Holidays…Relearning the Calendar One Occasion at a Time

Fun Fact: January 30, 2011 ‘World Leprosy Day’

source: International Holiday Calendar

Perhaps one of the best ways to learn about a country is to experience the holidays that are and aren’t celebrated, and learn first hand how they are celebrated.

It’s been more than 6 months since I first arrived in Sydney to live, so while I haven’t had the benefit of a full calendar, I’ve experienced enough to warrant some observations.

After arriving in September, the first clue that holidays were going to be different here occurred on November 2, Melbourne Cup Day. While it technically is only a holiday in Victoria, the State in which Melbourne is located, there was still a lot of activity in Sydney’s New South Wales.

Melbourne Cup Day is a public holiday... in the middle of the week…to celebrate…a horse race! And believe me, everyone gets into it. Even in Sydney, we began with an outdoor barbeque with free flowing alcohol at lunch, followed by a massive office betting pool that, yours truly actually won! (The horse was named Americain..go figure) And then the party continued across the street at the bar…

Imagine a public holiday in honor of an event that centers on sport and gambling in Puritanical America! OK, you say, the Kentucky Derby is big news in the States. Ah yes, but not a holiday. And why it is always run on a Saturday? Perhaps so that all involved can go to church on Sunday and repent.

OK, so then came the end of November. While it seemed strange that the days were getting longer and warmer, nothing prepared me for the lack of…Thanksgiving! It’s probably the most universally celebrated holiday in the States. Four days of gluttony…the official start of the winter holiday season… braving the crowds to get a deal on Black Friday. It’s such a part of American life.

But here…there’s no such thing. Not even one that gets celebrated on the wrong day, like in Canada.

But then again, be it the US or Canada, the celebration goes back to being thankful for a new life in a new country. I guess a country founded as a prison might not look back so fondly on the first settlements. And, come to think of it, there would not likely be a feast associated with the first meal at the prison commissary. Surely bread and water as a tradition would not survive across generations.

OK, now we get to Christmas and the day after, ‘Boxing Day’. Here, Christmas is THE most crowded beach day of the year. And on Boxing Day, the Harbour is jammed with the spectacle of the start of the famous Sydney to Hobart sailboat race. A week later, experience the awesome New Years Eve fireworks display and outdoor celebrations. Don’t expect to get much done in Australia from Christmas to the end of January. It’s the summer break…think August in France. There’s really nothing like Christmas and New Years here! Much preferred to roasting chestnuts on an open fire.

And the year’s milestones continue to be strange. No Martin Luther King Day, no President’s day. As a matter of fact, the only holiday on the calendar here that seems to honor an individual is the Queen’s birthday, which takes place in June. Since Queen Elizabeth was born in April, I’m not sure which Queen this is intended to honor, and am more baffled that there is not also a King’s birthday holiday, but I guess I’ll just never get the monarchy thing.

Now, we get to Easter. In the states, Easter Sunday is symbolic of new life, including Spring, but it has its place. Not the most important nor widely celebrated of holidays…Guess it’s that separation of Church and State thing. Well, apparently here, that is not such an issue. From Good Friday to the following Tuesday, everything is shut down. It may actually be that this year is an anomaly, as Anzac Day, which honors Aussie and Kiwis who fought in WWI falls on top of Easter, so I guess we get an extra day. Again, seamless blending of Church and State.

As I look at the calendar for the rest of the year, I realize that we will be going into winter now, with no big holidays (other than the aforementioned Queens birthday) to distract us from short days and cool weather. It seems like this needs some rethinking. Imagine how depressing winter in the States would be without Christmas.

So there you go. That’s the year in holidays. Oh, I did miss one. Australia Day (I guess like the 4^th of July) fell at the end of January. Unfortunately, I was in Tokyo for the event, one of the hazards of global responsibilities, as every country has it’s own holidays. And while I’m not necessarily up for celebrating International Leprosy Day, it would be nice for the world to be in sync with one holiday calendar. And I nominate the French to create it!!

Choke me in the shallow waters, Before I get too deep

‘I don't want to move to a city where the only cultural advantage is being able to make a right turn on a red light’ Woody Allen , Annie Hall

Yankees vs Red Sox, Upstate vs ‘the City’, LA vs SF, so let’s just say I’ve had my share of geographic rivalries.

So here I am a couple of hemispheres away, and yet the rivalries still exist. This time it’s Sydney vs Melbourne.

We are down in Melbourne for the Australian Grand Prix. I have been to Melbourne a handful of times, and, let’s just say, I might side with the Sydneyites on this.

But remember, I also side with LA-LA land in the SF vs LA debate, as well as the East Coast vs West Coast debate. I LOVE turning right on red! I might be shallow.

But on this trip to Melbourne, I went in earnest to see why someone would prefer one to the other. Here what I learned.

An Italian waiter in an Italian restaurant told us that he lived in Sydney before he lived in Melbourne, but for him, Sydney was just too shallow. He did not elaborate on why Melbourne wasn't. I need to investigate the relative depth of Sydney Harbour to Port Phillip Bay. But perhaps his comment was too deep for me!

So here’s my assessment:
Melbourne sits on a river that looks like the Seine with faux ‘bateau moches’, giving it a ‘European’ feel. It has street cars like San Francisco. People sit with their newspapers at breakfast like in NY. It has freeways like LA. It has nice bike paths. The weather is unpredictable, cool and wet. And it has Costco. (OK that’s a good thing) I’m not really sure how these pieces fit together. I am reminded of brands that don’t have a clear sense of purpose, and instead copy and borrow willy-nilly from competitors without knowing why.

Sydney’s proximity to the ocean gives it a beachy and laid back feel, even if you are downtown. Sydney is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It is amazingly livable. It has a vibrant arts community. It has the Sydney Opera house, which is as ambitious in its delivery of entertainment and culture as its architecture promises. It never takes itself too seriously. People in Sydney just seem to walk around with a smile on their face. It is a brand that has a sense of self. It is about getting the most out of your life… be it physically, mentally, professionally, aesthetically.

So, for me Sydney’s purpose and benefits are clear. And it’s hard to find a similar experience anywhere else in the world. Yes, we’ve already established that I might be too shallow to appreciate what Melbourne has to offer, but I’m quite focused and happy in my shallowness.

And, while it’s hard for me to say it, I just don’t want to move to a city where the only cultural advantage is being able to shop at Costco. Besides, Costco is coming to Sydney in July…

Shopping and Maslow's Hierarchy

‘Don’t it always seem to go that you don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone?’ Joni Mitchell

So let’s just say that I’ve never made it to the top of Maslow’s hierarchy. And let’s say that somewhere between basic physiological needs and self-actualization, there exists the need to shop. This appears to be my lifetime destination on this silly pyramid.

Anyone who knows me knows 2 things. For me, shopping is not the thrill of the hunt, but rather the thrill of hanging the head on the wall. I want to get the most trophies for the least effort. Thus, as far as shopping goes, I am a creature of habit and a creature of habits. I have my stores, my brands, and my purchase cycle…which is short. I turbo-shop on a regular basis. Navigating through each excursion with a specific trophy in mind. And sales? Please too much effort is required to find the right thing in the right size.

Nordstrom, Niemen Marcus, Anne Taylor, St. John, Cole Haan are usually sure bets for the essentials. I love the Gap for throw-way fashion. And for everything else there’s Costco.

Somewhere between the time we decided to go to Sydney and the time we physically arrived, I found myself in a sheer state of panic. While I don’t want to liken this to any catastrophe in which blood has been shed, it was certainly traumatic.
On one of my routine visits to the Cole Haan, website, I discovered that there were not distributed in Australia. Cole Haan as in Cole Haan Nike Air. My feet have been monogamously faithful to this brand for many years! My closet currently contains over 36 pairs. These are the ‘essentials’ that I took to Sydney (see previous blog on closet space)

Next stop, Costco website. ‘Coming to Sydney in 2011’. Can I survive the hiatus? Doubtful.
Hmmm…I guess this old dog was going to have to learn how to hunt for new game…

Practicing deep breathing exercises, I headed to the Westfield mall…or shall I say ‘a Westfield Mall’. It seems that they have the corner, or every corner on retail.

As I stepped into the mall, I suddenly knew what it is like to be illiterate. None of the logos made any sense. I had no idea what to expect from anyplace! Quality, fit, style. It was all too overwhelming. And the prices…OY!

Hyperventilating into my paper bag, I decided I just wasn’t ready yet.

Much to my delight, a couple of month ago The Gap opened its first store in Sydney. AHHH. Finally…disposable fashion at my fingertips…or at least pretty close. After walking 3 km from home to get there I discovered two unanticipated and serious problems. First of all, The Gap is a Northern Hemisphere company. I had never considered the consequences of incompatible hemispheres on disposable fashion until I saw all the heavy sweaters and jackets on display in December—the first month of summer here!

But much more to my chagrin was the price tag! What were $50 jeans in the US were $110 in Oz. Clearly I was not in Kansas anymore!

Back to square one. Ahh but that night I got on the Gap website and discovered that they now ship overseas from the states. Even to Australia. Ah…I could get around this problem. I found the $50 jeans! Oh, I’m so clever. OK I’ve got all my billing and shipping info in. Let’s see the grand total. Jeans--$50. Shipping--$60!!!

OK, so here I am. How have I been coping?

Besides not well, the answer is that I maximize my trips back to the states. In January, I had a trip to Denver. I brought a near empty large suitcase (the one that I used to carry my inflatable bed and bedding when I moved here). And shipped a whole bunch of stuff, including a quarterly supply of Cole Haan to my hotel. By the way, Cole Haan is owned by Nike. Please note the accompanying Nike stock price graph and my influence on it.

But, I have to say that there has been some upside to this whole thing. Without Costco, we have been buying our fish at the fish market, our vegetables at the vegetable market, and our meat at the local butcher. While it’s pricey, the taste is awesome…ten times better than the mass produced stuff. And, my husband ‘the Mayor’ has a chance to engage in a lengthy chat each day with each of the shop-keepers. When I shop with him, everyone knows his name!

And maybe, just maybe this means that I will learn to move beyond shopping to self-actualization….

Credit Where Credit is Due A Tale of Fiscal Philosophies

Credit. As Americans, we consider it our birthright. One credit card is good. Two are better. What about a wallet full? You need to establish your credit early. Get a credit card when you are in college. Making sure that by doing so…you can secure, you guessed it…more credit. After all, it is the only way to ensure that you can live above your means. The average American household carries a credit card balance of $14,750! Considering the median household income in the US is around $46,000, it doesn’t take an accountant to realize that this balance is not likely to be paid off anytime soon.

John and I happen to be very conservative about the use of credit. We never carry a balance from month to month. Instead, we use our credit cards like cash. So our credit rating is off the charts (in a good way). Of course, in the US, that means that everyone wants to give us more credit that we won’t use. Limitless credit.

‘Please’, the banks say, ‘we want you to get into debt…it’s how we make money. And if you have friends who may also want to live beyond their means,, please feel free to get an additional card for them.’

And, I think about one in every 10 of the credit card solicitations that we get every month is actually includes our dog…

So, after getting our first US credit card statements with charges from Australia, and noticing how the ‘foreign currency’ charges rack up, we decided we needed Australian credit cards.

So, since we have a mortgage in the US with Citibank, we started there. We were summarily turned down for a Visa card. TURNED DOWN!!! Something about we’re not sure what, but clearly, they did not want us to live beyond our means.

So, next I called American Express. I’ve been a ‘member’ since 1982, and due to my business travel and the fact that we use our cards for all household expenses, we have close to 2 million awards points (that we have never redeemed). We have a Platinum card in the US. I figured I had some clout.

‘Oh, do you want to switch your current account to an Australian one? I can do that for you.’

‘No thank you, I would like to keep it and open up an additional Australian account.’

‘Oh, I see. (the vibe on the other end of the phone clearly indicated that wanting multiple credit cards is a definite warning sign of a credit criminal) Well, you’ll have to reapply for our card. It will take about 60 days for approval, if you qualify.’

HUH? Apparently membership doesn’t have as many privileges as I thought.

Now this is getting ridiculous.

As we licked our wounds and tried to get over the indignation, we remembered this story:

Years ago, John and I got our first boat with electronics—GPS, radar, the whole enchilada. Suddenly, we felt a bit invincible against the elements. Then one day, John recommended that we go for a sail. I looked out the window. The fog was so thick that we couldn’t see across the bay. It was then that I sat John down and explained to him that perhaps we weren’t on the same page on this one…that there were two schools of thought. In my mind, the electronics were not there to allow you to get INTO trouble, but rather they were there to get you OUT of trouble, should you happen upon it.

So, let’s just say we got over our shock by realizing that the philosophy about credit in Australia is that it’s about not letting you get into trouble. Use your credit cards to live within your means.

But we still needed a credit card!

So we pulled out all the stops and used our connections to get a friend of a friend who works at a bank to help us. But alas, I was out of town, so only John could get one, as they do not issue cards here sight unseen.

And now, every time we get our mail shipment from the US, we wistfully open the ‘you have been pre-approved for a new (insert card name here)’ letters and dream of reckless spending…

Global Car Brands and Rocket Science

So, how many times have I said that building a global automotive brand isn’t rocket science? How different can people’s attitudes about cars really be?

And, given my experience with cars, everyone always feels compelled to discuss their automotive purchases with me. But my first such conversation with an Australian colleague caught me off guard.

It all started familiarly enough. ‘Yes, I know I should consider a Nissan, they are our client, but the brand is not so cool. My wife just can’t see herself driving one….’

Yes, I had been to this party before. I was just waiting for the next sentence to be about a Honda, a VW, an Audi, a BMW, a Porsche…. And then it came...

‘So, we’re going to buy a Peugeot instead’

A WHAT??? That funky French brand that left the market in the US and no one noticed they were gone? THAT is cooler than a Nissan? I might as well have been talking to a three-headed alien at the Space Bar in Star Trek.

The next week, a friend who has all the means in the world to drive anything, picked us up in his…you guessed it Peugeot. Now I’m sensing a French conspiracy. How could this be happening?

Up until then, I hadn't really taken notice of the cars in on the narrow streets of my neighborhood, as not unlike the narrow streets in my neighborhood in Long Beach, most of the cars had luxury badges. Mercedes, BMW’s, and maybe a few more Aston Martins than at home (blame that on the Brits), but nothing unusual??

Ah but look more closely. The badges are not attached to big honkin’ SUV’s. They’re not even attached to stately sedans. Instead they are attached to little econo-hatchbacks! Little econo-hatchbacks, with little engines that sell for over $50,000! (US or AUS, it’s the same these days) HUH?

OK, you could say the same for the SUV's and sedans, but they're, well, BIG. And all Americans know the value of BIG....cars, houses, not to mention closets, which I previously have.

But I guess at the end of the day, it means that these brands are stronger than the products, which is what branding is all about. And I guess global brands can deliver the same promise in different packages for different sensibilities.

But I’m still going to have to find a rocket scientist to explain the PEUGEOT phenomena to me.