Frog for a While: November 2007

Now. So far I guess this blog has been pretty useless. That is to say, there haven’t really been many lessons thrown in. So this is the time for a quick lesson. A lesson for any Australian going over seas for a period of time with the intent of mingling with the locals. – Be they German, Croatian or “heaven forbid,” the Frogs.

Before coming over to France, the Education abroad Faculty over at Deakin, Geelong sat all the prospective exchangers down in a lecture room with, amongst many other colourful A4 sheets to fill out, a list of questions.

This list of questions had been put together by the University as a means of making sure each student was fully aware of the social, political and religious circumstances they were going to be putting themselves into overseas.

For example . . .

What is the name of the current Prime Minister / President of the country you will be living in? –Sarkozy.

What is the prominent religion of the country you are travelling to? - Partly catholic, also partly agnostic, with a sprinkling of Muslim and Judaism.

What is the Capital City of the Country? – Paris. Easy.

What currency is used in the country? – Euro. Next question . . ..

The point I’m setting out to make is this. These questions can very simply be answered in the first 5 minutes of getting into the country. Or the airport, or even just while the plane is taxying into the arrival area or, if you’re like me and appreciate a little in-flight entertainment, somewhere over Kabul while you’re chasing the night sky around the earth’s horizon.

So. Sure. Learn these things. But if you get to the foreign country, and you know the name of the currency, and the president, but you can’t answer how many unprovoked shark attacks occur at Australian beaches every year (about 10, with one or 2 fatalities) then you will definitely be in trouble.

The other day, ready to try and answer another ridiculously difficult question about the geometry of surfaces, one of my professors instead asked me how many poisonous snakes we have in Australia, and “how deadly they are” … ( as it turned out - an equally, or even more difficult question to answer than the possible geometry-based one ) - five main types, the Brown snake causing the most fatalities : But you should keep in mind that while our snakes may be incredibly venomous, they haven’t spent enough time next to humans in evolution to develop un-provoked human offensive behaviour. – The aboriginals largely hunted the tranquil or non-active species, leaving the “cheeky” types well alone – So they will probably only bite you if you step on them. … Drunk. – or if you are a mouse.

Another one worth working into conversation is the difference between a monotreme and a marsupial ( Monotreme: mammal that lays eggs, Marsupial: mammal that gives birth to live young, but rears them in a pouch or sack – also of note: it turns out that Marsupial females have two vaginae, the males having a “double pronged penis”. .. I don’t remember this having been taught at Pleasant Street Primary School…. Probably with good reason.. . Yikes factor.)

It might even be worth noting what “endemic” means.

“ Roughly 85% of Australia’s native plants, animals, and in-shore, temperate zone fish, along with about 45% of our native bird species are only found naturally IN AUSTRALIA. We have a lot of great stuff! !! – And that’s before they start asking about the origins of the Opera House, Uluru, and the amazing fact that our population is only about 21 million people, ( a third of that of France) but we live in a country some 40 times the size.

So. When you go to another country to stay with some foreigners, while they’ll probably find it novel that you know that “Sarkozy” is the name of a president and not a Greek swear word, it’s advisable to read up on your own country: because for the most part, that’s what they will probably want to talk about.

Here ends the reading.

Cheers again, Tim.