While I was recently in the US, Gough Whitlam died. I didn't know who he was. Since I'm not much of a news watcher, I might not have known he died. Since I was in the US, it's even less likely, since in comparison to Australia, the international news is practically non-existent.
But I happened to be in the US running a workshop with my boss, who grew up in Australia, and she knew Gough, and she knew he died. And this is what she, my PhD-educated, power-house-intellectual, changing-the-world-with-her-ideas-and-efforts, boss said, "I would have never been able to go to college without Gough. Free college education is the only way I could ever have done it."
His memorial service was today and the web is full of slices of why Gough mattered. Here are a couple from Cate Blanchett and from an Aboriginal elder, Noel Pearson. Both of them talked about being beneficiaries of Gough Whitlam's legacy.
It seems I, too, am a beneficiary of Gough Whitlam - here in Australia in a job that would not have been created if my boss had never gotten a university education. And so I found myself, a foreigner, who didn't even know about this man until two weeks ago, who was only a toddler when he was prime minister on this side of the planet, who didn't understand how to say his name (Gough=Goff in American English), grieving his loss. And better understanding the despair of my colleagues and friends as Gough's reforms are rolled back - increasing tuition and fees for university, and deregulation of tuition on the horizon; requirement of private health coverage in place of free care for all; borders shut to immigrants from Indonesia.
The world has lost a great man. But with the loss, perhaps a few more of us will be inspired by his life.
Tuesday, 4 November 2014
Wednesday, 27 August 2014
Left behind - August 2014
I've been having airbnb guests in my spare room on and off for a year and half now. Some people are here to see the sights of Melbourne. Others are here visiting family, but their family members don't have room for them to sleep at their place, so they stay with me. A few have been resettling here for school or work. Others have come to do training, classes or an internship of some sort.
One thing is pretty typical when they depart from my house: they leave food behind. Up until now, the most entertaining was from my third ever guests, a lovely German/Irish couple. We'd been eating lots of yogurt. So shortly before they left the inevitable happened: they bought yogurt, and I bought yogurt. Except they bought a giant bucket of it because it was discounted. We laughed and laughed about it, and I ate a lot of yogurt for a couple weeks. Other items left behind include bags of lentils and potatoes, store bought chocolate chip cookies, bags of rice, chicken bullion, lots of different kinds of noodles, a variety of teas, olive oil spread... you get the idea.
I tell them it's ok to just eat my food because I'd rather have them to that than abandon a bunch of stuff I won't eat in my fridge and pantry. This seldom has effect other than people feeling guilty about leaving food when they go. And I confess, when I've done what they are doing - traveling and cooking - I've never managed to plan food so accurately that I ate my way through everything I bought during a trip. So I get how it happens.
My latest guest was visiting from Sydney. She took vacation from her job to come here and do 10 days worth of classes at a chocolate and patisserie school in my neighborhood (www.savourschool.com.au). I didn't even know this kind of place existed. When she comes home from school, she brings cake. On about day 5 there were two full boxes of it in the fridge, and another box in the freezer, plus I'd taken three boxes to work (where I was hailed as a legend for sharing it). By day 6 I had to take some to Ghislain's since he has a chest freezer, because no more would fit in my fridge and freezer. I ran out of plastic containers, because there was cake in most of them.
And these cakes are not Betty Crocker add eggs, oil and water events. Making them involves things like blast freezers. They are complex, and so far every one I've tried is DELICIOUS. Every time she opens a box, I say, "And you made these?!" So here's a visual parade of a some of the cakes that have passed through my house in the last 10 days.
I think, in this instance, I'll be OK if she leaves some behind.
Which she did when she departed yesterday:
One thing is pretty typical when they depart from my house: they leave food behind. Up until now, the most entertaining was from my third ever guests, a lovely German/Irish couple. We'd been eating lots of yogurt. So shortly before they left the inevitable happened: they bought yogurt, and I bought yogurt. Except they bought a giant bucket of it because it was discounted. We laughed and laughed about it, and I ate a lot of yogurt for a couple weeks. Other items left behind include bags of lentils and potatoes, store bought chocolate chip cookies, bags of rice, chicken bullion, lots of different kinds of noodles, a variety of teas, olive oil spread... you get the idea.
I tell them it's ok to just eat my food because I'd rather have them to that than abandon a bunch of stuff I won't eat in my fridge and pantry. This seldom has effect other than people feeling guilty about leaving food when they go. And I confess, when I've done what they are doing - traveling and cooking - I've never managed to plan food so accurately that I ate my way through everything I bought during a trip. So I get how it happens.
My latest guest was visiting from Sydney. She took vacation from her job to come here and do 10 days worth of classes at a chocolate and patisserie school in my neighborhood (www.savourschool.com.au). I didn't even know this kind of place existed. When she comes home from school, she brings cake. On about day 5 there were two full boxes of it in the fridge, and another box in the freezer, plus I'd taken three boxes to work (where I was hailed as a legend for sharing it). By day 6 I had to take some to Ghislain's since he has a chest freezer, because no more would fit in my fridge and freezer. I ran out of plastic containers, because there was cake in most of them.
And these cakes are not Betty Crocker add eggs, oil and water events. Making them involves things like blast freezers. They are complex, and so far every one I've tried is DELICIOUS. Every time she opens a box, I say, "And you made these?!" So here's a visual parade of a some of the cakes that have passed through my house in the last 10 days.
I think, in this instance, I'll be OK if she leaves some behind.
Which she did when she departed yesterday:
Thursday, 21 August 2014
Draft Animals - August 2014
As I mentioned before, it can get pretty cold in the house when I don't turn on the heat. I bought one of those oven thermometers with a probe for the grill, but discovered it works just fine to tell me what temperature it is in the house. One day a couple weeks ago it was 54 degrees Fahrenheit in my bedroom when I woke up - somehow knowing it's actually that cold doesn't make it any easier to get out of bed.
To combat the cold, Lucienne, my Dutch friend who lives in an older, colder place than I do here in Melbourne, told me she bought real draft animals. Whenever I hear that phrase, I think of big animals pulling things - like water buffalo, or cows, or the superbowl commercials that always make me cry:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTbLBL2P6YA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQB7QRyF4p4
But what she really means is a weighted version of this:
I just bought some toy snakes at IKEA (they even have rattles in the tails) to stop the wind coming in under the doors. She got proper ones with weights in them to keep them flat on the floor and up against the door. Modern life in Australia calls for a different kind of draft animal.
To combat the cold, Lucienne, my Dutch friend who lives in an older, colder place than I do here in Melbourne, told me she bought real draft animals. Whenever I hear that phrase, I think of big animals pulling things - like water buffalo, or cows, or the superbowl commercials that always make me cry:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTbLBL2P6YA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQB7QRyF4p4
But what she really means is a weighted version of this:
Monday, 7 July 2014
Porridge - June 2014
There are a couple staple foodstuffs here that I have never particularly enjoyed before.
First, oatmeal. When they eat it for breakfast, they call it porridge (what a funny word). At the office, it's pretty typical to see our staff having porridge at their desks first thing in the morning. I like it in oatmeal raisin cookies, and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. When I do a breakfast smoothie, it usually has raw oatmeal in it to give it a little bit of texture, since I don't really enjoy bananas (why ruin a perfectly good smoothie with that flavour?). However, a heated up bowl of something resembling the consistency of snot has not been on my high priority breakfast list.
Second, tea. While here, I've been privileged to have tea with several British people who are friends of a friend. They are REALLY excited about tea. Well, as excited as British people get about anything - the ones I've encountered are a pretty non-emotive bunch. If you brew it in a pot, rather than individual cups, this is a thrilling social event. I am not kidding. Their eyes light up and there may be enthusiastic clapping of hands, which is the American equivalent of a series of high fives and an end zone victory dance. Now before coming here I had learned to like the chai tea with milk, and the occasional chamomile with honey when I was under the weather. But really, tea, like coffee, was not my preferred beverage, partly I suppose, because usually I'd rather drink something cold or room temperature than something hot.
My first winter here, I discovered that Aussies build their houses like the British. Single pane glass, no insulation, no storm doors. The outside is visible when I look under the doorjambs at my place. So even though it doesn't get that cold, the inside of the house will be pretty close to the same temperature as outside. This is part of why it took my so long to dress appropriately for outside and biking - I actually have to wear LESS clothes outside than I do inside in the winter. My mindset was, "If it's this cold in the house, it must be SUPER cold outside." Turns out most of the time, it's not too bad outside, relative to a MN winter. But it's a whole different thing when 40 degrees outside means 50 degrees inside.
To add to the situation, lots of homes don't have heating. I have electric panel heaters downstairs, and some fancy heat/aircon units upstairs. However, since I have a great room with a mezzanine, that means all the heat goes to the upstairs, and there's no way to circulate the air. And I discovered last year, if I run the heat to make it comfortable downstairs it is EXPENSIVE. I paid almost $500 the month I had Asian airbnb guests staying with me, because they had the downstairs warm - and the upstairs was HOT.
This year, I got my electric bill for May (the beginning of the winter season) and it was around $200. So I just quit turning the heat on unless I'm going to be home and awake for more than a hour or two. There is something quite different about waking up in a house that is 50 degrees F compared to my US memories of a warm and cozy house when it was way below 0 degrees F outside.
Suddenly oatmeal in the morning sounds delicious, and a nice hot cup of relaxing tea before bed is just the thing. We'll know I've truly crossed over when I start dancing for tea in a pot.
First, oatmeal. When they eat it for breakfast, they call it porridge (what a funny word). At the office, it's pretty typical to see our staff having porridge at their desks first thing in the morning. I like it in oatmeal raisin cookies, and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. When I do a breakfast smoothie, it usually has raw oatmeal in it to give it a little bit of texture, since I don't really enjoy bananas (why ruin a perfectly good smoothie with that flavour?). However, a heated up bowl of something resembling the consistency of snot has not been on my high priority breakfast list.
Second, tea. While here, I've been privileged to have tea with several British people who are friends of a friend. They are REALLY excited about tea. Well, as excited as British people get about anything - the ones I've encountered are a pretty non-emotive bunch. If you brew it in a pot, rather than individual cups, this is a thrilling social event. I am not kidding. Their eyes light up and there may be enthusiastic clapping of hands, which is the American equivalent of a series of high fives and an end zone victory dance. Now before coming here I had learned to like the chai tea with milk, and the occasional chamomile with honey when I was under the weather. But really, tea, like coffee, was not my preferred beverage, partly I suppose, because usually I'd rather drink something cold or room temperature than something hot.
My first winter here, I discovered that Aussies build their houses like the British. Single pane glass, no insulation, no storm doors. The outside is visible when I look under the doorjambs at my place. So even though it doesn't get that cold, the inside of the house will be pretty close to the same temperature as outside. This is part of why it took my so long to dress appropriately for outside and biking - I actually have to wear LESS clothes outside than I do inside in the winter. My mindset was, "If it's this cold in the house, it must be SUPER cold outside." Turns out most of the time, it's not too bad outside, relative to a MN winter. But it's a whole different thing when 40 degrees outside means 50 degrees inside.
To add to the situation, lots of homes don't have heating. I have electric panel heaters downstairs, and some fancy heat/aircon units upstairs. However, since I have a great room with a mezzanine, that means all the heat goes to the upstairs, and there's no way to circulate the air. And I discovered last year, if I run the heat to make it comfortable downstairs it is EXPENSIVE. I paid almost $500 the month I had Asian airbnb guests staying with me, because they had the downstairs warm - and the upstairs was HOT.
This year, I got my electric bill for May (the beginning of the winter season) and it was around $200. So I just quit turning the heat on unless I'm going to be home and awake for more than a hour or two. There is something quite different about waking up in a house that is 50 degrees F compared to my US memories of a warm and cozy house when it was way below 0 degrees F outside.
Suddenly oatmeal in the morning sounds delicious, and a nice hot cup of relaxing tea before bed is just the thing. We'll know I've truly crossed over when I start dancing for tea in a pot.
Sunday, 29 June 2014
Under the weather - May/June 2014
I've been living in Melbourne for just over a year and a half, but I
traveled so much the first year that I missed whole months at a time -
like June and October. Now, I've actually been in Australia seven months
straight, my longest stint since moving here. So I got to be here as we
progressed from summer to fall, to what they call winter, which is now through mid-September.
The Aussies, particularly those who move here from other places in Australia think it is SUPER cold here. I was at an event a couple weeks ago and a woman said, "I just moved here and it was 18 degrees for 10 days in a row. I'm not sure I can stand that." Eighteen in Celsius is 64 degrees in Fahrenheit. She was from Brisbane - the place where all the tourist beaches are.
To be fair, compared to the rest of Australia, Melbourne is closest to Antarctica (if you don't count Tasmania). And when it is dark and rainy and windy, 64 can feel pretty chilly. I had that conversation in May, which is just the start of winter, so it does get a colder as the season progresses. Last year, in July (the heart of winter) my women's boot camp instructor confided in me that sometimes, in the morning, it's so cold that there is this stuff on the windshield of your car and you have to use a credit card or something to scrape it off so you can see to drive. I managed not to laugh out loud.
So, sometimes it
gets to freezing (like a couple of days a year), and some days can be blow me off my bicycle windy, and pretty often it's just rainy. I've discovered this requires a bit of adaptability since my bike is the way I get around. I
have finally figured out how to dress to bike in the rain without being
overdressed. Last year I kept thinking it was COLD because it was winter, but every time I discovered wearing a wool
coat on my bike just meant I was soaked with sweat when I got wherever I was going. And if it's raining, then I'm sweaty inside my clothes and soaked on the outside. Attractive.
The solution: my "Apollo Anton Ohno" hoodie (because the tight hood fits under my helmet and keeps my ears warm - and makes me look fast), my rain jacket, and my new Gore-Tex rain pants. And usually my black Merell boots. All of which I got for half or less of their regular price. Plus my panniers came with bright yellow rain coats of their very own. So here's the rainy day weather one day last week and me geared up for the ride into the office.
The Aussies, particularly those who move here from other places in Australia think it is SUPER cold here. I was at an event a couple weeks ago and a woman said, "I just moved here and it was 18 degrees for 10 days in a row. I'm not sure I can stand that." Eighteen in Celsius is 64 degrees in Fahrenheit. She was from Brisbane - the place where all the tourist beaches are.
To be fair, compared to the rest of Australia, Melbourne is closest to Antarctica (if you don't count Tasmania). And when it is dark and rainy and windy, 64 can feel pretty chilly. I had that conversation in May, which is just the start of winter, so it does get a colder as the season progresses. Last year, in July (the heart of winter) my women's boot camp instructor confided in me that sometimes, in the morning, it's so cold that there is this stuff on the windshield of your car and you have to use a credit card or something to scrape it off so you can see to drive. I managed not to laugh out loud.
So, sometimes it
gets to freezing (like a couple of days a year), and some days can be blow me off my bicycle windy, and pretty often it's just rainy. I've discovered this requires a bit of adaptability since my bike is the way I get around. I
have finally figured out how to dress to bike in the rain without being
overdressed. Last year I kept thinking it was COLD because it was winter, but every time I discovered wearing a wool
coat on my bike just meant I was soaked with sweat when I got wherever I was going. And if it's raining, then I'm sweaty inside my clothes and soaked on the outside. Attractive.The solution: my "Apollo Anton Ohno" hoodie (because the tight hood fits under my helmet and keeps my ears warm - and makes me look fast), my rain jacket, and my new Gore-Tex rain pants. And usually my black Merell boots. All of which I got for half or less of their regular price. Plus my panniers came with bright yellow rain coats of their very own. So here's the rainy day weather one day last week and me geared up for the ride into the office.
Tuesday, 13 May 2014
What did you say? 13 May 2014
Yesterday I had an advising appointment with our Associate Dean and a master's by research student. The Associate Dean is a distinguished guy, in his 50s, I'd guess, gray hair and the tortoiseshell glasses and always wearing a button up shirt with a sweater or sport coat. Very dapper and a lovely guy - he's was on the hiring committee for my position and has been supportive of me in all kinds of ways since I arrived.
So we're sitting in my office waiting for the student to arrive and he asks me (as everyone in the college does when they see me) how the move to a fully online degree is going. We chatted a bit about that and he said, "Don't we have a presentation with [our external partner] and the Dean sometime in the next week or so?"
"Yep," I responded.
"So what will that be about, do you think?"
"I think it's just a dog and pony show," I said.
Long pause.
"A what? What did you say?"
"A dog and pony show - you know, where they parade all their good stuff for us. Do you not know that expression?"
Then he started to laugh. "I thought you said 'Porno show.'"
"Ohmigod. Well, that might be more interesting than the actual meeting they have planned..."
And then we were both laughing.
He continued, "I thought you said, 'It's going to be a doggone porno show.' I love that North American accent, but it might get you in trouble."
So we're sitting in my office waiting for the student to arrive and he asks me (as everyone in the college does when they see me) how the move to a fully online degree is going. We chatted a bit about that and he said, "Don't we have a presentation with [our external partner] and the Dean sometime in the next week or so?"
"Yep," I responded.
"So what will that be about, do you think?"
"I think it's just a dog and pony show," I said.
Long pause.
"A what? What did you say?"
"A dog and pony show - you know, where they parade all their good stuff for us. Do you not know that expression?"
Then he started to laugh. "I thought you said 'Porno show.'"
"Ohmigod. Well, that might be more interesting than the actual meeting they have planned..."
And then we were both laughing.
He continued, "I thought you said, 'It's going to be a doggone porno show.' I love that North American accent, but it might get you in trouble."
Wednesday, 9 April 2014
Aussie Phrases - 09 April 2014
A friend posted on my facebook page a link to this HuffPost article:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stephanie-be/14-aussie-phrases-america_b_5065859.html
Here's my take on this person's account of Aussie phrases.
This person doesn't understand "sus it out" as I do. To me it's more about figuring something out. I have not heard someone say "the sus." I have heard people talk about being "sussed" which seems to mean organized or put together. "Sussed and sorted" is a phrase I hear around the office - almost as good as "done and dusted" which is what they say when something is finished. I also say "under the pump" which is their way of saying "super busy!" - as in "I'd love to help you with that, but I'm under the pump with this other project and don't have time to spare."
I say "can't be bothered" "keen" and "uni" all the time. I said no worries before I lived here thanks to crocodile dundee - but Aussies say no drama pretty often which I think is funny.
Mates. Everyone here is a mate - I still giggle every time I hear a big Aussie dad saying it to his kids in the grocery store - "C'mon mate, let's go get some milk." And when someone is talking about two straight guys that are best pals, it throws me off when they say "you know, they're mates." What? Oh right. Close friends.
Also, big Aussie firefighters saying "No drama, mate." Funny.
What a beaut.
Never heard it. Aussies around me do tend to say somethings or someones are "Gorgeous." With all the extra vowels they use it sounds more like "Guourgueeeous"
Bogans.
Yes, they say this, it sort of means red-necks. The contrast is Wankers who are people who use lots of electronic gadgets, wear skinny leg jeans, and lots of black. Like a cross between metro-sexuals and grunge. Tradies is the other one that I hear often - Tradies are tradespeople - electricians, plumbers, carpenters. All noticeable because Australian OHSA (health and safety) requires them to wear high visibility clothing. So they're either wearing bright orange or bright green. Easy to spot on the tram or train or sidewalk. According to the lunchtime conversation I had with some Aussies about this, Tradies are often Bogans, and they are the natural enemies of Wankers. And vice versa.
Knackered.
I like this one. Someone just used it in a high level meeting I was at the other day. I still get a kick out of asking what words like this mean. "I'm knackered" the big important guy said. "Does that mean you're tired?" piped up the smart ass American...
Brekky
Aussies love to make words shorter. Brekky is one of those words, along with Maccas (McDonalds) Ambos (ambulance drivers/paramedics), Tradies, etc. See the post with the Maccas ad for more examples.
My favorite - "Give it a red hot go!"
Our administrative goddess, Marion, is a lovely, classy lady who has been at the university for so long that her email is just marion@unimelb.... Periodically, I'll ask her to do something and this is what she will say: "I don't know quite how to do that Amy, but I'll give it a red hot go and tell you what I come up with." What is not to love about that?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stephanie-be/14-aussie-phrases-america_b_5065859.html
Here's my take on this person's account of Aussie phrases.
This person doesn't understand "sus it out" as I do. To me it's more about figuring something out. I have not heard someone say "the sus." I have heard people talk about being "sussed" which seems to mean organized or put together. "Sussed and sorted" is a phrase I hear around the office - almost as good as "done and dusted" which is what they say when something is finished. I also say "under the pump" which is their way of saying "super busy!" - as in "I'd love to help you with that, but I'm under the pump with this other project and don't have time to spare."
I say "can't be bothered" "keen" and "uni" all the time. I said no worries before I lived here thanks to crocodile dundee - but Aussies say no drama pretty often which I think is funny.
Mates. Everyone here is a mate - I still giggle every time I hear a big Aussie dad saying it to his kids in the grocery store - "C'mon mate, let's go get some milk." And when someone is talking about two straight guys that are best pals, it throws me off when they say "you know, they're mates." What? Oh right. Close friends.
Also, big Aussie firefighters saying "No drama, mate." Funny.
What a beaut.
Never heard it. Aussies around me do tend to say somethings or someones are "Gorgeous." With all the extra vowels they use it sounds more like "Guourgueeeous"
Bogans.
Yes, they say this, it sort of means red-necks. The contrast is Wankers who are people who use lots of electronic gadgets, wear skinny leg jeans, and lots of black. Like a cross between metro-sexuals and grunge. Tradies is the other one that I hear often - Tradies are tradespeople - electricians, plumbers, carpenters. All noticeable because Australian OHSA (health and safety) requires them to wear high visibility clothing. So they're either wearing bright orange or bright green. Easy to spot on the tram or train or sidewalk. According to the lunchtime conversation I had with some Aussies about this, Tradies are often Bogans, and they are the natural enemies of Wankers. And vice versa.
Knackered.
I like this one. Someone just used it in a high level meeting I was at the other day. I still get a kick out of asking what words like this mean. "I'm knackered" the big important guy said. "Does that mean you're tired?" piped up the smart ass American...
Brekky
Aussies love to make words shorter. Brekky is one of those words, along with Maccas (McDonalds) Ambos (ambulance drivers/paramedics), Tradies, etc. See the post with the Maccas ad for more examples.
My favorite - "Give it a red hot go!"
Our administrative goddess, Marion, is a lovely, classy lady who has been at the university for so long that her email is just marion@unimelb.... Periodically, I'll ask her to do something and this is what she will say: "I don't know quite how to do that Amy, but I'll give it a red hot go and tell you what I come up with." What is not to love about that?
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