8 Common Stereotypes And Misconceptions About Australians

Posted on 12 January 2017 by Mabel Kwong

260

As someone who was born in Australia and has lived here for most of my life, some stereotypes, myths and perceptions about Australians ring true. And some don’t.

Australia is a diverse country, with the outback and city side by side as I wrote in this blog post about the geographic land of Oz itself. Naturally, Australians are a pretty diverse bunch in general, diverse in terms of what they like, the way they choose to live their lives and who they chose to be.

Australia, a land where Australians are all shapes, sizes and personalities | Weekly Photo Challenge: Ambience.

There is the tendency to think of the average, person-next-door Australian like this:

Continue reading →

Australia: Common Stereotypes That Are So Not True. And So True

Posted on 25 August 2016 by Mabel Kwong

236

There are many stereotypes about the land of Australia. Whether you have lived in, visited or heard of Australia, chances are you’ve come across typical perceptions of Australia in the geographic sense – and come across Australians agreeing with them. And disagreeing with them as well.

Having lived in Australia for a while now, I’ve noticed some things are always predictable about this 7.692 million km² patch of land called Down Under. At times its surrounds surprise me when I least expect it, and sometimes it doesn’t.

Stereotypes are unique to each and every country. Regional Victoria | Weekly Photo Challenge: Rare.

Some of the stereotypes you may know, and some you may have vaguely heard about in passing. Some of these stereotypes about this continent south of the equator also known as Oz include:

Continue reading →

What Are Some Of Australia’s Favourite Hobbies And Pastimes?

Posted on 12 May 2016 by Mabel Kwong

230

When it comes to hobbies and pastimes, Australians have quite a few of them. One way or another, there’s always something we can do to fill our leisure time in Australia.

As someone who works a 9-5 office job, I cherish my free time. Usually around mid-week, I’d plan a few things I want to do on the weekend or after work the following week.

In this world, there are so many places to see and explore in our free time | Weekly Photo Challenge: Earth.

Depending on our personalities, each of us has our own ways of enjoying our spare time and time outside of work.

Continue reading →

What Is Australia’s National Animal? What Are Some of Our Favourite Animals?

Posted on 28 January 2016 by Mabel Kwong

253

When it comes to talking about our national animal, Australians have different opinions on this. Australia has never formally proclaimed or adopted an official animal. Some animals seem to hold more significance towards our country than others and some even are emblems, while others simply popular in general with Australians.

Often we think of a national animal as an animal widely recognisable throughout a country. It can be an animal the majority of a country is familiar with. Some national animals around the world include: the markhor (wild goat) in Pakistan, the giant panda in China and since the 1300s, the unicorn in Scotland.

Many Australians see the koala as our unofficial animal | Weekly Photo Challenge: Optimism.

Many Australians see the koala as our unofficial animal | Weekly Photo Challenge: Optimistic.

I have vivid memories of animals being a considerable part of my life growing up in Australia. As a kid, I always looked forward to trips to the zoo. Perked up seeing Big Bird on Sesame Street in the evenings on TV. As part of my collection of stuffed toys, my parents insisted there was a kangaroo and a koala – both long thought of as unofficial animals of Australia.

Continue reading →

Is It Time For A New Australian Flag?

Posted on 7 January 2016 by Mabel Kwong

205

Some say yes and some say no to a new Australian flag. There are countless arguments for and against this discussion, especially when Australia Day comes around each year and Australians reflect on what our country and flag mean to us.

Our current flag was chosen through a national competition in 1901. 32,823 entries were submitted and a panel of judges declared five entrants who presented similar designs as the winners. That was a while ago. As someone who is lucky to live in an Australia in a time where there are world class facilities and a multicultural population, sometimes I wonder: does our current flag truly represent Australia today?

Sometimes a flag unites us, and sometimes a flag divides us | Weekly Photo Challenge: Circle.

There is a blue ensign and red ensign; under the Flags Act 1953 the former was officially chosen as our national emblem. The symbolic elements making up the Australian flag are the:

Continue reading →

What Are Some Of Australia’s Favourite Takeaway Foods? And Why We Love Takeaway

Posted on 19 November 2015 by Mabel Kwong

230

It’s no secret Australia likes takeaway food, or taking away food to eat at home, work or elsewhere. On average, Australians make 30.5 million takeaway visits each month. With more eateries than we can count around many a corner in Australia, deciding on and picking our favourite takeaway can be hard.

Takeaway food is something I get most days. During weekday lunch hours, I usually find myself wandering out of the office and buying some food from a nearby shop, and then wandering to the park across the road and eating lunch there. There’s something liberating about taking away food and eating wherever we please; where, and what, we eat is a personal choice.

At times getting takeaway feels like a win | Weekly Photo Challenge: Victory.

These days we can take away pretty much any dish and cuisine. Just like the debate over choosing our national dish, Australia’s favourite takeaways change from year to year, and from state to state too. Not much of a surprise since our tastebuds change over time and each of us feel differently about different cuisines.

Continue reading →