One thing about Australia that interests me is the emphasis on public transport, especially the public buses and trains. I learned about this mostly through using the public transport and asking various people for advice on how to travel to certain places. For example, I am going on a trip to the Blue Mountains soon, and I plan to take a train to Sydney in order to be closer to the Mountains. There are other cases of me using public transport too, such as taking the bus to various places like the beach. Mostly, I think that emphasis on public transport helps me with my engagement with the Australian culture and nation because it allows me to better travel within the country. Since driving is not something I am able to do in Australia, public transport is the main way I travel anywhere that is not within biking distance. So, without public transport my ability to actually experience the country would be very limited. This means that public transport does not really affect my cultural beliefs and values directly, but it does facilitate my ability to do things that do affect my cultural beliefs and values. For example, I was able to visit various environmental sites, with the most important one being the upcoming Blue Mountains trip. These environmental sites help give me a new respect for the beauty and importance of the natural world. Also, public transport allows me to visit the more urban areas of Newcastle. So, I got the chance to meet more people outside of the University of Newcastle. I think that meeting new people has the biggest impact on my cultural outlook. I hear and learn a lot from these people, and I think that is something that I will take back to the USA.
