23 September: Paris Hilton Hair

Its always surprising when someone picks me out as foreign. I know i sound different, and as much as I LOVE the Australian obession with 80s fashion, i probably look different, I still can't figure out how people know, from a distance, and in an instant that I am not frome here. This is specifically disappointing to me as I struggle to become Australian, but the feedback people give me is wonderful. Stereotypes really can be useful in placing people it seems. I've been told that people knew I was not just American but from which coast and even which state of American I am from for some of the following:


1) my accent (that's pretty easy)
2) my clothes
3) my choice of alcoholic beverage
4) my personality
and my favorite
5) my hair style

Some of those things i just can't change. My accent is significantly weaker than most who come from my state, so its always shocking to hear that its strong to an aussie ear. My clothes, well, most are purchased here in Australia so i'm not sure what i'm doing wrong there. My beverage choice will not be altered, I refuse ;) Likewise my personality. My hair style, well who in the world knew that each state of America is attributed with a stereotypical hairstyle? Apparently mine is Paris Hilton hair. I've got that bicoastal, vacuous, blonde, heiress hair going, or so i've been told. And truth be told, that's probably not going to change anytime soon either. So i guess maybe my quest for Australianness is not really about being Australian in so much as Australians can't tell the difference between us, but rather about knowing why it is, exactly, that from a distance it is clear that Australians think I am foreign.