Monday, June 16, 2014

As Pro-Colonialist as I'm Going to Get

The flight to Australia...what a whammy. I went from Buenos Aires to Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo to Santiago, got delayed in Santiago, flew from Santiago to Auckland, got off the plane, went through security, and then re-boarded to continue to Sydney. Safe to say, after about 36 hours in transit I feel like I can handle anything else the traveling life throws at me.

One of the books I took on the trip was about Captain Cook's explorations, and the trip down here gave me even more appreciation for his accomplishments. It was an agonizing day and a half in transit and when I landed and heard the English language again, it made me realize how powerful the British Empire must have been to sail to and set up a colony all the way down here. It also made me appreciate what it meant for the American Colonists to overthrow such a powerful government.

On my first full day here I scheduled an interview about four hours after I landed. That's not something I would do ever again. The professor I spoke with was incredibly compassionate for my jetlag, but needless to say, she didn't see me at my best. I headed to Bondi Beach afterwards, bought a delicious mini vegetable pizza, and ate it while watching the waves. I then headed sluggishly back to the hostel.

On my first non-jetlagged day I headed to the harbour to see the opera house, the Harbour Bay Bridge, and the ever-charming Taronga Zoo. They were all amazing sights, and I recommend everyone see them. But I have to say, the zoo caught me off guard. It was way cool. My favorite section was the Australian walkabout where I got to see some of the best local animals including kangaroos, koalas, and venomous snakes. And after staring at the inside of a cabin for the better part of two days, it was rather nice to be in open air and walk along the snake paths and listen to singing birds instead of the humming of the engines.

 Sydney is a much more accessible city than Buenos Aires or Rio, though it's not without its faults. I'm impressed by the wide sidewalks, the curb cuts, and the sound indicators at the intersections. If you're operating a tram (stroller) or wheelchair, I would advise against using the subway, unless you're the kind of person who gets a thrill out of riding over the massive gap between the train and the platform.

I finished my last interview today with Every Australian Counts, an amazing campaign that was extremely successful in raising awareness over disability related issues and pushing for new legislation. They modeled many of their strategies from the Obama campaign. Though they had a limited budget, they were diligent about polling and subjecting their campaign materials to market research, a technique which appears to have been effective. There was also something special about meeting a small group of people who brought about big change. After learning that less than 10 people were able to push the government to triple the amount of money it would spend on people with disabilities, my summer feels pretty unproductive.

I'm brainstorming a way to spend my last full day here before heading to Singapore. As of now I'm leaning towards a beach walk and a return to Bondi to buy another schnitzel burger. I don't think there was anything particularly Australian about it...but damn, it was good.






No comments:

Post a Comment