Expats Healthcare Solutions: Aussie Style

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I got a fat check from the Aussie government this week. It wasn't my tax return. Nor was it a payout based on my rugged good looks (that one's due next week). It's called the Childcare Tax Rebate and it helps offset the costs of daycare. It has the added benefit of keeping my 3 and 5 year olds from being prematurely forced into the workforce (but they can use jobs if you've got openings). Right now there's a huge political debate taking place in the States around healthcare specifically, and the role of government more broadly. Conservatives, generally speaking, want lower taxes and less government involvement in everything save for the military. Progressives, broadly speaking, want better government and see health coverage as a moral obligation. I'm not here to argue which side is right or wrong, at least not now, but I am here to give the Aussie government props for doing a few things right that have made a difference for this American down under.

The Politics of Coffee in Oz

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I remember before the financial crash hearing a comedian remark that he knew the world was in trouble when he walked out of Starbucks, looked across and saw another one directly across the street. After a year living in Oz I now know that we Americans are lost when it comes to coffee. When I started working here last year, I received a crash course in the politics of coffee. Due to a lack of meeting space we often ventured out of the office for meetings. It was then that I learned that you can't just rock up on ANY coffee shop for a meeting. With at least 20 coffee shops within a block and a half walk, choosing an acceptable coffee shop for a meeting is of paramount importance. A few observations I made right away...

Black People in Australia? Where??

After just over a year here in Oz I’ve become accustomed to the fact that there just aren’t many Black folks here in Oz. More specifically, there aren’t many (any?) Black Americans here in Oz. This fact in and of itself isn’t exactly shocking but I found my recent response to seeing and speaking with another Black American to be a bit startling.

Don’t get me wrong, if you walk thru downtown Sydney you’ll pass by a few Black people of unknown origins here and there. We all look at each other with an expression that says “Were we in the Black Student Union together in college?” But then quickly realize “Nah, couldn’t be the same guy, but I KNOW I know a brotha that looks just like that cat.”

Coming to Oz? Bring Ketchup!!

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Among the many things that you must adjust to when moving abroad anywhere is the new vocabulary you need to begin using so that you can fit in at your home away from home...or at least as much as a 6'2" Black American can "fit in" in Oz. The same is true of food as you'll be introduced to new foods that are simply delectable (like my sis in-law's maple cream pie - so good it makes you want to slap your mama) as well as foods that are more of an acquired taste like Vegimite (just plain awful really). I'm okay with trying new things and experimenting. Sometimes, even in my posts, I spell words Aussie style like "colour" or "harbour" when we all know that that's not how they're meant to be spelled. But that's not a fight that I want to take up now. No, there are more important fights to take up - specifically KETCHUP fight...or as they call it over here "tomato sauce".

Parramatta Eels - The Cubs of Oz?

Image via Wikipedia

A couple weekends ago I had the honor of hosting my in-laws for the National Rubgy League (NRL) Grand Final.  Think the Super Bowl of Rugby League without the wardrobe malfunction (unfortunately).  This year's final pitted the Melbourne Storm, who are regulars to the Grand Final, versus the Parramatta Eels, the Cinderella team that went on a late season run that took them all the way to the finals.  As my mom in-law showed up with her jersey on and stuffed Eels doll, I quickly learned that being an Eels fan is kind of like being a Cubs fan.  You'd think that with only 16 teams in the league that every few years your team is going to find a way to win a championship.  Apparently that's not the case as the last time the Eels lifted the cup in '86 Madonna had just stop claiming to be a virgin and Diego Maradona was known for his hand of god instead of his rain soaked buddha belly dive.

Hey Hey Saturday - Oh No They Didn't!

I've gotten a lot of questions recently about the 'Jackson Jive' black face skit on the TV show 'Hey Hey It's Saturday'. I know it's picked up a great deal of airplay in the U.S. so I thought it'd be worthwhile to discuss it here in the context of what I've experienced thus far. For those of you who haven't heard about it a group of guys did a supposedly humourous skit where they were all in black face except the lead singer who played Michael Jackson and wore white paint on his face. How might something like this happen in this day and age?