Sarah gives me a mini lesson in “Australian” on the bus to Urfa. Sarah, btw, is a 26 year old Australian photographer from Melbourne whose work has been featured in Frankie, Smith Journal, and a number of other publications. She specializes in the strange and weird and has a wicked sense of the ironic. In short, the perfect travel companion. “First of all”, she tells me, “Australians invented the expression: “Don’t beat around the bush….cuz…you know…going around the 'Bush' in Australia means thousands of miles.” Makes sense. If you like someone you call them your “MATE” but if you really like them, you call them a “CUNT”. It’s a very special term of endearment, especially among the male population. A “BOGAN” is their term for redneck. Typically, this person is a tattooed, racist thug who drives a souped up car with a bumper sticker that says “We’re Full” on it and drinks canned beer out of paper bags. A “MILKBAR” is the term for the local corner store which is apparently being taken over by 7-11 which now sells Krispy Kreme to fat Bogan’s out of every shop. HUNGRY JACKS is the local version of Burger King. If you “SKULL” (chug) your beer you might become “BOOZED” (drunk) which could lead you to calling the wrong person CUNT and getting the shit beaten out of you. Australians, especially Bogans, love to fight! That’s all for now. “CHEERS” (hello or goodbye or cheers) you “KNOBS”! (dickheads)   *Sarah’s website: http://sarahpannell.com/