(Almost) no Asia in Melbourne Suburbs

Last weekend I was lucky to be able to combine a business trip to Melbourne with a personal visit to my aunt.

The business trip was about an academic network, of which I am the secretary. Therefore I needed to know what is going on, what are the priorities of the network and what issues I needed to push. The second part was far more interesting and included a visit to the National Gallery of Victoria, where our Embassy (represented by me) is trying to set up a joint photo exhibition about our country's darker sides. Exciting!

Luckily, my auntie also lives in Melbourne. Although, strictly speaking she lives right on the northern edges of the city, where the suburban sprawl gives way to small hills, valleys, sprinkled farms and ever-sprawling housing developments.

I stayed with my lovely aunt for 3 days, during which we visited malls, visited more malls, visited a museum and the Dandenong Hills on the East of Melbourne, and some more malls.

Perhaps I had been living in a too urban place (Chatswood) in Sydney, where a pan-Asian population transplant life onto the streets and into Asian shops. Now, living in Canberra in the diplomatic area, I do not get to see much urban life at all. In fact, hardly any life at all. Leafy streets, Australian Federal Police Cars (I live near the US and Israeli Embassy) and quiet dark houses is all I see here in Canberra.

The suburban life in Melbourne was a bit of a shock for me then. When you want to go out and do something indoors you either take the 60 minute train ride to the city or you take a 10 minute car ride to the mall. Actually, there were about 4 or so malls right near where my aunty lives.

On Saturday afternoon, we went to a supposedly upmarket mall in the suburb of Doncaster. This was white young upper-middle class centre. There were hundreds of young suburban families with kids munching on chips and McDonalds burgers. But not only that, Thai, Chinese and also Japanese food was very popular with these "average Australians".

I was disgusted by the food because I could see how tasteless and dull the Thai food was and how old and cheap the Sushi looked. This is the totally watered down version of Asia that the average Australian gets in his every day life.

These observations from a flat endless suburbs with endless straight streets with similar-looking houses, interrupted only by huge multi-storey malls only confirmed my previous thoughts. Namely that the Asianisation of Australia is perhaps only applicable to very limited areas.

The suburban north of Melbourne however is clearly white Australian middle-class territory. This also is a strong indication that a majority of Australians perhaps think of Asia as little more than a few Sushi rolls, Pad Thai and Chinese Noodles. In these massive suburban areas Australia not only resembles but actually looks exactly like America, only with different brands of cars, which run on the opposite sides of the street.

These observations however are by no means representative of Melbourne. Melbourne also has its patches of Asian community and traditions. It has a large Vietnamese community and a tradition of Chinese residents dating back to two centuries ago, when Chinese gold diggers flocked to Melbourne and the surrounding cities of Victoria.

I hope I can have another visit to Melbourne reasonably soon so I can document this city's Asianisation a bit more. In the meantime however, the stale and boring taste of suburbia is still numbing my senses...

Australia and Indonesia. Two very different neighbours? (part 3)

First of all, Indonesia has come a long way. Just a few years ago (until 1998), it was trundling along under the heavy hand of Soeharto. Dictatorships don't just neglect people’s basic rights, but they also establish a tightly knit elite, which in turn entrench a culture of cronyism and nepotism, corruption and then eventually social unrest.
Besides the numerous internal problems, dictatorships tend to also give the country a very bad reputation. It will be perceived as backward, perhaps violent and dangerous.

Indonesia used to be seen as exactly this. It was seen as a dangerous country, on the verge of disintegrating. Indonesia made itself no favour by violently acting against separatism, especially in Timor.
This is the political side, but perhaps far more important is the personal side. Indonesia is still seen as a somewhat savage place, where Australians sometimes get mugged, catch diseases and even get killed.
But the strongest images, which are engrained in almost all Australian people’s minds are firstly, images of fellow country people locked up and eventually killed for the use of minor drugs and secondly, boats full of poor refugees being intercepted at sea or even arriving on Australian shores from Indonesia.

The issue of the boat people is dominating in Australia’s relations with Indonesia, and that by itself is an absolutely overblown issue, which is also hardly discussed on the Indonesian side. Interestingly, most of the boat people are in fact legitimate refugees, mostly from Sri Lanka, which eventually get residence in Australia. This is exactly what a country like Australia should do. We are a rich and open country and we should be welcoming to refugees, whose homes have been destroyed.

Indonesia has recently caught a lot of spotlight as the star of Southeast Asia in terms of democratic reform and economic growth. The country is now a vibrant democracy with a burgeoning civil society. Even though still poor, many people are lifted from poverty and become part of a growing middle class.

Because Australia has been busy with China, America (as always), Japan and itself, only few people have noticed the successes in Indonesia. Typically, Australia is trading far more with New Zealand, a country of 4 million with a far smaller economy than Indonesia, than with the 220 million archipelago to the north.

This doesn't just tell us an economic story, it also tells us a story of identity. The reason is relatively simple. Australia feels much more at ease dealing, trading and working together with New Zealanders. Hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders have moved to Australia and vice versa too. They speak the same language (nearly) and have a similar past – and also present.
Indonesians on the other hand are perceived as very different. I am actually not even sure if the people as such have a bad reputation, I moreover think they have NO reputation. The knowledge and interest of Australia in Indonesia is very limited. The official Australia, even though always ready to emphasise its importance, sees Indonesia through a lense of problems: people smuggling, terrorism, religious extremism, thereby hugely patronizing its neighbour.

Indonesia in the meantime now wants to be recognized as an equal partner, and recently, the Australia media have taken up this point, with some even arguing that Australia may even become the weaker link.

Lets see if Australia can start to tackle the ghosts of the past and get used to its new role, not as THE leader of the region but as one of two leaders.

Australia and Indonesia. Two very different neighbours? (part 2)

Australia, having a much larger landmass than Indonesia, actually is home to much fewer people. Roughly 22 million live in Australia, compared with an enormous sum of over 230 million in Indonesia.

Australia’s history is clearly defined by its primarily British heritage and colonization. For decades, it was basically a piece of Britain somewhere in the South Pacific. Its identity is shaped by the notion of “distance”. Distance from its “motherland” but also distance between places within the country. People who moved to Australia (including some of my ancestors) were pioneers, people who were seeking for a refuge, far away from their home, but still among people who look, speak and are alike.

In a way, they lived far, far away from the worries of the world, and Australia was the richest country of the world for some time. Then came the wars. On the one hand, Australia asserted its own identity, detached from the motherland. On the other hand though, the wars firmly put Australia’s alignment where it is now: very closely attached to America.

The wars and the ensuing decades didn't just entrench Australia’s alignment with America and still to a certain degree with Europe (and later during the Cold War also with Japan) but also arose fears of invasion from the north.
My grandma, when she was a young girl in Perth still remembers the sirens going off in anticipation of Japanese air attacks in World War 2. People were scared of the masses of Asians to the north. First they were scared of the Japanese, who colonized nearly all of Asia during WWII, but then later also China and Korea during the recent immigration waves, and of course also the giant and wobbly neighbour, Indonesia.

So, a certain fear of Asians is somewhat engrained in parts of Australia’s identity. Unforgotten is also the success of Pauline Hanson and her One Nation party, which campaigned under a single issue, immigration from Asia. She gave this fear a legitimate and political makeover, and was quite successful for a while with this strategy.

Unlike fears of Japan or China however, Australia’s fears of Indonesia don't necessarily stem from the fear of an aggressive push by a great amount of people to conquer Australia, but rather from the fear of disintegration and “Balkanisation” of Indonesia.
Such disintegration would ensue in chaos, insecurity would reign over the Archipelago and supposedly, millions of Indonesians would seek refuge in Australia. This is the ultimate fear and a definite the worst-case scenario for Australia.

These days, a push by the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, to increase the population of Australia from 22 million to 35 million in a few decades is met with stern criticism.
Warning voices like to remind other Australians that the country is already now hardly coping with infrastructure (traffic, housing), water supply is critical and the arable land areas are shrinking.

Thus, these conservative and defensive voices try to remind Australians of their old Asian fears, being run over by these millions of “yellow people”, with their old (white) Australia in tatters.
In reality, conservative white supremacists have already lost. Australia’s engagement with its northern neighbours, although not in full bloom yet, is blossoming. Increasing amounts of Asians are studying in Australia, and subsequently make Australia their home.
A lot of what has previously been written on this blog is a testimony to the changed face of (primarily urban) Australia.

But whereas Australia’s relations with Japan, China, Korea and also Singapore have not only seen growth in trade and investment but also an explosion in people-to-people links, relations with Indonesia have somewhat stagnated.
Why is that? Why are the official Australia, the business community, and the people at large so enthusiastic about Australia’s relations with China, Japan and Korea but not necessarily with Indonesia?

Australia and Indonesia. Two very different neighbours? (part 1)

Here in Australia, there has been a lot of buzz recently on the Australian relationship with Indonesia. Especially after last week's official visit of the President of Indonesia to Canberra and Sydney, including 7 ministers and 4 provincial governors (!!!) and addressing a joint session of the Australian Parliament, the discussion of the bilateral relationship intensified.

In my opinion, nothing highlights the occasional awkwardness of Australia in dealing with its Asian geography and proximity better than its shaky and sometimes awkward relationship with Indonesia.

Perhaps it's good to have a look at a map of the region first.

Looking at the position of Australia, it's pretty clear which country should be the main partner of Australia. The Indonesian archipelago lies just a few hundred kilometres to the north of Australia and is by far the nearest landmass from an Australian perspective.

Both countries are immensely large and span several thousand kilometres. It takes about 5 hours to fly from Sydney to Perth (on Australia's west coast) and probably about the same time from Sumatra to Papua in Indonesia's East.

Interestingly, the two countries' economies are also roughly the same size (depending on the way they are measured) and both countries are members of the increasingly crucial G-20 group of nations.

The picture painted is clear. Two large countries with large economies. Two regional powers with clout.

That is however where the similarities end - and the frictions in the two countries' relations begin.

At the Thai Temple

Today, i was in for a special treat, a day at the Thai temple here in Canberra. I used to live in Bangkok before for two years, so I am quite familiar with Thailand, Thai culture and Thai people. I have never taken part at a Buddhist ritual though.

Here in Canberra, I havent quite cut my Thai links. I live with a Thai artist, a lady around 50 years old and former wife of a Thai diplomat. Now she teaches Australian diplomats Thai language and culture and decorates rooms with fabric.

This morning, she took me to the Thai temple for giving food to the monks, praying together and finally, sharing the remaining food with the community.

We were arriving late and I was directed in to give the food to the monks, while the Thai lady was finding a spot to park her car. I entered the temple and far from being looked at as a stranger they have never seen, everyone seemed happy to see me. The expression on people's faces somehow even made me feel that they had always been waiting for me and were now pleased to see me finally arrive. There was absolutely no feeling of distance or skepticism. I was instantly part of the group.

The entrance to Wat Thammadharo. Ironically the building used to host a convent...

I think this is one of the amazing characteristics of Thai people. In Western societies I often feel people need to prove themselves to be accepted as a part of a society. That can be the case in the context of personal relationships, friendships but also for the society as a whole.

In Thailand however, you are immediately given a chance. I have hardly ever felt any negativity, defensiveness or even just distance coming from people. There could be a bit of shyness, but this is not negative as such.

After having given the food to all the 5 monks, and payed them my respect with a wai, I sat down and waited for the monks to start chanting. That was the signal to pour water in a bowl to honour the deceased. Then, we started to sing prayers for 8 minutes while the monks were eating their only meal of the day.

As I couldnt sing the Thai songs, I just rested and thought of my time in Thailand and how I miss a lot of places. After the songs, we observed 5 minutes of quiet and then we could finally take the remaining food to the kitchen and share it among the community.

It was interesting to watch the community while we were all eating. There were Thai woman with local husbands, there was an Indonesian Buddhist woman with an Australian Buddhist husband, a Laotian woman with two little mixed baby boys and a Burmese man.

Everyone somehow interacted even though people didnt know each other. The numerous kids were cuddled and touched, picked up and sometimes even scolded by all sorts of other people. At some point, the lady I know just had a baby in her arms and didnt know whose baby it was. Such is the trust among the people.

The local abbot, who said I look like Elton John....

Then, there was also the abbot who came to thank me for coming. He said I should come again, congratulated me on my Thai and remarked that I look like Elton John. And then he started to sing "Candle in the Wind..."

Australia Endeavour Awards

Today, I went to a little function here in Canberra. It was about the Australia Endeavour Awards, which are given to outstanding students from abroad who want to come and study in Australia, but also to Australian students going abroad.

Interestingly, most of the awardees either came from Asia (mostly Southeast Asia) or went to Asia for their studies (I met two Australians who are going to Beijing later this year for one year study and one year internship at a company). These are amazing programmes, not just for students but also to foster intercultural dialogue and exchange, I think.

All the worse then that I was the only European at this function. It was all about Asia, Asia and Asia. A lady from the Endeavour Awards team came to me though and happily said that they have now just started to include Europe too.

Of course this is all again just proof how much Australia is veering towards Asia. It wants to understand Asia better but also improve the Asian people's image of Australia. It is also desperate for human resources, and interestingly it wants to recruit them in Asia too.

Perhaps however, the fact that I was the only person representing a European country at this meeting also shows our indifference to Australia. No wonder Australia is turning to Asia instead.

The meeting itself was a attended by a curious mix of diplomats, (interestingly only from Southeast Asia and the Middle East) award winners and programme administrators. I, being a junior member of an Embassy dont get taken quite so seriously by the attending diplomats, it seems.

The Vietnamese Ambassador looked at my name and function in disbelief and gave his business card to other people in the group, not to me though. It seems that representing a country is sometimes not enough for some people, you also have to look "senior and important".

In the meantime, while the Syrian, Sri Lankan and Vietnamese Ambassadors enjoyed each other's company, drinking several glasses of wine each, with their Mercedes Benz Limousines including drivers waiting outside, I went about my business and made great contacts with Australians who work in the education business. I told them about my country and how we are interested to have more exposure for our universities here in Australia, and they were delighted.

This little function was just one of a plethora of meetings, functions, exhibition openings, presentations and excursions to which all the Ambassadors are invited literally every single day. I dont know how much important links and connections they make during these events but I suspect the food and wine is just as important...

To quote my Ambassador, after I gave someone a choice of 4 possible dates to meet him. "Cancel two of these, an Ambassdor doesnt have THAT much time."

From Sydney to Canberra

Last week, I officially moved to Canberra from Sydney.

Whereas Sydney is without a doubt the Asian capital of Australia, Canberra is a small city in the hills where the predominantly white working class, the numerous Australian public service employees, the large and international student community and the cosmopolitan and slightly reclusive diplomatic communities only sometimes mix.

My perception and feelings towards Canberra after the first week is largely formed by the last group, the diplomatic communities. It's quite amazing to walk past 10 embassies and the Prime Minister's home on the way to work every morning.

Impessive seal of the Philippine Embassy

Fenced gates, waving flags, imposing coat of arms next to the entrances, almost-silly national details, buildings which alternate in style between the mock-home architecture of Indian temples, Turkish mediterranea, American red bricks with white windows and Irish country homes and solidly imposing office buildings (European Union).

In a way, the diplomatic community in Canberra does not quite follow "real-world" alliances and friendships neither geographically nor personally. The embassies are seemingly distributed by pure coincidence.

The Australian Prime Minister's home faces the Italian Embassy. Belgium and the United States are neighbours. Turkey and India's Embassies are right next to the Philippine representation.

The Turkish Embassy in all its mediterranean grandeur

Our embassy is facing the Cambodian and Maltese Embassies on one side and the Austrian Residence on the other.(our real geographic neighbour). However, I have never heard our Ambassador talk about Austria. Instead, he is personal friends with the Japanese and the French Ambassadorial couples.

A touch of the Taj Mahal, the Indian High Commission

All these examples are indication to the fascinating sub-culture of the diplomats in Canberra. As such, the environment I am living in now is very different from the real-life dominance of Asians in the Sydney suburb of Chatswood, where i previously lived.

American classicism in Australia. The US Embassy.

I am very curious if my first observations in this little cosmos of diplomats and politicians will hold up in the following weeks and months. Is there still such a thing as neighbourly and regional love in the lofty diplomatic circles or can I find some sort of regional identity, especially of Asian countries thousands of kilometres from "home"?

All pictures taken from Flickr, user peskiepete