a friend once described visiting london as “going to grandpa’s house.” it’s similar to america, but things are older, it smells funny, and they do things differently. if london is like visiting grandpa, then visiting australia is like going to a distant cousin’s house!
growing up in america, i thought that many of the things we did were also done in other similar english speaking countries, like england or australia. living abroad has taught me that many of the things i thought were “western culture” are really american culture.
let’s start with peanut butter and jelly! i always thought that everyone in a western country ate this little treat… but no… as a matter of fact, australians cringe when they hear the combination. part of the problem is that when they hear the word “jelly” they think of what we call “jell-o.” i can understand that peanut butter and jell-o might be a bit odd on two pieces of bread. even when i change the name to peanut butter and jam though, they still think the combo is nasty… they eat vegemite though, so what do they know!
meatloaf is another one. while its origins are from europe, and there are many different varieties of mince meat dishes all over the world, meatloaf as we know it today is considered by many to be an american dish. some of my friends here didn’t even know what it was, except for one friend who lived in america for a while. everyone thought it sounded tasty though – australian’s like their meat!
halloween is another one. again, this holiday has it’s origins in europe and is celebrated all over the world. the way it is celebrated in america has taken it to another level and it is very american. it is not as big of a holiday here in australia, although it is becoming more popular as time goes on and they adopt some of the american customs. if you ask me, it’s just all about commercialization. i love halloween candy, but i’ll just buy it after oct 31 when it’s cheaper!
if you know of any others, or if you disagree with what i wrote, please let me know.
