Daily Telegraph: "26 Odd Things About Australia"

While those of us in the northeast United States were preparing for the somewhat lackluster winter storm Juno (at least in New York City—sorry New England), the land down under (including Protima, who is there on vacation) was celebrating Australia Day with parades, trips to the beach, barbecues, and other Australian-y type things. In honor of this day, The Daily Telegraph listed some interesting facts about this fascinating country:

• In 1832, the world's first “flash mob” occurred at a Tasmanian prison when three hundred women convicts bared their buttocks at the visiting Governor during an assembly. "The convicts at the Cascades Female Factory collectively spun around, lifted their skirts and slapped their bottoms at the Governor, Sir John Franklin, his wife and the reverend William Bedford 'making a not very musical noise.'"
• The adorable-looking platypus has venom strong enough to kill a small dog. The venom is delivered via small spurs on their back legs, so you probably shouldn't pick one up and try to pet them.
• For a short period Melbourne was called Batmania after John Batman, who explored the area and negotiated a purchase of 2400 sq km from Wurundjeri elders.  The city was then renamed Melbourne after the British Prime Minister, William Lamb, Second Viscount Melbourne.
• Lake Hillier on Middle Island is pink. Really pink. Although no one knows why, scientists speculate that the color comes from a dye created by bacteria that lives in the salt crusts.

As with Columbus Day in the Americas, many understandably reject Australia Day celebrations (often with protests). One is Chelsea Bond, whose mother is a fifth-generation Australian of English and Irish heritage and father a Munanjahli and an Australian-born South Sea Islander. She writes:

The disconnect I feel on the [sic] January 26 is not a rejection of my mother’s history. Rather, it is a rejection of the privileging of one version of history at the expense of another. I simply cannot be part of the collective amnesia that sweeps the nation on January 26 each year. This amnesia is evidenced in our current prime minister choosing the arrival of the First Fleet as the 'defining moment' of our national identity.

She encourages those celebrating the day to "take just a moment to consider the significance of that place you meet on, and not just since the arrival of the First Fleet."

Calling it Invasion Day, The Vine notes that civilization in Australia began some 40,000-60,000 years ago, and that many see Australia Day as a day celebrating devastation: "When a nation of custodians were plunged into violence, sickness, hunted into a cultural and physical near extinction with devastating systemic discrimination that continues to this day."

To that end, The Daily Life says: "Australia Day will always be a day of mourning for the First Peoples of this country, but it is possible to work towards a positive and more inclusive future."

Australia Day

"Although separated by a great ocean, the United States and Australia are bound together by our robust alliance, shared values, and common culture. And despite the geographic distance between our countries, I always feel at home in Australia...As you celebrate Australia Day, know that the United States stands right beside you as a stalwart ally, partner, and friend."

- John Kerry
Secretary of State

Australians in New York City

I was at the Australian-owned Milk Bar in Prospect Heights last summer eating a delicious Cheddar Biscuit Breakfast Sandwich after I'd just had a flat white at Glass Shop when I thought, Wow, there really are a lot of Australians in New York City. Many others have had this thought too, such as Lizzie B. who recently sent me this Gothamist post, which credits the E-3 visa for the influx of Australians in the city (to be fair, there's also a lot of Australians in Los Angeles). Lizzie B. is herself no stranger to Australians and E-3s as she wrote a very informative post discussing E-3s, H-1Bs, and TNs (which included a super cool chart).

Is New York City the new London for Australians? Maybe. Either way, Protima isn't complaining as she is obsessed with Australian coffee, and I have to agree: it is very good. She loves Cafe Grumpy and Toby's Estate. There's also Little Collins and Bluestone Lane.

Where to eat and drink? Try Little Australia. Or Flinders Lane.

The most interesting Australian import? Périgord black truffles ("...fresh truffles offer a complex, musky and earthy flavour that’s hard to pigeonhole – 'sex' is one of the more out-there descriptors people have reached for..."), grown in Western Australia and served at Thomas Keller's Per Se.

The Sydney Morning Herald: "Save the song and dance mate, we're Australians"

We already linked to English to English, The Guardian's excellent guide to translating between British and American English, and now in honor of Australia Day (January 26), here is columnist Richard Glover with a guide to Australian English:

1. Say the opposite of what you mean. If someone is tall, call them Shorty. If they have red hair, call them Bluey. If the food on offer at that Australia Day barbecue is the best you've ever eaten, describe it as "not bad"...

4. When helping someone out, downplay the effort involved. You may have just helped your friend carry a grand piano up 10 flights of stairs, but - when thanked - the correct response is to say: "Too easy". That's right - it wasn't just easy, it was too easy, as if, frankly, next time it would suit you better if there were two grand pianos involved and preferably 20 flights of stairs.

5. Learn the counterintuitive use of the word "bastard". In Australian English, someone you detest is a "bit of a bastard", while your best friend is "a total bastard".

No Pants Subway Ride 2014

There are enormous and serious issues that divide and separate people and countries all over the world (regarding not only immigration but wars, terrorism, and poverty, among others). Yesterday, however, the world took a deep breath and was brought a little bit closer together (I like to think) by an important event: the annual No Pants Subway Ride. Originally started in New York City by Improv Everywhere "as a small prank with seven guys," the pant-less tradition has spread globally to sixty cities and twenty-five countries with over tens of thousands of participants. The premise is pretty simple: "Random passengers board a subway car at separate stops in the middle of winter without pants. The participants do not behave as if they know each other, and they all wear winter coats, hats, scarves, and gloves. The only unusual thing is their lack of pants." RT reports here, CNN has a slideshow, and the Aussies also got into the action. As did Bangalore, Bejing, Hong Kong, Kiev, and Mexico City, among others. Improv Everywhere's video of the NYC ride is below. Enjoy and let there be world peace.

Oh to be Australian, Canadian, Mexican, Chilean, or Singaporean

The H-1B is one of the most common visa categories that foreign nationals utilize to come to the United States to work for a US employer in a professional position.  The H-1B, however, is limited by Congress at an annual cap each year. Currently there are 65,000 H-1B visas available for those with a bachelor’s degree (or the equivalent) with an extra 20,000 set aside for those with a US master’s degree. Since it’s one of the most popular visa options, it is common for more people to apply than there are numbers available. This has resulted in an annual lottery of H-1B petitions. In previous years, the lottery pool has included petitions submitted on the first five business days the numbers become available (which is April 1st each year).  Of course, this often means that unless a foreign national is one of the lucky people to “win” one of the allotted H-1B numbers, she/he must wait and submit a new H-1B petition when the next year’s numbers become available. There are, however, special exemptions to the cap number as well as H-1B-like visa options for certain foreign nationals, namely those whose country of citizenship is Australia, Canada, Mexico, Chile, or Singapore. I examine these exemptions and options in the chart below (click on chart to open in PDF):

Through all the differences between the various visa categories, one thing is certain: it is good to be from a country that allows you options should an H-1B number not be available. In fact, depending on the situation, these may be even better options than the H-1B.