Culture Trade
When it comes to culture trade I can't say that I have had any specific encounters that stand out. I think my experience as a whole here has made me understand the differences there are between Australian and American culture. Daily conversations highlight some of these things as well as something as simple as using the restroom. (I know it's wierd-but really). Australians are a lot more conscious about conservation. Water, elecricity...you name it...it is conserved more than it is at home. The electrical outlets all have switches on them to turn the outlets on and off...so you can leave stuff plugged in-but turn off the outlet when you aren't using it. The toilets all have two flushing options...half flush or full flush...depending on what you need (you get the picture). The hostels we have stayed at all ask that you limit your showers to 5 min. because of droughts. There are signs in restrooms on campus and other public places that say something along the lines of-water is precious..please don't waste it. Australia is a much dryer place than home, so understandable that they have to be a lot more conscious of water usage, but still..to me it just represents the fact that Americans don't care. Another thing is grocery shopping. The first time I went to Woolworths I was surprised when they asked me if I needed a bag. Of course I needed a bag...how else was I going to get the stuff home? Wellll, I soon found out that virtually no one uses plastic bags here. Most stores sell canvas or some other lightweight material bags for a dollar that are reusable...and EVERYONE has them. So-I bought one...and I found I actually really like it. Not dealing with plastic bags is quite nice-plus it's better for the environment. And so, although this culture trade may not sound important...to me it meant something because I learned that my culture is really behind in awareness about the environment...maybe we are aware...but in terms of actions to do something about it-Australia is way ahead.