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Date Posted: 06:59:13 06/22/10 Tue
Author: En Pointe
Subject: Australia, Thailand and Globalism
Some contemplations on my trip thus far...
So I've only been in Australia for four days, and I've come to the conclusion that globalism has hit every continent, with mostly negative repercussions. Now I've been aware of this for a while now with my yearly trips to Southeast Asia, but come on now! Outback Steakhouses in Australia? K-mart, Target, McDonald's, KFC, Pizza Hut, Domino's Pizza...the list grows and grows. Rapid transportation and communications has intensified the migration of populations throughout the world, but I often wonder at what price? It does allow us to experience the world in a holistic way, and to build networks with people in different countries, but at the same time it tends to homogenize cultures, to the point where there is no distinction among populations. I can only speak to my experiences in SE Asia and now in Sydney thus far, but it's like authentic cultural diversity seems to be missing, and that's what's supposed to make traveling such an educational and mind opening experience- to learn about new cultures and new ideologies, not to get the same things I can get back in Ann Arbor!
Thus far, my BFF and I have marveled at the ethnic diversity of Sydney while at the same time puzzled by the cultural homogeneity of the city. I've never seen a city where the descendants of the European colonists who settled in Australia (and have suppressed the indigenous aboriginal population) are outnumbered in such a statistically skewed way by 'ethnic minorities' as in Sydney.
While taking the City Rail train to and from Sydney CBD yesterday, I was struck by how many parts of the city reminded me of Detroit and/or Bangkok. Graffiti everywhere (old Detroit warehouses/factories), even on the train itself, disabled homeless people begging for money (Bangkok pedestrian bridges)...it's sad to think that our technology, in spite of all the good it is able to do, still masks global diversity in favor of a homogeneous worldview. Just as technology has decreased the biodiversity of a majority of plant and animal species, it seems to have done the same to human cultural diversity.
Okay, enough said...maybe I'm just cranky because it's midnight in Sydney and I'm experiencing some weird sort of delayed jet lag.
Love on y'all!
Joanna- GO BLUE!!
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Re: Australia, Thailand and Globalism -- 
BC (), 08:35:07 06/22/10 Tue
Thanks for allowing us to "travel along" with you Joanna!
- BC
Last edited by author: Tue June 22, 2010 22:43:59
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Re: Australia, Thailand and Globalism -- BC (), 08:39:49 06/22/10 Tue
"What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions.
Life is plurality, death is uniformity.
By suppressing differences and pecularities, by eliminating different civilizations and cultures, progress weakens life and favors death.
The ideal of a single civilization for everyone, implicit in the cult of progress and technique, impoverishes and mutilates us.
Every view of the world that becomes extinct, every culture that disappears, diminishes a possibility of life."
- Octavio Paz
Last edited by author: Tue June 22, 2010 22:43:09
Edited 2 times.
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Re: Australia, Thailand and Globalism -- stewart, 12:47:59 06/22/10 Tue
Joanna, i suggest you head for the beaches not languish in the industrial park.that is much of the area around the central trian station. Perhaps a ride across the harbour on a ferry to manly might clear your jet lagged head. Or then a walk through the botanical park on the harbour to the opera house might do the trick True australia has changed and been changed immensly by its immigrants firstly by the europeans and then by the subsequent waves post each conflict. from the second world war, to the vietnam war to the current flight of the Sudanese from their war torn country. Globalization came first to my little town of Broken Hill via the Kentucky Colonel himself. I remember lines around the block to try his special recipe.That definitely was the heyday for kentucky fried. Their business slowed when the locals began to realize rotisserie chicken was better for you than deep fried. Nonetheless we thought the town was finally moving forward when we knew we were getting a kentucky fried. Branding that started way back then in a bush town is still here today, there's just so much more of it.
As the world is a smaller place with every year those things that are different will become less obvious. However Try a good pasty or meat pie, go to an Aussie rules football match or rugby league in Sydney, have a drink at a corner pub,get out into the blue mountains,or go futher into the bush . Go visit Bourke or Wilcannia or Tibooburra if you truly want a bush exoerience. It is also winter down there and you're in a city that worships the sun.However go up to paddington market on a Sat and don't be afraid to engage the locals no matter what their ethnic background. Enjoy the melting pot that gives Sydney its excellent food whilst knowing that a least 40 percent is organic and pesticide free, as opposed to 4 percent.Australia's never been a country of crocodile dundees thats just clever marketing.:) Even the australians bought it. above all enjoy your trip and relax your among friends. Love on ya Stewart
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Re: Australia, Thailand and Globalism -- angela, 13:58:46 06/22/10 Tue
Stewart, I dont have time to get on here as often as I used to but I just had to post and say, you should have been paid for the advertisement for Austrailia. Its obvious you love your home.
Take care,
angela
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? :) -- BC, 15:33:09 06/22/10 Tue
Rumor has it that "the Colonel" came up unexplainably "missing" not long after his arrival in Stewart's home town of Broken Hill, Joanna! :)
Not to mention any names ...
but I believe someone with the initials of SFM ...
(odd conincidence :)...
just might know a little something about the incident?! :)
When Eoghann finally does settle down in CA ...
I'm wondering ...
between our two guys ...
which one is going to be the more busy "keeping an eye" on the other?! :)
- BC :)
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Re: ? :) -- angela, 06:55:02 06/24/10 Thu
BC I hope that Stewart enjoys Eoghann as much as we have. He has been everywhere, and he has so many stories to tell. I still remember sitting on the beach with him in Jamaica watching people play with the dolphins, feeling that warm breeze, wish I was on my way back. But the puppies have to watched until they are older =0)
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Re: ? :) -- BC, 07:45:02 06/24/10 Thu
Good morning Angela! :)
Yep, Eoghann will definitely have some stories for Stewart! :)
And, I somehow suspect that Stewart may have a few of his own stories for Eoghann?! :)
I wonder if SFM will allow Eoghann to travel along on with him on some of the "Four Vines" journeys?!
Just thought of something?! ...
I probably need to send a motorcycle helmet and leather jacket for Eoghann before he takes up residence in CA! :)
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Re: ? :) -- angela, 11:58:07 06/24/10 Thu
aww the outfit will be so cute. I hope Stewart enjoys him as much as we have.
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Re: Australia, Thailand and Globalism -- En Pointe, 16:55:07 06/22/10 Tue
Nice hearing from you Stewart, and getting some advice on places to visit.
My BFF and I had planned on going to Cairns and Ayers Rock, but everything is so touristy, i.e. overpriced and with no other way to see a national heritage site other than to pay for a pricey tour to get there... And I don't mind paying for it, but she's averse to flying, and I'm not wasting days on end in a train just to take ground transport to get somewhere (my own personal gripe ^_^). I mean even at Uluru the only hotels there are owned by a single company, and you still have to hire a tour company just to get to the park, which would be cool, but then again BFF doesn't want to see a rock in the middle of the desert, as she succinctly put it!
I'm not naive enough to expect to find Crocodile Dundee Down Under, but I have to wonder from my anthropological background what the term "culture" really means... Ethnologists are fraught with beating that concept to death, and as a Biological Anthropologist, I haven't worried too much about it in the past, but it's kinda sad to travel and to recognize the similarities amongst humans (beyond just the common shared values of family, friendship...) that are artificially placed upon us by globalization and mass commercialization. It lumps humanity together into this blob where we each fight to try to maintain our distinct identity in the face of what's on tv, in the paper or on the radio. But maybe I'm too philosophical and dwell on these issues too much. Maybe I should think less and just go with the flow while maintaining my own identity... ^_^
Stewart, when hearing your story about KFC coming to Broken Hill, I was reminded of my little hometown of Lewiston in the 1990s. When I was growing up, the only tv channel we had was the local PBS channel...and so I watched my fave British imports and very little else. Then in the mid 1990s, cable came to Lewiston! It's like we were finally "civilized," so to speak. My sister and I thought it was the greatest thing ever, and spent all day and night watching the different cable channels, only to find after a week that we were tired of it, and that we didn't really care for it after all. We went back to books and outdoor activities after that...which is a good thing in my honest opinion. Even now, I only buy cable to satisfy my parents when they visit, because other than that, I'm out at ballet or Scottish folk dancing, or drawing or making jewelery.
So today I'm going shopping and will enjoy it like an American capitalist, then get pampered over the weekend in the Blue Mountains in a spa, then visit more with the furry mammals native to Australia (cuddling more kangaroos and koalas!), head out to the Sunshine Coast for a frolic on the beach, then down to Melbourne and Adelaide, and hopefully sneak in a ballet class or two ^_^
Thanks again for the advice Stewart, and as always glad to hear from you on the board! Gosh, now if only I could find your doppelganger here, then I'd be heaven sent Down Under ^_'
Love on y'all and missing you! (Cathy, got some cool coins for the kids and some cute stuffed furry mammals- still working on fitting some of the live ones in my suitcase).
Joanna- GO BLUE!! (Just another few months before the start of football season!)
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PBS in MI -- We3Kings, 13:21:27 06/23/10 Wed
Whenever we visited my grandmother is Rose City all we could watch was pbs with the electric company and reading rainbow. At night it was vintage Dr. Who.
I hear ya!!
When I took care of my great grandmother in Sebewaing, the high excitement was a McDonalds. Even when I moved there,I would never go there. The mom and pop pizza shop in town was soo much better.
I have been keeping your gift a surprise. They will be sooooo thrilled. When you get home, are you coming from Lewiston or farther south and west?? I will be in Houghton Lake from the 12-19, but will be near Detroit before and after. I just don't want you to have to drive too far.
Can't wait to see you!! Maybe catch a glimpse of BC on the way home through TN. Whatcha think BC?? How far are you from 75 and 85???
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When does a houseguest overstep her bounds? -- En Pointe, 17:32:18 06/23/10 Wed
Totally getting you there, Cathy! I watched old reruns of Dr. Who and All Creatures Great and Small. My fave was All Creatures. I've always wanted to be a vet, but my Mom told me I would be too soft hearted and would have a collection of animals before too long!
So I've convinced my BFF to head out of Sydney...So we will visit the Blue Mountains this weekend then head up the Gold and Sunshine Coasts and get to see the reef after all. I'm so happy!. And there's more to my happiness then just leaving Sydney.
We've been staying at her cousin and hi fiancee's condo, and while we totally appreciate it, they live like slobs, albeit financially successful snobs. They also have two small dogs, and are totally ignorant about dog training, grooming and care. When we arrived on Friday morning, the place reeked of urine, and we soon came to find that they allowed the dogs to pee inside the house, because as they put it, "the dogs were untrainable and they didn't have the time." After they left for work. my BFF and I immediately got to work cleaning up the place- dust two inches thick everywhere, dirty dishes from what looked like a month piled high in the kitchen, the bathroom moldy and smelly. Mind you, this is a relatively new condo, purchased about 16 months ago. When they returned home in the evening, they said the place looked the cleanest it had since they bought it, but they were unwilling to get rid of the urine stained rug, because they said it protected the floors from the urine! We had also attempted to groom the dogs, but they had no dog grooming supplies whatsoever. We had to make do with human shampoo and a lame brush. Their fur was so tangled in mats, that a week later, we still haven't made any progress removing them because they also lack scissors in the house.
I don't consider myself to be the cleanliness patrol, but i do like to live in a really super clean house (while realizing at the same time that our immune systems need a little dirt to keep it functioning well- but heck, that's why we go outside for walks, do gardening and play with our pets. But for the past week, it's been the first time I've ever had allergies this horrible, to the point where I'm on my last allergy pill that I brought from the US (I brought a whole pharmacy with me to be prepared, as I always do with fieldwork), and the chemists here, as pharmacists are called Down Under), don't have anything remotely related to non-drowsy Benadryl. They've tried pushing Claritin, Allegra and Zyrtec on me, after I've explained that I had been prescribed these in the US for seasonal allergies in the past, but that they had no effect on me, except either to make me hyper or make me drowsy. It's been a few years since I've had allergies, because I opted for the allergy shots instead, but I'm convinced that the issue is with the dirt in this place. When I leave and take the city train to Sydney, I get better, when I come back, I get sick again.
Now it's become this daily grind over and over again where we shampoo the rug and use an enzyme spray to remove the urine from the rug, disinfect the furniture, clean the kitchen and the bathroom, mop the floors. I might add that in the kitchen, there is dirt in the ceramic tiles which just can't be removed even with a lot of elbow grease and Clorox :(
In basically a week we've trained the dogs to pretty tell us when they need to go outside, but then when they come home they just let them pee where they want and then don't bother to clean up after them. Today was the last straw, when one of the dogs had what I would consider to be a classic Freudian anal response by pooping all over the place. Mary and I were disinfecting and cleaning, while they were more concerned about the quality of the faeces. Uggh! The rug wasn't salvageable to begin with, but now it's a lost cause, and I'm afraid that they will want to keep it still. Which means staying in the bedroom while I'm here. At least not as allergenic in here.
Okay, I've vented...
Love y'all, and missing a nice clean house,
Joanna- GO BLUE (Blue Mountains this time...)
Oh, my sister called me about the earthquake felt from Canada through Michigan to New York. Darn it! I'm never there for the cool stuff!
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Re: Australia, Thailand and Globalism -- AnnW, 01:17:17 06/23/10 Wed
Joanna,
I just erased a very long response to your wonderful query. What I thought would be a simple response, turned out to be quite multi faceted with many "bunny trails". In short, I've spent the last couple of years in the field getting an earful regarding our government,.
There's not much I'm allowed to say, but I will say this, "We are not Kmart, KFC, Halston, Hollywood" We are the descendants of those who would have scoffed at them. We are an independent people, especially of those who want to control us and yet we know our neighbors and know we are dependant on all humanity.
Well, I've done it again! Just erased another long bunny trail. I would highly reoommend travelling down that odd road, (always know your limits) there are amazing people waiting there!
Love you bunches, be safe.
Ann
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Re: Australia, Thailand and Globalism -- LauraG, 21:07:19 06/23/10 Wed
Just had to stop by and say hello.
Sounds as though there is some frustration. I hope you can look beyond the "isms," doggy doo etc. and just get out there and enjoy yourself. The clocks a'tickin and you've got some "research" to do. Perhaps getting a little sand between the toes wil help. Remember, there are hardly any "surfer dudes" in Michigan.
Love to you all,
LauraG
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Wow! This is a busy group of people! :) -- BC, 22:06:11 06/23/10 Wed
I can hardly keep up with all of ya'll dartin' this way and that!
But, I think it is so cool that all of us met here at Stewart's place, and have become such good friends! :)
Cathy ...
I live about 10 minutes off of I-40 in Lebanon, TN.
Now, I-40 intersects with I-75 in Chattanooga and Knoxville TN ...
So, I believe you would be about a 2 to 3 hour drive away from me [depending upon which route you take].
I guess if you are heading South on I-75, you could take I-40 West at Knoxville ...
Then, when you leave Lebanon ...
get back on I-40 West ...
then take I-24 to Chattanooga ...
and, you can get back on I-75 from there?!
But, if I'm understanding ya'll's schedule correctly ...
I might not be here at the time you are traveling home Cathy?!
I'm supposed to leave for CA on Sat., July 17th.
If things go as planned, I should be able to find "Lou" somewhere along my journey?! :)
- BC :)
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Re: Wow! This is a busy group of people! :) -- LauraG, 15:17:40 06/24/10 Thu
I'll be in Sonora and Yosemite on the first part of my journey then on to PR and FV; meeting up with BC on the way. I'm getting excited!
LauraG
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Re: Australia, Thailand and Globalism -- En Pointe, 05:03:01 06/25/10 Fri
Hey Cathy!
I'll be driving up on the 16th to prep for lawn work in Lewiston, so I'll be driving down M-33 to visit with you. It's not far, only 30 minutes I think.
So it's been raining in Sydney pretty much everyday, and I think that I've developed medication immunity, since my Benadryl is having no effect on my allergies anymore, except to make me sleepy.
Heading to Leura tomorrow and then to the Blue Mountains for the weekend. Looking forward to this! It's nice to know that opals are a big gem in Australia, because they are one of my faves, and so I plan on getting some piece of jewelery tomorrow with an opal in it! And one for my Mom too! Luckily the pieces are pretty inexpensive here ^_^
Went shopping yesterday in the Queen Victoria Building, and then dinner afterward. Surprisingly, stores close really early here, around 17:00-17:30 with the exception of Thursdays, when they are open until 21:00. It's a bit surprising, given that the boutiques and department stores are always packed with people. My hosts were unable to explain why to me. According to the research I've done, there has been legal deregulation of store hours, and there are supposedly stores open 24hours, but with the exception of Kmart, everything closes early. I would think that more money could be made if the stores would be kept open longer...but maybe that's just my American capitalist way of thinking. In Thailand, stores and restaurants are open practically 24/7. Night markets are awesome places in Thailand to get great bargains on everything. I even thought about taking a quick trip to Bangkok just to visit friends and family and to go shopping...yes, shopping is a guilty pleasure of mine...
Can't wait to be in the Blue Mountains this weekend and on the Gold Coast/Sunshine Coast next week!
Love on y'all!
Joanna
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Re: The Blue Mountains -- BC, 06:33:13 06/25/10 Fri
OK, so my curiousity got the better of me, and I searched YouTube for some videos of the Blue Mountains.
Are you going to ride the cable car Joanna ?!
Can't wait to see all the photos you will have to share! :)
In my search, I found this too ...
The Blue Mountains (A Song of Australia)
"Over the Blue Mountains
The sun at evening went;
And there was nought beyond them,
And we were well content.
Yet, over the Blue Mountains,
As birds at evening may,
Though there was nought beyond them,
Our dreams began to stray.
The Southern Cross came riding,
Like Gabriel overhead,
Up to the shining summits;
We followed where it led.
We left the world behind us --
The mists of time unfurled.
And over the Blue Mountains
We found a greater world."
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