FRIENDS, FAMILY AND ROTARIANS... I am in Australia, safe and sound! Woohoo! I am sorry it took me over a week to find the time to sit and write this update, but then again I guess that's a good sign that I'm keeping myself busy... no service organization ever pays to have a student go across the world just to sit indoors on their computer all day!
With the invaluable help of my Rotary counselor, Brian, and his lovely wife, Cheryl, I have covered the basics to get life here rolling--I have a bank account with ANZ Bank (note that you call it "A, N, Zed Bank" here!), a mobile phone through Vodafone, and an apartment. However, for the apartment, I plan on it being temporary, as it is a share house/boarding house where 15 people (I bet there's even more than 15 people tucked away in here though... let's say 18) are all living together in a 150 year old Queenslander home. Although it's been fun to come across a Norwegian guy, Turkish guy, Aussie girl, Greek guy, and Malaysian guy all while I attempt to brew a cup of tea for myself, it's a bit loud and cramped. But I do have my own bedroom, which is a great step up from the hostel I was living in, and cheaper! However, I am still looking for a more permanent, study-friendly apartment, and details on that are T.B.A.!
Here is the view of my current quaint little room:
And here’s the pretty view out my window at 5:45am before Orientation! (Yes, I must still have jet lag because it has been shockingly easy for me to wake up early nearly every day! 5:45am here on Monday means it’s 11:45am in California on a Sunday, so yep... just about normal for my wake up call! haha)
So, before I wrap things up and crawl into my surprisingly comfy bed here at the share house, I know the one question you're all wanting an answer to is, "What is the most interesting thing that you have noticed/experienced/learned so far?"
I'm afraid I don't have that good of an answer for you from just my first 10 days here, but I plan to really nail down a solid answer by my return flight home in 10 months. In efforts of at least trying to explain to you what my most interesting and insightful moments have been so far, you will be surprised to know they've just occurred over a simple dining room table in the Springer home. I am lucky to have been placed under the Rotary "counseling" of Brian and Cheryl Springer, who happen to be 2 very educated and worldly individuals, who (I think) have had as much fun discussing and comparing experiences and beliefs over some rather politically and emotionally-heated topics as I have! In a few of these conversations over a light breakfast or over an afternoon cup of tea, I've really felt a sense of purpose for why Rotary has spent so much money and effort to send 40,000 students, like me, around the world as Rotary Ambassadorial Scholars since the program’s inception in 1947. There really is something you learn when you live amongst people from a different country and background that you could never, ever learn from a textbook, or even the greatest of lecturers.
Let me just tell you first off that within the first 36 hours of staying with the Springers, I got asked the question that I'd been warned that any American would be asked when in Australia-- "Why do Americans think they should be able to carry guns around?" That ended up just being the start of a long list of contemporary issues that are currently plaguing the U.S. and/or Australia that we've discussed... increasing obesity rates, health care reform, overly letigious societies, corrupt politicians, what the role of the government should and should not be, the Mexican border and immigration, antibiotic-resistant diseases... you name it, we've covered it. And the hours my mind spent trying to keep up and digest all of their ideas and facts were even fun! And no one's feelings were hurt, nor were anyone's boundaries over-stepped! It’s just been so eye-opening and interesting…maybe getting my brain back to academic, holistic-thinking mode in time for classes in 6 days won’t be so hard after all…
As a student who is about to pursue her master’s degree in International Public Health, one of my favorite topics was about our growing problem with obesity throughout the developed countries (and even into lesser developed countries, too). The U.S. has been the #1 leader for nationwide obesity rates in the world for a while now, and Australia is now ranking #3 in this category. It was obvious from looking at the Brisbane weekend newspaper and a lot of the advertisements here that living a healthy lifestyle is becoming a very hot topic for Australians because of this. Cheryl made a comment about this that made a lot of sense, and it also really manifests the perspective Australians have about their place in the global system—Australia is a country that is usually a few steps behind the U.S. and Great Britain, as well as is a country with a population that is so much smaller than the U.S. that they’re nearly unrelateable. The flipside to why this is really a benefit to Australians it that Australia as a whole is able learn from the U.S.’s mistakes and successes, and therefore can hopefully right itself from too much destruction much earlier on. Also, in terms of the size thing, Australia is much more “nimble” (that wording actually needs to be quoted to the Mayor, not Cheryl haha) and can shift its course much more easily and quickly than a big country like the U.S. can.
When I was at McDonald’s in the bus station the other day, I realized how true Cheryl’s points were, especially in relation to stopping obesity and childhood obesity from spiraling even worse out of control. Because it felt like it was 40 degrees (Celsius, that is) with 100% humidity outside on this February afternoon here, I stopped to order myself a medium Coke before hopping on the train. I was absolutely shocked to be handed my “medium” Coke that looked like this and was a solid $3:
It was the dimensions of what we would consider in the U.S. a child’s size drink that would come with a Happy Meal!! A medium at Taco Bell are those big 32oz. plastic cups. And if anything, McDonald’s in the U.S. offers those big huge 64oz. plastic cruiser cup sized drinks for $1!!!! (Note: The exchange rate for the U.S. dollar and Australian dollar are just about equal so this is a relevant comparison!) As the U.S. is launching its advertising for its new Starbucks “Trenta” size (which holds the full contents of TWO bottles of wine), Australia hopefully has diverted itself from following in America’s extra-heavy footsteps by keeping decently sized serving portions, like the Australian McDonalds’, as a healthy and balanced norm… but only time will tell!
