Culture
April 23rd 2007 04:54
Category: Guides
Sydney is the oldest city in Australia, originally settled by the English in a move to expand the British Empire. However, compared to ancient cities like Xian, Paris or Rome, Sydney is a relatively young child on the neighborhood block of established, historical cities. How, then, can we claim to have a culture in Sydney, when the city itself is still in an arguable state of infancy?
What Sydney does have in abundance, is a large flow of different cultures into the city. Considered one of the most cosmopolitan cities in Australia, Sydney is blessed by large, diverse ethnic neighborhoods, which combine to make living in the city a totally unique experience.
Ostensibly, the original Aussie culture comes from the shared inheritance of the British Isles, and the customs of the English, Irish and Scottish. The pub culture is part of this legacy, and Sydney suburbs are noted for their distinction in hotels and taverns on the streets. In terms of food, we get the Sunday night roasts and the meat pies, and, naturally, all the major Christian holidays are observed: Christmas, Easter, and Halloween.
It has been argued though, that Australian culture was loath to change, and in fact, prompted immigrants to give up their original identity and adopt an anglicized one. The waves of Greek, Italians and Vietnamese felt this pressure; in order to be adopted into Australian society. Even in Sydney, a multicultural city, the predominantly English and Scottish descendants maintained a cultural homogeny in the city.
After the Second World War, the Australian government recognized the need for greater immigration in order to populate the huge Australian continent. From 1945 to 1990, over 5 million immigrants arrived in Sydney, mostly from the UK, but closely followed by Greece, Italy, the Netherlands and Germany.
This wave of immigrants from Europe has entrenched themselves firmly in the Australian communities in Sydney and Melbourne. With them they brought the finer points of Mediterranean cuisine, and the skills and techniques needed to grow Mediterranean produce in Australia, including the high quality Australian wines. Now, pasta and pizza is an indispensable part of Australian cuisine, and most Sydneysiders have absorbed parts of a European lifestyle, suitable for the hot Sydney weather.
The Asian community is quite prominent in Sydney; the proximity of Australia to South-East Asia has led to friendly agreements between Asian governments and the Australian federal government. As a result, there are large numbers of Thai, Vietnamese, Indonesian and Filipino residents; the recent influx of international student has attracted many Chinese, Korean and Japanese students to Sydney, making the Asian community here very prominent and active.
In fact, non-Asian Sydneysiders benefit from the cosmopolitan atmosphere, too. The exposure to Asian culture has brought incredible cuisine and traditions to be mixed with the old-English culture from the colonial times. Its quite common to see young Sydneysiders eating sushi with chopsticks, or enjoying a hearty bowl of Vietnamese noodle soup, while Asian university students are sitting back with a pint in the local hotel. Cross-cultural transfer is in full effect in Sydney, and the city gains much of its vibrant feel from it.
Modern Australian cuisine, a fine example of culture, strives to combine local produce with exotic foreign recipes. Seafood is notably abundant in all the major cities, with many species of fish, shellfish and crustaceans that are unique to the Australian continent, not to mention the recently popular kangaroo and emu. Modern Australian cuisine fuses these staples with light Mediterranean flavour, accompanied by locally grown herbs and produce.
Its not easy to look at Australia and feel that youre wrapped in culture, but the Australian society has transformed over the decades to become unique and definitive. Who could deny the idea of surfer clubs and beachside BBQs, rugby matches and cricket games to a country other than Australia? The natural environment had a large part in shaping the culture in this country, and while the land was savage and treacherous before, Australians have shaped it into a paradise.
What Sydney does have in abundance, is a large flow of different cultures into the city. Considered one of the most cosmopolitan cities in Australia, Sydney is blessed by large, diverse ethnic neighborhoods, which combine to make living in the city a totally unique experience.
Ostensibly, the original Aussie culture comes from the shared inheritance of the British Isles, and the customs of the English, Irish and Scottish. The pub culture is part of this legacy, and Sydney suburbs are noted for their distinction in hotels and taverns on the streets. In terms of food, we get the Sunday night roasts and the meat pies, and, naturally, all the major Christian holidays are observed: Christmas, Easter, and Halloween.
It has been argued though, that Australian culture was loath to change, and in fact, prompted immigrants to give up their original identity and adopt an anglicized one. The waves of Greek, Italians and Vietnamese felt this pressure; in order to be adopted into Australian society. Even in Sydney, a multicultural city, the predominantly English and Scottish descendants maintained a cultural homogeny in the city.
After the Second World War, the Australian government recognized the need for greater immigration in order to populate the huge Australian continent. From 1945 to 1990, over 5 million immigrants arrived in Sydney, mostly from the UK, but closely followed by Greece, Italy, the Netherlands and Germany.
This wave of immigrants from Europe has entrenched themselves firmly in the Australian communities in Sydney and Melbourne. With them they brought the finer points of Mediterranean cuisine, and the skills and techniques needed to grow Mediterranean produce in Australia, including the high quality Australian wines. Now, pasta and pizza is an indispensable part of Australian cuisine, and most Sydneysiders have absorbed parts of a European lifestyle, suitable for the hot Sydney weather.
The Asian community is quite prominent in Sydney; the proximity of Australia to South-East Asia has led to friendly agreements between Asian governments and the Australian federal government. As a result, there are large numbers of Thai, Vietnamese, Indonesian and Filipino residents; the recent influx of international student has attracted many Chinese, Korean and Japanese students to Sydney, making the Asian community here very prominent and active.
In fact, non-Asian Sydneysiders benefit from the cosmopolitan atmosphere, too. The exposure to Asian culture has brought incredible cuisine and traditions to be mixed with the old-English culture from the colonial times. Its quite common to see young Sydneysiders eating sushi with chopsticks, or enjoying a hearty bowl of Vietnamese noodle soup, while Asian university students are sitting back with a pint in the local hotel. Cross-cultural transfer is in full effect in Sydney, and the city gains much of its vibrant feel from it.
Modern Australian cuisine, a fine example of culture, strives to combine local produce with exotic foreign recipes. Seafood is notably abundant in all the major cities, with many species of fish, shellfish and crustaceans that are unique to the Australian continent, not to mention the recently popular kangaroo and emu. Modern Australian cuisine fuses these staples with light Mediterranean flavour, accompanied by locally grown herbs and produce.
Its not easy to look at Australia and feel that youre wrapped in culture, but the Australian society has transformed over the decades to become unique and definitive. Who could deny the idea of surfer clubs and beachside BBQs, rugby matches and cricket games to a country other than Australia? The natural environment had a large part in shaping the culture in this country, and while the land was savage and treacherous before, Australians have shaped it into a paradise.
| 18 |
| Vote |
