Submitted by Timothy D’Agostino on the 2015 winter session program in Australia sponsored by the College of Engineering…
One of the advantages of studying abroad in Australia in January is that you enjoy their summer season. Depending on whom you ask, that might also be one of the disadvantages. As one of the thirty-four civil, mechanical, and environmental engineering students taking fluid mechanics and transportation engineering this winter, I arrived to scorching 35 degree Celsius (95 degree Fahrenheit) temperatures. Exiting the plane in my jeans and sweatshirt began the bit of climate-shock I experienced, but perhaps we all took some small solace in the prodigious quantities of sunblock and aloe that our group took for the trip. Besides the initial heat, I found adjusting to a new time, system of measurement (Celsius, meters and liters, etc.) and driving patterns (perhaps the most dangerous change for a person accustomed to vehicles driving on the right) would take some time.
After arriving at Swinburne University of Technology, I traveled with some of the other UD students and began to explore the city and orient myself. Lucky for us, Melbourne is a city full of delicious foods, beautiful places and friendly people. As might appeal to someone taking a transportation course, getting around is also very accessible. After changing my SIM card to one sold by a local phone company, I downloaded two extremely helpful apps that allow you to track your train, tram (trolley), or bus and plan a route to your destination. Even though Australia is an English-speaking country, I often encounter interesting quirks and differences in slang that can complicate communication. For instance, I’m still not entirely sure of the appropriate response when a local student asks “How are you going?” which I take to mean “What’s up?” or “How are you?”
Sports can also reveal some cultural differences, as cricket is shown on the student lounge television each afternoon and even a trip on the train introduced me to a brand new sport. After passing by what looked like a basketball court (but with hoops that didn’t have backboards) and seeing a netball association ad, I asked another student seated across from me on the train if she had heard of netball. Lucky for us, a friendly woman in the seat next to me explained that she had played it when she was in high school and shared the basics of the sport with us. In a nutshell, the game is very similar to basketball, but you can’t dribble down the court and must advance to the hoop by passing to teammates. The conversation also reminded me how interconnected the world has become when I shared that I’m from New York and the woman said that her daughter had just left for New York to celebrate New Year’s in Times Square!
As an environmental engineering student, I have also been enjoying the opportunities to observe Melbourne from a sustainability perspective. Public transportation is affordable and extremely reliable and removes countless cars from the roads. I’ve also been very fortunate to be living so close to the Yarra River and the ocean. On a walk along the bike/pedestrian lanes beside the river, I’ve seen a great variety of birds and other wildlife, as well as some storm water infrastructure projects that are working to keep the river clean. I found a place that rents out kayaks, so in the next few weeks I am looking forward to exploring the river and getting a new perspective of the city.
Regions of Australia are water scarce, so I’ve been eager to observe the water conservation and environmental mentality in the city. Art installations remind each passerby of drought conditions through a solar-powered water meter, and garbage (ahem, “rubbish”) receptacles remind us to “Do the right thing” and refrain from littering. On a trip to a botanical garden the other day, I also saw a section called the water conservation garden which had huge tanks filled with reused water that will be sparingly used to irrigate drought-hardy plants. This week, I also learned that Melbourne residents can exchange inefficient shower heads for free high efficiency ones and in my first few days, I have already spotted homes with rainwater collection systems. Young people seem especially environmentally conscious, and each day I head into the city by train, I pass by a building with the graffiti message “Stop Logging our Watersheds!” As the trip continues and I visit Tasmania, different cities and even a national park with my classmates, I’m looking forward to learning more about the interplay between environment and culture and hopefully seeing some unusual animals!
