Over To You: Blog as Cultural Exchange Depot.

It seems like everyone really likes when I write about Aussie stuff, but I need some suggestions from you guys.

Aussie readers
What Aussie things would you like me to introduce to our international friends?
A quick example of the kind of thing: The heaven that is Tim Tams.

Non-Aussie readers
Do you have any questions you would like to ask an Aussie, or any Aussie things you would like to know about?
A quick example: No, Aussie children do not ride kangaroos to school.

Leave suggestions in the comments.

Terrifying.

A charming denizen of our neighborhood - about three minutes after turning up at my bus stop - informed me that he was an ex-convict of some long years, among other slightly terrifying tidbits of information.

I am now considering purchasing some pepper spray. Husband helpfully suggested I get one of those jokey water-squirting flowers, like clowns have, except with pepper spray instead of water.

I'm not sure about that, but I know that being the diva princess that I am, such an item would have to be co-ordinated with my wardrobe, and preferably bedazzled.

Grammar Nazi: Me vs. I

I was going to be all cute and name this "Me, Myself & I", but I'm not opening the "myself" can o' worms.

Do I say "me" or "I"?

1.
Firstly, in either case always put the other people/person before yourself. This is good manners and it's also good grammar.
For example: Do not say "Me/I and Person X", say "Person X and me/I."

2.
The easiest rule is, if you take the other person/people out of the sentence it should still make sense.

For example:
"[Person X and] I went to the movies." You would never say "Me went to the movies", so you know you should not use "me"in that sentence.

"They gave candy to [Person X and] me." You would never say "They gave candy to I", so you know you should not use "I"in that sentence.

3.
It is technically correct to say "It is I", but "It is me" or "It's me" are so widely accepted nowadays as to be considered correct in all but the most formal situations.

And I'm all for the evolution of language unless it obfuscates* meaning, which I could go on and on about but this post is probably already long & boring enough.


*That was for you, mjenks. I know you love them five dollar words.

My blog is illin', yo.

The lovely Gwen recently held a competition to design her an award based on this picture:


And guess who won?

That's right, me!!! You should go look at all of the other entries too - they were freaking hilarious.

This was my winning entry:
And Gwen was kind enough to bestow the award upon me for designing it for her!!!! See, there it is in my sidebar! I shall treasure it forevs.

Fun Size Macro

^ a brown and orange butterfly that was flitting around the garden, spreading his wings out and sipping water drops from the leaves.

Chick-what-A?

In the United States, filet is spelled with one L and pronounced fill-AY.

In Australia, fillet is spelled with two Ls and pronounced FILL-it. Unless you are being fancy and French and referring to filet mignon.

In the United States, -er on the end of a word is pronounced -err, for example teacher would be pronounced teacherr.

In Australia, -er on the end of a word is pronounced more like -ah, for example teacher would be pronounced teachah.

In the United States, there is a fried-chicken fast-food chain called Chick-fil-A.


When Husband and I first saw this sign, we didn't know about the American pronunciation of fillet, so we said to each other in our Aussie accents "Chick Feeler? Why would you call your restaurant Chick Feeler?"

Thesis: Project Runway as Cultural Lens.

WARNING: Highly subjective, opinionated, sweepingly generalized and probably factually inaccurate (not to mention ridiculously long) blog post ahead.
As always, feel free to weigh in with your own opinion in the comments.
Also, this is like my 104th post! Somehow I keep missing the milestones. What luck that they're of no interest to anyone else.

I've been feeling homesick for my people. It started when I was watching the Australian version of Project Runway.

First of all, Aussies swear a lot. And swearing is much less restricted not only on network television but also on cable* TV. The Aussie Project Runway contestants were swearing their hearts out constantly. We're simply not that offended by it. I'm not saying preschoolers and old nannas are telling each other to eff off, but we just don't take it as seriously as Americans do. Particularly blasphemy, which is barely considered swearing at all, at least in terms of television censorship.

Not only that, simply the way Australians interact with one another is different. The difference is almost indefinable but I think this is what it is:

1. Aussies don't like putting themselves forward.
This is why the Australian version of Survivor failed and why the Aussie Project Runway contestants were dreadful at team challenges - no one wanted to tell other people what to do.
The Aussie Tim Gunn replacement didn't say "You have to pack your bags and leave", he said "I'm going to need you to pack your things and leave", thereby distancing himself from what was essentially an order. He made it sound like he wasn't telling them to leave, he was just letting them know that it needed to happen.
Americans tend to like trying things and are not afraid to take charge. Australians don't want to be seen as thinking they are better than you...

2. ... but they will never let you think you're superior to them.
American politeness involves a kind of deference that most Australians would choke on**. Americans tend to expect it should you be perceived as their social inferior in some way (like a waitress or a younger person). As a simple example, here in the South they are particularly fond of calling people "sir" and "ma'am", whereas in Australia you will often be called "mate", "darl" or "love" by people you've only just met (especially old ladies in fish & chip shops for some reason).

Aussies aren't rude exactly, they just don't kowtow to the idea of a class system. The working-class man is the idealized cultural icon of Australia, which probably has something to do with the current culture having been created by people from the lower echelons of the British class system... Oh crap, I think I just contradicted myself. I think what I mean to say is, there is some sort of class system inasmuch as there are different socio-economic levels in society but we place less importance on those levels in our interactions, and the highest level is definitely not the most respected.

We are appropriately polite, respectful to our elders and in professional situations, but there is an inherent understanding of equality as people that I believe flows through all Australian interactions.

One of the greatest sins in Australian culture is to be "up yourself" or arrogant, and if you are suspected of this great crime you will be mercilessly cut down - the downside of which is that often if you want to achieve great success you have to move somewhere like America where self-confidence and self-assurance are considered valuable and you can get a lot more arrogant before it starts grating on people.


*There are 5 free-to-air networks and cable TV exists, but is nowhere near as prevalent as in the US. Satellite TV is more or less unheard of, or at least was when I left.

**This may be why hospitality service in Australia seems to be a bit crappier than the US. Australians do not enjoy being in a position of servitude to other people, and compensate for it with a snotty attitude. Also they get paid a decent wage, so they don't need to kiss your arse*** for tips.

***I'm spelling it the Aussie way for this post; it seemed appropriate.