Culture Shock? No Worries! - Az@Oz
This photo I took in Melbourne is the closest thing to culture shock that
I could find. Australia has it's differences, but it is very similar
to the US, much like Canada, and far more similar than any of the other
16 countries that I have visited. Physically, it looked like California
to me (coastal and inland), the Melbourne area reminded my wife of the
state of Washington, and parts reminded another Maricopan of New England.
The people were similar in most respects, they were wonderful to me, and
they seemed to have more fun than we do - but they couldn't have had more
fun than me during my 6 week visit. Their housing is similar, except
they like warm (hot) blooded Arizonans to freeze sometimes. The food
was super & similar, and my wife picked up several great recipes of
the very tasty new dishes that we had. My host families fed me so
well and forced me to try every wine in Australia. I saw the cult-classic
Australian movie "The Castle" - thanks Kate - now I really understand you
Blokes & Shielas!
The only shock I had was the first time I ate Vegemite - a salty spread
that most the Australians are addicted to. (I assume there is some
addicting drug in it because it certainly isn't loved because of its flavor!)
My first taste was after I spread 2 heaping spoonfuls on a piece of toast
- about the amount of jam or peanut butter US people generously spread
on. My first bite had the salty kick of 5 anchovies - and I even
like anchovies - but not 5 of them at once at breakfast! I then watched
and learned that you spread it extremely thin (so that you can't really
taste it?!). Anyway, I ate Vegemite every day during my last 12 days
and I purchased small jars of it back in Arizona (Cost Plus stores have
it). It must be the drugs inside! I should have been prepared
from of the song "Down Under" by Men at Work because of the following lyrics:
Buying bread from a man in Brussels
He was six foot four and full of muscles
I said, "Do you speak-a my language?"
He just smiled and gave me a vegemite sandwich
And he said,
"I come from a land down under
Where beer does flow and men chunder
Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder?
You better run, you better take cover."
List of US Stores that I saw: McDonalds (a zillion of them), Burger
King (AKA Hungry Jack's), KFC, Chili's, Planet Hollywood, Hard Rock Cafe,
Fast Eddies Cafe, Lone Star Steakhouse, Denny's, Baskin & Robbins,
TGIFridays, Pizza Hut, Subway, 7-11, Stop & Go, AmPm, K-Mart, Target,
Woolworths, Toys R Us, Borders Book Store, Greyhound Bus, Midas, GM Goodwrench,
H&R Block, most all gasoline/petrol stations, IBM, Compaq, ATT, Motorola,
Intel, Microsoft, Hewlett Packard, Bankers Trust, The Body Shoppe, Nike
Store, Foot Locker, Levi Strauss, Safeway, ... (I started writing
these down on my second day - I'm sure there are many more.)
Tom's Arizona@Australia Main Page
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[Glendale Comm.
College] - [Maricopa Comm College
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Page maintained by Tom Foley.
Tom's email: tom.foley@gcmail.maricopa.edu
