Thursday, June 30, 2011

A Touch of Australian Culture

Yesterday morning one of my US workmates bounded up to E and I, eager to tell us about his weekend plans to try out a popular Australian past time.

So, what could this be? Vegemite eating... fly swatting... kangaroo riding... koala taming...? No. It was planking.

The first time I heard of planking was on a New York radio show, after the Australian boy died. I didn't really think much of it until my Dad came to visit from Oz, excited to get some shots of himself planking around New York.

Naturally, at first it was humiliating. Wasn't long before I could see the funny side though and started encouraging this (shameful) behaviour.


One afternoon we were in Central Park and I was encouraging my Dad to plank on top of a Waterfall. There was nothing for me to be embarrassed about because we were alone, aside from a group of 12 year old boys with water balloons.



After we got our shot we heard sirens. Our first reaction? "It's the planking police... run!!!"

Of course, it wasn't the planking police... but it was a park ranger... He wasn't after Dad and me though. He called the 12 year old boys over. We couldn't hear much, but we could tell he was scolding them for not being in school. But he didn't let them go. Instead, he called for back up! That's right, back up to deal with a small group of geeky looking adolescent boys. One marked and two unmarked police cars turned up at the scene of the crime.... To deal with kids! Craziness.

Anyway... after this, Dad and I quit planking. Nevertheless I will be interested to see my NY work mate's planking pictures soon!

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