Jackson Pollock and Healthy Harold--who are they??

Current AU time and date: 7:42 pm, Tuesday 5/28/13
Current US time and date: 5:42 am, Tuesday 5/28/13

G'day cobbers! (That's another word for 'friends')

I'm very sorry for the long delay between blog posts, I've been meaning to post for the past few days but have been so busy down unda. Anyway! I just finished a delicious Aussie dinner of chicken schnitzel (also known as 'chicken schnitty'), and now I'm ready to buckle down and get to this blog.

I've been hearing nonstop about these 'schnitzels' here (they're quite iconic). Schnitzel has been on basically every menu at the restaurants I've gone to, there are numerous schnitzel shops in food courts and down in town, and people have been talking about it quite a lot. I've been curious as to what all the hype was about, so my host family thought it was time I actually tried it. I must say, it was very good! It's essentially just breaded chicken--can't go wrong there, right? It's typically served with chips (fries) and gravy, but my host mom just made it with gravy on the side tonight and a salad instead of chips. I put a little gravy on it, but I'm not much of a gravy-person unlike many of the Australians; they love their gravy! So, now I can happily cross 'schnitzel' off my Aussie Foods bucket list. Maybe I should tackle the emu next? Ehh...we'll see.

"The terms “Schnitty” and “Schnitter” are gaining popularity, particularly in South Australia, where the Schnitzel has reached almost cult or iconic status in local pub culture and on local menus." -Wikipedia

So, onto other Australian matters. I wanted to write to tell you all about 1.) my latest American art lesson and 2.) our field trip to "Healthy Harold" yesterday! I'll start with art.

Remember I said I was teaching about American artists, and last week we learned about Andy Warhol? Well, this week I introduced the students to Jackson Pollock. Jackson was a very influential American painter and major figure in the abstract expressionist movement--an art movement that started post-World War 2. He was most renown for his unique style of "drip painting", which is basically just what it sounds like. Drip painting is a form of abstract art in which paint is dripped or poured onto the canvas. Jackson Pollock liked to do so with hardened brushes, basting syringes, and house paint. He would start by putting the canvas on the ground as this would allow him to walk all around his art as he created it. Then, he would let the dripping and paint slinging begin. It definitely is not a clean form of art (my students learned this after we made our own pieces)! Though some of his work may look like he just splattered paint onto a canvas, he said he always had an idea of what he wanted the outcome to be and would not stop until he saw what he wanted to see. He also claimed he had control of his work; it was never accidental. This is somewhat hard to believe because of the many uncontrollable factors in this form of painting such as the force of gravity and absorption of paint on the canvas. He also had to deal with the movement of his body and viscous flow of the paint, but those were a little more controllable. Once all factors came together, he created some pretty amazing art. Take a look at some of his famous pieces:

Looks fun, huh?

Check out this one above ^^ This is called "Blue Poles", and it is actually quite famous in Australia. 

Got a good look at it? Now, tell me, would you pay $1.3 million for that? Australia did! 

In 1973, the National Gallery of Australia purchased that painting at a world-record breaking price of $1.3 million. At the time, this was the most money ever spent on a contemporary American painting in Australia. The painting caused quite the controversy over here, as some people just could not make sense as to why Australia was spending so much money on this piece of art. Here's a picture of it in the National Gallery of Australia:

And now, here are some of our own "Jackson Pollock" pieces!

Here was the start of the demonstration piece I did for the kids

My little Pollocks hard at work!

The demonstration piece once I finished the demo

Awesome student work pieces...

Don't they look great? Jackson Pollock would be proud! 

Now, onto Healthy Harold. First, meet Harold! 

As you see, Harold is a giraffe with his own "life science" center. At his center, students from all over can come learn about different health issues and topics. On Monday, we learned about the effects of smoking. I actually learned way more than I ever knew about this topic! We all know smoking is terrible for you and can lead to a lot of health issues, one big one being lung cancer, but there are also so many more horrible, life threatening aspects to smoking that I never knew. 

In Australia, the leading cause of death amongst any and all drugs (legal and illegal) is smoking. Thankfully, the number of smokers has dropped significantly over the past few years--dropping more than 1 million smokers between 2001-2012 from 24.2% of the population to 17.5%. Still, smoking is a major issue in the country. There have been a lot of laws passed here regarding smoking, many of which are like ours. For example, restaurants, casinos, and public places are non-smoking. They also have some different laws such as it is illegal to smoke with any person under the age of 16 with you, and it is illegal to throw your cigarette butts out the window (many, many bush fires in Australia have been started because of this). The fines for both of these crimes are pretty hefty. Plus the fees of $15 per pack of cigarettes? That's one expensive habit. 

I also learned a lot about what smoking does to our insides--it was all pretty disgusting, and I was feeling queazy seeing and hearing the effects. Did you know there are more than 4,000 chemicals in just one cigarette? Some of which include chemicals found in lighter fluid, batteries, candle wax, sewer gas, rat poison, rocket fuel, insecticide, toilet cleaner, and barbecue lighters. Sounds appetizing, right? 

Here's the kids matching up some of the cigarette chemicals with things they are also found in

Car emission, rat poison, nail polish remover, toilet cleaner...

There's Healthy Harold coming out to answer some questions about smoking!

One of the most disturbing things I learned about was the way that smoking can build up fat and plaque inside your heart's arteries--the main blood vessels that move blood to your heart and keep it going strong--and clog them.

Here is the video they played on this topic. It is a AU anti-smoking commercial. Warning: it is NOT for anyone that cannot handle gory sights. When I said I felt queasy during the presentation, it was partly because of this video. That being said, do not watch it if you don't like to see gross, "yucky", unpleasant things---I'm lookin' at you here, Ashlynn ;) (I remember your reaction during the scissors part in Joey Pigza)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEc-Rsv9pMc 

So, rather than spending the rest of this blog by telling you every interesting, disturbing, crazy fact about smoking and its effects, I'll just stop myself now and leave you with this: Smoking is not a joke. It should not, and cannot, be taken lightly. Yes, it does cause cancer, but if that wasn't enough to turn you off, then go take a look at the other long-term health effects. Not to mention the smell of your hair, clothes, and breath! If you find the time, research more about smoking and cigarettes; I'm still amazed by all that I learned on Monday. 

Well, that about wraps up this post! I hope you all enjoyed your Memorial Day and day off from school! Make sure you thank any current and past soldiers for all that they have done if you haven't already. Sadly, I didn't get off on Monday since that is an American holiday :( oh well, I still participated in giving thanks from all the way across the world! 

I promise I'll follow up with the culture/language blog posts soon. I'm really hoping I can get at least one of those done this week, but it all depends on my school work and your pen pal letters! The students are working on responding, and I'm slowly putting them all together to send over. 

Also, this is my last week teaching :( don't worry though, I'm still going to play 'messenger' and send your messages to and from. I'll be traveling around this great country over the course of the next week and a half starting Saturday and won't be home, so I may not be as fast with the letters (or the blog posts), but I'm giving you my word it'll all get done! Can't wait to share everything I see and experience with you guys once I'm back from my travels! I'm sure that will result in some lengthy blog posts--sorry ahead of time for that.

Talk to you later, fifth grade! 

-Miss Probasco

PS... during the course of writing this blog, I have also been baking a pavlova with my host mom! The first part is done, and tomorrow we're going to finish it by putting the cream on top and decorating it with fruit. Yum! I'll let you know how it turns out and how it tastes!

Aussie Icons

Current AU time and date: 6:17 pm, Wednesday 5/22/13
Current US time and date: 4:17 am, Wednesday 5/22/13

How ya going, fifth grade? (That's Australian for "how are you?" "what's up?" "how are you doing?" etc...)

So, in hsie (history) the other day, the students began a unit on Australian culture and heritage. The first set of things they looked at were popular Aussie icons--things that are iconic to Australia. While I have picked up on some since being here, there were a ton that I had never heard of or known of, and I found them really interesting! I figured I would share them with you all as well. It's crazy how different cultures are, I love learning about the Australian culture/heritage, so this unit in hsie is going to be extremely exciting for me! 

(Note: you may recognize -or recognise as they would spell it here- some of the things from previous blog posts as I have talked about some before. This is a itsy, bitsy, teensy, weensy, tiny list of iconic things in Australia; if I took the time to write down all that I could think of, or that an Aussie could tell me about, I'd be here for months!)

AUSSIE ICONS:
1. Vegemite: "A dark brown Australian food paste made from yeast extract. It is a spread for sandwiches, toast, crumpets and cracker biscuits as well as a filling for pastries." -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegemite  

Many students here enjoy it on toast, crackers, or cheese. Often times, students come to school with "vegemite sandwiches", which are simply vegemite spread on bread with a slice or two of cheese. I've also seen these being sold at sandwich shops in the shopping centers (malls)! 

As you see, it's been bought by an American company--Kraft. 

2. Akubra: "An Australian brand of bush hat, whose wide-brimmed styles are a distinctive part of Australian culture, especially in rural areas. The name is believed to be derived from an Aboriginal word for head covering." -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akubra 

Only a few students recognized this, which told me that it's popularity must be dying with the younger generations. One student recognized it from the movie Crocodile Dundee. 

3. Cork hat: "A type of headgear with cork strung from the brim, to ward off insects." -http://www.ehow.com/about_6529426_australian-cork-hat_.html  

Most of my students knew what this was, I've never seen such a thing in my life! I think I need to invest in one, because some of the insects here really scare me.

4. Weet-bix: "A high-fibre breakfast biscuit manufactured in Australia by the Sanitarium Health Food Company, and in South Africa by Bokomo." -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weet-Bix 

I hadn't heard of these before, but from what it sounds like, they're almost like jumbo sized Mini-Wheats! Some students say they eat 2 for breakfast, some prefer them with Nutella on them. One student explained to me that they also make bite-sized ones (I'm picturing a bowl of Mini-Wheats) that they eat in yogurt or with milk and fruit in a cereal bowl. Interestingly enough, Kellogg's had a play in the origin of these biscuits!  

5. Tim Tam: "A brand of chocolate biscuit made by the Australian food company Arnott's. A Tim Tam is composed of two layers of chocolate malted biscuit, separated by a light chocolate cream filling, and coated in a thin layer of textured chocolate." -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Tam 

I am obsessed with these; they're addictive! I have not met a single Australian yet that is not in love with Tim Tams--in fact, I have friends that have visited Australia before and have begged me to bring boxes home for them! I most certainly am stocking up before I leave. Interestingly enough, the company that makes Tim Tams, Arnott's, is a sister company of the US-brand Pepperidge Farm--whom have bought out the Aussie company. That being said, Tim Tams are apparently available in the US but only in certain stores (Target being one of them), and only between October and March (though some Northern states have them year-round). They also are not called "Tim Tams" in America, but rather, "Arnott's Original". All I know is that I need to find them once I'm home. 

Fun Fact: if you bite the corners off of the biscuits (cookies), they actually turn into straws which you can drink milk or hot chocolate through! Mmmm

*No, that's not me

6. Surfer lifesaver (lifeguard) cap: "Surf Lifesavers are men and women who volunteer their time to provide aquatic supervision all over Australia's coastal environment. Currently Surf Life Saving Queensland has more than 8000 active lifesavers who patrol the beach every weekend through affiliated community based volunteer clubs." 

"The red and yellow cap is an internationally recognised safety symbol and is proudly worn by surf lifesavers so they are easily identified by the public, particularly when they are performing patrol duties in the water. The cap is also worn by lifesavers for their own safety so they can easily be identified by fellow lifesavers." -http://www.lifesaving.com.au/default.asp?contentID=737 

7. Kangaroos! "The kangaroo is an unofficial symbol of Australia, and appears as an emblem on the Australian coat of arms, on some of its currency, and is used by some of Australia's well known organisations, including Qantas and the Royal Australian Air Force. The kangaroo is important to both Australian culture and the national image, and consequently there are numerous popular culture references." -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangaroo

I learned something interesting about the kangaroo and Aussie relationship in class the other day: Australia is supposedly the only country that eats its 'national animal'--an animal that appears on the symbol for Australia (Coat of Arms of Australia) <--Our national animal equivalent would be like our bald eagle on the Great Seal of the United States of America. In fact, I experienced my first kangaroo burger just Sunday night (don't hate me, everybody!). Kangaroos are a lot like deer for us. They are abundant and hunted/eaten much like deer/deer meat. The kangaroo burger actually wasn't bad at all, and I'm a picky eater. Who would've thought! 

The Coat of Arms of Australia symbol

My burger Sunday night (again, sorry to all you kanga lovers!)

8. Emu: "The largest bird native to Australia...There are three subspecies of emus in Australia. The emu is common over most of mainland Australia, although it avoids heavily populated areas, dense forest, and arid areas..." -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emu#cite_note-Davies2-8 

Yes, the birds that I repeatedly talk about because they terrify me. Thankfully, they cannot fly, but they can out run anyone/anything! It is only right that I put this after the kangaroo for 4 reasons: 1. It is another national animal of Australia (their national bird) 2. It is on currency, stamps, and other cultural symbols 3. It is on the Coat of Arms 4. It is eaten by Aussies 

I have yet to have this, and am not so sure I will try it while here. My host family wants to cook it for me, but I've heard it does not taste all that great. I think kangaroo is as adventurous as I'm getting on my food tasting! 

Fun Fact: The emu and kangaroo appear on the Coat of Arms because they are two animals that cannot walk backwards. This is symbolic because Australians wish to always be moving forward! 

9. Holden: "An Australian automaker that operates in Australasia (Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea), headquartered in Port Melbourne, Victoria (Victoria is a state in AU)." -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holden

I've never heard of these cars until I came here and started seeing commercials for them. I have also seen a few on the road. Like the Tim Tams, Weet-Bix, and Vegemite, there is yet another tie to America with this company--it is a subsidiary (sister company) of the US-based company GM. From what I gathered in class, it seems this car brand is dying out due to popularity and prices of other car brands from Japan, China, etc... This poses as a problem for Australia because, if the company closes, it means there will be less jobs for Australians (much like the issue going on with American car companies and workers in America!). 

10. Meat pies: "A hand-sized meat pie containing largely diced or minced meat and gravy, sometimes with onion, mushrooms, or cheese and often consumed as a takeaway (Australian for take-out) food snack." -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meat_pie_(Australia_and_New_Zealand)

I came in contact with these the first day I arrived. The first one I had was a tiny, hand-sized one, but the other night we actually had a bigger, pie-sized one for tea (dinner)! They are very good and remind me kind of like a chicken-pot pie. Australians traditionally put tomato sauce on top of them, but I ate mine plain. A way you may hear many Aussies order their meat pies at--well, basically any place that sells food, is by asking for a "meat pie and dead horse". When said fast enough, and with the Australian tongue, it sounds like meat pie and "tomato sauce". Funny, right? 

11. Lamington: "A dessert of Australian origin. It consists of squares of sponge cake coated first in a layer of traditionally chocolate icing, then in desiccated coconut. Lamingtons are sometimes served as two halves with a layer of cream or strawberryjam between, and are commonly found in South African and Australasian outlets such as cafes, lunch bars, bakeries, home industries and supermarkets." -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamington

This is one famous Aussie dessert that I had yet to have, and when my students and teacher learned this the other day, they just about had a heart attack. I was repeatedly told how delicious it is, and it was decided that I needed to try it ASAP. Today, a teacher brought it in for the class and me! I must say, it was just as good as everyone made it out to be. The one we had, had a slim layer of cream in the middle, but you can also make it/buy it without cream. 

^Here's a picture of the lamington from today!^

12. Pavlova: "A meringue-based dessert named after the Russian ballet dancer Anna Pavlova. It is a meringue dessert with a crisp crust and soft, light inside...The dessert is believed to have been created in honour of the dancer either during or after one of her tours to Australia and New Zealand in the 1920s." -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pavlova_(food) 

Another popular Australian dessert. I had a few bites of this for the first time at a staff meeting at school. It was very, very delicious. So light and fluffy like the meringue on top of a lemon meringue pie--topped with sweet fruits! I would love to attempt to make this once I'm home. I've been told by the family that my host mom can make a pretty mean pavlova, so she's going to teach me how!

Well, guys, I'm going to stop myself there because that is quite a lot of Aussie icons to take in at one time! I told you this would take a while! Hopefully in a few days I'll be able to do a second part to this with the few that I have left on my list from hsie class. As well, I'm due for another post on language because, since my last one, I've heard quite a few new terms and slang words that I think everyone would find interesting! I can't decide which I find more exciting, the language or the culture/heritage icons. 

I hope you all are still awake after that little history lesson of a blog post. As well, I hope you found it as riveting as I did! On a side note, your pen pals have started replying to your letters--if I have yet to get one from you, please copy and paste it into an email soon for me. Ta! (That's Australian for "thanks" or "thank you")

Have a good Wednesday, everyone--you're halfway to the weekend! Me, on the other hand, I'm more than half :) Thanks, time difference!

Hooroo! (Australian for "good-bye") 

-Miss Probasco