culture through new eyes

We have one of Jordan's friends, George, here visiting us. He arrived this morning at 5:30am and poor guy is having the most full day! After the 12 hour flight and the time change, you are so thrown off and dizzy and just TIRED. But he has been a great sport and went to prayer with us right away (after some cinnamon bun pancakes!) and then we got to take him to the CBD (central business district, aka downtown to us Americans) to show him around. Now he and Jordan are at a support raising seminar for students going on summer projects in December (how weird is it that SUMMER project is in December, right?). But the goal for anyone coming to Australia is that they would stay awake all day the first day they arrive to get their bodies accustomed to the time change as quickly as possible. It really does make such a difference if you can just persevere through that first miserable, sleepless day.

We were talking about some of the differences in culture and ways of doing things this morning, and I realized there are just so many things that I've grown completely comfortable with and now view as the norm. It was the weirdest day when I watched an American movie (after being here several months and driving on the left side of the road) and saw someone driving on the "wrong" side of the road. It used to be the "right" side…now who knows what my body thinks is right and wrong!

I have always heard that reverse culture shock can be worse than the regular kind you experience when visiting a new place. My theory on this recently has been that I won't experience it as much because I'm not in a country that loves America. You see, I've actually grown more patriotic this year, which may seem weird. All the other times I've gone to another country, I harbor some resentment to my home country because I see how very much all the people around me adore America and I see that we don't think two seconds about them. It kind of makes you just love them more and think your own country is so clueless. But in Australia, I've felt so disliked for being an American. I've never had people look down on me for being an American (yeah some countries will look down on America because of our government, but not you because you live there). Anyway, it's increased my patriotism and my desire to hold on to my American-ness (at times) because blatant verbal attacks on my country are just mean! And I actually thought that I hadn't really changed that much. (But let me clarify that this is not ALL Aussies. Some of them love America and Americans and most of our friends are super awesome and welcoming.) So in summary, my theory has been that I'll actually really appreciate the things I've been missing and just being in America. Hope you followed all that.

However, my theory kinda changed today talking to George because I realized just how assimilated I really am. I talk like an Aussie (not the accent but the word choice and sentence structure is often very Australian). I use public transport like an Aussie. I am quiet in public. I drive on the left side of the road without fear or apprehension. I watch footy and I "go" for a team instead of "root" for them. I shop at markets and fruit stands. I'm becoming a bread snob. I am seriously obsessed with these people's yogurt. Bottom line, I guess there will be a lot to get re-used to when we get back. And a lot to miss. Eek!

Aussie words

Since I arrived here 2 months ago (crazy that it's already been so long!!!), I've been keeping a list of words in my journal that are different from "American" English words. Some of them are fitting and I think some are just ridiculous and I feel so funny saying them, but whatever!

arvo = afternoon

costume/cozzie = bathing suit

tall boy = dresser

holiday = vacation

good on ya = good job

how are you going = what's up (i've actually started saying this without effort!!)

i'm going to do wash = i'm going to wash the clothes

biscuit = cookie

cordial = kool-aid

rubbish = trash

bin = trash can

suss it out = feel it out

trolley = shopping cart

flat white = cafe au lait

Macca's = McDonald's

sanga = sandwich

paddle pop = popsicle

ta = thank you (this one I cannot get used to!!)

cheers = bye, thanks, etc. (don't exactly know but they say it all the time)

jumper = sweater

sunnies = sunglasses

key volunteer = student leader

diary = planner/agenda

straight away = immediately (I've started saying this one lots too!)

capsicum = pepper (red capsicum = red pepper)

serviettes = napkins

nappy = diaper

bun = roll

mozzie bite = mosquito bite

uni = college

college = dorm

heaps = lots

There are lots more but just thought you may like learning about my new vocab words! :)

Toilets

1) the restrooms here are called toilets. so if you say, where's the bathroom, it sounds kind of funny. so you just say, "where are the toilets?"

2) the stalls themselves have some unique characteristics, which EVERY stall i've been in has had. so overall the toilets are more uniform from place to place than in the US.

3) the locks on the public toilet stalls are not the side-to-side slide locks like in most US bathrooms. you instead turn them clockwise or counter-clockwise to lock or unlock. may seem like a silly thing to say, but they are ALL like this - and i noticed...

4) each stall also has 2 things - a feminine disposal bin of a specific brand, "pink," which is only significant because EVERY stall has the exact same type and brand in the whole country. they also all have syringe disposals for people to put their used needles in once they shoot up - UM - is this weird to anyone else!??!

5) the water goes straight down when you flush; it does not spin around clockwise or counter-clockwise - just goes straight down.

6) you have choices about how much water you wish to use to flush - a half flush button or a whole flush button. and they are always buttons. i always use the half flush, unless, well...you know.

7) many toilets are two separate pieces. you know the part that the water collects in on the back of the toilet? well this piece often is much higher on the wall, not really attached to the bowl at all. and the bowl is often just that - you really feel like you're going in a porter-potty or something.

8) there are often not public toilets in places you feel like there should be. so you better go before you leave home - or else! for reference, you could go to the National Public Toilet Mapto find one, though.

9) on a side note about toilets, i fear that this will happen every day when i go to the toilet. that a giant snake will come out of it - and when i googled aussie toilets of course i find an article about a 6 ft python coming out of an apartment building's toilet - AHHH!

10) i found this too...why on earth would someone create this!??!
i hope you all now feel more educated about Aussie toilets. :)

Aussie word of the day...

ARCADE

Funny story: The other day we were in the city, "decoding" a brand new university by walking around, figuring out where students hang out, asking questions, and getting our bearings. When we walked in off the street, we passed a sign for the University Arcade. Then we just walked in and went to the library and a few other places. We came back downstairs to look around before we left, kind of discouraged because there are really no communal places for students to hang out, and they didn't really want us around for their orientation day in a couple of weeks. So since there were really no good places to pass out flyers, I suggested we check out the arcade before we left to see if any students were playing games or just hanging out doing whatever. That is when Jordan informed me that an "arcade" in this country is just a breezeway, walkthrough, cut across to anther street. OOPS! I guess I won't be playing any skee ball with the students this year!

public transport...

So here in Melbourne, we don't yet own a car. This may come later, but for now, we are regular users of the public transportation system. You know how when you ride on the metro or the subway a few times a year it just seems so cool and adventurous?? Okay, well at least that's how I feel. You get to play balance games with your friends, make a lot of noise because you're at a conference or on vacation, and rush to get the next train, but if you miss it it's fine because you don't have anywhere to be quickly and it's just funny when you run and embarrass yourself and STILL miss it.

So I feel a bit differently now that public transportation aids me in getting EVERYWHERE. I now play the balance game out of necessity because there are so many people that I don't have anywhere to hold on. I get really really excited when I know more than one way to get somewhere (like on two different lines) or when I know the times at a stop before I get there. And now I get quite the pout when I miss the tram! Surprisingly, I am almost silent on the tram, train, or bus (yes Melbourne uses all three, and I do too). After the first couple weeks of observation, I was astonished to find that people actually don't LIKE being on the tram/train/bus!! This of course was a revelation to me because in my previous life - being on public transport was exciting and fun. So once I realized this, I also put it together that people like silence around them when they are undergoing the drudgery of their day on the tram line. So now I'm quiet. I bring my Kindle, but so far I've only used it once because I just like watching. Oh no, maybe I'm THAT person on the bus that people are creeped out by?! Nahhh.

Anyway, so typically we have to leave about an hour before we need to be somewhere to make it on time. This is VERY painful for me because 1) I like sleep. 2) It took me 5 minutes to get to work in Blacksburg, including parking the car and walking into the building. and 3) I like to be as efficient as possible, and taking a bus, tram and train all in one morning to get to work just doesn't quite fit the bill. Here is a typical description. The bus comes at 8:26 actually just across the street from our apartment...SCORE: Public Transport - 0 and US - 1. We then take the bus down to the 55, which takes you directly into the city, if you're going to that side of the city, which today we aren't. Darn. Okay so the tram - the 55 - comes at...oh I can never remember this....SCORE: Public transport - 1 and US - 1. So we're waiting usually a few minutes but thankfully the 55 comes every 5-10 minutes. Then we ride that for a while, maybe 20 minutes, if people are quick and have their metcard out and ready, then stop at Royal Park and jump on the train, which comes at 9:05, hopefully we made it. Because if not, we must wait until the 9:25 train, which most certainly doesn't get us to work on time at 9:30. While riding, we cross our fingers and hope the train is going "the right way" around the city loop. If it does, we hit our stop second after coming into the loop. If it doesn't....well, we're going to be running to work. Anyway, we arrive into the station on time, about 9:25, go up 5 escalators...yes 5...out of the pit into the most amazing multi-dimensional, multi-leveled mall you've ever seen. We walk out the doors, cross the street, and here we are at our work place for the day...RMIT Uni. Whew!

here is the tram we caught...

the inside. lovely Aussie colors of green and gold.

here is the train!

I'll have to tell you about grocery shopping another time. But before we go, I'll just mention the most hilarious and miserable transportation experience we've had to date. Jordan and I went to IKEA, around 4. We left the building about 5:30 after I about lost it thinking about trying to get home with all the stuff we bought and stuffed into a GIANT ikea bag which now weighs 40-70 lbs. I have no idea how much really. All I know is that when I got home I had a strap shaped bruise across the top of my shoulder. Jordan was carrying a HUGE box with the desk chair we bought. So we cross the street from the mall...I am probably such a spectacle. Being a woman of wide hips, I decided the best way to carry the bag was of course on my hips. If this was a normal sized bag this would have been fine. But I probably looked ridiculous. So we ride the tram, train, and then bus home with this stuff. It took us an hour and a half, because since we're smart we came home during rush hour. And we just sat on top of our stuff, enduring stares. That trip ended with us standing at the bus stop for 20 minutes. Miserable but laughing. It was quite the experience. That was the second week we were here.

Hopefully this gives you a little look into our lives, and a good laugh this morning. Or afternoon, since it's four there now. Happy Thursday! It's already Friday here.