I’ve now been ‘down under’ almost 8 weeks, and will be here until April 30. It’s a big country (like the U.S.), but with so many fewer people (24 million). And the population, concentrated in urban areas in the east and southeast, and the west, means that the center of the country is pretty well left to the camels and kangaroos. So it takes time to get around I guess is the point. Since I now feel qualified, here are some random musings about this huge country.
Everything is backwards, or upside down. The cars are on the wrong side and you’re meant to walk on the left on the sidewalk too. The latches on bathroom stalls turn opposite to what you’d think — right to lock, left to open. Water swirls down the sink the other way, the stars are upside down and even the weather highs and lows swirl counter to how they do in the northern hemisphere. I wonder how long it will take me to re-adjust.
All the workmen here, whether the guy delivering the mail, or someone fixing something on the street, wear lime green, florescent yellow or bright orange shirts. All the various tradesmen. You can definitely see them coming. The postmen ride little motor scooters with a bin on the back and a flag that sticks up off the bin. All in bright yellow.
The language, although technically English, also has a lot of slang. ‘Brekky’ is breakfast. Macca’s is McDonalds. ‘How you going’ is how are you. ‘Eski’ is a cooler (short for eskimo). ‘Chilly bin’ is also a cooler. Many say ‘yeah’ at the end of a sentence. The ‘bush’ is the woods. They say that a meal is ‘beautiful’ and a place is ‘magic’. And they really do say ‘no worries’.
The birds are amazing. And I’m not a bird person necessarily. But they are truly unique and beautiful and fun to watch, where even in the cities you see Ibis strolling the paths of the park. (I’ve already shared too many bird pictures, so no more here)!
The people are very hospitable and make seeing their country really easy and accessible. They are proud of the beauty of the country and of the contributions Australia has made to various world conflicts. They seem to have an easy laid-back lifestyle, even in the cities I see business people out having coffee meetings at the many coffee spots around town.
Bicycles everywhere. People riding to work in Melbourne and to university in Brisbane. Everything from fancy road bikes to fixed gear versions with baskets. I find the public transport incredibly easy and reliable, but still bicycles, called push-bikes, are a main means of getting around.
Architecture, which I’ve touched on before extends to bridges. Especially here in Brisbane. The River City has at least a dozen in the CBD alone (central business district, another term not widely used in the U.S.) Ad they are beautiful and unique and more than a means to cross a river. I found two that also had a cafe or a bar in the middle of the bridge.
The parks are beautiful. And large. And plentiful. In the middle of the largest cities in the country there are botanic gardens and others with walking paths and benches and ponds and toilets! And the beaches are absolutely gorgeous and relatively empty compared to many in the U.S. Fewer people helps make that the case even in the height of summer.
Graffiti is still an art form here. In city alleyways (quite a bit in Melbourne), and especially along the railroad tracks. Big tags and elaborate artistic statements.
Many of those I’ve spoken to wonder how on earth our current president was elected and they are following with some glee all the drama as it unfolds. They’ve had politicians in office that were not popular too, but were pretty shocked that the short-fingered vulgarian could get elected in AMERICA! But that’s a story for another blog.
