Wednesday, October 12, 2005

daveawaydownunder, pt 2

this is the cover of Bill Bryson's book, In a Sunburned Country
Last night I finished Bill Bryson's book In a Sunburned Country, and like all Bryson books, it's left me wanting to go there. So I figure, what the heck? I was wanting to move to West Texas anyway, which is remote, and hot and dry, why not go all the way to Australia, where I'll have the added bonus of avoiding all things Bush (George Bush, that is). Of course, what there is for an old Art Major to do? Anything, I guess, involving the service sector (Oh, boy.) I wonder if the digital age has taken over the Aussie photo industry also. So close to Japan, most likely. sigh. And my wife, the (Texas and/or American) History teacher?

hmmm.

Well, maybe I'll move there right after I walk the Appalachians.

3 comments:

Dave said...

It's ironic that you say it's hot and dry down here because at the moment it's cold and raining. But that's Melbourne for you. Hands-down best city in the country, though.

Unfortunately, we have our own little Bush clone, the 'Man of Steel', John W Howard. And if he gets his way with radical industrial relations reform, there won't be any jobs, either. There's especially little demand for American History teachers, at least below tertiary level.

And yes, surprisingly, we do actually get the same technology as the rest of the developed world. What did you think; we're riding around on kangaroos, listening to the wireless, reading by the gaslight before retiring to our bedchamber and taking photos with the old box brownie?

(Close to Japan? My house to Tokyo is about 8210km, Seattle to Tokyo is about 7710km.)

On a related topic, do you think that the stereotypical view of Americans, that they're insular and know nothing about the rest of the world, is realistic?

United We Lay said...

I added you to my Links.

daveawayfromhome said...

@ dave:

Yeah, I figured that you had all the same tech, but as a traditionally trained Photographer I can still hope that somewhere is a place where my skills havent been blasted into obsolescence. As for Seattle being closer, well, I guess I need to go buy a globe.

Americans insular? Why, what could possibly give you that idea? Is it their everybody-be-damned-I'm-doing-it-my-way pig-headedness? Is it their willful ignorance about almost everything? Seriously, I dont remember a class that dealt with world history or geography after about 7th grade (and that, I believe, was just S. America). As a people, we ought to be wearing colored plastic sheaves (coded in solids and stripes so marketters can tell which slot to splice us in).