Remembrance day and other observations...today on 11/11 Australia also commemorates remembrance day in recognition of the end of World War I (the great war.) Unlike the US, Australia has been less involved in other wars. Still the original Armistice day was renamed to include all fallen soldiers. To me it is however interesting to reflect about the different emphasis Remembrance Day carries compared to Veterans' Day.
The interesting custom is that during this week more and more people were walking around with red flowers on their suites. On my question I learned that volunteers were selling the red poppies as a way to raise funds for veterans. I had a hard time finding where to buy mine but ultimately succeeded.
Unlike in the UK this day is not a public holiday so I ended up working and missed the parade.
Life in the Streets...is something very normal in Melbourne. As I walked back to the apartment around 19:30 the air was nicely warm and the street full of people going for dinner or just having a drink in one of the many coffee stores. This reminded me so much of Switzerland. In both Basel and Zurich people love to hang out in the streets. In Phoenix street activities are not really part of the culture.
Smoking...is very real here and so is drinking. After ten years in the US I am no longer used to a large number of people smoking outdoors. Even less am I used to a lot of kids smoking. In the streets of Melbourne it is prevalent.
Rowing is in...and so I see lots of people rowing up and down the Yarra river when I leave in the morning as well as when I come back. This seems to be some sort of a popular sport.