On the Banks of the Mighty Murray

What do Victorians do while Americans get all soft chowing down on Turkey for Thanksgiving? Well, if they're in JKA, they go and spent the weekend at the annual Mildura Gasshuku. The weather was more favourable than last year, with temperatures peaking at only 28 as opposed to 38 (but the flies were there again to torment us).

After struggling with last year's drive from Melbourne to Mildura, I opted to wing it this time around, trading a six hour drive for a one hour flight. This gave me the opportunity to see the great line in the sand from above, and by that I mean the line where dryland agriculture (or attempts at it) in northern Victoria stops and irrigated agriculture starts. The contrast is quite striking - one massive brown band snuggled up next to a lush green one (as long as the Murray keeps flowing).

Prestige

Despite all the pop culture emphasis in America on the Beckham's and Old Spice's of the world, apparently when it comes to jobs, it's the nation's scientists that earn the most respect. This is actually an interesting social experiment. In light of this, I wonder how many supermodels, Hollywood actors, or rock stars would be willing to trade places with me. Does prestige=status in the minds of the public? I doubt it. . .

Sydney FC vs. Beckham

At this very moment, Sydney FC is playing David Beckam and the LA Galaxy. Sydney has just scored its fourth goal (to LA's two). 300 million people (and one English import) and the US still can't field an internationally competitive football team. . .Go Sydney!

Labor Day

It is the end of an era. After over 11 years as the leader of Australia, John Howard has been dismissed - losing not only his position as prime minister, but also his own seat, leaving him no home in the federal government. A decade of economic growth, rising incomes and tax cuts were not enough to woo Australian voters this time around, which begs the question, what does one have to do?

Well, whatever it is, Kevin Rudd seems to have done it, and Australia now has a younger, cuddlier leader. As an American, it has been an interesting election. First, because it was all wrapped up in about six weeks (America could learn something from this). Second, voting in compulsory (America would be a different place if it picked up that policy). Third, I find the differences between Labor and Liberal parties so fleetingly small, it surprises me that anyone can get worked up about an election.

With Labor now in power, a number of questions arise:

What can Rudd really do on the climate change issue? OK, so he's promised to ratify the Kyoto Protocol? Big freakin' deal - then what?

Can Rudd really deliver substantive improvements on issues such as education, child care, and health care?

Will Australia become a Republic or will it continue to pay homage to the Queen?

What's next for Australian soldiers in Iraq?

Will Australian's unions steamroll business under a Labor government as the Liberal Party claimed during the campaign?

Where do relations between Australia and the U.S. go from here (probably have to wait for Americans to have a turn at the polls before we know that)?

We shall see. . .

"Fiji Time"

Yes, "Fiji time" - that's a common phrase you'll here while traveling in Fiji. It's usually uttered by a local as a way of saying "chill out, tourist, just because you're a wealthy westerner doesn't mean we're going to be in a rush to help you out." As such, Fiji is a great place to relax. One can't drive quickly, because if one does, he's likely to hit a cow, a pothole, or a pedestrian. One can't eat quickly, because he won't be served quickly. Everything just slows down, kind of like an episode of the Twilight Zone or Doctor Who.

In addition to being laid back, the locals are friendly to say the least. Everywhere we went, it was "Bula" this and "Bula" that, and sometimes just "Bula, Bula, Bula". Allegedly this means "hello", but if it meant "tourist" or "wanker", every conversation we had would have made just as much sense. In any case, the locals are happy to meet tourists, and the ones we met were keen to quiz us on our backgrounds. One Fijian refused to believe I was an American, because of my hair. Others found it a bit odd that I was American, Uta was German, and we live in Australia. But as a testament to how many Australians visit Fiji, the default assumption was that any foreigner was Aussie. Most of our interactions with the locals outside the resort began in a similar manner: the two of us driving (in the wrong direction) down a narrow, bumpy dirt road, parking in some poor guy's front yard and then chatting with him while he pointed us in the right direction.

By and large, we spent most of the time beached at the Warwick Resort on the Coral Coast soaking up the all-inclusive meals, snorkeling in the lagoon, and other fun and games. We did spend a day in a rental car (with ~160,000 km on it), which allowed us to check out the towns of Sigatoka (and the sand dunes) and Pacific Harbour.

All in all, a beautiful, tropical country, but it could do a bit more to accommodate the tourists that represent the bulk of the nation's revenue (e.g., here's a tip: tourists expect a "visitor centre" to have some sort of staff working there to, say, collect entrance fees and such). And I'm sure it will - all in good time. . .

Photos here

Overseas Driving

Here's what the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria (November, 2007) has to say regarding driving conditions in various countries:

United States
"In the U.S., driving conditions are similar to Australia. America has been a motorised society for longer than anywhere else and they've had longer to practise. so American drivers are generally competent and considerate. It's a paradox: crazy gun laws but sensible driving."

Italy
"Italians are regarded as the worst driver sin Europe. They routinely ignore red lights and avoid congestion by driving on the footpath. On the open road, they take corners at suicidal speed. In a survey of European motorists, 36% of respondents voted Italian drivers as the continent's most dangerous."

Germany
"Germany's autobahns are the best roads in the word, but they can be a strain to drive on. Just try pulling out at 100 km/h to overtake a slow-moving truck. Within seconds that dot in the mirror turns into a BMW doing 220 with its lights flashing for you to get out of the way. While crashes are quite rare on German autobahns, at such speeds the survival rate is low."

Developing Nations
"In the Third World it's also easy to pick up the road rules: there are none. Well, none that are enforced."

Edelstein Boarding School

Justin Norrie had this article in The Age on the rise of businesses catering to female otaku. It's a rather interesting tale of how the Japanese marketplace caters to the nation's various subcultures.

"Edelstein is not a school at all. Rather, it is the first of a new type of cafe that satisfies the fantasies of Japan's female otaku — a term given to fashion-challenged, socially dysfunctional geeks who collect anime cartoons, manga comics, dolls, trading cards and video games."

Longshot

Take a good look. That's $20.40 - our payout from the final race of the Melbourne Cup. No, we didn't don silly frocks or join the 100,000 or so racing enthusiasts at Flemington. We just dropped $5 on five horses at the local TAB and headed across the street to the Swan to watch the outcome (actually, Julian made the picks while I ordered everyone drinks). Fortunately for us, the favourite, Master O'Reilly, didn't even show - instead "Efficient" made an impressive come from behind dash to take the Cup. I love an underdog.

American Standard

It appears that America is the benchmark by which violent crime in Australia is judged. Take the following:

Terrifying car-jacking bid like worst of US, say police
Mark Russell
November 4, 2007

POLICE fear two brazen and violent daylight car-jacking attempts on Friday could be the start of a new wave of street crime to hit Melbourne.

"They were random, brazen attacks, the sort of thing you expect to hear coming from America," Senior Constable James Midgley said.

Well, that's not exactly flattering for America is it? And why does America get singled out? What about places like South Africa - that's got to be worse than the U.S., right? So, should we develop an international classification scheme to rank the violence of car-jackings, with America a 10 and some place without cars a 1? Where would the apparently fearful and delicate Australians fit into the mix (particularly given that stealing cars is an iconic Aussie pastime)? Maybe Australians should be happy that they're only just now catching up with America, and haven't yet crossed into the realm of some of the REALLY violent nations.

UPDATE 11/5/2007: Speaking of violence in America, I just stumbled upon this gem at All Men Are Liars. If you've ever had trouble getting your hands on your shotgun in the middle of the night to defend your home, familiy and property, American innovation has developed the solution: "The Backup". This handy little device allows one to snuggle up at night next to his favourite shotgun. Some of my favourite bits from the website's FAQ's:

I sleep on the right side of the bed. Can I use it there?

Because of our unique patented design, you can adjust to fit The Back-Up© on either side of the bed, placing it where it is most convenient for you. In fact, we suggest you have The Back-Up© on both sides of the bed.. [But of course - after all, who has only one shotgun anyway]

I travel a lot for business or hunting. Is The Back-Up© portable?

Yes The Back-Up© is very light and portable. The unique patented design and construction gives you the ability to collapse it easily for travel, and place it wherever you need it. [Thank God! I always feel so vulnerable when I'm traveling for business. Glad those days are over!]