john.robert_mcpherson
69 Farewell BBQ for Palm Beach (Qld) SLSC instructional tour at Waja SLSC, Kuta Beach, Bali, Indonesia. September 1977
69 Farewell BBQ for Palm Beach (Qld) SLSC instructional tour at Waja SLSC, Kuta Beach, Bali, Indonesia. September 1977
No meal is complete in Indonesia unless served with rice. The Indonesians have an inexhaustible appetite for rice and at least three names for it during the growing, harvesting and cooking process. It is their staple as much as meat and three varieties of vegetables was a traditional Australian staple. Oddly, nothing we could say would convince the Indonesians that we were not Europeans. I pointed out any number of times that Australia was on the opposite side of the globe to Europe and that some European cultures were as foreign to me as to the Indonesians. All in vain. We looked European, we spoke a European language and therefore we were European. Rather than argue I left the matter alone. Australians have a very strong Australian identity, despite any cultural cringes that may have or still do suffer. But asserting this would have caused offence without enlightening anyone.
69 Farewell BBQ for Palm Beach (Qld) SLSC instructional tour at Waja SLSC, Kuta Beach, Bali, Indonesia. September 1977
69 Farewell BBQ for Palm Beach (Qld) SLSC instructional tour at Waja SLSC, Kuta Beach, Bali, Indonesia. September 1977
No meal is complete in Indonesia unless served with rice. The Indonesians have an inexhaustible appetite for rice and at least three names for it during the growing, harvesting and cooking process. It is their staple as much as meat and three varieties of vegetables was a traditional Australian staple. Oddly, nothing we could say would convince the Indonesians that we were not Europeans. I pointed out any number of times that Australia was on the opposite side of the globe to Europe and that some European cultures were as foreign to me as to the Indonesians. All in vain. We looked European, we spoke a European language and therefore we were European. Rather than argue I left the matter alone. Australians have a very strong Australian identity, despite any cultural cringes that may have or still do suffer. But asserting this would have caused offence without enlightening anyone.