A picture is worth 1,000 words

Sweaty cuddles at the end of the Frisbee game 

This is an image of sportsmanship, not taking oneself too seriously, friendly rivalry, fun, friendship, and the best part of my normal week here in Australia. This photo has a lot of personal meaning. I have never been a very competitive person, and have never been very athletic or ever played sports. I also hate it when people take things incredibly seriously and forget to have fun and be friendly. However, I have always secretly wanted to play a sport, especially ultimate frisbee. I also believe in the importance of doing one thing every day that scares me and taking chances. I decided to try something new and something that intimidated me so I signed myself up for ultimate frisbee. I quickly realized that I couldn’t have made a better decision. The way the kids go about this game is a perfect example of how I see the culture here in Australia. It’s a social ultimate frisbee league so everyone plays for the fun of it. Yes it is a little competitive and there are playoffs at the end of the season but we don’t forget about having fun. The veterans in the league were nothing short of eager to help us new people and teach us about the game. At the end of each game, both teams huddle together in big circle. Everyone’s shirts are so saturated with sweat it could be rung out into a bucket, everyone smells strongly of body odor, and everyone is exhausted but its okay. The team captain of each team says something positive about the game and about the other team and then the teams cheer for each other. Based on my experiences and observation of Australian social culture, this picture is a perfect example. People here are very friendly, down to earth, don’t pass judgment and don’t take themselves too seriously, and everyone is it in to have a little fun.