My Great Aussie Adventure, Chapter II

Well, lots has been happening on the great island down under.

First, I had the great honor of completing one of my dreams – seeing ACDC perform in their homeland. Angus Young and Brian Johnson still know how to bring the rock, even if there are 100+years between them. The concert was held at Olympic Stadium, and it was a real treat to see the site of the 2000 Summer Olympics…there was a forest of “poles” around with all the names of the contenders printed on plaques…I found one Conrad Benedict printed on the “B” pole. Perhaps mom and dad can look him up to see where he lies on our (apparently very large, from Jesus to Thomas Jefferson) family tree?  But back to the concert – words could not describe the intensity. It is the absolutely largest venue I have ever been in, larger even than the Houston Texan Stadium which blew my mind when I was there…and it was packed to the ceiling. Not one empty seat that I could see. My friend Lisa described it as “Boganville”…a “Bogan” is what we would call hicks or hillbillies in the states…I must say yes, if I were one to subscribe to stereotypes this would definitely be true, as there were many a open button down flannel shirt being sported over black leggings and (too)short denim cut off jeans. When “She’s Got the Jack” was played…well…there was not a clothed female chest in sight (except for me, of course!) When “TNT” rang through the air and ACDC started with “Oye! Oye!” you can’t imagine the sound of 30,000 + Aussies screaming OYE! OYE! It was like an incredible, wild eyed army of Aussie bogans ready to carry ACDC to the frontline. Truly, it was incredible. I could go on about the giant half naked blow up balloon biker chick that ended up being larger than the stage itself, or how Angus Young stripped to his black undies which had “ACDC” printed on the bum, but I’ll leave that all to your imagination. :)

That weekend brought the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras…Mardi Gras here was started by the Gay & Lesbian Community back in 1978 to protest and commemorate the Stonewall Riots in the United States…and well, it’s been around ever since. It’s not at all the Mardi Gras you would find in New Orleans; there were no beads being thrown out, no clothing being stripped off…more of a celebration of differences and the “each to their own” mindset that everyone lives with down here (and which I absolutely LOVE). That being said, it was still wild…we camped out on Oxford Street for hours watching the parade go by, staring at the crazy costumes and people all around us, eating, drinking, and being merry.

There is so much to talk about! One Sunday my Aussie host Nick and I had planned to venture to his favorite beach, Cronulla. Sadly, that same day we learned that Chile was stuck by an earthquake. What followed was a Tsunami warning, which my friend Neal alerted me to (who actually just emigrated here from London, he almost moved to Austin and has family in Conroe, Texas – SMALL WORLD!). So I get a bit riled up and ask Nick about said Tsunami warning…he flips through the telly channels, finds nothing, and says “Nah, she’d be on the news if it were bad.” I look at him a bit doubtful…”Come on Nance, she’ll be right!” Note: Whenever Aussies say “She’ll be right” it means that nothing, no matter if their dog was howling dying in the street or they just lost their job and the bank seized their house, could disturb their peace or alter their course of action. Thus, with these words we headed to Cronulla Beach.

Once there, it was cloudy, rainy, and just a tad lifeless – no bustling tourists crowding your path, as at all the other Sydney beaches I had been to…which was strange, since this was definitely the nicest one by far. We go down to take a swim, and notice signs posted in the sand: “No swimming; Tsunami Warning.” At this point I’m punching Nick pretty hard in the arm. The last thing I planned to do in Oz was be the dumb tourist who ignored National regulations and threw Tsunami caution to the wind. But then we notice there are some people out dancing in the waves…so we ask the lifeguard if it is safe. “Oh yeah, she’ll be right – no sense in this Tsunami warning, all good.” Thus we got in, enjoyed the big waves, and had the beach almost to ourselves. That night on the National News the main story was about the Tsunami warning, and how so many beach goers had thoughtlessly ignored precautions. We changed the channel.

Nick and I definitely had some adventures together…I acquainted him with my backpacker friends, which offers the regular Sydney dweller a completely different outlook on the city…for example, I took him to a Cliffside party at Bondi Beach. There were people dancing on the cliffs, beating bongo drums everywhere you looked, and spinning fire…take away the beach, and it could have been Austin, TX! I was right at home. The favorite cheap drink amongst backpackers here is “Goon”, or what we call Box ‘o Wine in Texas. A regular six pack of beer will set you back $17, so Goon at $11 becomes very popular…until you drink it. Ugh. The next morning was painful, to say the least…

Nick was also nice enough to give me a driving lesson, of which I’ll spare you details except to say that I don’t ever want to do it again. I felt like a two year old in a toy car. Imagine every instinct you have in a car, and in the same reaction time having to flip the course of action you would normally take into the exact opposite, and then execute. Minor example: every time I attempted to signal the blinker, I turned on the windshield wipers. At any rate Nick was a fabulous and ever gracious instructor (“she’ll be right Nance!”) and I’m thankful for his indulgence…but don’t think I’ll be doing that again soon.

On to the job situation! I at last have employment. I’ll be living with Helen, who is 82 (and a real mover and shaker, just like Marge for those who know her -) and likes for someone to cook her dinner during the week, and accompany her to the grocery store. For this I receive my OWN BEDROOM AND BATHROOM (you can’t imagine what luxurious paradise this is after staying in hostels and at friends’ places for five weeks), free rent, free food, and $100/week. I also got a job down the road from her transcribing things online, and I can set my own hours…so allll good! I start next Monday, and will probably stay in Sydney for about 5 more weeks; just enough to recharge (I’m exhausted after being a tourist for five weeks) and make some money. Then I will be off to Melbourne to see Jonny and Lisa.

Now, if you are still with me (can’t believe I’ve written this much!) here are some fun Aussie anecdotes…

1. They don’t believe in air conditioning. Truly the only place I’ve been with AC is the hostel, and thank goodness for that – even coffee shops or cafes don’t have AC. So if you are walking around all day seeing the sights and think you’ll pop in to a café to “cool off” – forget it.

2. No dishwashers. Everyone does their own dishes. I asked Nick about this, as well as the AC, and he replied “yeah, I guess we are pretty environmentally friendly…” This seems to be the general attitude, which I love.

3. Another part of the equation is that as Americans, I think we are used to having whatever we want whenever we want it. That’s not the case here, though it’s carried out with a self-assured efficiency, not the desire for more…for example, all stores close around 6:00 – even bookstores, card shops, some cafes, etc. It’s almost as if they’re saying, “It’s after work. What else are you going to be doing?! Go get with your family or friends…”

4. They show a British television show here that I absolutely LOVE, called Top Gear – basically some car experts who are also comedians do creative things with cars, then they’ll interview a celebrity and have that celeb race a car on their track, and then they’ll showcase a new Audi or Corvette, etc…do we have that show in the states? The last episode I watched had the gentleman in the deep south of the states, Alabama. They drove through it with things like “country is rubbish” and “gay man love forever”, etc written on their trucks (long story as to how they got there) and almost got beaten up by the locals. They did get stones thrown at them.

5. Which brings me to another point, the Aussie perception of Americans. Very interesting. I have, just like in Europe and everywhere else I’ve travelled, been asked if I drive a tractor to school, or ride my horse to work, once it gets out that I’m from Texas. I’ve learned that just being from Texas basically earns you instant international fame, and everyone quickly inquires whether or not I know who shot JR. (!!!!) Recently on the National News, a Los Angeles school was featured for their safe management of gangs and their “zero tolerance” policy. The Aussie reporter began the story with “It is general belief that every American school has metal detectors built in to every entrance, but as we discovered, this is actually not the case…” Huh? Who told them that?

WHEW!! Okay, this wraps it up. Had to take advantage of the free internet time while I’m here (thank you Tim!). I have to close by saying that I have been experiencing some true homesickness recently…for family, friends, loved ones…and that glorious city in the heart of Texas, Austin. I am so thankful for each and every one of you, and SO thankful for that amazing city we live in! Love you all – talk soon.

xoxo
Nancy