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Category: Australia
Europeans dislike it when Americans say ‘I am Irish’ or ‘I am Italian’. What if Australians and Canadians said that? Would Europeans still dislike it? Or do they dislike it only when Americans said that?
Answer deleted by Quora for violating Be Nice Be Respectful policy. I won’t appeal, but it needed saying. Dear denizens of the Old Continent (Γηραιά Ήπειρος, as Greeks like to call it): You discard your poor huddled masses, and you repay their passed down love and homesickness with sneering, now that you’ve grown fat. […]
How significant is Brooke Burton’s turn as the Australian Bachelorette?
The Australian Bachelorette is about to screen Season 7. Its protagonist is Brooke Blurton, who was a contestant on The Australian Bachelor Season 6. Brooke Blurton is bi, and has has made out with another former female contestant, Alex Nation, on the followup Bachelor In Paradise; so this is her third outing on the Bachelor […]
“What’s Wrong with being sexy?” “No, sex*ist*”
Those of my vintage will recall these two scenes from This Is Spinal Tap: There was something of a reenactment of that on The Project last night. The Project, as Australians know and others don’t, is a talk show hosted by Australian Muslim public intellectual Waleed Aly, along with some people who aren’t Muslim or […]
Nick vs the Dean of Law, UNSW
On the day of the High Court decision upholding the strict interpretation of Section 44i, I posted on the Facebooks: Why am I surrounded in this country by dolts? The High Court passed down the banhammer on the pollies. (Fun fact: turns out I’m as British as Xenophon is.) [False alarm.] The commentators get wheeled […]
Wherein I am not a British Overseas Citizen
So, we’ve had a little constitutional crisis here. The Australian Constitution disqualifies people from running for parliament if they have allegiance to another country, as part of its eligibility conditions. 44. Any person who – (i.) Is under any acknowledgement of allegiance, obedience, or adherence to a foreign power, or is a subject or a […]
I have a 10 minute meeting with the Australian Prime Minister. What should I ask him?
Question details indicate that the original OP is “in my final year of high school in rural Western Australia.” This humbled me out of the smart-aleck answer I was going to give; Ben Kelley’s answer is excellent for this serious aim. … Without that context? “Mal. Mal, Mal, Mal. Come on, mate. Just between you […]
Why has there been so much political resistance to legalizing gay marriage in Australia?
Ah, recentism. As Ben Kelley’s answer reflects, but not enough answers have acknowledged, dragging one’s feet about gay marriage has become a bipartisan thing. Gay marriage has become a flashpoint for the current culture war in Australia; the ex-PM and leader of the conservative faction of the Liberals, Tony Abbott, announced that if you’re sick […]
What are the good and bad neighborhoods of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia?
Kim Daniels’ answer sounds the most accurate to me, as does Sherï Hussain’s answer to Are there really rough neighborhoods to avoid in Melbourne Australia? The question is clearly vexed, and if you’re paying close attention, there’s several things going on (which Stacey Johnston’s answer alludes to). The social dynamic in Melbourne is in flux; […]
What’s it like to study for a master’s in applied linguistics at the University of Melbourne?
Been A2A’d, but alas, I went through the general linguistics programme 20 years ago, and I haven’t stayed in touch. Some generalities: Melbourne Uni has the Language Testing Research Centre, which means that Language Testing is one of the core strengths of the department. The department also has three ESL specialists. The department includes Tim […]
What are the most romantic restaurants in Melbourne?
We truly are spoiled for choice in this town, Miguel Paraz. I did take my future wife for Valentine’s Day to Grossi Florentino our first year of dating. It truly is a high temple of dining. It would have to be, at $200 a person. But the place that pops into my head is Scugnizzo. […]