GOOD FOOD--BUT DON'T TIP!

A national inferi

Australians have a nation- al inferiority complex! Because their island con- tinent is so far removed from the rest of the world, they depend upon their own books and magazines to a greater extent than we Canadians do. That’s bad?

Many assured me, sadly, that they felt their country to be desperately “lacking in culture” despite the gigantic Sydney Opera House and the sprawling Adelaide Festival Theatre. These complexes are jammed for every performance ~— from plays to ballet to concerts of all

description. Sometimes I got -

the feeling that Australians

mobbed the theatres, not so -

much because they honestly liked the ballet or whatever, but because it is important to show each other that they know what all this “culture” is about.

Ausies are great travel- lers. Most people I met had either been to Europe or longed to go. Europe, rather than North America, was the preferred destination, because, as one young man said, “There’s so much more history and CULTURE there.”

That word again.

Unfortunately, Austral- ians aren't the world’s most popular tourists with the Europeans. Sure, they are polite, friendly, clean and mostly upstanding. However, they have a national distaste’ for tipping that hardly endears them to your average Italian waiter.

“We. aren't a nation of beggars!” insisted my Australian girlfriend. “We

make good wages and don’t need handouts.’” Her husband cautioned me

against tipping in all but

extraordinary circum- stances, in case I might insult someone.

Australians have a nation- al cleanliness fetish. From their houses to their yards to their public streets and parks, everything is groomed to perfection. I think that the worst insult you can hand an Australian isn’t any four- letter-word. Just watch where you use the term “Dirty”.

Next to rugby football, the national pastime appears to be taking showers. Where a Canadian will tell you that they will “meet you in half an hour”, the Australian will probably say, “Just got to have me quick shower and I'll be there in half an hour”.

Consequently, Australian men are the shiniest, best groomed, best looking

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bunch in the world! I'd defy any Other nation to produce so many well-dressed businessmen waiting for any Monday morning flight than you'll see in the Melbourne airport. Because of the mild climate, the development of the leisure suit and light- weight dress suit has been honed to a fine art. Even in a

by Barbara McCreadie

sport shirt and slacks, the average Aussie male would make the average Canadian weep in shame.

Alas, under these peacock feathers lurks the souls of the most unashamed male chauvinists in the world.

Their attitude towards women leans to “she’s a sweet thing but not too

bright”. A women is con- sidered good company only if a group of males is unavailable. Or for the other reason which is best gotten over quickly before the rugby game starts.

Quite likely, this will change as soon as the male population of Australia wakes up to the fact that chauvinism isn’t considered “cultured” any more!

As the feminine of “peacock” is “peahen”, and any of you who have visited the local zoo will know that these are drab birds indeed. Tidy, shiny-haired and neatly dressed, Australian women don’t dig the bright colors and dramatic styles worn by North American women. They don't go for the rump-sprung = jeans, cither. I can't honestly say

that the lack of flaming pink pantsuits is any loss but it does make a statement about the national attitudes.

At any parties I attended in Australia, there was a concerted effort to keep the group “mixed”. Men were seated in every other chair and, obviously, told to stay there. We knew damn well that they were just marking time until they could get down to the serious business

of the evening — getting together with their “stub- bies” (beer) and their “mates” (the guys) and

speculating on the Wallabies (rugby team) chances against New Zealand in the up- coming game.

_ Food, too, has an im- portant role in un- derstanding the Australian national identity. Unlike Canada where we are firmly influenced by the United States in our day-to-day cuisine, Australia has developed a style of “home cooking” entirely unique. Vegetables are emphasized in tremendous variety and the methods of serving are delicious. Expect a family meal to include four plus potatoes. The British in- fluence is firmly entrenched with the inclusion of lots of cabbage and root vegies but the Aussies sauce them, breadcrumb them, cheese them and wine them. Meats are splendid and the servings enormous.

They do some of the nicest things to stuffings (imagine a pot roast split flat and stuffed with spinach, whole carrots, onions, hard boiled eggs and seasodned with parsley and capers!). They stuff everything they want to perk up — veal rolls, lamb, meat loaves, pork chops. Cut it open and you will like find a tasty surprise inside.

Despite some of the best

meals I've ever had in my

life, Australia still thinks that its food isn’t CULTURED! Migawd.

I bought a dandy Austra- lian cookbook:

Passport .

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Easy Family Meals (The Best of Australian Home Journal’s Recipes), Murray Publishers Pty. Limited, 142 Clarence Street, Sydney, Aust. 2000.

It cost me $2 (AUST) but about $4 Canadian ought to handle exchange and postage. It’s a 100-page

Magazine style book. Fun to try some Aussie specialties.

Suzanne Carson

Mall

¢ Bapiand Man tamitin § htenne my

C3 -Sunday News, September 14, 1980

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