Picture Worth a 1000 Words
On the top of this image is a handmade unique painting I bought done by an Aboriginal man I met at Cultural Fest at the beginning of the year. The Aboriginal spirituality is known as "Dreamtime," a religion without time or place. Dreamtime has sacred beings, generally beings of nature, and this kangaroo is one of them. The story represented in the painting is the story of the men hunting the kangaroo for food. The solid lines around the kangaroo are the hunters' paths as they search, and to the right of those lines are the kangaroo's tracks and droppings that they follow to find him. This painting represents my Australian experience because I've gained a great deal of knowledge about Aboriginal Australia and I've really learned how to appreciate it. I feel that it is a truly genuine, beautiful Australian tradition, and that's why I got the kangaroo tattooed on me - it is paying homage to the Indigenous Australian culture, as well as to my amazing experience in this country. Plus, this souvenir definitely won't add any extra weight to my luggage!