Then and Now; Flashback to knowing nothing
Finals have ended and we are now wrapping up a wonderful semester full of adventure and experiences. I am going to take the time to reflect on ‘then’ and ‘now’ and look back on what I have learned in the past three months.
THEN
I signed up for the Australia trip though I knew very little about the country and its society and yet was intrigued by it. I imagined that Australians spent a majority of their time on the sandy ocean side beaches, watching the latest rugby match with a beer in hand all while donating some money to protect the great barrier reef from global warming. It wasn’t until I watched Rabbit Proof Fence back in the United States that I realized that there was a large conflict surrounding the indigenous population in Australia.
NOW
Home life – What do ya know! Australian families don’t spend all of their free time on the beach soaking up the rays, but rather slip-slap-slop up (slip on a shirt-slap on a hat- slop on some sun screen) before they even think about heading out under the sun as they have the greatest risk of skin cancer in the world. They do, on the other hand, love their sports. Sitting at home with my host dad consisted of many conversations about how cricket works and how I will probably never understand it. And the beer…. the beer is also a real stereotype, and you may want to exchange it for wine in many circumstances, because prices are so steep.
Indigenous people – Like the United States’ Native American population there are many controversial discussions surrounding Australia’s indigenous people that I had not known about before. Carbon dating approximates Aborigines lived in Australia’s land 40,000-60,000 years ago. One of the great concerns for Australia now is how exactly do you reconnect artifacts, remains, and land back to a population that was forced to be disconnected from their homes by European settlers?
Environmental issues- Australia is lucky to have one of the most unique environment in the world, but unlucky because that they have a major responsibility in preserving and protecting these great wonders. This responsibility is not something that Australia has not always handled very well. The Great Barrier reef is approaching the point of being lost because of events like coral bleaching due to rising water temperatures and plummeting populations of top predators due to commercial fishing. (see Mariah’s post: Nemo Will Never Be Found, But at Least I Saw Him)
Through brilliant professors, family home stays, and some wild adventures into the wilderness I feel like I almost know more about Australia than I do the United States. I have been given tools to intelligently discuss controversial issues, such as how the Aborigines are treated, as well as the knowledge to be able to walk through a forest and call out “that’s a spotted gum tree!” or “that’s an epiphyte!”.
(Pictures to come)