Same, but different.

Everything is the USA is different to Australia. Everything. But at the same time it's all just the same.

For example, take TV. We have Comcast cable TV at home (it came with the apartment) with some 80 channels. At home, we have 5 channels (7, 9, 10, ABC and SBS). That's quite a bit different. Yet why is it so that there is often nothing on TV worth watching either here or in Australia? :-)

Same with politics. People don't like what Bush has done, but don't like what Kerry stands for. Substitute Howard for Bush, and Latham for Kerry and it's just the same. Even the election result is likely to be the same - the conservatives will be returned. So how are they different? The Australian elections showed that Australia has a vibrant upper house with multiple party representation, where minority views can get aired (e.g. the emergence of the Greens and Family First parties), whereas in the USA it's strictly a 2 party system, and where there is even less difference between the parties. I think Australia's system is better.

There's also the difference in service industries. In the USA walk into a shop and the staff bend over backwards to help you. It's quite a contrast to Australia when sales staff can be even rude (in comparison) to potential buyers. It's been quite an eye-opener for me. Of course the shops are all the same in both places - trying to make you want to buy stuff that you don't really need.

Church is different too - we visited Willow Creek this past weekend and had a great time, just like at our home church back in Australia. Both churches are trying to reach out to their communities, and present a message relevant for today. They are different though on scale. Willow Creek is enormous.

Even light switches are different. Up is on in the USA and off in Australia, and vice versa :-)

travel/chicago | 21 Oct 2004 | #