<
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/nov/13/schoolies-australia-2023-wellness>
"When Eleena Li and her friends finish their exams this month, they’re not
packing their swimsuits for a raucous schoolies trip to Byron Bay or the Gold
Coast. They’re hitting Japan for two weeks of theme parks, shopping and
culture.
“The main consensus was we didn’t want to go to actual schoolies events – it’s
not really for us,” the 18-year-old says.
“In the media they’re put out as constant parties and drinking. We were like,
eugh, that’s off-putting, we want to experience other stuff too.”
In just over a week’s time, Li and her six friends will land in Tokyo after
months of saving, planning to go to Disneyland, Disney Sea and Universal
Studios.
“In more recent years people have been choosing different destinations [to
celebrate the end of exams],” Li says.
“We have other friends going to Japan from different schools. For us, it’s all
about a chance to get out, celebrate and experience a new country.”
For decades, schoolies has been mythologised as every parent’s worst nightmare,
a rite of passage where thousands of newly graduated high-schoolers descend on
picturesque beach towns to celebrate their newfound freedom.
The stereotype is one of binge drinking, sex, drugs and angry local residents.
Then there’s the “toolies”, adults holding on to their youth who resemble
Matthew McConaughey’s character in coming-of-age blockbuster
Dazed and
Confused (“That’s what I love about these high school girls, man. I get older,
they stay the same age”).
But while thousands of young people are still opting for the traditional
schoolies experience, others are choosing leisure and relaxation over partying
and bad hangovers."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
