Australian Research: A Primer

For the first couple months after the news that we’d be moving to Australia, I went into full-on denial mode. I asked Partner-in-Crime to never mention “Down Under,” never sing “Waltizing Matilda” in my presence, and not to ever say the word “kangaroo.” Yes, it was a shock to my system.

Eventually, though, I composed my delicate sensibilities and began to do what any self-respecting dramaturg must. Research. Lots and lots of research. Mounds of movies. Heaps of books. Oodles of Googles.

Because I know that many of the readers of this site are fellow expats and expats to-be, and some of you have told me that you are simply not sure of much about Australia, other than that Baz Luhrmann movie (and by “that Baz Luhrmann movie,” I mean “that pretty but painfully overwrought and offensive-in-its-objectification-of-an-entire-race-of-people movie, Australia”), I thought I’d create a list of some of my favorite objects of research, then and now.

The awards go to (dumdumdumdumdumduuuuuuuum …):

Books

-The quintessential book on modern-day Australia is written by an American. It is Bill Bryson’s In a Sunburned Country (in Australia, the title is Down Under). This is the book that I credit with changing my mind about moving to Australia. It is funny, detailed, and just plain good writing. I have also come away from that book with so many Australian fun-facts that are great for sprinkling into conversation.

-For awhile, I decided that I needed to know everything I could about the history of Australia. The piece de resistance is A Commonwealth of Thieves: The Improbable Birth of Australia by Thomas Keneally. I cannot lie to you, my readers. I have not yet made it all the way through this book, despite the fact that I am listening to the audio version, and not even really reading it. It's not that this book is not fascinating. And it's certainly not because I don't like research. It's just that, at some point after I got to Australia, it occurred to me that the who’s and wheretofore’s of the nation’s founding actually served me much less than a working knowledge of what is happening today. Strangely, people don't go around talking about Captain Phillips and the First Fleet in coffee shops and bars. Not that expats should be ignorant of their new country. No, and I will finish it. Mark my word and ask me in a month, so that I feel suitably guilty. Plus, it’s full of crazy stories of the British kidnapping Aborigines to study them and learn their language. What? Who does that? Don’t worry – I learned from the Museum of Sydney that Captain Phillips will be getting his comeuppance in a few pages.

Movies

-In case I wasn’t clear enough – you can skip Australia. The only useful piece of information that I took away from that movie is that the Japanese bombed Darwin during WWII. Now you know.

-There’s a good episode of the TV show, Globe Trekker about Sydney. It is a wee bit dated, and the hostess has some rather annoying qualities, such as a dramatic fear of heights, and a desire to pretend drowning in order to be rescued by the shirtless lifeguards, but it is also full of great information about life and culture in Sydney. It is available on DVD.

-If you want to see authentic Australian films, two of the most popular movies are The Castle and The Dish. Both are based on true Australian stories and are very palatable, enjoyable viewing. They were even recommended to me by a true-blue Sydneysider.

Expat Blogs

Expat blogs were my lifeline to the idea that there was life outside of my comfortable world. A fantastic place to start is the wonderful clearninghouse of all things expat related:expat-blog.com. They list hordes of blogs by expats all over the world, and also have forums for expat community building.

-My favorite expat blog was sf 2 oz, written by an American couple who relocated to Sydney. I found their writing to be accessable and it seemed like they were always off on adventures that I’d like to try out. They also share some beautiful pictures.

-Recently, I stumbled upon The Education of Eby. Eby is a recent American expat in New Zealand, not Australia, but her experiences of relocating to the Southern Hemisphere ring rather true to mine. And, she has just the loveliest design I’ve ever seen.

Bookmarked Websites For Making My Way Around

These are the websites that I did not necessarily know that I needed until, well, I needed them.

-Time Out Sydney. Time Out has all things arts, culture, and to-do around town. Whenever we do not know what to do/see/eat, we check in with Time Out Sydney, and they tell us. I also follow them on Twitter because I don't want to miss a moment of being in The Know.

-Eatability. Restaurant reviews. We’ve found dumplings in The Cross, pizza in Darlinghurst, and burgers on Bondi. There is no shortage of places to eat out in Sydney, so this site comes in handy with great frequency.

-131500. All things related to Sydney’s public transportation - because I refuse to learn to drive on the left side of the road when there are perfectly nice trains to take me where I need to go.

-Kilograms to pounds. Kilometers to miles. Celcius to Farenheit. Unless you’re an expert at converting in your head.

-CastTV. Hulu does not work in Australia. Nor do many other American TV sites. Don’t be put off by the somewhat dodgy looking design. I have come to rely on CastTV for my fix ofProject Runway, 30 Rock, and The Office. I never knew I needed American TV so much until I had no access to it.

Finally, it seems obvious, but I truly thought that Melbourne was north of Sydney and thatAdelaide was where Darwin is. I can’t be the only one who is a little sketchy on my Australian geography. So, a handy map to help you (and me) keep straight what side Perth is on, where Tasmania is, and how the Australian Capital Territory really is right smack dab in the middle of New South Wales.

If I missed a resource that you think is of the greatest importance, please feel free to leave me a comment to let me know. I will admit my human fallibility. Also, please write long letters if you are Nicole Kidman's biggest fan and want to give me the what-for about Australia.