By May Trac, Bachelor of (Primary) education and Bachelor of Psychology
Growing up in a tight-knit Vietnamese community, bowls of Phở, Moon Festivals and lively dragon dances were my tiny bubble within Cabramatta. I was aware of other cultures outside of my area. But, never before have I visited a place as vibrant and unique as Auburn. Auburn is well-acknowledged for its blissful Botanical Gardens and lolly party mix of cultures. Nonetheless, physically experiencing the cultures firsthand will forever expand my perspective as a member of the Global Leadership Program.
Turkish traditions thrive within Auburn. From the shops, community hall, religious sanctuaries and restaurants, a trailblazing reminder of the Turkish community was animated. Our group was led by our advisors into the Cook & Co coffee shop to experience Middle Eastern cuisine for lunch. I tried Middle Eastern cuisine before, such as Gözleme, Dolma and Kebabs. Nevertheless, it was my first time trying the food whilst actively learning about Turkish hospitable traditions during lunch. Simple things such as spraying Kolonyas to cleanse oneself were fascinating, as small differences were large insights into another culture. I enjoyed the fresh citrus scent and bought a couple of different scented Kolonyas, to bring a piece of Auburn back to Cabramatta. The exploration of Turkish cuisine continued within deserts by Gaziantep Sweets. We were offered decadent cubes of baklava ranging from traditional pistachio to biscoff flavours. There was a flavour for anyone and everyone. Displays of fluffy Turkish delights were arranged in towers and it reminded me of the ones I’ve tried from Middle-Eastern grocery stores.
Our group ventured off to the Auburn Gallipoli Mosque and explored the Muslim culture of the community. With amazing architecture and an insightful guide, our group was immersed. I was fascinated by the things I lacked knowledge of about the religion Islam. I have many friends who identify with the religion. Nonetheless, I was unaware of the rituals and aspects they participated in. Our guide educated us on the many prayers Muslims prayed each day and the segregation of women and men in the mosque. Women prayed upstairs with children whilst men prayed at the bottom of a line. This was something I had no knowledge of and was intrigued by. Furthermore, Muslim individuals can only date with the intention of marriage and cannot eat meat unless it is halal. Compared to my own religious and cultural background, their practices contrasted and it opened a new perspective on the uniqueness of other religions. Muslim women had specific dress codes other than just the Hijab. We learnt about their values of modesty and how it can be reflected in the wearing of Chadors, Niqabs and Burqa for women, whilst men wear Thawbs and Taqiyahs. To add, my own religious and cultural beliefs do not have dress codes unless we attend churches. The insight into Muslim dress codes furthered my knowledge of their practices, but also my understanding of the clothes my Muslim friends wore. Hilariously, our guide made a joke about the circular windows decorating the intricate designs of the mosque. The windows were a glossy ruby red with big stars in the centre. The windows represented the colours and symbols on the Turkish flag to pay homage to the Turkish community. However, our guide said that many people mistook it as a homage to Muslim people worshipping stars. Muslim people do not worship stars. Our guide was highly engaging and hilarious.
Overall, no words can express the amount of fun I had on the Cultural Insights day at Auburn. From making new friends, learning about Turkish culture and exploring Islam, everything I experienced broadened my understanding of the world. I came to realise that there is a whole other world outside of my area and even further away from Australia. The world is big, and I hope to explore it more.
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