However, it gets worse (or better, depending how you look at it). Being the social butterfly that I am, I asked the coordinator of my Master program for e-mails for all the master students and sent out an e-mail suggesting that people briefly introduce themselves and we meet up in the weeks before courses start. Turns out, of almost 40 students in the program, only 1 of them is Australian (and he’s in his mid 50s) and a third of us are American. Apparently the universe didn’t want me to get too far away from my countrymen during this trip. It has taken far too much effort (all things considered) to get to know Australians. And because I got to know so many international/American students so early, 90% of the people I hang out with are international students.
But I don’t despair! Every day I make progress. Last week, I did a photo shoot for the international students office (the photos will be used for their new website and brochures that they mail all over the world!) and, in addition to the obvious international students I met, I also made friends (and bowling plans) with several Aussie students. For my group project in one of my courses, I chose to turn down two American girls in order to work in a group with some Australians. And, most importantly, I got a job! My boss already commented that she loves my accent (hahah) and I’m getting to know all my Aussie co workers (who, by the way, have serious potty mouths). It’s all progress, the way I see it.
The other thing that has made this transition less of a transition is realizing that the United States’ biggest export is entertainment. I haven’t turned on a TV here yet, but I’ve been told you’ll be watching Oprah and Dr. Phil, Seinfeld and Friends, CSI and Bones, and very few Australian shows. Similarly, at clubs, most of the music is American, particularly hip hop and rap (though far too frequently over really bad house and techno remixes). And I was at one party and literally felt like I had been transported back to Princeton because of all the Bon Jovi, Journey, and “classics” like Sweet Home Alabama. I kept looking around and asking what country I was in. I could probably, if I had to, name two Australian musicians or bands (and not claim to have heard any of their music).
So, it would seem, this whole making friends with Australians thing will be less of me giving way and a lot more of me making way. The title of this blog comes from a horrible remix of an old song that has been overplayed at parties around the city. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CR8logunPzQ
To illustrate my point, see below
From left to right: Emily from Missouri, Anetra from Maryland, Wesley from Malaysia, Paige from New Orleans, Megan from Texas, and Sarah from the UK
Christine from the States (I forget where), Ryan from Texas, Anetra you know already, Nate from Boston, Hayley from New Zealand via the UK, Emily you've also met, Raymond from Norway (in the back), Ashkan from Iran, and Ernesto from Mexico.
