Five lessons this Brit learnt about ANZAC Day

Despite living in Australia nearly two years now, this ANZAC Day – 25 April – was actually my first in the country (owing to our trip back home last April).

And I must say, it’s been a complete eye-opener.

I’ll explain exactly what ANZAC Day is all about, but firstly, I should confess that sadly I wasn’t able to participate in any of the activities due to a monster cold that hit me out of nowhere on ANZAC Day Eve. But, a day in bed feeling sorry for myself, did give me the opportunity to write this blog, so it’s not been a total failure.

Here goes….

1)   ANZAC Day is basically a ramped up version of the UK’s Remembrance Sunday

It’s celebrated each year on April 25 to remember the armed forces in World War One. The best overview of the main traditions of the day is here, on this government website.

But, what struck me most is the (rightful) prominence Australia gives to this day. Allowing people to have the day free from work to celebrate just that – freedom – and everything the armed forces did for today’s people.

It means that it’s hard for anyone to ignore the day and to understand its importance. However people choose to spend their time, the ANZAC celebrations will play a part. Pubs are decorated and themed with ANZAC remembrance and the TV stations, newspapers and radio shows will be filled with coverage of the remembrance events.

2)   ‘Two-up’ isn’t just an extra drink in the pub

When I first heard people at work saying they were going to spend ANZAC Day ‘two up in the pub’, I just assumed they meant they would be drinking lots of alcohol.

But after the third person had said this phrase to me, I decided to google it and found out that 2UP is actually a game of odds, where players bet on whether coins will land heads or tails. The link to ANZAC comes because the Army would play this game during the war. It’s actually now banned in many pubs because of the fear it encourages gambling.

And 2UP isn’t the only tradition of the day to help get Aussies into the spirit of the event. Delicious oatey Anzac biscuits have been a staple in the office this week too. Yum.

3)   It’s good to get up early.

I did set my alarm, I really did, but this cold just got the better of me. The Dawn Service of Remembrance took place at 4.15am(!) in central Sydney, attended by thousands of people from all across the region. Public transport opened early for events to help people easily get into town. And, if that was too difficult for people, hundreds of similar ceremonies are held in local suburbs too.

4)   It’s for all ages

I watched on TV the crowds gather in Sydney for the parade which began at around 9am this morning. Young and old together joining to cheer the servicemen travelling through the streets. Whilst the older ones were able to remember grandparents or great-grandparents they had once known to serve in the wars, the parade is a way to educate the young, in a fun way of what has passed into history. That seems the greatest outcome of ANZAC Day: that it will live on for generations to come.

5)   It’s a great day to be in Australia

I thought Australia Day was Australian patriotism to its best, but ANZAC Day has been something very special to have witnessed….even if it was just from my bed.

Why the world’s celebrities are heading in one direction

“]

One Direction hit Sydney this week. [Image courtesy of www.onedirection.net Please notify if usage is not granted and photograph will be removed

Celebs from all across the world have flocked to Sydney in recent months.

The lovely Leo DiCaprio set up home over the summer to film scenes for The Great Gatsby.

In recent weeks Will.i.am and Paris Hilton were in town for the opening of Marquee, the city’s newest nightclub.

And this week we’ve been spoilt with Rihanna, Zac Efron and the latest boyband on the block One Direction all flying in for a visit.

Too much effort

It used to be the case that Sydney, as with all of Australia, didn’t get much of a look-in when it came to promotional touring or A-list attendance at events.

For a country of 20 million people and around a day’s travel time from the US or the UK, it was always easy for Aussies to be pushed off the list of important crowds to please – versus the effort, cost and time required.

Reading the celebrity pages of the newspapers and magazines when I first arrived here in 2010 I was struck by how distant everything showbiz seemed from this place. The duopoly of the UK and the US in terms of the celebrity world became so much more apparent since I wasn’t in either of those places, but rather somewhere else, looking over.

Giving the thumbs up

But now, the shift is happening.

Zac Efron – here for the world premiere of his new film (yes, a world premiere in Sydney!) gushed to breakfast TV on Tuesday morning about the surfing, the laid back lifestyle and his love for Australia. Rihanna was spotted taking snaps of the Opera House from her hotel bedroom. And those One Direction boys have been spending their days off cruising on the Harbour and this weekend plan on doing the infamous Bridge Climb.

And Aussies love this. They love that when the celebrities come to Australia they aren’t just hiding in the hotel room, but are checking the place out, just like a regular tourist. They are flattered and proud when an A-lister – in fact any visitor – chooses to come here and gives the thumbs up to everything that they find.

Australia can’t be ignored

So why has the shift taken place?

• The rise of social media has no doubt had its impact. No longer can you ignore the Australian fans when that fanbase is so actively demanding attention through the likes of facebook and twitter. According to a Nielsen study last year, Aussies are topping the list of social media users in the developed world, meaning that a higher proportion of the population are speaking out via these mediums.
• Celebrities who do come over get greater cut-through and exposure across all media platforms as there’s much less competition for coverage. I doubt there’s an Australian who doesn’t know about One Direction right now. Amongst everything else, they headlined the 7pm news here tonight and were interviewed at prime time on every breakfast show, both radio and TV.
• Businesses and key influencers are doing everything they can to use their positions of power to bring celebrities to Australia. Australian tourism was hit hard in the last few years because of the strong Aussie dollar discouraging overseas visitors and because of natural disasters in key markets such as Queensland. Oprah back in 2011 was a highlight for Tourism Australia, and set the benchmark for others who know they need to do their bit. Australian Director Scott Hicks’ insistence that the world premiere of The Lucky One took place Sydney last week is another testament to that.
• On the flip side, the economic crisis has not hit Australia as it has done in Europe. Those key markets for filmmakers and pop starlets are not quite as lucrative as they once were. Australia in comparison is doing very well. We’re now seen as the opportunity to fill the income gap for the music and film industry.

And finally. Let’s just state the obvious. Australia’s a beautiful place to visit with citizens who love making visitors feel welcome.  Maybe it’s not that complicated a reason after all. Maybe it’s just that the celebrity world is finally getting it.

Attack of the bats!

St George Open Air cinema

A beautiful evening in Sydney last night to watch the film ‘Carnage’ at the St George Open Air cinema in Sydney.

The recent heavy rain had us worried that we’d have to forfeit our tickets (the cinema doesn’t refund for bad weather). But with mostly clear skies, perhaps someone should have told us to watch out for the other liquid falling from the sky – bat poo!

The Open Air cinema, temporarily established during summer in Sydney’s Domain, is home to a huge number of ‘flying foxes’, large bats weighing up to 1kg. According to the Royal Botanical Gardens and Domain Trust website:

“They sleep during the day and feed on pollen, nectar and fruit at night. In the wild they are important pollinators and seed dispersers of native trees. Seeds are discarded in the faeces or fall where the fruit is being eaten. These seeds germinate when conditions are suitable and ensure that dispersal occurs in a wide area.”

And ‘disperse’ they did, with hundreds of pellet-shaped poo drops being missile-launched onto the unprepared crowd as night fell. The most under-attack seats are at the back of the auditorium, under the trees, as the bats settle in the branches above. Within a 15 minute gap whilst we bought drinks before the show, our seats became covered in their droppings. Thankfully, this gave us time to move to safer ground at the front of the auditorium. The intermittent yelps from (mostly females) indicated that a lot of people hadn’t been so lucky to escape the poo. When you consider that a single bat can disperse up to 60,000 seeds in just one night, this isn’t a surprise!

A view of the bats circling overhead as they descend at nightfall in The Domain

The bats provided more amusement during the film, from time to time flying through the vision of the projector screen, adding an eerie touch to visuals and a random and unwanted ‘extra’ to the scenes of the film.

Great film by the way – ‘Carnage’ is based on a play and tells the story of two sets of parents who meet to deal with a fight which has taken place between their sons. Starring Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz and John C. Reilly, it’s a great comedy which is unusually set in mostly one room for the entire duration and features just the four main characters and a couple of extras.

St George Open Air cinema is one of the highlights of the summer season in Sydney, with gorgeous views overlooking the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. Doors open early and you can sip champagne as the sun sets over the city. 

Just remember to choose your show seats carefully - and watch out for the ‘Domain rain.’

Bondi Open Air cinema – first night

Bondi Open Air cinema screen

Yesterday was opening night of Bondi Open Air cinema 2012.

Held on a grassy bank overlooking the beach, the Open Air cinema is scheduled through until early March, taking advantage of the warm summer evenings and everyone’s inclination to get outside as much as possible.

We watched Bill Cunningham New York, the story of New York Times fashion photographer Bill and the life he has dedicated to his work. It’s one of the best documentaries I’ve ever seen; I knew nothing of Bill before I sat down to watch the film last night and left feeling like I’d known him for years and heart-warmed by the passion he has for what he does.

Ben and Jerry's ice cream, a picnic blanket and biscuits...

We were given free Ben and Jerry’s ice cream for the movie, along with a goodie bag to take away filled with Sonoma muesli, Aesop body balm and the latest Time Out Sydney magazine. Not bad for a $12 ticket!

There was also live music prior to the film and a random magician act which was a bit pointless as by the time he came on it was dark and no one could see anything!

Okay, there were a few technical hitches with the sound and the lighting, but there’s plenty of time for this to all be ironed out over the next few weeks.

It’s a different story for the wet weather Sydney is currently experiencing as this now looks set to play havoc with the success of the Open Air cinema. Even last night, a few people left the film because of the blowing wind, before crowds got up to exit several minutes before the end when the rain did finally come. Films will go ahead in the rain, so it’s best to be prepared unless you’re happy to leave without a refund.

By the time summer is over I will have experienced all three of the main Sydney outdoor cinemas: this one at Bondi, along with the Moonlight Cinema in Centennial Park and finally the most popular – St George Open Air cinema in the Domain where the screen rises from the water and the audience overlooks the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. What better way to watch a film!

Don’t let a lost shoe become all that Australia Day is about….

I love Australia!

For most of Australia, yesterday’s public holiday was just an extra day off work.

Enjoy the sun, have a few drinks and a bbq and spend time with family and friends.

Then the Prime Minister lost her shoe and not only this country, but the world was once again distracted by the uncomfortable history that surrounds 26 January in Australia.

Because ‘Australia Day’ will never be just another public holiday. Created as a way to mark the anniversary of the arrival of the first convict boats, it will forever be also known as ‘Invasion Day’.

There is nothing Australia can do to change its past. Of course it must recognise the struggle of the indigenous people of Australia and apologise to the descendants of the Aboriginal people who were treated without respect by those who arrived here. It can continue to acknowledge that Australia is Aboriginal first. Australia can continue to give Aboriginal people, as well as everyone who lives here, a voice in the future of the country.

Because Australia should belong to everyone now. We should celebrate what it means to be Australian no matter what background you are from or who was here first. Let’s enjoy Australia Day today and look forward to its future. Celebrate the fact that people from hundreds of different backgrounds now live here and call it their home. That I can be one of those millions who came to live here and feels a part of the nation.

Yes, there is still work to do to give indigenous people a proper and rightful place in this country. And as a Brit, my experience of finding my way was always going to be easy. But don’t let the world only hear about the protests, the disagreements and that lost shoe.

Let’s share the positives of Australia Day. The traditions of communities coming together all across Australia for events and good times.

As the official Australia Day slogan summed up so well this year ‘Celebrate what’s great.’

A second time around….

As 2012 begins, so will my second full year in this country. I reckon this one will be even better than the first.

Arriving from England back in late 2010, I can look back now and admit how hard I found my first year in Sydney.

I never expected the culture shock I got when I moved to Sydney. This blog has been one way to cope with that. Writing about some of the peculiar things I’ve observed has helped to understand it in my own mind.

Surely Australia would just be England with sunshine I thought? No, not at all. From the serious matters, such as Australia’s uneasy history with the Aboriginal people of this country, through to the silly – like the sight of kangaroos hopping down the streets in Victoria. Every day has shown me something new.

It’s taken me over 12 months to adjust to having so much sunshine for a start. Being able to explore far flung beaches, go kayaking, walk along the coastline on weekends. Instead of arranging afternoons that actually avoid going outside in the rain like I was doing in the UK.

My diet has changed. I was used to casseroles and pastas. But here, year-round we eat barbecued meat or fresh fish from the market and salads almost every evening. I’ve never eaten so much Sushi or Thai food or Banana Bread either.

I’ve stopped complaining too much about the price of everything. Though I still feel like I’m being robbed every time a can of soup costs me $4, or a bottle of water on the street $3.

My dad told me last week my accent was changing. He hates it when I go up at the end of every sentence, Aussie-style. It’ll go I said, ‘No worries mate.’

I know not to get offended when I see ‘Coon’ written on a packet of cheese, or hear Wog used in the workplace. I know my Rangas from my Bogans. I still call my ‘thongs’ ‘flip-flops.’

I’ve met some great Australian friends now, not just ex-pats. People who’ve lived in Sydney their whole lives and with whom I can have a conversation without talking about what we miss from home.

Yes, I still shop for clothes online at Dorothy Perkins, but I also find a lot I like in Marcs, and Myer and Sportsgirl.

I’ve experimented with the sunrise exercise routine, getting up at 5.30am in the mornings, when the heat is just bearable in the summer. I’ve still felt inferior to the gorgeous Aussie girls who just seem so lean and glamourous and blonde.

I don’t really miss Eastenders or Strictly Come Dancing anymore. But I’d recognise Dani and Hayden from Australian Masterchef in the street.

I check smh.com.au in the mornings now, instead of bbc.co.uk. I subscribe to Mumbrella for my media news. We’ve got the Gruen Transfer boxset.

I can get stopped on the street and offer a tourist directions. I can tell you where to get the best cup of coffee on George Street and where serves the best Mojito (not too sweet, not too sour).

I keep my mosquito repellent at the side of my bed, and I make sure I’ve got my Factor 30 on for the morning walk to work.

I can tell you that it’s a nightmare trying to catch a bus home from Bondi on a busy Saturday…but the North end of the beach is your best bet.

I’ll know where’s best to stand for a good view at the Chinese New Year parade. I can tell you not to forget to arrange a meeting place for your friends at Future Music Festival. I can tell you what radio station to listen to on Australia Day.

I know my NRL from my AFL. My CBD and my QVB. My capsicum from my eggplant. I remember to ask for no beetroot on my burger. 

I know that I would have known none of the above without living in this country.

Am I changing? Am I losing the person I was when I arrived here?

I hope not. I think for the first time since I arrived here I’m finally feeling like I belong in this city. Not feeling like some outsider visiting for my holidays, not really ‘getting it’. But a true resident, like I’ve turned it from my house to my home, like I’ve been invited into the party.

Yes, it’s great to do new things and discover new adventures each and every day.

But I reckon there’s also a lot to be said for doing things the second time around too…..

Five reasons why Australia was wrong to say ‘yes’ to Topshop

One of the best parts of a trip back to London is a chance to go on a shopping spree to the famous British high street and pick up some bargains in Topshop, New Look or Primark.

So I should be really excited that Topshop opened its doors to the Australian public in Melbourne last month. And I should be even more happy that later this year, a second store will open here in Sydney.

Right? Wrong.

I think the decision to allow Topshop to open up shop in Australia was a big mistake.

Here’s why:

1)    It will undermine the Topshop brand

Australians love Topshop. They are crazy for it. You’ve only got to read about how hundreds camped out overnight for the Melbourne opening to realise this. And tell any female Australian between the age of 13 – 35 years old that you’re from England and I guarantee that shortly afterwards she’ll ask you about Topshop.

But the point is, Australians love Topshop because they can’t shop there. It’s seen as this magical shopping haven, a dreamy place that is so amazing, precisely because so few of them have ever been or ever owned anything from there.

Compare this to the UK, where you’d be hard pressed to find someone who didn’t own something from Topshop. It’s just doesn’t stay exciting after that.

Topshop is the epitome of the British High Street, by making it more accessible to the worldwide market it will lose its desirability as a brand and the exclusivity that comes with having to go all the way to England to buy from it. It may sound an exaggeration, but Topshop also plays its part in Brand Britain, a ‘must-do’ on the list of every female from Oz who has ever managed to make the trip overseas. So it won’t just be Topshop that suffers.

2)    It won’t be as good as Topshop

Australia faces huge challenges in shipping and distribution due to its size and distance between major cities (and the rest of the world). Prices are high here because it costs so much to get anything sent here.

One of the signature appeals of Topshop is that the stock changes weekly, daily sometimes, to keep fashion forward and relevant. Topshop Australia just won’t be able to compete with the low prices, turnover of stock and varied selection that is available in Europe. With just two outlets in Oz, and several continents away from the remainder of the chain, I really doubt we will be able to buy much of the range that is advertised on the UK website.

3)    It will ruin Australian retailers

Even if Topshop can keep its prices cheap, why is that a good thing? It will undercut much of the Australian high street (where prices are notoriously high) and be a stab in the back to Australian homegrown retailers. Sydney high streets should be occupied by Australian designers, a signal of support to Australian brands and a chance for further growth. Why bring in Topshop to lure the dollars from the purse of teenagers and young women. We’ve already had Zara opening in Sydney and Melbourne late last year and now Topshop, where will it end?  It’s well publicised that whilst the Australian economy is thriving, Aussie high street retailers are not. Sales are down, stores are closing and we need to give them all the support we can to help them to survive. Not plunge in amongst them unfair competition of cheap clothing to replace them.

4)    We need to protect Australia from disposable fashion

Australia should be proud of the fact it hasn’t succumbed to the world of disposable fashion like Britain has. There is nothing comparable to the likes of Primark here, and long may that last. Women here still choose style and quality over a cheap piece of fabric that they will wear once then throw away.

5)    Our High Streets will all look the same

This is the one I’m most sad about. Topshop Sydney will be located in the old Gowings building (old Supre store) on George Street. It’s a landmark location and one of the busiest intersections in the city. Deadset in the centre of the city on probably the most famous street in Sydney. Sound familiar? Yes, that’s because it’s nearly identical in spec to that of Topshop on Oxford Street. But imitating the original will only encourage comparisons. The British tourist arriving in Sydney later this year will just see a high street that is disappointingly similar to that which they’ve just left at home. And what’s the appeal then?

What do you think? Is Topshop a good addition to the British High Street?