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Australia: more than just a U.S. down under
By Tyler Gress
Whalesong Contributor
It started on the Qantas
flight here. With 16 hours and a television screen
all to myself, I could certainly absorb some Australian culture
on the
way. No such luck – they played nothing but The Simpsons, a
FOX TV special on Singapore, and a variety of feature films…from
the United States. I slept. We first arrived in Sydney. The airport
there is like dozens I’ve been in before. Dido played through
the intercom; familiar advertisements, familiar stores, and familiar
products surrounded me. It seemed that I had travelled to the other
side of the world just to find myself back in America. At least
the people spoke with funny accents. I flew to Cairns.
The study abroad program I went through sent our group
on a four-day orientation (rhymes with “vacation”) in
tropical Cairns. We dove at the Great Barrier Reef and visited a
rainforest habitat to play with Australian animals. Everyone in
our group became friends, which turned out to be a great support
system when we finally got to Brisbane. The Cairns orientation was
a nice segue to our semester down under.
Upon arrival at University of Queensland, things were
busy. When we got settled, registration was already well under way.
Many classes were full, others had conflicting schedules; none of
the courses I’d planned to take would work. I wrestled with
the online enrollment system, finally working out a magnificent
schedule which includes classes on Australia’s various environments,
and the popular “From Elvis to Madonna: the History of Rock
and Roll.” I have “uni” on Tuesday, Wednesday and
Thursday, with four-day weekends every week!
Life in the residential college is turning out to be
enjoyable. I live in Kings College, which is all male. A short introductory
speech at the welcome-back barbeque summarized the college attitude:
“Get involved in sport, have a drink or two…” with
everything important already mentioned, the speaker trailed off.
I thought I heard the word “study,” but I’ll never
be sure. Though it is still unclear, it seems that the only governing
body is a group of Senior Residents. This makes for some crazy nights.
And since many of the boys fancy the occasional champagne (or more
often, warm beer) breakfast, mid-morning is frequently entertaining
as well. Everyone has his own room, which has at times been
key to successfully accomplishing my schoolwork.
My prior-mentioned, initial impressions of Australia
were founded; American culture has had a significant impact on this
country. A hasty observation, or even a short visit might reveal
little more. But after living here for two months, I’m beginning
to appreciate the finer things that make Australia different from
the States. To an Australian, no problem is really a problem, hardly
anything is worth whining about, and every person is worthy of your
time. Though these characteristics are rarely obvious, it is uplifting
to be constantly surrounded by people who know nothing else.
Brisbane is centrally located on the east coast, and
lies at about the same latitude as Los Cabos. We are a month into
spring, and it is getting hot. The peaceful Sunshine Coast is two
hours to the north, and the world-famous Surfer’s Paradise
is a short ride south. These two beach communities are frequent
weekend destinations for kids here at “uni,” and I anticipate
taking more trips north and south as the muggy city heats up. Next
week is spring break; as if it wasn’t hot enough here, I’ve
booked a trip to the outback. When I get back, it’s three weeks
of class, a weeklong field study on a coral cay, and two weeks of
exams, marking the end of the semester.
My time here has gone far too quickly. I feel like I’m
still just settling in, but I know that soon this experience will
be in the past. Before I came, I thought four months here would
practically make me an Australian. I have a vegemite sandwich for
breakfast every morning, and I understand a good deal about this
special country, but I realize that I’m just a visitor. I will
be coming home before long, and while part of my heart will remain
here, I’ll bring a piece of Australia with me.
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