Welcome to my second week blog post! This week was just as exciting as the last. I have gotten the chance to further explore Sydney and find more fun things the city has to offer. The weather in Sydney is great although at times it can get very hot (95 or above). The mornings are always humid but it tends to dry out in the afternoon, making every day a great day for the beach. On Tuesday I visited Bondi Beach which is about an hour away via public transportation. I had been hesitant to use the public transportation and was unsure of what to expect, but was happily surprised. The buses are convenient and at most make you wait at a stop for 5 minutes or less. The trains and trams are clean and make you feel safe. The trains feature a double decker design which creates more space for people to sit. The stops are easy to navigate and it is clear where to get on and off. All in all the hour-long trip felt shorter because there was no difficulty in navigating where I needed to go or what train to be on. Bondi beach itself was beautiful. There is plenty of good shopping and restaurants located along the beach and it is a very popular place for people to spend their afternoons. I spent the whole afternoon at Bondi and got to see the sun set over the mountains. It was a great experience and I cannot wait to be back at the beach.
This week in my Aussie Life and Culture class I got the chance to further dive into Australian identity. Unlike the US, Australia was granted it free from colonialism by the British around the 1940s. Following independence Australia adopted many new identities, some of which were glorified by the media. In class we spoke about the “Bushman” and got to watch a movie called Crocodile Dundee. The movie depicts the average Australian man as a self made tough guy who lives a life in the bushes of Australia. The movie itself only helped to perpetuate this stereotype as we learned that parts of the movie were changed for the US audience only to satisfy their beliefs about what Australians look like. While I liked the movie, the stereotypes were blatant and it was clear how the “Bushman” identity came about. Furthermore we learned about the “Aussie Battler” and the identity of the Aussie middle class. The middle class was seen as those who persevere through their commitments despite adversity. This identity made it hard for many Australians to succeed as many though they must work hard and get paid low salaries to succeed. The movie “Samson and Delilah” highlighted the struggle aboriginals had during this era and the long lasting effects it left on the native population. The film follows two aboriginal children who were living in what was left of an old colonial church camp. Upon leaving the camp they find themselves in the harsh environment of being homeless in a major city. Despite their adverse conditions, society seemed to fail them. The movie shared the reality of the lower-class and the struggle to succeed despite their hardships.
All in all, Australia has a lot to offer. Whether it is their beautiful weather and gorgeous beaches or their vast history that is ingrained in the land. As I begin to learn and experience more of the culture, it becomes clear how truly unique Australia is. There is so much beauty in the city and along the coast, yet much of the land’s vast history has been slowly wiped away by colonial influence. Only in the past 80 years have there been attempts to acknowledge these misfortunes and, it seems they are moving in the right direction. Making connections between what I’ve learned in class and what I get to experience on my own is exciting. I know there is only more to come in the following weeks.