Australians Overseas - Fighting the Stereotypes

Walk into any expat bar in China, or indeed, anywhere in the world, and there's a good chance that the person next to you ordering a drink will be an Australian. Visit any youth hostel, and you’ll find Australians well represented. It’s official: Australians are one of the most well traveled nations of people in the world - so why, then, do we find that so many outdated stereotypes about our country, and in some cases, a complete lack of knowledge, prevails amongst the local populace of the countries we visit?

Sure, Paul Hogan (from the movie “Crocodile Dundee”) and Steve Irwin the Crocodile Hunter have a lot to answer for, at least in the West. But while very few people these days actually think that Australians carry big knives around and wrestle crocodiles, I have been asked some strange questions about Australia during my travels, and also during my time in China. Allow me to explode some of the most common myths for you:

Call that a knife?

Do they speak English in Australia?

Bloody oath mate! (in standard English, this would translate as “yes, of course we do”). Although we have our own set of slang words, and our own distinct accent (just like every other English-speaking former English colony, including the USA), we do not speak our own dialect of English – in fact, the difference between Australian, British, and North American English is often less than that between neighbouring cities in China. What’s more, the word “Australian” has only one meaning, that being “of or pertaining to the country Australia” – we do not have our own official language such as “Australianese”, and the only native languages in existence are the various dialects of Australia’s original inhabitants, the Aboriginals.     

Do kangaroos roam the streets like dogs?

I hate to break it to you, but you’ll have to venture further than the Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge if you want to see a kangaroo. And we don’t keep koalas as pets either, however cute and cuddly they might be. There are millions of kangaroos in the countryside, however, and if you go on a road trip, you might be lucky enough to spot a few, or if you’re unlucky, run over one with your car! 

Everyone in Australia lives in Sydney, right?

Thanks to the coverage of the Sydney 2000 Olympics, people who previously knew nothing about Australia now know that we have a city called Sydney (which, for the record, is not the capital city – that title belongs to Canberra). Don’t ask an Australian if they are from Sydney – you’ve only got a 20% chance of being right. I mean, would you ask every American you meet if they’re from New York? 

It’s always hot in Australia, isn’t it?

A lot of media attention is given to Australia’s sun-drenched beaches, its scorched deserts, and the hole in the Ozone Layer. Little wonder, then, that a lot of people who’ve never been to Australia get the impression that it’s always hot there. This expectation often leads to disappointment, however, when visitors discover that on arrival in Melbourne in July (remember, the seasons are opposite!), they should have packed more than their flip-flops and board shorts. Sure, our winter is a lot milder than those of the northern hemisphere, but unless you live above the arctic circle, you’ll probably want to bring a sweater. Don’t forget your sunscreen though – that hole in the Ozone Layer doesn’t go on vacation during the winter. 

Copyright Benson Wallace 2006

Cultural Exchange in Nanjing, One Couch at a Time

Can't afford to travel? Benson Wallace shows you how to bring the world right to your doorstep.

Thud, thud. The PSB chop of approval is granted on yet another temporary residence form. “可以了(keyi le - OK)”. The woman behind the counter gives me a curt nod as I grab the slip of paper and head for the exit. This is the 4^th time that I’ve been to the police station this month, but it’s not because I’m in trouble. I’m registering a guest who is about to stay at my house for a few days; a guest that I just met for the first time. “朋友(pengyou - friend)”, I tell them, as yet another stranger with a backpack turns up in my neighbourhood. It’s easier that way. They wouldn’t understand if I told them the real story (although I swear some of the locals are beginning to think that I’m running an illegal guest house on the side). “Oh, you’re so lucky,” they exclaim, “you have so many friends!” I smile and nod, replying, “Yeah, I guess you’re right. I am lucky”. And lucky I am; just not in the sense that meeting all these friends were chance encounters.

In fact, all of these meetings were arranged through a website known as Couchsurfing.com, a network of travellers and friends of travellers who let each other stay in their homes – for free. Best of all, it’s free to join, and membership is open – meaning you don’t need to be referred by an existing member. So how does it work? All you have to do is create a profile, write a short self-introduction, and upload a picture of yourself, and you’re ready to “go surfing”. Potential “surfers” can search the website for potential hosts in a location that they are planning on travelling to, and then contact them via email. If the host agrees, then a meeting place is arranged, and a “surfing” ensues. Afterwards, both the host and the surfer can leave references for each other on the website, which will appear on their respective profiles, letting other surfers know how their experience was – be it good, bad, or indifferent – so that the community becomes tighter-knit, and everyone feels safer. So far, the vast majority of references (>99.5%) have been positive.

I think most of you can see how such a system would contribute towards Couchsurfing’s mission of “Participating in Creating a Better World, One Couch at a Time”. Today, however, I want to promote Couchsurfing using a slightly different angle – that by hosting surfers in your home, you can broaden your horizons without ever having to leave Nanjing. Now, I’m not advocating that anyone stay in one city for their whole life, and I would encourage anyone who has the opportunity to travel to do so - but the reality is that many of us do not have the time and money to travel abroad for the extended period of time that would be required to see all those parts of the world that we’d like to. For those of you with the travel “will” who haven’t yet found a “way”, Couchsurfing is the cure that you’ve been looking for.

Since I first opened my couch to surfers in February last year, I’ve had a myriad of amazing experiences: I’ve heard stories from an Australian who travelled overland, independently, through Iran and Kazakhstan and into Xinjiang province; I’ve marvelled at photos of Mongolia and Siberia that were taken by a Dutch-Czech couple; I’ve philosophised with two Finns who had given up “the rat race”, as they called it, for a lifetime of travelling around the world; and, I’ve talked business and logistics with an Italian punk rocker who took his band on tour through most of Europe and 45 out of 50 states of the US. You may have heard of the metaphor “to see the world through someone else’s eyes” – well, when you host a Couchsurfer, you can do this literally, through their stories, souvenirs, and digital cameras.

Lunch with Pedro from Puerto Rico

 Bringing the world to your doorstep isn’t the only benefit you’ll get out of Couchsurfing though. Having a guest in your house can make you feel like you’re on holidays in your own city, as you finally find that excuse you’ve been looking for to break from your routine and take a stroll around Xuanwu Lake, visit the Yangzi River bridge, or go back-alley bargain hunting. If you really are too busy to go “sightseeing”, invite your Couchsurfer to participate in your life – show them where you work and what you do, take them to your favourite local restaurants, tea houses and bars, and introduce them to your friends. Chances are that what you find boring and routine, they will see as a fascinating insight into life in a foreign country. What’s more, you can feel proud that you have shown your guest a side of Nanjing that they would never have discovered if they had stayed in a hotel and consulted a guide book or tour guide. I know I do.  

So far, I’ve hosted 14 awesome Couchsurfers in Nanjing, and that trend looks set to continue, as long as the “Benson 宾馆 (binguan – guest house)” doesn’t draw too much attention from the authorities! Couchsurfing has given me hard-to-find insights into foreign countries and cultures, and satisfaction and meaningful existence from showing others my life and Nanjing. But most importantly, I think, it has taught me that you’re never alone. You have 442, 745 (and counting) friends on Couchsurfing.com waiting to meet you – so get started today, and see just how “lucky” you can be too!

Visit my Couchsurfing Profile

Benson Wallace is a Nanjing-based freelance musician, travel writer and corporate trainer

  

Copyright Benson Wallace 2008