9,866 miles apart is the distance from Puerto Rico to Sydney, Australia. I had a great conversation with my friend Joseph Lavell from Sydney, Australia. We discussed the differences in our cultures. Australia is a continent, and Puerto Rico is an island. The climate is similar, Puerto Rico is a tropical island. Therefore, the climate is tropical, and it feels like summer all the time. Australia has a similar environment, hot and humid in the summer, and quite warm and dry in the winter. In Australia, Joseph experienced relatively great weather. The average temperatures top 86°F during summer and a low of 59°F in winter. In Puerto Rico, the average temperature high of 89°F and during the summer and a low of 70°F. Joseph and I discussed that we both wore light clothes because of the weather. We shared our first time having to buy winter gear and having to try on so many different bulky jackets and how overwhelming it was for both of us. The reason was that it was the first time either of us had to wear multiple layers of clothing for the cold weather and we didn’t know how we would cope with the cold. Joseph explained how it took him a long time to adjust to the climate here at State College and how the cold affected his mood. He started wearing more layers to manage the cold. I could relate to his struggle because my first winter in Virginia was hard for me because I got sick and needed more time to adjust to the drastic change in climate. I asked him if he is excited to see snow for the first time since in his hometown in North Sydney it does not snow and he said that we do not care for snow at all. Unlike me because I was so happy to experience snow when though I got sick because of the cold.
Food is a way a nation displays their identity.
Australia ’s vegemite is a dark brown paste made from various vegetables, yeast extract, and spice additives. The most popular way to eat vegemite is on bread or toast with butter.
Tim Tams is a chocolate biscuit that incredibly delicious and perfect to take with a cup of coffee, tea or hot chocolate. Meat pies are one of Joseph’s favorite dishes, very peculiar to me but I want to try it.
In Puerto Rico, I love coquito, which is a coconut-based beverage similar to eggnog and my one of my favorite candies from back home is arroz con dulce.
I like how you added the different pictures to the post because it really brought the post to life. I’ve heard a lot about vegemite and i’m curious to see how it tastes. A couple of my friends have eaten it and said that it wasn’t to their liking but it would be intriguing to see what I think. I think its probably because we are not use to the specific taste.
Another great Australian music group is Men at Work who sing about vegemite sandwiches in their song “Land Down Under” which is specifically about Australia. I really take for granted seeing snow as I grew up in western Pennsylvania, but at the same I’m sure that both you and your friend growing up on an island would take seeing the ocean for granted, something I didn’t see until a few years ago. Its weird how what is so common for some people is so different for others.