amazing.  It's like a grocery store for furniture.

As I get settled here in Melbourne, the prospects of the year ahead excite me.  Tomorrow, I will begin my orientation and enrollment process with the University of Melbourne, and I look forward to all the new friends and acquaintances I'll be making.  What lies before me is a year to explore, to grow, and maybe, just maybe, to transform.  Who knows what will result from a walkabout Melbourne?  I'll conclude with one of my favorite quotes about travel from Mark Twain:

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do.  So throw off the bowlines.  Sail away from the safe harbour.  Catch the trade winds in your sails.  Explore.  Dream.  Discover."