Question: How have people responded to you as an American? What kind of mix of people is there?
Answer:
The percent people quote is that 25% of people in Australia were not born here, and 40% of people have at least one parent who is a first-generation immigrant.
I think that there must be many places in the rest of Australia where there are no foreigners if that statistic is true, because in Melbourne, everyone is from somewhere else. Malaysia, the UK, the US, South Africa, New Zealand, India, Holland, Greece, Italy, and on and on and on. In fact, they say that Melbourne is second only to Athens in the number of Greek people here.
That's why the food here is so good. It's also why the food that is good here isn't really "Australian" at all, but world cuisine. I love it. The only thing I don't see enough of is Latin American food, and that's not to say it doesn't exist.
There are a lot of Australians here, so don't let me mislead you. But I sometimes have a hard time nailing down the Australian accent because I'm never sure who really has it. What's great is how well everyone gets along. It is truly a melting pot of cultures in Melbourne, with everyone coexisting well. There are places where populations are more concentrated - Chinatown on Bourke Street downtown; Lygon Street for Italians and Greeks - but there is almost always a mix.
The most culturally diverse area of Melbourne is said to be Dandenong (the suburb, not to be confused with the Dandenongs, the mountain range / forest east of Melbourne). I've only been to Dandenong once, and I hear it isn't the place to be, but it is diverse.
What's great also is the blend of cultures. There is an Asia festival starting up in a couple weeks; there are Western musicals and ballets; people playing sytars along wtih guitars on the streets; European markets; American fast food (unfortunately, that must be our claim to fame); etc.
A world apart, and a world city.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Monday, August 20, 2007
Politics and Government
Some questions have come in about law here, and I have had some thoughts I wanted to share anyway, so here's my makeshift question:
Q: What is the political / governmental system like in Australia?
A: Now, keep in mind that I don't have a full understanding of things, but I do have a few things I would like to point out.
First, once you are 18, you gain the right to vote. With that right comes another obligation - you are REQUIRED to vote! Not voting in a public election is considered a crime! Now, that's a double-edged sword, since uninformed people are required to vote, but it is a very different concept than we are used to in America.
Second, Australia is a federation - a commonwealth, not a republic. There was a recent referendum on the subject, and the people decided they like the way things are. Among other things, that means they still have some token allegiance to the Crown (which is why the Queen appears on some of the money), and they still get to participate in the Commonwealth Games.
Third, my real topic of discussion: the exchange between the state and federal governments. I have loved following some of the recent political issues here, ranging from water rights to port authorities, where the federal government has tried to take over, coerce, or badger states to do its bidding. States fight back, and with a vengeance! Victoria (VIC, where I live) has been fighting against plans related to water systems along the river where it borders New South Wales (NSW). NSW has already blessed the plan, and what is funny is that NSW actually owns the river itself. VIC only has claim to the southern bank where the water touches. The Federal government (through John Howard, Prime Minister), has claimed rights to the water despite VIC's grumblings, and VIC is challenging that the constitution does not allow the Federal government that power.
In an unrelated matter, the Federal government (once again through John Howard) has expressed displeasure with certain states' abilities to manage their ports, due to increasing demand to/from China over the past couple years. In particular, Queensland has been picked out for some of its slowdowns (Queensland is the state that is most northeastern, and is where the Great Barrier Reef is). Queensland's executive has shot back a salvo of badgering comments against the federal government saying that this is an election year antic that threatens the federation.
Education systems are different among the states as well. I bring this up as a political / governmental matter because of the strong arm the federal government has through tax appropriations in the US, despite the fact that managing education is not reserved as a federal power.
So, my take on it is that I love the preservation of state sovereignty here. The interplay between the bodies of state and federal government shows me that both are strong and hold each other in check. Just as they should.
Q: What is the political / governmental system like in Australia?
A: Now, keep in mind that I don't have a full understanding of things, but I do have a few things I would like to point out.
First, once you are 18, you gain the right to vote. With that right comes another obligation - you are REQUIRED to vote! Not voting in a public election is considered a crime! Now, that's a double-edged sword, since uninformed people are required to vote, but it is a very different concept than we are used to in America.
Second, Australia is a federation - a commonwealth, not a republic. There was a recent referendum on the subject, and the people decided they like the way things are. Among other things, that means they still have some token allegiance to the Crown (which is why the Queen appears on some of the money), and they still get to participate in the Commonwealth Games.
Third, my real topic of discussion: the exchange between the state and federal governments. I have loved following some of the recent political issues here, ranging from water rights to port authorities, where the federal government has tried to take over, coerce, or badger states to do its bidding. States fight back, and with a vengeance! Victoria (VIC, where I live) has been fighting against plans related to water systems along the river where it borders New South Wales (NSW). NSW has already blessed the plan, and what is funny is that NSW actually owns the river itself. VIC only has claim to the southern bank where the water touches. The Federal government (through John Howard, Prime Minister), has claimed rights to the water despite VIC's grumblings, and VIC is challenging that the constitution does not allow the Federal government that power.
In an unrelated matter, the Federal government (once again through John Howard) has expressed displeasure with certain states' abilities to manage their ports, due to increasing demand to/from China over the past couple years. In particular, Queensland has been picked out for some of its slowdowns (Queensland is the state that is most northeastern, and is where the Great Barrier Reef is). Queensland's executive has shot back a salvo of badgering comments against the federal government saying that this is an election year antic that threatens the federation.
Education systems are different among the states as well. I bring this up as a political / governmental matter because of the strong arm the federal government has through tax appropriations in the US, despite the fact that managing education is not reserved as a federal power.
So, my take on it is that I love the preservation of state sovereignty here. The interplay between the bodies of state and federal government shows me that both are strong and hold each other in check. Just as they should.
Friday, August 3, 2007
You're Not From Around Here....
Question: I am curious as to how the "locals" treat a good ol' American kid from the states. Can you tell a difference? Can they tell a difference?
Answer: I think they are pretty used to outsiders (there's a pending blog on multiculturalism). And strangely, things are very "American" here in more ways than I originally expected. I thought it would be very "UK", but I have been surprised by the American influence. Half (or more) of the TV shows on the networks (I don't have "pay tv") are American.
People say that Aussies and Kiwis (New Zealanders) are the most hospitable of all people. That's what I've experienced. People are more than willing to welcome you. We sometimes joke at each others' accents - but when I tell people I'd like to pick up a little bit of Aussie, they tell me not to ruin my American accent - because they like it!
I wouldn't say I get treated any differently, in general, except that people sometimes give me a break on certain things. I've only had one or two times that someone couldn't understand me (thank you American TV). Being an American is just a trait like any other that people use to make conversation, or place a good-humored jab.
Except for my cab driver tonight - who was friendly enough - but went on a tirade about how badly we treated Australian soldiers in WWII. Not sure where that came up, but he seemed to have so much angst about it that the rest of the population certainly doesn't need any.
Answer: I think they are pretty used to outsiders (there's a pending blog on multiculturalism). And strangely, things are very "American" here in more ways than I originally expected. I thought it would be very "UK", but I have been surprised by the American influence. Half (or more) of the TV shows on the networks (I don't have "pay tv") are American.
People say that Aussies and Kiwis (New Zealanders) are the most hospitable of all people. That's what I've experienced. People are more than willing to welcome you. We sometimes joke at each others' accents - but when I tell people I'd like to pick up a little bit of Aussie, they tell me not to ruin my American accent - because they like it!
I wouldn't say I get treated any differently, in general, except that people sometimes give me a break on certain things. I've only had one or two times that someone couldn't understand me (thank you American TV). Being an American is just a trait like any other that people use to make conversation, or place a good-humored jab.
Except for my cab driver tonight - who was friendly enough - but went on a tirade about how badly we treated Australian soldiers in WWII. Not sure where that came up, but he seemed to have so much angst about it that the rest of the population certainly doesn't need any.
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