MasterChef Made Me Do It

In 2021, my wife and I finally attained Australian citizenship, the culmination of a 13-year journey with all the ups and downs you might expect along the way. However, this is not about that journey but rather about an unexpected influence on our decision to commit to Australia - the MasterChef television series.

As a long-time fan of MasterChef, my intrigue began with Gordon Ramsay's American version. However, it was the Australian edition, featuring Gary Mehigan, George Calombaris, and Matt Preston, that caught my attention around the time we discovered our eligibility for Australian work permits. Neither of us had ever been to Australia and we knew little more about the place other than it was riddled with notorious drop bears, we realised we were in for some due diligence. Enter MasterChef.

At the time (around 2015), the American version was all about destroying your opponents, placing obstacles in their path, screwing them at every opportunity. It was a culinary "Game of Thrones" with people teaming up against each other, changing alliances and undermining competition. You had to be a good cook, too, but every opportunity to mess with fellow contestants was gleefully embraced. The Australian version, however, stood in stark contrast. Competition remained fierce, but with a markedly different tone. While eager to win, Australian contestants preferred winning on merit rather than tactical eliminations. The game was on, but camaraderie underscored every aspect of the competition as they frequently aided rivals in times of need.

All of this lead me to wonder if this show was perhaps a microcosm of Australian society. Although the group was self-selected in a way (all the contestants love food and cooking, etc.), they were a vastly diverse group from all over the country; there were lawyers, doctors, plumbers, car detailers (that's a job I didn't know), sparkies, chippies, teachers, the unemployed, young, old, men, women, brown, white, black, and so on and so on. The question I asked myself was if the sampling was good enough to be a fair representation of Australian society. It was a gamble, but we bet on this being the essence of "core" Australia.

Now, as we celebrate our seventh year here, my understanding of Australian culture deepens. The ethos of a "fair go" is pervasive, advocating for equal opportunities but not guaranteed success. Australians value giving a "leg up" to those facing hard times, yet they also appreciate the importance of self-reliance, avoiding a culture of indefinite handouts.

While these principles generally foster a positive environment, they are not without their drawbacks. The tall-poppy syndrome, for instance, is an unintended consequence of this pursuit of fairness. Also, the line between a "leg up" and a "hand-out" can become a political battlefield, often skewed in favor of the affluent.

Returning to our MasterChef-inspired insights, it's clear that Australians are fiercely competitive, and they absolutely will beat you in sports, business, or the MasterChef kitchen if they can. However, their readiness to support each other, especially in times of crisis, is evident in the country's track record of community volunteering in response to natural disasters, showcasing a spirit of community and resilience.

Choosing Australia as our home, influenced partly by a cooking show, might seem unconventional. But as I've learned to navigate the nuances of this culture (while still dodging those infamous drop bears), I can confidently say that living here has been a fulfilling experience, flavoured with unexpected lessons from the most surprising sources.

Although my accent hasn't improved (could you call an Australian accent an improvement?), I am grateful that I'm a citizen of the Lucky Country.