The fantastic world of Australia

lunes, 28 de noviembre de 2011

Social science and education

Education is the responsibility of the six states and the Northern Territory fundamentally. In the early 1990s, Australia had more than 10,000 state schools in primary and secondary education, with an annual record of nearly 3 million students.

Specialized Schools

The federal government finances the preparatory schools for their defense services, the School of Forestry of Australia in Canberra, and the School of Pacific Administration in Sydney.

College or university

In 1992, Australia had 37 universities among which are two private institutions.

The universities and the Australian higher education institutions offer programs to obtain bachelor's and advanced degrees in a diverse range of fields of study. Australian universities offer programs from Architecture to Zoology.

The diploma is the most common qualification offered in Australia. It also offers specialized research training and career development through Masters and Doctorates.

Certificates are also available university and college diplomas. Diplomas are becoming less common; however, the Associate Degree provides a shorter programin which professionals who wish to continue their careers to pursue a degree.

Australian scientists and researchers have been responsible for major discoveries and technological advances around the world.

The extraordinary diversity of environments with which Australia has is worthy of attention to science, not only here by chance, have developed specific species suchas koalas, platypus and quolls. Australian biodiversity is extreme, and an area so vast, it is not surprising that some species have come to light yet.

To unravel the mystery, the U.S. government has approved an initiative ofEnvironment Minister of Australia, Peter Garrett, who is a total survey of its territory to find new species that biology has not yet discovered.

This is not a survey conducted a few areas, with a few thousand dollars availableand a brief timeline on the contrary, it is extensive coverage of 100% of Australian territory, including areas where being human has not yet set foot, which will run for no less than three years of heavy research and will have 10 million Australian dollars available.

The project, known as Bush Blitz, held eighteen great expeditions with groups of ten to twelve scientists and volunteers, which seek biological treasures, given the extraordinary nature fauna of this country, sure to call attention to themselves.

Bibliography

1. http://www.unisa.edu.au/eas/

2. http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0001/000192/019285eo.pdf

Literature

The first literary works were written by immigrants, explorers and adventurers arrived in the era of gold rushes (1850)

The characteristics of Australian literature are different from the literatures of Canada and South Africa, firstly because there is no duality of colonial languages, which promotes literary uniformity, and secondly, because the geographical remotenessand spiritual metropolis, while promoting national trends, causes a delay in receivingnew stylistic trends.

Poetry played an important role in the founding of Australian literature. Henry Lawson, the son of a Norwegian sailor, is one of the poets and fiction writers of the best known Australian colonial period and is often called the "greatest writer" of Australia. Lawson was widely recognized as the most popular poet of Australia and in 1922, became the first Australian writer to be honored with a state funeral. In 1966, the image of Henry Lawson illustrated the first ten dollar bill australianos.

The first poets Adam Lindsay Gordon are known (1833-1870), born in the Azores and who committed suicide, Charles Harpur (1813-1868) and the romantic and native Henry C. Kendall (1839-1882).

By 1880, national sentiment is accentuated, in part due to the existence of a class,prosperous middle. In the same year appears on the Sydney Bulletin, a weekly that encouraged a romantic Australian and welcomed the crooners who collect the anonymous Bush-inspired compositions.

The first Australian novel, Quintus Servinton: A Tale founded upon Incidents of Real Occurrence was written and published in Tasmania in 1831. Its author was convicted forger Henry Savery English and published anonymously, although his authorship became an open secret. This work is seen as a disguised autobiography designed to demonstrate how his fictional equivalent population was different from the general conviction.

Customs and Traditions

The culture of Australia is rich in both Indigenous and European tradition. The modern culture of Australia combines both European tradition and Aboriginal legacy. While the impact of European settlers on the indigenous population of Australia was, for the most part, catastrophic, there are remaining arts and festivals celebrating Aboriginal life and culture. European settlers brought with them many food and lifestyle traditions, and the Australia of today is a combination of these influences, as well as current American influences. Australian holidays tend to reflect this mixture.

Australian colloquialisms
Australians often abbreviate words and then add an “o” or “ie” on the end. We also like reverse nicknames, calling people with red hair “bluey”, or saying “snowy” to someone with dark hair. Australians also tend to flatten our vowels and end sentences with a slightly upward inflection

Common Australian colloquialisms include:

1. Bring a plate – when you are invited to a party and asked to 'bring a plate', this means to bring a dish of food to share with your host and other guests. Take the food to the party in any type of dish, not just a plate, and it is usually ready to serve. This is common for communal gatherings such as for school, work or a club. If you are unsure what to bring, you can ask the host

2. BYO – when an invitation to a party says “BYO”, this means 'bring your own' drink. If you do not drink alcohol, it is acceptable to bring juice, soft drink or soda, or water. Some restaurants are BYO. You can bring your own wine to these, although there is usually a charge for providing and cleaning glasses called “corkage”

Arvo – this is short for afternoon. “Drop by this arvo” means please come and visit this afternoon.

Australian Traditions

Australia doesn't have many traditions. Attempts to get Halloween off the ground have stalled due to one too many homeowners telling little kids to get off their property or they will see a scary sight. Australia's equivalent of America's Thanksgiving Day is Australia Day on January 26, the landing of the First Fleet of Convicts in Botany Bay.

Family

Families celebrate with relays in swimming pools, water gun fights, or backyard cricket. Father Christmas/Santa Claus is usually pictured in a swimming costume and a cool drink is left out for him by children at night. School is let out a week prior to Christmas for summer break and resumes after Australia Day on January 26.

Decorations

Homes are not decorated as heavily as in some cultures but there are two traditional native plants used for the occasion: The NSW Christmas bush and Christmas bells.

Alimentos:Meals include hot turkey, Christmas pudding, seafood, cold turkey and ham for salads, Panforte and panettone (Christmas cake), mince pies, ice cream

Traditional Australian foods

Alimentos:Meals include hot turkey, Christmas pudding, seafood, cold turkey and ham for salads, Panforte and panettone (Christmas cake), mince pies, ice cream
Vegemite: black spread made from yeast extract plus salt and is spread on toast or sandwiches. Children are brought up eating it from babyhood.

Meat Pie: approximately 260 million meat pies are eaten by Australians every year

Pavola: dessert with a soft meringue with fruit and cream filling

Lamingtons: sponge cake cube desserts coated with chocolate and coconut.

People who live in Australia have the opportunity to satisfy any exigent palate.

They also enjoy their lifestyle and they transmit this satisfaction with other people of the world.

Australia is a country with customs and traditions that people for all the world perceived and translate in just enjoy the life.

Bibiography

1. http://www.everyculture.com/A-Bo/Australia.html

2. http://www.convictcreations.com/culture/socialrules.htm

3. http://www.studyinaustralia.gov.au/en/Living-in-Australia/Student-Safety-Portal/Australian-Customs-and-Traditions/Australian-customs-and-traditions

Food & Recipes

The infinite variety of foods in Australia reflects the diversity of its land and provides for a rich cuisine. In the South, dense pine forests and lush green pastures cover the land that is used to grow cattle and prime lamb, whilst its cold, clean southern waters provide delicious lobster and scallops. Along its length grow citrus, grapes, stone fruits, melons, tomatoes and a cornucopia of vegetables crops for local, interstate and international markets. World class wines grow in the slightly cooler climate of the Adelaide Hills, McLaren Vale and Barossa Valley. Sharing the lower slopes of the hills are apple and cherry orchards, berry farms and almond orchards, whilst the west coast has a wealth of seafood such as whiting, oysters and tuna.

The food culture brought to Australia by English immigrants

English immigrants first settled in South Australia in 1836, in ships such as "HMS Buffalo", a replica of which is to be seen at Holdfast Bay. These folk established themselves on the Adelaide Plains, some gradually taking up agricultural land in the Adelaide Hills. In 1839 persecuted Lutheran immigrants from Prussia arrived, looking to establish their community in a free land, and moved to Hahndorf or the Barossa Valley. My own forebears arrived on the "Isabella Watson" in 1846. These people brought with them traditional English recipes, many of which appear in my own grandmother's handwritten recipe book, such as Stewed Chops, Potato Dumplings and Jam Pudding. They were all simple recipes, not requiring complicated ingredients, and not costing much money, a style of cookery that reflected the modest means of the time. Among the English immigrants were sheep graziers providing prime lamb, others farmed beef cattle and still others became the butchers, bakers and candlestick makers of newly established towns. Many recipes, in hand written recipe books, brought to Australia by migrant women have been passed from one cook to another down the years. These recipes still hold their place in home cooking of today including Lamb Roast, Lamingtons, tasty Steak and Kidney Pies. They have been joined by dishes that have earned their special place in Australian history, such as the Pavlova, Soldier's Cake and Anzac Biscuits, and of course for genteel afternoon teas, the Lamington and Pumpkin Scones.

Damper: A damper is traditional Australian bread, made without yeast, and commonly made on a campfire in a cast iron camp oven.

Indigenous Australian food or native food

For centuries the indigenous people of this country have used the fruits and plants growing widely on the land. Indigenous foods are becoming more widely known and available, being grown very successfully by a group of visionary farmers in South Australia, and enabling the creation of dishes such as; Calamari seasoned with lemon myrtle, Lemon myrtle linguine tossed with local scallops and prawns, Native spinach fettuccine with Springs Smoked Salmon with creamy bush tomato and macadamia sauce, Kangaroo fillet crusted with Mountain Pepper, and served with a pepper berry dressing and fresh leaf salad. Damper is a perfect example of a food passed from one tradition to another. The aboriginal people have traditionally ground seeds to make a kind of flour, added water and baked a kind of Damper in the coals of their cooking fires. Damper became the means of outback stockmen having fresh bread, but using the more traditional flours, and using a camp oven for baking in the hot coals of the camp fire.

In Oz exist a little freshwater crustacean that lurks on the bottom of streams, lakes and in farm dams, they are called Yabbies, Their delicate, sweet flavour and firm texture has won lavish praise from connoisseurs the world over. They are absolutely delicious, and can be used in Yabbie Chowder, Yabbie Pate, or Yabbie Stir Fry with Asian vegetables.

As a conclusion we can say that Australia is one of the countries showing more interest in everything related to cooking, and today, Australian chefs are renowned worldwide, with a long variety of food, seafood and vegetables that make the food interesting and delicious.

Pastime

In Australia there are many activities that make the country a very attractive place, the aboriginal people invented plays that today, in the century of the modernity belong to the society and are part of the free time of many people. The landscapes of Australia creates an only environment where people can interacted and be part, in terms of plays, with the nature that surround it.

Boomerang throwing was invented by the aboriginal`s centuries before the white man came and it is a great Aussie pastime today. It is a lot of fun because once you have learnt to throw it properly, you do not have to go and chase it "It comes back on it's own."

The plays that Aboriginal people create are still in the most played games. Many believe the Australian Aboriginals invented FOOTBALL, 40,000 years ago. A game they called Marn Grook was played with 50 to 100 players. The ball was small in size like and an orange, and is made of opossum-skin, with the fur side outwards.

The Cricket has a great following and you will see the teams all dressed in their whites playing cricket on ovals all over the country and if we do not play we love to watch and applaud our favorite teams.

Tennis is a very popular game in this country you can see couples smashing the white or yellow ball from one side of the net to the other, double's or singles, day and night. Tennis is played in just about every city or town in Australia.

Cycling is another sport that captivates Australians and is practiced in any city. The number of practitioners is large enough, one morning and it's hard not to see the cyclists, either individually or in groups of up to 200 simultaneously. Is practiced in the streets and for both sexes and ages.

The landscapes that surround this beautiful country and the best sunsets make that people stay longer time in contact with nature; the horses are a very good form to be in contact with nature that is why people enjoy the rides.

Horses have been the backbone of a growing nation and very important over the last 200 years. Little wonder then that we love to race them as well.

Australia is surfing nation too, Australian people love swimming and diving, surfboarding and kneeboard riding, surf-skiing, wind-sailing, kite-surfing or just spending time on the beach with mates and friends.

Australia is a country surrounded of ocean and other favorite past time is fishing, has a tremendous following and there are fishing tackle shops everywhere. Great fishing spots are still to be found and all year round you will find kids on the wharfs, mates out rock fishing or sitting in the tinny on a quite river, right up to those that enjoy the big boat OFF-SHORE Marlin or catching sail-fish.

Australians are also very much into family time, spending time at the zoo, aquariums, theme parks or enjoying a coffee at the local café, they even enjoy thong throwing or volley ball competitions on the beach.

Every country has a lot of games where people can enjoy but Australia show that is a country joining with the nature and the beauty beaches that surround it, each game is related with nature or just in the most of the cases played outdoors.

Bibliography

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_sport

2. http://www.bobinoz.com/blog/687/barbecuing-%E2%80%93-an-australian-national-pastime/

3. http://www.portaloceania.com/au-life-sports-esp.htm

Myths and Legends

Myths and legends of the Australian Aborigines speak about Gods that came from the sky, what is known as the "Dreamtime".

In Australia there were many tribes that have their own stories; some of the tribes that were part of this country were South Australia, Central Victoria and people who lived on the north coast of New South Wales and many others tribes.

Myths & Leyends

The Australian aboriginal mythology, also know as “Dreamtime”, a term used to refer collectively to aboriginal religious beliefs.

Most of the Myths and Leyends are situated in places of Australia that have significant meaning for Australian people and for all people of the world that know this country and know that its geography is fascinating and whose remoteness evokes a sense of magic.

These fascinating beliefs about Australia may or may not be true, so true or false here are some stories and Leyends about Australia and mainly stories that talk about its creation.

To emphasize the information about myths and legends, three legends that are very common in Australia

Tiddalik the Thirsty Frog

Tiddalik the Thirsty Frog is one of the stories the Aborigines tell about The Dreamtime, the time before humans. In this story, Tiddalik, a frog, was thirsty, very thirsty. So thirsty, in fact, that he drank up all the water that was in all the lakes and ponds and rivers. Consequently, none of the other animals had any water to drink or swim and bathe in. Seeing this, all the other animals decided they needed to make Tiddalik laugh. If he laughed, they hoped he’d open his mouth and all the water would go back to where it belonged.

The kookaburra, an Australian bird that is known it make a laughing sound, tried first. He told lots of jokes. So many, that he himself started laughing like crazy. Tiddalik did not laugh. The kangaroos went next. They played leapfrog and jumping as high as they do. Tiddalik still did not laugh. Next the frill-necked lizard tried sticking out his frill as far as it would go, but Tiddalik was still silent. Finally the eel slithered by. He twisted and turned himself into all sorts of crazy shapes, eventually tying himself into a knot. That did it for Tiddalik. The big frog laughed and laughed, and all the water went back to where it belonged.

Mirram and Wareen

Mirram and Wareen is another story about The Dreamtime that explains how wombats got their flat heads, and how kangaroos got their long tails.

Before either of those animals had those attributes, Mirram, a kangaroo, and Wareen, a wombat, were best friends. Wareen built a hut for the two of them to sleep in, but Mirram liked sleeping under the stars better and occasionally made fun of Wareen for sleeping indoors. When a cold wet winter storm came, Mirram wanted a warm, dry place to sleep. He banged on the door and asked Wareen to let him in, but Wareen was tired of Mirram making fun of him, so he refused to let him in, claiming there wasn’t enough room. Mirram pushed his way in anyway and slept indoors.

The next day, the two friends woke up feeling awful. Mirram was mad that Wareen didn’t make a fire for him, and Wareen was mad that Mirram was such a bully. Mirram found a large flat rock and dropped it smack on Wareen’s head, squashing it as flat as the rock. That, Mirram explained, would teach Wareen not to be so selfish. To get him back, Wareen threw a spear at Mirram’s backside. When the kangaroo pulled it out, it stretched his bum into a tail a lifelong reminder of his selfishness.

Since then, wombats have always had flat heads and lived indoors, and kangaroos have always been long-tailed nomads.

These two stories reflect the importance of the animals for aboriginal people, the first story talked about a frog that drank all the water of the lake and the second the aboriginal people tried to find and answer about the noombat, an important and strange animal of Australia.

For the Australian Aborigines, the sky was a textbook of morals and stories retold around campfires. They had their own zodiac made of birds, fishes and dancing men and it was the backdrop to their existence for tens of thousands of years.

The next story is related with the topic about the universe and the creation of the nature, men and the astros. All tribes have their own stories of how the sun first came to be and this tale comes from Central Victoria.

How The Sun Came To Be

Early in the Dreamtime, before the sun had begun to shine, there was a young woman who decided to leave her group because the elders would not allow her to marry the lover of her choice.

She went a long way from the tribe and hid in a dry, rocky area. There was very little food and water here and no safe place to sleep. The young woman was hungry, thirsty and tired but she would not give up and return to her people. Then she saw that a group of men from her tribe were coming to take her back by force. She ran even further into the most barren part of the land.

Soon she was exhausted and bruised by branches and rocks, she was near to death but somehow she managed to keep going. Eventually her ancestor spirits became so concerned for the young woman, they lifted her gently away in to the sky world, where she slept peacefully for a long time.

When she awoke she found plenty of food and water and lit a camp fire. She was all alone but not afraid and grateful that she was at last warm and safe. She was as determined as ever to live alone forever rather than return to her tribe but as she looked down on them she saw that most of the men and women were sad that she had gone and her heart began to soften. After a few days she found she was feeling very homesick but now she belonged to the sky world and was unable to return home.

As she watched her people she saw that they were cold. Being occupied with the chores of daily life, they could not sit by their camp fires and keep warm as she now could.

The young woman decided to build up her camp fire and make it so big that it would warm all the people down below as they went about their day. So all day long she built up her fire to give warmth to her people and as night came she let her fire die down as they were then able to sit by their own camp fires.

When she saw how happy this made her people, she made up her mind to light her camp fire afresh each day. Soon her people began to look each morning for her sky-world fire. They were very grateful for the warmth it gave them and they called it 'The Sun'.

As a conclusion we can see that the most of the stories that form part of the leyens and myths of Australia are related with the creation of the universe and their beautifull wildlife showing us the importance for aboriginal people and how they lived in peace with the nature.

Bibliography

1. http://www.crystalinks.com/dreamtime.html

2. http://autraliaysusaborigenes.blogspot.com/2008/05/el-rito-del-dreaming.html

3. http://www.family-getaways-melbourne.com/legends-and-myths.html

4. http://members.optusnet.com.au/virgothomas/space/abobeliefs2.html

lunes, 17 de octubre de 2011

Arts and Music

In this essay I`m going to talking about music and arts of Australia, a fascinating country located in the insular continent of Oceania and offer an incredible variety of landscapes that surround it, but not only nature wraps this country, a diversity of people who lives in this side of the world knows the value of their wealth and roots.

Australia conserves their roots and old traditions and includes new influences in many of their activities, an important aspect of identity that makes the country more interesting.

Today Australia has a rich artistic and cultural scene, where all form of art expression, in special art and music has a strong impact in society because of their variety and originality. Music and Arts represent in many aspects the human senses, because are represented with the bodies.

Australian music
Ingineous music
Australia is a society of many cultures from all over the world. The music of Australia’s indigenous people represents a wide variety of music styles created by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. The music styles range from contemporary to styles that are fused with European sounds. The music of these people has become an important part of the society and culture of the people even though the ceremonies may have changed.

Throughout their lives on earth, they left inseminating power in the soil; they also created, and taught to others, many songs including those recounting the history of their own lives, songs for healing the wounded and the sick, injuring the enemy, including rain, arresting the flood, or causing the wind to turn back.

The most important instrument of Australia’s indigenous people is The didgeridoo also know as didjeridu or didge and was primarily played as an accompaniment to ceremonial dancing and singing.

It was also common for didgeridoos to be played for solo or recreational purposes outside of ceremonial gatherings. For surviving Aboriginal groups of northern Australia, the didgeridoo is still an integral part of ceremonial life, as it accompanies singers and dancers in cultural ceremonies that continue. Today, the majority of didgeridoo playing is for recreational purposes in both Indigenous Australian communities and elsewhere around the world.

One of the most important musician is Archie Roach a singer, songwriter and guistarist, he survived a turbulent upbringing to develop into a powerful voice for Indigenous Australians, a storyteller in the tradition of his ancestors, and a nationally popular and respected artist.

He is a philosopher and storyteller in the tradition of his ancestors, relays and retells intimate real life stories through song that has touched the hearts and souls of audiences around the world.
Archie was born in Mooroopna, north Victoria in 1956, lived at Framlingham in southwestern Victoria and was forcibly removed from his family at an early age.

Folk Music
Indigenous folk music and folk music about Indigenous peoples have been part of the oral tradition within Australian folk music.
In the early days of the Australian colonies, convict ballads and songs became the foundation of Australia's later day folk music and its first original compositions.
Many early Australian singers recycled tunes from England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland and adapted these to lyrics and verse about their experience in the colonies.
The fiddle, concertina, banjo, mouth organ, penny whistle and tea chest were popular instruments.

Country Music

Australia has a long tradition of country music, the early roots of Australian country are related to folk traditions of Ireland, England, Scotland and many diverse nations. His strain of Australian country music, with lyrics focusing on strictly Australian subjects, is generally known as "bush music" or "bush band music." The most successful Australian bush band is Melbourne's The Bushwackers, active since the early 1970s.

Art of Australia

Australian aboriginal is the oldest living art tradition in the world, with paintings in rock shelters dating back over 20,000 years. The art includes naturalistic paintings of human, plant and animal figures, as well as non-naturalistic or "abstract" designs with concentric circles, "u" shapes, and lines.

The naturalistic style, predominant in Arnhemland in northern Australia, is often characterised by "X-ray" art, where the internal organs of animal are depicted. the abstract style, predominant in central Australia, originates from sacred designs used in ceremonies.

Much of Aboriginal art relates to stories of the Dreamtime. This dreamtime is the Creation Period in Aboriginal belief, when important Ancestral Beings, often depicted in the art, may take human, animal, plant or combined forms, and taught the people their laws and ceremonies.

Visual Arts

Painting and sculpture

The visual arts have a long history in Australia and examples of ancient Aboriginal rock artworks can be found throughout the continent. The visual arts have a long history in Australia, with evidence of Aboriginal art dating back at least 30,000 years.

Since the 1970s, indigenous artists have used acrylic paints with styles such as that of the Western Desert Art Movement becoming a globally known 20th century art movement.

The topics in australian art includes Australian Aboriginal art, Australian Colonial art, Landscape, Atelier, Modernist and Contemporary art.

Australia has a number of notable museums and galleries where you can find this kind of visual art, including the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, the National Gallery of Australia, National Portrait Gallery of Australia and National Museum of Australia in Canberra, and the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney.

Cinema

Australia has a long history of film production. Australia's first dedicated film studio was the Limelight Department and was created by The Salvation Army in Melbourne in 1898.

The world's first feature-length film was the Australian production The Story of the Kelly Gang of 1906. After such early successes, Australian cinema suffered from the rise of Hollywood.

Some of their famous actors are Errol Flynn ( In the Wake of the Bounty) and Geoffrey Rush (Shine)

Conclusion

This essay can demostrate the strong influence of the aborigines and how they are include in the most of the expressions of art. The future of the aborgines is questionable because most of the tribes are slowly dying out. As the indigenous culture seems to fade with each passing day, onde can only hope that efforts will arise to help preserve Aboriginal heritage and the ways of the original Australia.