ANZAC Day (and Some Tangents)

Today is ANZAC Day, which marks Australia's victorious defeat at the hands of the Turks after a minor navigational miscalculation landed them upon the fateful shores of Gallipoli during World War I. After spending the morning in somber reflection and respectful remembrance, Australia further commemorates the occasion by eating cookies, gambling on coin tosses, and drinking huge amounts of beer. Huge amounts of beer.

This our third ANZAC Day in Australia, which gives us the odd sensation of having some personal history here. Our first ANZAC Day (during our two month scouting mission prior to our relocation) was spent in the neighboring state of Victoria, birthplace of Australian Rules Football. In Victoria, the highlight of ANZAC Day is the annual rivalry between The Collingwood Magpies and The Essendon Bombers. For whatever reason, Aussie Rules Football is largely ignored in New South Wales (and the rest of the country for that matter) where Rugby League is the preferred sport.

Which brings to mind one of those peculiar differences in language that frequently results in much sniggering at the expense of Americans. Although the US is certainly cognizant of multiple connotations of "root", it is typically the word of choice when one wishes to express one's enthusiastic support for a particular sporting franchise. However, employing such phrases as "I root for The Rabbitohs" takes athletic dedication to an entirely new level.

And since I have completely lost the point I was intending to make with this article, allow me to conclude with another piece of linguistic advice. If the sealant in your bathroom needs replacing, be sure to ask your apartment manager to fix the 'silicone', because you will get some mighty funny looks when you barge into his office complaining about the caulk in your bathtub.