Who Are Aborigines?
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Thursday, 18 October 2007 |
 Aborigines are Australia's indigenous people. Recent government statistics counted approximately 400,000 aboriginal people, or about 2% of Australia's total population. Australian Aborigines migrated from somewhere in Asia at least 30,000 years ago. Though they comprise 500–600 distinct groups, aboriginal people possess some unifying links. Among these are strong spiritual beliefs that tie them to the land; a tribal culture of storytelling and art; and, like other indigenous populations, a difficult colonial history. "The Dreamtime" Aboriginal spirituality entails a close relationship between humans and the land. Aborigines call the beginning of the world the "Dreaming," or "Dreamtime." In the "Dreamtime," aboriginal "Ancestors" rose from below the earth to form various parts of nature including animal species, bodies of water, and the sky. Unlike other religions, however, aboriginal belief does not place the human species apart from or on a higher level than nature. Aborigines believe some of the Ancestors metamorphosed into nature (as in rock formations or rivers), where they remain spiritually alive. |
posted by Tabitha @ 9:54 am  |
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Elections put the "racy!" in democracy
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Wednesday, 17 October 2007 |
 FINALLY, the election is called. Hurray for democracy! Now instead of being bombarded with ads about how great the Coalition government is, we'll be bombarded with ads about how great the Coalition government is AND ads about how much Kevin Rudd sucks! Yippee!
 Meanwhile, is anyone else a little concerned by the general smugness of those who intend to vote Labor? Maybe I just read too much of the Sydney Morning Herald letters page, but there seems to be an attitude that Rudd will inevitably prevail and Howard will be embarrassingly trounced. Hmmm. I'm not 100% sure about that, actually - I was so crushed by the last federal election result that I feel like it's a good idea to mentally prepare myself for Howard's return to power. It'll take the full six weeks to erect a Smug Shield mighty enough to deflect Alexander Downer's victorious smirk.
Addendum: Apparently Howard and Rudd are planning to debate this Sunday at 7.30pm. Come on, guys... that's Idol time! (And can Labor please can it with the requests for YouTube debates? It just reeks of an embarrassing "Aww, dad"-like attempt at being cool.) |
| posted by Tabitha @ 7:56 am |
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Australian Culture Food
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Friday, 12 October 2007 |
Australian Food, the cocktail of different culture is famous for its miscellany rich cuisines. Traditionally Australian cuisines were based on British cooking from its conception. Later Australian-cookery was enriched with multi-cultural contribution made by German, Italian, Greek, Asian and South African immigrant communities. The inhabitants of Australia are fond of both veg and non-veg foods consisting pies, roasted cuts of meat, grilled steak and chops, and other forms of meat generally accompanied by vegetables For centuries the native Australians are using the fruits and plants growing in their local lands to make mouth-watering delicacies like, Calamari seasoned with lemon myrtle, Lemon myrtle linguine tossed with local scallops and prawns, Native spinach fettuccine with Springs Smoked Salmon with creamy bush tomato and macadamia sauce etc.
 Some of the essential ingredients of Australian delicacies are :-
Lemon myrtle: Fresh leaf or ground dried leaf of the Lemon Myrtle tree
Mountain Pepper: ground leaf or berries of the mountain pepper tree
Native spinach: Local spinach growing in coastal areas
Bush tomatoes: small tomato-like fruits, also called desert raising
Macadamia nuts: a nut, native of Australia, now grown in other places
Wattle seed: A small, oval, black variety of the Acacia seed. Wattle seed is used in
Some of the traditional Australian bakeries are:-
Damper: A damper is traditional yeast-less Australian bread.
Lamingtons: A chocolate coated cube of sponge cake rolled in desiccated coconut usually served with whipped cream and afternoon tea.
Pavlova: This is a confection of sugar and egg white meringue, covered with delicious whipped cream and seasonal fruits.
Anzac Biscuits: A hard and crisp biscuit of rolled oats and molasses
Soldier's Cake: A long keeping boiled fruit cake
Some of the typical Australian desserts are as follows:-
Anzac biscuits
Frozie cup
Lamingtons Pavlova
Vanilla slice
Wide variety of Australian seafood and barbecues are also popular at weekend family gatherings. |
| posted by Tabitha @ 10:42 am |
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Australia Canberra Culture People
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Wednesday, 10 October 2007 |
 Australia Canberra Culture People basically consists of the Ngunnawal tribes who inhabit the capital city of Canberra for centuries. Canberra, which gradually came to be known as the “Ngunnawal land” bears archeological evidences about this tribal habitation at the Birrigai Rock Shelter in Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve and in the rock paintings of Namadgi National Park.
The Australia Canberra Culture People date back to as early as 1820s when the Europeans first started settling on the land. The frequent interactions between the so-called cultured Europeans and the uncivilized, uncultured aboriginals led to regular feasts, corroborees and other cultural exchanges between them. Apart from Canberra, the lives of these tribal people in other parts of Australia were terribly affected by the European settlements. The aboriginal life and land patterns as well as movements were severely disturbed and a large part of them killed in diseases like tuberculosis, smallpox and influenza imported from Europe.
 The Australia Canberra Culture People survived on sheep grazing. Canberra, a good sheep grazing station, offered large, open pastures for the purpose. The natives lived in the country for a long time, earning their livelihood by selling various sheep possessions. Gradually, their total counts decreased owing to diseases and hunger, followed by a decline in their language and culture.
Seasonal food items such as bogong moths were what the Australia Canberra Culture People consumed. These insects are found in large numbers in Canberra during the summer time and people moved all around, searching for them.
The Ngunnawal tribes in Canberra had a distinct culture and lifestyle of their own. Their way of life may appear weird to the modern population, but then, their culture was no less prosperous than ours. Had not the Europeans interfered into their lives, they could have existed for some more time, contributing further to the development of aboriginal civilization. |
| posted by Tabitha @ 10:40 am |
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Culture Shock Australia
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Saturday, 6 October 2007 |
 “Culture Shock Australia” is a book which speaks in detail the everyday life of the Australian people. In the book, the author Ilsa Sharp is very optimistic towards life and her approach, very confident and positive. In fact, the accounts in this book can stimulate a novice to visit Australia and have a close look at the lifestyles of the local inhabitants.
“Culture Shock Australia” is an in-depth analysis and study about the unique culture of the land. The writing reflects the extensive research that the author has underwent in an attempt to offer typical pictures of the Australian daily domestic lives. The author’s immediate understanding of different domestic situations is also revealed within the pages.
The author begins the book with a first-hand impression about the Australian topography, and then goes on to describe the people in general. To the author, the Australian people appear to be simple and an easy-going lot, who talk straight. A detailed analysis of their customs, attire, language and accent follow next.
The natural and environmental conditions in which the Australian population thrives also surface in the writing. There is a vivid description about the lifestyles of all those living in the country sides and the resources they utilize for a better survival. Not only this; the author also scrutinizes the typical inner character and mindsets of the Australian people in great detail.
“Culture Shock Australia” also examines the Australian social structure. In scripting carefully as to how the society functions in Australia, the writer incorporates information about the form and type of government existing there, the common social ‘do’s and don’ts’, as well as the nature and role of the Australian press. |
| posted by Tabitha @ 10:37 am |
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Australian Community Foundations Today
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Thursday, 4 October 2007 |
A list of current Australian Community Foundations, with links to their websites where applicable and information on their legal status, is available from Philanthropy Australia’s Community Foundations Gateway. There are currently:
 26 established community foundations with Public Fund and DGR status
- 2 incorporated community foundations
- 1 in the process of incorporating
- and at least 10 more communities in the process of conducting feasibility studies
Support for Australian Community Foundations - Philanthropy Australia has a part-time Community Foundations Officer
- Philanthropy Australia and FRRR have jointly developed a Community Foundations Kit for Australian communities wishing to establish community foundations
- A Community Foundations Forum is held on an annual basis
Community Foundation Sample Documents are also available for download- A very successful forum was held for community foundations in Albury NSW in August 2007. The event was attended by Directors and Executive Officers from around the country. There was much valuable information presented and exchanged. A particular highlight was the launch of the Border Trust’s Community Leaders network
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| posted by Tabitha @ 8:16 am |
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Australian Beer Culture
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Wednesday, 3 October 2007 |
First let me say that I know next to nothing about the beer tradtions in Australia. I've never been there; the closest I've ever come is a few pints of Fosters, which I've been assured is most definitely NOT Australian for beer as the ad campaign would have us believe.
Here are some Australian beer drinking terms that I lifted from Koala Net:
 Amber fluid : beer
Bogan : person who takes little pride in his appearance, spends his days slacking and drinking beer
Bottle-o : liquor shop (originally a man with hessian bags going around picking up beer bottles in the 50's and 60's)
Butcher : small glass of beer in South Australia - From the theory that a butcher could take a quick break from his job, have a drink and be back at work
Coldie : a beer
Grog : liquor, beer ("bring your own grog, you bludger")
Handle : beer glass with a handle
Longneck : 750ml bottle of beer in South Australia
Middy : 285 ml beer glass in New South Wales
Pint : large glass of beer (esp. in South Australia)
Piss : beer. Hence "hit the piss", "sink some piss"
Pot : 285 ml beer glass in Queensland and Victoria
Schooner : large beer glass in Queensland; medium beer glass in South Australia
Skull/Skol (a beer) : to drink a beer in a single draught without taking a breath
Slab : a carton of 24 bottles or cans of beer
Stubby : a 375ml. beer bottle
Tallie : 750ml bottle of beer
Throw-down : small bottle of beer which you can throw down quickly
Tinny : can of beer
XXXX : pronounced Four X, brand of beer made in Queensland |
| posted by Tabitha @ 10:02 am |
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Community Foundation Growth in Australia - Early Years
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Australian growth of community foundations has been slower than that in the US, due to a number of cultural and legal factors including:
- different cultural attitudes towards wealth
- lack of regulation requiring Australia trusts and foundations to report publicly
- lack of clear and available information about foundation formation
- the dominance of trustee companies in the establishment of foundations
Australia did have similar organisations, such as the Greater Melbourne Foundation of the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Fund, operating before the establishment of community foundations. The first “US style” community foundations in Australia were started by the ANZ Bank in the 1980s following a visit by an ANZ staff member to the US. The first Australian community foundation was the Victorian Community Foundation, established in 1983, followed by the Queensland Community Foundation in 1986. However, following a restructure at the Bank, and various internal policy decisions, both foundations were “recreated”; the Melbourne Community Foundation was created as an independent entity in 1987 and in Queensland the Public Trustee Office was given both the Board of Advice and the name for the Queensland Community Foundation. |
| posted by Tabitha @ 8:13 am |
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Modern Culture
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Tuesday, 2 October 2007 |
Some would even argue that because Australia is so young it also lacks culture. I once heard an Englishman joke, that a container of yogurt had more culture than Australian's. This is unfair, while Australia shares a strong cultural connection with England it has developed a unique culture. For instance, the English tradition of the Fish and Chip Shops is available in nearly every Australian town. That is of course, if the town is large enough to support the first two business that are established in any town, the Pub and the General Store. In nearly every fish and chip shop in Australia a Souvalaki is available. This is due to the enormous Greek communities that resides in Australia. Melbourne has the largest Greek community in the World, outside Greece. Also present in any fish and chip shop and unique to Australia is the Dim Sim. This has its beginnings during the 1800s when waves of Chinese immigrants flocked to Australia in search of Gold. The Dim Sim is either steamed or fried and is probably most similar to a meat and cabbage dumpling. While the fish and chip example may seem subtle and not really an extremely convincing example of culture, it must be remembered that subtleties are what makes a people unique.
 Australia is one of the most urbanized countries in the world yet has a strong connection with the bush. Australian literature, art, and folklore is significantly about stories of settlers hardships on the land, bushrangers that roamed the countryside stealing, squatters who searched for new land to settle and farm, sheep sheerers, and miners hoping to strike it rich. These examples of Australian expression have one common theme, they are all stories of hardships, of ordinary poor people searching for something more from life. They are stories of battlers (a famous saying in Australia is "Aussie battler") and Australian's have a strong desire to support the under dog or battler.
Australia often draws its identity from the land. It was said in the past that, Australia rides on the sheep's back. Times have changed, and by the way the photo looks its the other way around. |
| posted by Tabitha @ 9:48 am |
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Australian Rhinosquirrel
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Monday, 1 October 2007 |
Very rare, and also dangerous |
| posted by Tabitha @ 8:03 am |
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Indigenous Culture
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Sunday, 30 September 2007 |
 Before the arrival of European settlers, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples inhabited most areas of the Australian continent, each speaking one or more of hundreds of separate languages, with distinctive lifestyles and religious and cultural traditions in different regions. Adaptable and creative, with simple but highly efficient technology, Indigenous Australians had complex social systems and highly developed traditions reflecting their deep connection with the land and environment.
Asian and Oceanic people had contact with Australia's Indigenous peoples for thousands of years before the European expansion into the Eastern Hemisphere. Some formed substantial relationships with communities in northern Australia.
Australia was discovered relatively late compared to the rest of the western world due to its remote location. This late European discovery of Australia allowed a rich indigenous culture to flourish. This remoteness still appeals to many travellers. It is still possible to explore many wilderness area's of Australia and gain a unique insight into the psyche of the early explorers and settlers. |
| posted by Tabitha @ 9:32 am |
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Australia Business Culture
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Wednesday, 26 September 2007 |
 Proper know-how and familiarity with the Australia Business Culture Etiquette is expected from all who are interested to invest in business in the continent. The Australian continent has an alluring and profitable business market which acts as a gateway to international trade and commerce. The business culture Etiquette in Australia is simple and refined, offering easy entrance to companies having legitimate business structures.
Attraction and satisfaction are the twin keywords of Australia Business Culture Etiquette . The prosperous and diverse economy of Australia has a lot to do with Australian business culture. Influenced by the so-called Western trend of ‘Mixed Economy’, all the major public and private sectors in Australia handle big business areas like transport, banking, communications, health services and energy generation.
One of the principal segments of Australian trade and commerce is the Domestic Business. About a million of the entire Australian population is engaged in this particular business sector, working with ease either from their respective work stations or from home.
Export and imports form a significant part of Australia Business Culture Etiquette that contributes a bulk to the national exchequer. However, the Australian exporters and importers are subjected to stringent rules which compulsorily bind over all those who show interest in this business.
 To do advanced business, the Australia Business Culture Etiquette has introduced what is termed as “E-business”. This is nothing but online business that saves both time and money, by reducing the overhead costs. At the same time, it also reaches out to a comparatively larger market.
‘Fair Trading” is extensively practiced in Australian business. This means that the Australian traders and their customers are protected from illegal trading practices by the federal and state laws. This practice helps in fair business operations in Australia.
The Australian government at the national, state and provincial levels invites funds in the form of government grants and local financial assistances. These funds are distributed for expanding individual trades and other business-related activities like developments, researches, innovations and exports.
The Australian business world firmly believes that good employees are the real assets of business as the success rate of a business is dependent upon the efficiency of its workers. Here, people are generally recruited with their all their legal and personal obligations taken care of. This reduces tension and brings work satisfaction among the working class.
The Australian business community is very particular about ‘Environmental Management’. To make any business environmental-friendly, it is essential to take recourse to incentives and proper guidelines to create good impact that proves beneficial in the long run.
Australia has a nice business-friendly environment and culture. Anybody and everybody are permitted to carry on business activities here, provided they abide by certain regulations and follow some basic . |
| posted by Tabitha @ 10:27 am |
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Wine regions of Australia
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Monday, 24 September 2007 |
 Today, the main wine producing regions of Australia remain in the cooler south east of the country. There are about 60 wine-producing regions throughout Australia. Vineyards in South Australia (e.g. Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, Coonawarra), Victoria (e.g. Swan Hill, Yarra Valley, Rutherglen) and New South Wales (e.g. Hunter Valley, Mudgee, Riverina) produce most of Australia's wine, with Tasmania, Queensland (e.g. South Burnett, Stanthorpe) and southwest Western Australia (e.g. Margaret River, Swan District) also contributing well recognised products. But it is not unusual to find a working, productive vineyard almost anywhere in Australia. In fact, even Alice Springs, in the dry red centre of the country, boasts a boutique vineyard.
As wine has become more popular in Australian society, it has become a part of the culture. The rise in popularity of wine appreciation courses, wine bars and boutique wineries has shown that Australians are serious about their wine. Where we once used to head off to the beach for the weekend, many Australians are now heading off on tours of regional wineries for tastings and winemaking demonstrations.
Wine festivals are also a feature of cultural life in the major wine producing regions of Australia and draw many Australian holidaymakers and international visitors each year. The largest such festival is the biennial Tasting Australia, but almost every wine growing region and state has an annual wine festival where local wine, food and culture can be sampled. For example, the Margaret River Wine Region Festival celebrates wine with music and food events.
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| posted by Tabitha @ 11:13 am |
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What's special about Australia's wine industry?
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Saturday, 22 September 2007 |
Australia is such a large country that almost every climate and soil type can be found. This means that we are able to produce all of the major wine types, from red wines to white wines, fortified wines (such as port), and sweet wines to sparkling wines.
 It is not just the climate and variety that makes our wine special. Places such as the National Wine Centre in Adelaide and the National Wine and Grape Centre are leading the world in research and education. Students can study viticulture (grape growing) and wine making at university and, once they have graduated, are in high demand throughout the world.
Australia also has some of the oldest grape vines in the world. Many of Europe's established vineyards were destroyed by disease in the 1800s with the only survivors being the vines brought to Australia. In order to preserve these, our viticulturalists have developed some of the vine management techniques now used throughout the world. We have also invented ways to produce wines with fewer chemicals and, of course, Australia is the home of the wine cask.
Australian wines can now be found for sale in over 100 countries. In fact, we are one of the main exporters of wine in the world and the United Kingdom now imports more wine from Australia than it does from France. Australian wines have won medals at almost every major international wine competition and set records for the price of a single bottle. And just think, all this since that first bunch of grapes was harvested just over 200 years ago. |
| posted by Tabitha @ 11:05 am |
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Australian Aboriginal Culture
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Thursday, 20 September 2007 |
Australian Aboriginal culture is one of the world's longest surviving cultures, which dates back at least 50,000 years and there are many who think it could be closer to 150,000 years!
 All of Australia's Aborigines were semi-nomadic hunters and gatherers, with each clan having its own territory. Those communities living along the coast or rivers were expert fishermen. The territories or 'traditional lands' were defined by geographic boundaries such as rivers, lakes and mountains. All Australian Aborigines shared an intimate understanding of, and relationship with, the land. That relationship was the basis of their spiritual life and shaped the Aboriginal culture. Land is fundamental to the well-being of all Aboriginal people. The 'dreamtime' stories explain how the land was created by the journeys of the spirit ancestors. Those creation stories describing the contact and features which the spiritual ancestors left on the land are integral to Aboriginal spirituality. 'Ancestor Spirits' came to Earth in human and other forms and the land, the plants and animals were given their form as we know them today.
The expression 'Dreamtime' refers to the 'time before time', or 'the time of the creation of all things', while 'Dreaming' is often used to refer to an individual's or group's set of beliefs or spirituality. For example, an Indigenous Australian might talk about their Kangaroo Dreaming, Snake Dreaming, or Honey Ant Dreaming, or any combination of Dreamings pertinent to their 'land'. However, many Indigenous Aborigines also refer to the creation time as 'The Dreaming'. For Indigenous Australians, the past is still fervantly alive in the prent moment and will remain so into the future. The Ancestor Spirits and their powers have not gone, they are present in the forms in to which they changed at the end of the 'Dreamtime' or 'Dreaming', as the stories tell. The stories have been handed down through the ages and are an integral part of an Indigenous person's 'Dreaming'. |
| posted by Tabitha @ 10:18 am |
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Australian Football League
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Tuesday, 18 September 2007 |
 AFL is commonly called Australian rules football. It is a modified form of Irish football and originated in Victoria. Now it is a national game with a national league. An oval ball is kicked and hand passed from player to player. The ball is kicked between goal posts, whereupon six points are scored. There are two other post set 6.4 metres from each of the goal post. When the ball goes between these areas, i.e., between a goal post the the shorter outside post it is called a "behind" and one point is scored. There are 18 players in each team. Three of these are able to roam the field while the others must remain in a zone or mark an opposing player. A player can run with the ball but he must bounce the ball once every 15 metres whilst running. When a player is held by an opponent he must either drop, throw or kick the ball immediately. The objective is to get a a'mark". This is achieved by cleanly catching the ball, using the bodies of opponents if necessary, when the ball is drop kicked by a teammate. This gives the marker the right to drop kick for goal unimpeded. |
| posted by Tabitha @ 10:07 am |
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The Dunny Man
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Saturday, 15 September 2007 |
The streets of older suburbs, still have what were known as ‘dunny lanes’. These are laneways that allowed the dunnyman, with his cart to collect the pans. They create quite a problem with ownership as many developers, particularly in the 1960s and 70s, encroached on these public lanes when building.
Dunnies also lend themselves to humour:
Dan, Dan, the dunny man
Washed his face in a toilet can
Dunnies were seen as frail buildings that could be blown apart (by a fart or high wind). When toilets started to be built with brick the term ‘built like a brick shit house’ referred to a particular solid structure.
Dunnies were notorious for attracting blowflies that were referred to as Dunny budgies because of their large size and sound.
Each Christmas the dunnyman would leave a card - and you would leave a couple of beers.
The Aussie lingo includes the word in phrases used today:
It sticks out like a dunny in a desert,
All alone like a country dunny.
Carry the can – do the dirty work.
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| posted by Tabitha @ 11:42 am |
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Outback Dunny
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Poem by Judy Jenkinson:
They were funny looking buildings, that were once a way of life,
If you couldn’t sprint the distance, then you really were in strife.
They were nailed, they were wired, but were mostly falling down,
There was one in every yard, in every house, in every town.
They were given many names, some were even funny,
But to most of us, we knew them as the outhouse or the dunny.
I’ve seen some of them all gussied up, with painted doors and all,
But it really made no difference, they were just a port of call.
Now my old man would take a bet, he’d lay an even pound,
That you wouldn’t make the dunny with them turkeys hangin’ round.
They had so many uses, these buildings out the back,
You could even hide from mother, so you wouldn’t get the strap.
That’s why we had good cricketers, or my name isn’t Crump,
We used the pathway for the wicket and the dunny door for stumps.
Now my old man would sit for hours, the smell would rot your socks,
He read the daily back to front in that good old thunderbox.
And if by chance that nature called sometime through the night,
You always sent the dog in first, for there was no flamin’ light.
And the dunny seemed to be the place where crawlies liked to hide,
But never ever showed themselves until you sat inside.
There was no such thing as Sorbent, no tissues there at all,
Just squares of well read newspaper, a hangin’ on the wall.
If you had some friendly neighbours, as neighbours sometimes are,
You could sit and chat to them, if you left the door ajar.
When suddenly you got the urge, and down the track you fled,
Then of course the magpies were there to pick you on your head.
Then the time there was a wet, the rain it never stopped,
If you had an urgent call, you ran between the drops.
The dunny man came twice a week, to these buildings out the back,
And he would leave an extra can, if you left for him a zac.
For those of you who’ve no idea what I mean by a zac,
Then your too young to have ever had, a dunny out the back.
For it seems today they call them the bathroom, or the loo,
If you’ve never had one out the back, then I feel sorry for you.
For it used to be a way of life, top race along the track,
To answer natures call, at these buildings out the back. |
| posted by Tabitha @ 11:21 am |
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Ausssie Lingo
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I was at the pub, the other day and this bloke and his sheila and their three feral ankle biters wandered in.
The bloke was full of piss and wind and was a real dinky di drongo. He looked like a real dole bludger.
Bugger me dead, the next thing that happened was that one of the ankle biters dropped his dakes and started screaming that he wanted to go to the dunny. |
| posted by Tabitha @ 11:08 am |
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Aussie Tucker
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Traditionally Aussie cooking was based on Pommie tucker brought to the country by the British settlers. This food generally consisted of Sunday roasts, grilled chops and other forms of meat and was generally accompanied by vegetables (often known colloquially as " meat & three veg") such as mashed potatoes, beans, peas and carrots. The barbecue remains an important part of Australian life. The 'barbie', an icon of Australian cuisine and culture, has developed and grown as a party/gathering tradition. Another culturally significant item of cuisine is the Aussie meat pie. The range of cuisines available in the multicultural cities of Australia has developed greatly due to a high level of immigration.
Italian, Chinese, Thai, Greek, Arab, Indian, Turkish, Vietnamese and Mexican foods are very popular and are maintained at an accomplished level of authentic quality by a thriving restaurant trade in many cities for the enjoyment of Aussies of all backgrounds.
The influx of migrants to Australia has brought many new dishes to the country and it is becoming a feature of Australian cuisine to take standard meals and add elements sourced from different cultures. |
| posted by Tabitha @ 10:29 am |
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Aussie Culture- what is it?
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Wednesday, 12 September 2007 |
 A BBQ and a beer?
Aus culture has changed. We are now more multicultural than ever and whilst some hate the idea there -are some positives to welcoming new cultures to our shores.
I am a bit of a stickler for the dyed in the wool Aus. Cultural images ie: the outback the heat dust and sweat of men who work hard and play hard.
The Australian cities and the National events that they host such as the Olympics, Australia day etc. Coming from the bush mostly this how I see Sydney and Melbourne, even though born in a city.
 But I also do recognise that Australian culture has slowly but surely changed in its compexity and its diversity .
In the early days we had the Greeks and the Italians- yes we all whinged and resisted the impact they had , even though in the ensueing years its easy to see they have had a very postive and enduring effect on our Culture- the blend of the 2 is wonderful.
I know Greeks and Italians more Australian than most.They have added wonderful things to our country culture wise and their cuktyure has meshed with our own to become part of the Australian way.
I think all this talk of Muslims and all the negative stuff we portray about them is the same phenomena, fast forward to present day.
Muslim pple and groups are part of world politics now and are topical because of it. They have become targets for the afraid and small minded and boggotted.
The Likes of Pauline (ugly to the bone) Hanson and John Howard oh and lets not forget good old Bush have made it popular to hate what you dont understand, to deal in stereo typical driven debate and dehumanise them to the point where our consciennce need not play a part.
The Australian culture is undergoing yet another transformation and in 50 yrs we,ll be eating theyre food , working alongside them and theyl be sharing our good old Aussie BBQ.
On that BBQ maybe the odd hoummoss burger alongside our snags but variety is the spice of life. |
| posted by Tabitha @ 2:13 pm |
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Some Help With Australian Lingo
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Wednesday, 7 March 2007 |
 Don't get into a blue. Know a bit of Strine and you'll be fine.
In a pub you could get asked to shout. Don't holler your head off. You're just being reminded it's your turn to pay for the next round of drinks.
If you're visiting Australia and are non-Australian but you do speak English, you should have no real problem understanding the local lingo. (We try to make sure we use only words that we think are common to your kind and our kind of English.)
Hopefully this next section helps you to better understand the Australian use of the language, and try and keep you out of trouble!Labels: Australian Lingo |
| posted by Tabitha @ 3:41 pm |
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When's the Tucker and the Grog?
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 In a social setting, especially when there's tucker and grog, or just grog (or plonk), we do tend to slip into our dialect, which means: Hey, you're one of us, so none of this Queen's English bizo.
So whether it's this morning or this arvo, a few good words to know in the pub are middy and schooner, with a fair sprinkling of mate here and there.
Don't be a mug or a lair, be fair and do your shout -- reckon that's the go.
Listen to your mate's corker of a story, and don't go crook if you can't come up with your own ripper yarn. And don't tell the bloke to rack off, sport, or you could get into a barney and in all sorts of strife.Labels: pub, social setting, social situation |
| posted by Tabitha @ 3:36 pm |
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Or You Need to Go to the Toilet...
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 If you need to go to the rest room, comfort room, or whatever else you call that room (because you're pissed, or simply pissed off), that place is the loo, or call it toilet. A dunny is a different thing altogether.
Whatever you talk about, don't act the wowser as everyone tends to be given a fair go, fair dinkum, mate. And don't go acting the yobbo either.
Also, it doesn't hurt to say ta or thanks for anything done for you; you'll hear a lot of ta-ing around, thanks is so much a part of the Aussie language.Labels: Australian Lingo, Restroom, toilet |
| posted by Tabitha @ 3:29 pm |
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Aussie Lingo Glossary
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arvo - Afternoon.
barney - Row, fight, argument.
bizo - Business.
bloke - Man.
blue - row, fight.
corker - Great.
crook. Mad. Also sick.
dunny - A more primitive type of toilet, usually locted outdoors.
fair dinkum - Genuine, real, really.
fair go - Fair chance.
grog - Beer, liquor.
half your luck - Congratulations.
lair - One of brash or vulgar behavior, usually flashily dressed as well.
loo - Toilet.
mate - Friend, pal, colleague.
middy - Middle-sized glass. A middy usually contains 285ml (of beer).
mug - Someone taken advantage of.
pissed - Drunk.
pissed off - Angry, mad.
plonk - Cheap liquor or wine.
rack off - Scram, get lost.
ripper - Great, something great.
schooner - A larger glass for beer, larger than a middy.
shout - pay for a round (of drinks).
sport - Something like mate, but sometimes said with some belligerence.
Strine - Australian as she's spoke.
ta - Thanks.
tucker - Food.
wowser - Prude, puritan.
yobbo - Someone a bit uncouth.Labels: Australian Lingo |
| posted by Tabitha @ 3:10 pm |
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