Australian Warmth

Heated discussions on racism and color prejudice seem to be everyone's favorite topic. After spending a fantastic 30 days in Australia, I decided to scribe my thoughts on the country. I really hope and pray you get the true meaning behind what I'm trying to say.

The Article was published in the Mid-Day Bangalore (One of the most popular Dailies) and also carried some cool photographs! :)

Here's a transcript of the same! Do tell me what you think

Australia – Home away from Home

My month long adventure in the “land down under” has made me fall in love with the country and its people. Like they say “Home is not where you live, but where everyone laughs with you”. Australia is a country where people love laughing at themselves and will break out into a guffaw at the drop of a hat. Humor, being the universal language that it is, made me feel at home from the word “go”.

Laughter
Australians remind be of the “Bangalorean” ability to laugh at oneself. Australians are blessed with an endless capacity for self mockery, always a welcome healthy trait. From the surfing instructor at Byron Bay to the park ranger at a heritage tropical rainforest near Cairns, all the OZ’s I came in contact with have had a fantastic sense of humor and always maintain a pleasant disposition. I have experienced their warmth and it’s difficult to perceive an “Angry Australian” and hard to believe that they can be racist. Australia is truly the land of smiles!
I still recall the customs officer at the airport asking me if I had anything to “declare” and when I said “nothing” she said candidly – “what about your sense of humor mate?”

Mate-ship
Once your friend, the Australian is characteristically your friend for life, for better or for worse. Loyalty and Mate-ship is very important for an Australian. There probably isn’t a better friend in a physical crisis than an Australian. At the sight emergencies or calamities, the typical Australian will always roll up his shirt-sleeves (or more typically, take his shirt off) and charge in to help, oblivious to his own personal safety. Mate-ship is what makes the difference even to the most conservative Australian.

Trust & Social Harmony
Australians have learnt co-exist and live in harmony with many cultures. This comes from the basic “settler” behavior and is sometimes perceived as naivety but I think it’s truly a matter of respect – like a Scouts Honor. Australians trust you, no matter where you are from or what you do. Once you are on their soil, you are their “mate”.
One can call up telecom Australia and open a new account without any paperwork or further ado, sight unseen. One can leave your passport at the Immigration office or deposit a huge amount in a bank with no receipt. Why? Because this is a matter of trust!
One of the most famous Aussie catch-phrases “no worries mate” comes from this trait!

Cultural Burps
Reading about the recent racial attacks in Melbourne disheartens me. But to brand Australia as racist would be silly. It is up to a foreigner to sensitize oneself to the things that can trigger Australian hostility. Considering the rapid social change in Australia and the large-scale Asian immigration over the past decade, it is but natural for an Australian to be worried. Add to this is certain behavioral traits that are “not done” in Australia!
- Like the Chinese man I saw spit on the marbled pavements of a luxurious casino in Melbourne. “Not done”
- Like the Thai lady I saw haggling over a few cents at a simple Australian neighborhood second-hand sale fair. “Not done”
How can one explain to the offended Australian vendors the long tradition of bargaining in South-East Asia? How can one explain to the Thai lady that there was an unspoken agreement that’s such friendly markets were fixed-price.
- Or like the Asian shoppers who transferred their market customs to Australian supermarkets, poking their fingers into fruits and vegetables and sometimes even test-eating them. “Not done”
- Or like the Indian students I saw yelling in native Hindi at an Australian university Bus-stop, without any regard for how uncomfortable it made the Australian commuters feel. All this is “not done” in Australia. Somewhere maybe all foreigners need to sensitize themselves to local flavors, customs and traditions. Would we as Indian’s tolerate it if a Westerner didn’t follow our basic customs and traditions??? Of course not!

I’m not saying the attacks on Indian students are justified… don’t get me wrong… but it would be immature to assume that sporadic events like these reflect the temperament of a nation. Just because a few Mumbai-ites didn’t want Biharis in their midst, doesn’t mean everyone in Maharashtra is racist. Just because Goa has multiple episodes of foreigners being abused, doesn’t mean all Goans are rapists.
While expressing my deepest sympathies to the families of those hurt, I think these attacks are rightly defined as Opportunistic and are one-off strikes by certain criminal elements. Just like any other First world nation, even Australia (especially big cities like Sydney, Melbourne) has an underbelly of criminal, anti social and racist presence. Students become easy prey and media sensationalism creates further furore. These attacks should be classified as attacks on humanity and not racism.

Australians have a history of co-existing with various cultures. It would be wrong to brand them as racists. On the contrary we as Indians are “prejudiced to color” more than Australians will ever be. We look down on dark skin color in our own country. From Bollywood to fairness product advertisements to marriage – the fairer Indian has the upper hand. But that’s another story in itself isn’t it?

I have experienced the Australian hospitality and helping nature first hand. My suggestion would be for you to witness the Australian warmth for yourselves! Take a trip to down under and you will feel at home. See her fascinating sights, dive into the Great Barrier Reef, jungle surf over the tropical rain forests, catch some waves on the east coast, and meet the locals – Kangaroos, Koalas, Dugongs, Crocs, and earn your right to say “G’day Mate”!

Anjaan for Island Caretaker

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