August 23, 2011
My newest adventure thus beginneth! I am in Australia, the land down under, the place stereotypically renowned for blonde suntanned, surfer bodies, for killer bugs and snakes, for gorgeous beaches, and for foreign phrases such as “crikey!”, “throw a shrimp on the barbie”, and “how ya goin’?”.
I’m no longer the travelling English teacher, but feel like the travelling English student, as I navigate through the unfamiliar, and often bizarre, terrain that is the Australian accent. As I post entries from my journals written since first receiving my visa acceptance letter in April, you might find that I seem more shocked by Australian customs, speech and way of life than I did in India or China. Frankly, this is sometimes exactly how I feel. Perhaps I relied too much on how similar Canada supposedly is to Australia – maybe I didn’t prepare myself for the culture shock. Maybe I relied too much on North America’s simplistic, one-dimensional view of the land down under and felt that I already knew everything. Perhaps after experiencing such obviously different cultures in India and China, I overestimated myself and felt that nothing could equate or surpass the adventures I have already lived.
Regardless of the explanation, the fact of the matter is, I’ve thrown myself into Australia, now I’ve gotta live it.
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2 comments:
I miss you so much! And I am, (pause for breath) SO HAPPY THAT YOU'RE BLOGGING AGAIN!!!!
My existence did not feel complete without your traveling narration (in which I read with a hint of Morgan Freeman) and your delightfully fun and often comedic antidotes that make me reflect on society, the universe, and dare I say it, life.
Can't wait to stalk you again in a "socially acceptable" way!
<3
Is it sad that I keep checking every hour (or more) to see if you've added more?
Who's got to thumbs and is your bestest stalker: this girl.
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