I find it hard to believe that my trimester is over halfway through; the time has flown by just like I knew it would.
Here are some observations I've made about Australian [Melbournian] culture during my stay.
Music: I've only recently started listening to Australian music (produced/performed by Australians) and I don't know why I hadn't started sooner. I LOVE this stuff. I'm only just getting started - I've been listening to Matt Corby and he's pretty cool. Great sound, very raw. Click --> here to listen to his cover of The Black Keys, 'Lonely Boy'. Another popular song that will always remind me of Australia is one that came out earlier back in February, called "I Don't Care". It's played at all the parties and social events and it's fun to listen to Click -->here to have a listen. I also found out that Gotye's Australian, who is famous for this very popular song.
Food: Passion fruit, pumpkin, and lamb (and kangaroo, of course). I've found these ingredients to be significantly more common than in NY. Yogurt with passion fruit, pumpkin spinach salad, lamb-topped pizza, and kangaroo steak are nothing out of the ordinary. Considering I love them all, I've had a great time enjoying the food here. I was keen on eating a traditional Australian dish when I first arrived, but it seems like there isn't really an 'australian' specialty. A typical australian dish would be steak and potatoes, which I know pretty well. Of the processed foods, tim-tams, milo, and of course, vegemite are the big three. All of which are quite tasty. Tim-Tams are chocolate biscuit sandwiches dipped in chocolate, milo's a malted barley chocolate drink (served hot or cold) and vegemite is just yeast extract. Vegemite doesn't sound very appetizing but I find it hard to believe that most americans find it bad. All it tastes like is salt so it makes a good sandwich spread. I'd say there's nothing to dislike about it. Kangaroo meat is a very sustainable meat option here and I've heard that there are 'vegetarians' in Australia who only eat kangaroo (Wikipedia says that's called 'kangatarianism' but I've never heard anyone use that term). It's a very lean (and tasty) meat; kangaroos are largely pests so the meat industry helps keep their numbers in check.
Fashion: On campus, it's refreshing to see students aren't dressed like waking zombies, in PJ's and sweatshirts. I haven't seen a single person in PJ's , even in early morning lectures. Beach-chic hipster seems to be the overall look here haha. A lot less formal than typically dressed-up New Yorkers, but still well-put together, with a lot more attention paid to detail and accessories. I see lots of maxi-dresses/skirts and bright colors and paisleys. Love it!
General Values:
- In terms of society as a whole, I could pretty much sum up what I've observed to be typical australian attitude in the phrase "no worries". I have met so many genuine australians. People are friendly and funny
-With the immense biodiversity in this country, it's no surprise that wildlife conservation gets more attention than in the states. The general public is more conscious of the environment, even if they're not necessarily more sustainable. Like I said in an earlier post, it's remarkable to see even small cafés on campus carry wooden utensils
-There's quite a big drinking culture in Australia, more than I was expecting. The drinking age is 18 so living on campus, I'm bound to be confronted with it. It was a little frustrating at first, since I don't drink, but I've learned to expect it. People will be loud and have parties and get drunk and I'm ok with that, as long as I'm not dragged along. Drinking is especially popular with the international students, who may be coming from countries with older drinking ages. It's understandable. Anyway, it seems that as long as there's food and alcohol, people will have a good time
Warning sign at the Twelve Apostles. Love this ahah
Here are some observations I've made about Australian [Melbournian] culture during my stay.
Music: I've only recently started listening to Australian music (produced/performed by Australians) and I don't know why I hadn't started sooner. I LOVE this stuff. I'm only just getting started - I've been listening to Matt Corby and he's pretty cool. Great sound, very raw. Click --> here to listen to his cover of The Black Keys, 'Lonely Boy'. Another popular song that will always remind me of Australia is one that came out earlier back in February, called "I Don't Care". It's played at all the parties and social events and it's fun to listen to Click -->here to have a listen. I also found out that Gotye's Australian, who is famous for this very popular song.
Food: Passion fruit, pumpkin, and lamb (and kangaroo, of course). I've found these ingredients to be significantly more common than in NY. Yogurt with passion fruit, pumpkin spinach salad, lamb-topped pizza, and kangaroo steak are nothing out of the ordinary. Considering I love them all, I've had a great time enjoying the food here. I was keen on eating a traditional Australian dish when I first arrived, but it seems like there isn't really an 'australian' specialty. A typical australian dish would be steak and potatoes, which I know pretty well. Of the processed foods, tim-tams, milo, and of course, vegemite are the big three. All of which are quite tasty. Tim-Tams are chocolate biscuit sandwiches dipped in chocolate, milo's a malted barley chocolate drink (served hot or cold) and vegemite is just yeast extract. Vegemite doesn't sound very appetizing but I find it hard to believe that most americans find it bad. All it tastes like is salt so it makes a good sandwich spread. I'd say there's nothing to dislike about it. Kangaroo meat is a very sustainable meat option here and I've heard that there are 'vegetarians' in Australia who only eat kangaroo (Wikipedia says that's called 'kangatarianism' but I've never heard anyone use that term). It's a very lean (and tasty) meat; kangaroos are largely pests so the meat industry helps keep their numbers in check.
Fashion: On campus, it's refreshing to see students aren't dressed like waking zombies, in PJ's and sweatshirts. I haven't seen a single person in PJ's , even in early morning lectures. Beach-chic hipster seems to be the overall look here haha. A lot less formal than typically dressed-up New Yorkers, but still well-put together, with a lot more attention paid to detail and accessories. I see lots of maxi-dresses/skirts and bright colors and paisleys. Love it!
General Values:
- In terms of society as a whole, I could pretty much sum up what I've observed to be typical australian attitude in the phrase "no worries". I have met so many genuine australians. People are friendly and funny
-With the immense biodiversity in this country, it's no surprise that wildlife conservation gets more attention than in the states. The general public is more conscious of the environment, even if they're not necessarily more sustainable. Like I said in an earlier post, it's remarkable to see even small cafés on campus carry wooden utensils
-There's quite a big drinking culture in Australia, more than I was expecting. The drinking age is 18 so living on campus, I'm bound to be confronted with it. It was a little frustrating at first, since I don't drink, but I've learned to expect it. People will be loud and have parties and get drunk and I'm ok with that, as long as I'm not dragged along. Drinking is especially popular with the international students, who may be coming from countries with older drinking ages. It's understandable. Anyway, it seems that as long as there's food and alcohol, people will have a good time
Warning sign at the Twelve Apostles. Love this ahah
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