For me, the
friends you keep can make or break the experience and feelings you have towards
a place. The most at home I’ve felt in Australia is when I am joking around and
talking to a group of my friends. The routine of going to classes, having meals
with friends, and doing homework is the exact same as Allegheny; just a
different place and different people. Recently I traveled to New Zealand for
our week-long lecture recess here and even though I traveled with the same
friends I do everything else with, the lack of routine affected us greatly.
Culturally,
I’ve found that Australia and America are very similar. Therefore,
individualism here is embraced as it would be in America. That being said, when
it comes to gender, sexuality, and respect of the individual, it is a lot less
prevalent in the news and in general conversation. I think I’ve only conversed
with one person about any of these topics in the 3 months that I have been here
versus the many times these topics will come up in conversation per week at
Allegheny. I think it’s a lot more accepted by the younger generation as in
America, because it has become a norm. However, the older generations, though
they don’t seem to be as verbal about it as back in the states, are less warm
to the ideas of same-sex marriage and undefined gender, etc. as their children.
Though as most issues in America and in Australia, I think the opinion is
entirely reliant upon the individual.
For new
students who have just been accepted into study away programs my only advice is
to come to your host country with an open mind. Like most new places, there
will be things you hate and there will be things you love. Embrace the
differences and you will learn to adjust. You will probably only be in that
country for a short amount of time, so if there are things that you cannot
stand, know that you will only have to endure them for a few months. The study
abroad experience is what you make of it. You won’t always be comfortable but
that’s part of the reason you came to study abroad. No matter what, it will be
a life altering experience and enjoy every bit of time you can because it will
go by quickly.
It's so interesting that different countries across the world are going through such an important transitional phase with their younger generations. Much like the United States and Australia, Argentina is also beginning to acknowledge the fluidity of identity that can be present within any given individual. It truly is a slow process but one that I am happy is finally beginning to take place, especially within our own generation. It is even more phenomenal to think about this in the international context and to observe the differences and similarities that cut across our borders.
ReplyDeleteIt is very interesting to me that there are so many similarities between Australian and American culture. It seems like the generation gap creates strong differences in opinion, although I feel that in America it seems that our older generation is also accepting of same gender marriage, the difference between generations is quite distinct when it comes to these views. It fascinates me that things like this can be shared between cultures from other sides of the world! Enjoy the rest of your experience!!
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