Dreamtime 2011: Australia Day/Survival Day

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Australia Day/Survival Day

Hey Guys, its me again!

This is a video I took on the morning of the public holiday known as Australia Day. The holiday is in celebration of the day that the English landed in Australia, however the Aboriginal people celebrate it as Survival Day because they are thankful that they are still around to continue their customs and practices to this day. It was a very unique experience that I felt inspired while watching.

On Australia Day many people wear the Australian flag which looks like this:

However, after watching the dance and then going to the Survival Day Festival I decided that I was going to wear the flag of the Aboriginal people which looks like this:

The colors of the Aboriginal flag all have a symbolic meaning. The black symbolizes the people and the night sky. The yellow symbolizes the sun, and the red symbolized the earth and the people that died.

It is very cool to experience a culture outside of your own and I am excited that I had the opportunity to participate in this and hope I can come back to Australia again, there is so much to see and do we could not fit it all in!

-Travis

No comments:

Cassie Ballering - UW Oshkosh

Hey everyone! My name is Cassie and I'm a psychology major at UW-Oshkosh. I am planning on going to grad school in the next couple of years and start working in a non-profit organization, hopefully something with kids. I'm from Hartford, Wisconsin and I really enjoy playing tennis, working out, and of course I love traveling all over! I have been to about 30 out of the 50 states and I also went to Costa Rica when I was in high school. I have wanted to go to Australia for as long as I can remember and I hope to continue traveling after this trip to learn all about different cultures around the world!

Jessica Chaffee - UW Oshkosh

Hello everyone! My name is Jessica Chaffee and I am a senior at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. I am majoring in Radio/TV/Film and going for a minor in Psychology. After I graduate from UW-Oshkosh, I plan on attending graduate school to get a Master of Arts in Counseling. I’m on the UW-Oshkosh Dance Team, and I have two jobs on campus as a Peer Advising Liaison in the Academic Advising Office and as a Supplemental Instruction Leader for Psychology 101. I absolutely love music, dancing, and rollerblading. I am super stoked to travel to Australia and am excited to see what it has to offer. I’ll be sure to keep you all updated with my experience in the land “Down Under!” 

Kristin Glodosky - UW Oshkosh

Hi 5th graders! My name is Kristen Glodosky. I am a Junior at UW-Oshkosh where I am studying to become a kindergarten teacher. I love to travel and have been all over the world –Italy, Germany, France, England, Switzerland, Austria, Netherlands, and Egypt. I am so excited now to travel to Australia! I can’t wait to hold koala bears and to scuba dive in the Great Barrier Reef! I promise to take lots of pictures to post on this blog! I look forward to sharing all of our experiences with your class!

Jamison (Jamie) Hauser - UW Oshkosh

Hi everyone! My name is Jamison (Jamie) Hauser and I am a junior at the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire. I am a marketing major with an international business minor and I play on the UW - Eau Claire women's golf team. Besides golf, I belong to the American Marketing Association and Athletes in Action (Christian athlete group). I hope to be working for a large corporation when I graduate where I can travel to different countries for business. I am very interested in cultures outside the US, especially Australia! Can't wait to share my experience with you!

Michael Hennessy - UW Oshkosh

Hello everyone, I’m Michael Hennessy and I am an elementary education major at UW-Oshkosh. I hope to one day become an elementary school teacher somewhere in Wisconsin. I am 21 years old and this trip will be the first time I am going to leave the country. I am very excited to experience a new country and to get the opportunity to try new things. I look forward to sharing my experiences with all of you and I hope that when I come back I will be able to come to your class and meet you all in person.

Ryan Nelson - UW Oshkosh

Hey Kids, My name is Ryan Nelson I'm 23 years old and I'm super excited to get out of this winter weather and travel to Australia! I graduated from Germantown High School, I don't know where the time went but I'm now a senior at UW-Oshkosh studying Marketing and will be graduating in May. I'm a huge sports fanatic, every since I was able to walk/run I have been actively participating in all different sports. After college I would like to work in Sports Marketing/Advertising and my dream career would have me working at ESPN. I hope that you all will be able to learn and enjoy this experience as much as I will be. Talk to you from Australia!

Sean Manion - UW Stevens Point

Hi! I’m Sean and I’m a senior at UW-Stevens Point. I’ll graduate in May with a degree in Sociology. Then I plan to attend the Police Academy in Appleton to become a police officer. I currently work as a reserve deputy with the Waupaca County Sheriff’s Department and play the guitar in a rock and country band based in my hometown of New London. For fun I like to listen to music, play the guitar, deer hunt, and play with my dog, Gunner. I’m really excited to be in Australia and look forward to the adventure of experiencing a new culture and all the great recreational experiences Australia offers.

Mercedes Ploor - UW Oshkosh

Hello! My name is Mercedes Ploor and I'm currently a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh. Right now I'm taking general classes because I'm still undecided about a major. I enjoy working with kids so I'm thinking about choosing Education as a major. I worked at a Child Care Center last summer and had so much fun. I'm very excited about going to Australia: I've never even been on an airplane. I've always wanted to travel and Australia is one of the places I’ve always dreamed of going to!

Dani Sobralski - UW Oshkosh

Hey Kids! My name is Dani Sobralski and I am a Secondary Education - Math major at UW Oshkosh. In my spare time, I enjoy playing, watching, and coaching soccer, along with running and reading. This will be my first time traveling outside of the United States and I am extremely excited to be venturing to the 'land down under' to experience a new area of the world. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am so grateful I get an chance to go. I cannot wait to share our experiences with you! Thanks for reading our blog, enjoy!

Travis Swanson - UW Oshkosh

Hi Everyone! My name is Travis Swanson and I'm a Senior at UW-Oshkosh graduating in December 2010 with a major in Political Activism/Policy Change and two minors, one in Social Justice and the other in Political Science. I also serve as a supervisor on the Winnebago County Board and hope to continue on to graduate school to pursue a masters in Public Administration and eventually work helping people in the non-profit sector. I love to travel and learn about new cultures so I am very excited about this opportunity to learn about different cultures in Australia. This photo was taken when I was in Tanzania, a nation on the east coast of Africa when I was studying there in January 2010. The boy with me is Joshua, a 4 year old living in a Tanzanian orphanage.

Brittany Walder - UW Oshkosh

Hello my name is Brittany Walder. I am a junior at UW-Oshkosh. I am an Education major, studying special ed and elementary ed. After college I would love to work at a school and possibly coach soccer. I play soccer at UWO so that keeps me busy all the time. I love playing any sports and hanging out with friends. I am so excited to go to Australia and experience their culture and try new things. I want to go surfing and see the Sydney Opera House. I can't wait to share all my experiences with all of you!

Dreamtime 2011