The 2010 UCI Road World Championships are being held in my hometown of Geelong, the first time the championships have been held in the Southern Hemisphere.
Today marks the final day of the 2010 UCI Road World Championships, being held in the small Victorian city where I live.
Other than some real fun with my little boy Jamie (as we sat in a bookshop having some chocolate milkshakes, watching the riders zip past our window, making guesses what the people in the support cars were blaring out at their riders -- "move your fat bum!", "my jocks are too tight!"), the teacher in me of course has been thinking about what this huge event could mean for class discussions next week with my (new) migrant and refugee learners.
Aside from the fact that so many countries are represented at the event (potentially a talking point -- but mainly, I think for the learners I have from European countries), I don't imagine that many of my students will be cycling fans or for that matter even sports fans.
But the championships and their presence in Geelong make for juicy classroom discussion fodder.
First of all, there is the tourism and marketing perspective, and I think the video below (besides showing off Phil Liggett's brilliant talent for getting to know and charming his way into the hearts of locals when he travels around the world covering cycling events) will be an interesting starting point.
Quite a good example of how to tap into your average Australian's parochial passion for its sporting stars, but there are also some good shots of Geelong and surrounds that could be interesting to talk about (including the fact that there is a lot more to see in Geelong, and not all of it looks as lovely as this!).
But beyond that, what will be REALLY juicy for classroom discussion will be the impact this event is having on the ordinary lives of Geelong's residents.
It's exciting, sure, but also absolutely inconvenient on a fairly massive scale. The course tracks -- lasting from last Tuesday through today -- have cut the city into three sections, completely sealed off from one another. What used to be a 10-minute drive to the supermarket has become a 30-minute drive as we negotiate all the detours. On a couple of particularly busy days last week, we had to keep our boy home from kindergarten, as it was going to take nearly an hour of driving each way (normally a 15 minute run). Entire bus routes have had to be temporarily moved, and it is almost impossible to drive into the central business district (where all the shopping malls are), much less park in a position that is convenient for a family with two young children. Entire streets (those taken over for the track or in close proximity to them) have been sealed off, which meant a large number of people couldn't even get their cars out of their own driveways.
And they're just some of the things I've noticed so far. I wonder what the impact has been like for many of my students -- especially those reliant on public transport and services based in the city.
There are also major local issues being raised -- for example, the reports that businesses and retailers in the city have been seeing reductions of 60-90% in business for the duration of the event.
And yes, it appears certain local retailers (or an association of them, at any rate) have decided to sue the city council, for going ahead with the event plans without doing any consulting with local business owners and charting sections of course track that completely sealed them off.
Event organisers have told the whining locals to put a sock in it and remember that the event is going to be broadcast to 400 million people worldwide, effectively putting Geelong and its region on the world map. That will be another interesting perspective to discuss with the learners.
So, lots for me to talk about with my classes next week -- and hardly any of it (I think) to do with actual cycling as a sport.
But it will at least be a chance to show my learners the common local slang phrase "On ya bike..." -- which can be variously interpreted (according to situation) as meaning "better get started, then" or "piss off, mate."
Oh, and I also dug up this video, of my favourite Australian cyclist (Robbie McEwan) and his mischievous attempts to convince Lance Armstrong to come Down Under for this championship.
I think it will be brilliant for showcasing casual Australian language in use!
Right -- on ya bike then (said here in the more neutral "let's get started then" sense!).
:-D
