An International Affair

I do not want to run the risk of becoming a cliché angry blogger, However, today was my first experience of 'cultural frustration'. I had been hearing complaints all week about the new ticketing system for the UGA football games and did not think much of it until I found out this morning that my ticket request form did not go through and now as a result i am unable to attend ANY of the football games this semester(My only semester at UGA). This is a huge deal to me as the primary reason I chose UGA over other US schools was to embrace the football atmosphere by attending bulldog games. Now i hear that people have received full season passes who will be at UGA for years to come and do not plan to attend a single game. Under the new system they cannot give their free tickets to friends but must give them back to the office to sell at a higher price.

My initial thoughts were born out of my rage (money grubbing, capitalist leeches). It is duly noted that Australian sporting events are sold using a completely different ideological approach. Aussie sports are, for the most part, marketed and sold to in an attempt to maximize crowds rather than to make large revenue loads. Although it is naive to say that revenue is entirely irrelevant.

However, once again I am intrigued by the size of the local Athenian hearts. Upon hearing my dilemma people have been persistently offering support and solutions. The friends I have met here have epitomized my predictions of southern hospitality and I continue to smile at the generosity and genuineness of the Southern people.

Even though I may not see the bulldogs, I am happy to say I still consider myself to be one.

Lost in Translation

If there is one physical aspect of my person that differentiates me from the Georgia locals it would be my distinct Australian Accent. I will be approached from half way across a crowded lecture theater and merely asked from where do i come. The people that I talk to surprisingly find me and my accent far more foreign and intriguing than I seem to find theirs. This unusual state of affairs boils down to the fact that I represent something different, and difference never fails to intrigue. The homogenization of American media throughout the world, in particular towards Australian mediums, means that I am already familiar to an American accent. This is the reason for my somewhat jaded opinion of American speech. However, Australian Media forms are quite rare t0 experience out of my home continent and hence I become a representation of difference. I plan on utilizing my niche to meet and socialize with my American counterparts.

The Beginning

When traveling, some people see themselves as outsiders in an alien land. I prefer to look at myself as a cultural sponge, ready to absorb and adapt to any culture that I confront. As an Australian Exchange Student attending the University of Georgia, many aspects of day-to-day life continue to enthrall me. During my time in sunny Athens, I will strive to explore and understand the intricate subtleties of living in an American college town. My journey begins thus, exchanging my Boomerang for a football and my kangaroo for a Bulldog..