The Difficulty of Imagining Other People

After 30 hours of continuous travel from one side of the world to the other, I finally made it to Perth on July 24th at approximately 12:30pm WST. I couldn't have been happier, not to mention, smellier, sleepier, and greasier. I hadn't showered in a very long time. I was not prepared for the toll that nonstop movement takes on a person's body. However, after all that, I made it to my new home, Murdoch University Village. I walked into my new flat and breathed in the wonderful aroma of dead air and dust. Of course I was the first one to arrive. I began to unpack and as I did the first of my flatmates arrived. First impression was good. I'm always so bad at first impressions and I don't think I'm immune to them in Australia. More about that later.

Anyway, looking back at my first week in Perth, I really feel like I've grown a lot since coming here. I know that's terribly cliche and talking like that will only turn me into a hypocrite in the end but I don't care. Meeting people from all over the world, with different ideas and opinions has certainly opened my mind. I like to think that I'm an open-minded person, but I think everyone comes equipped with an ethnocentric mind these days. While our world may be becoming a global community there is still huge gaps in the way people think about each other. I know I'm going to be chastised by me fellow Cappies but I think it really is the fact that it is so hard to imagine the lives of other people. When you live in a single culture for a very long time and become acculturated into the thoughts and behaviors of the people around you it becomes very difficult to imagine anyone successfully living a different way. I've noticed that this mindset is incredibly American. However, when I have taken the time to talk to people from Singapore, Malaysia, Italy, Sweden, Germany, Ireland or any other country, it's so much easier to imagine the way other people live. If I can see a person and interact with them on an interpersonal basis, I can more fully understand how they live. I know it sounds like a simple idea, but when a mind is only fed what it is used to, it is bound to think in one dimensional ways.

Ok, that was my soapbox. Well I guess this whole thing is my soapbox since it is my blog. But I've been getting along great with all my flatmates. There's me, 3 other Americans, a Swede and my roommate is from Singapore. They're all great people and I really lucked out from what I hear from other people in the village with crappy flatmates. I've recently been spending heaps of time with my new Swedish friends. We've taken trips into Perth and Fremantle and it's been so nice to visit with people who are mature and thoughtful. We've had a couple really great meals together and have been teaching each other a lot about our respective cultures.

Fremantle, or Freo for short, is such a cool place. It has lots of neat shops, and a beautiful harbor. I hope to spend a lot more time there over the course of the semester. It will be so nice in the Spring once the weather gets nice. Just sit on the cappuccino strip and enjoy a sunset and a glass of wine. Ah, it will be so nice.

Oh yeah, I forgot to explain the whole 'making bad impressions' thing. Well, let's just say that enthusiasm, Australia, Luke Runyon and copious amounts of booze do not mix well.