Last Post

This will be my last post as I begin taking my exams. So rather than look at the highs and lows of my week, I will examine the highs and lows of my semester.

        I met some truly wonderful people while traveling and studying in Australia. Additionally, I have learned a great deal on the issue of Indigenous rights, rugby, and my own limitations. I learned just how far I am willing to push myself as well as how much I rely on others to push me. While I certainly learned more during the semester, my trips to the Great Barrier Reef, Tasmania, and Uluru were my favorite part of this semester. There was so much breathtaking scenery and I was able to really about to slow down to enjoy it all.

        Low points primarily consisted of times I felt extremely lonely. In these moments, such started on the first day, I wanted to go back home or at least have one person from home with me. Starting in May, there were a few morning that after waking up, I instantly became sad at the realization that I am not home. Moments like this make it hard to fully appreciate the incredible opportunity this semester of aboard is.

        All things considered, I am glad to have this experience of a semester abroad. I have a better understand of global issues and how the United States is perceived by others. I am excited to make the most of my time here, after exams, as well as to visit New Zealand on the way home.

Stereotypes

Today an exchange student from France said she was surprised when she learned that I am American. Apparently, I am too quiet to fit the stereotype of the loud American. In all fairness to the other student, her roommate is also an American and has a rather loud personality. I am, of course, conscious that the general American stereotype is loud, often ignorant of world affairs, and gun obsessed. Perhaps I have made then a conscious effort of being quiet, though really I think it is more of a reflection of my personality than my nationality. Whenever I am asked a question about the United States, about population size, infrastructure, or other subjects, I feel a pressure to have some answer. I do not want to play into the stereotype of Americans being poorly informed. In admitting that, however, what I realized is how few stereotypes I am aware of other countries, let alone actual facts about population demographics, government, and culture.

        I have actually asked Australian and other international students what their American stereotypes are.  Such a topic usually brings up gun laws, the death penalty, cost of an education, and general geography of the United States. I tend to only ask such questions after knowing a person for sometime, however. This way I am sure comments will be either playful or serious but without trying to be offensive. I think there is a value to having an outsider’s view of what a country is like because it lets you better understand how your actions are affecting others. There have been a few absurd misconceptions that were very amusing as well as spot on claims. Overall, I think I am not encouraging the negative stereotypes of Americans with my actions, though the more time I spend here the less concerned I am with others perceiving my actions as “so American”.  

AGM

           All official clubs at the University of Melbourne have an AGM (Annual General Meeting) where the finance report is given and the officers for next year are selected. This Friday was the AGM of COSDU (Catholic of One Spirit Down Under) and all ten officer positions were open. The speaker gave a description for the position about to be voted on and then asked for nominations. A person may nominate themselves or ask others to nominate them. No campaigns were run, however, to rally support for any one member before the meeting. Nominations were seconded and then once the nominations closed, all the nominees were asked if they accepted or rejected the nomination. Many of those nominations for executive positions were rejected, however. In fact, only one person accepted her nomination for the position of president. Similarly, all the nominations for another position, though a non-executive one, rejected and the nomination process started over again. By the end of the night everyone who was eligible for a position was nominated at some point for at least one position, if not several.  Perhaps that is why it took over two hours to elect the officials.

        I am aware that not all clubs at this university run their elections like this, though I do not know how many others do. It seemed very inefficient to me at the time, and still does, to elect officer. I am more used to either campaigns,or at least those who want to have a position coming the election meeting with a few words of why they would be a good person for a set position and then voting is done almost all at once.  However, the way this AGM was run was fitting for COSDU. It was done in such a way that everyone present was made to feel included and as though they had to potential to take on these fairly demanding roles of leadership. During one of the breaks, Sister Delma gestured to me from across the room while taking with another member. I have never been leery of what plans a sister was making before, even after nine years of attending to elementary school run by sisters. A moment later I heard, “Oh wait she is going back to US”. I am the only American in COSDU. However, were I staying here for long enough, there were two positions I would have been happy to be nominated for. This club is comprised of my favorite group of people that I have met in Australia because they are all so welcoming and inclusive.

Something Melbourne

I went for a walk yesterday. I starting heading in no particular direction and came across a place that I had heard off only a few night nights ago, Star of the Sea. It is said to be a beautiful church, full of  stain glass windows and other works of art. However, there was a wedding rehearsal happening so I was unable to go inside.  Continuing on my walk, I stumbled upon a souvenir shop called “Something Melbourne”. I looked around, comparing the boomerangs and other trinkets to other various I had seen the in Victorian Market as well as other souvenir shops. In a back I found a whole bin of small wooden boomerangs. Upon examination, however, I found they all had stickers that said “Made in Indicia”. Then I started looking closer at some of the other items in the shop. Many had that same sticker, or “Made in China”. In the end there was only about a third of the store with products actually made entirely in Australia. Items included prints and glassware by Aboriginal artists, medium to large boomerangs, leather wallets, and animal pelts.

I found it very frustrating to be looking for authentic Australian made gifts only to find a Made in China sticker on many of the items. There seem to always be a cheaper, both in price and in quality, outsourced version of local iconic objects in souvenir shops. Not just in Australia but in the US as well. In the end I did not buy anything because I know where some better shops are. The whole experience, however, begs the question why the authenticity of trinkets that will only be used to display ever matters? I suppose its so I can say it’s Australian rather than I got it in Australia.

Hot Pot

My roommate was cooking dinner and she made too much so she offered to share it with me. I was a very spicy, but also very good, hot pot. This dish is made by heating a broth and then placing raw vegetables and meat into it to look. You pull the vegetables and meat out as they cook and eat them. You add vegetables as you eat them, trying to avoid over cooking anything. It’s all really quite tasty and very fun to go out with a group of friends.  What made this worth writing about was that my roommate and I do not talk much. We get along well and never had any issues with cleaning or taking the other’s space, but even small talk is a challenge. This was a nice bonding experience.

A negative experience that occurred this week, and not for the first time, is I awoke one morning, disappointed to not be at home. I am still mostly enjoying my time here, but I do miss the people I’ve left and I’m starting to get tired of working on new relationship with others here that will end soon. My solution is often to then get up and busy myself with homework or read a book. Moments like these make me question if I am making the most of my time here.

ANZAC Day

This Saturday I woke up very early in order to attend a dawn ANZAC day service at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne. Through this service as well as by talking with Australians, I learned that ANZAC stands for Australian New Zealand Army Core. The day itself if meant to be one of remembrance for all soldiers who have fought as well as died in service for Australia and New Zealand, particularly those who fought on the beach of Gallipoli, Turkey during the first World War on April 25. This year marks the one hundredth anniversary of the battle at Gallipoli, which resulted in a massive turnout of people for the dawn service. There were thousands of people standing outside in the darkness of early morning as the rain came down.

        Towards the end of the service, the choir and many of those in the crowd sang the Australian National Anthem. It occurred to me after this that I had never even actually heard the words before then. Also on the walk back I saw a long carpet, at least one city block in length, of red crocheted poppies. Some had picture of soldier tied to them. It was a very impressive sight to behold as it must have taken a great deal of time and organization to make and put together the thousands of flowers that were used. I am grateful to be here in Australia for this event, to share in the remembrance of the armed forces.

Expectations

Happily this week my rugby team had enough players to not forfeit our game and we even managed to end the game in a tie. This is much better than the 25 point loss that ended in a forfeit at half time to due the loss of players to injuries that occurred at our first game  last week. I got to start and had more energy throughout the game than I had in past games so that means the conditioning has been working. For many girls on this team it was their first game and seeing as we were playing an a ready well established team, tying the game was very good and more than I expected.

        Another event that was not what I expect was a Scout meeting. While Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts do exist here in Australia, there is another organization, called Scouts, that is coed and continues into adulthood. I went to my first meeting this week in which I learned what membership entails. Though I am interested in joining, I feel as if I will not be around long enough to really enjoy the organization. I think that I will still participate as far a my schedule allows. The activities will be fun and enriching, certainly I will be able to go do things that I cannot do on my own. As I sat in this meeting, I thought about how joining will again mean inserting myself into yet another already established group of people. I also started to wonder if it is worth my time to join another group when I have two others in which I am starting to really feel like a part of a community. Really, the meeting was alright, but it was thought of trying to integrate myself into another group of people that drained my energy.