All Posts Written By Amy Chong

“Mate, that’s not a knife…THIS is a knife”.   “Dude! Where’s my car??”  These two quotes are synonymous in film history, but what do they actually mean by ‘Mate’ and ‘Dude’?

Well, having spent most of my life in Australis, the word ‘Mate’ is used in what could be described as a friendly gesture of “I don’t really know your name, but hey there…” It can also be referred to your friend as being your ‘Mate’ or buddy, a way Australians in general like to address each other.  Its origin, like a lot of Australian language and culture, has been derived from the British, especially the sailors and convicts who were sent to OZ during the colonization.  These men and women often spoke in rhyming slang and a friend would be referred to as your ‘China Plate’ or ‘Mate’.

Personally, I think we use the word ‘Mate’ all too often with most people greeting each other with ‘G’day Mate’.  If you think about it, it can be quite presumptuous to say this all the time as you are suggesting that most people you meet are your friend, which isn’t always the case.  It really is a cultural thing and is widely accepted and even revered as our tradition of ‘Mate-Ship’ goes way back to early war days where your ‘Mates’ had your back and would never let you down.

In fact, it was only up until the early 1970’s that women were able to go into what was called ‘The Public Bar’ in Australian Pubs, as the men congregated with their ‘Mates’ and women were relegated to the lounge area or commonly called ‘The Ladies Lounge’ and they had to be accompanied to the bar to buy a drink.  These were the days of ‘The 6 o’clock Swill’ where the pubs were shut at 6pm sharp and men and their ‘Mates’ would rush from work to drink as many beers as they could before closing time.  This often led to binge drinking and so eventually the closing hours were extended.

When I think of ‘Dude’ having only really heard of this being used in American film I immediately think of the surfing culture well reprsented by Sean Penn’s portrayal of ‘Spicoli’ in ‘Fast Times at Ridgemont High’ and of course ‘The Big Lebowski’ and ‘Dude! Where’s My Car?’.

If you’re referred to as a ‘Dude’ it usually means you are cool or…you have it together.  A gesture very similar to ‘Mate’ although its origins came from the 1800’s where city dwellers vacationing on a Ranch in the west, were often called ‘Cool Dudes’ as they were fastidiously dressed.  That connotation has probably morphed over the years and now especially in LA a ‘Dude’ could be anyone, however, not necessarily a friend.

So “Mate that’s not a knife…but…Dude! Where’s my car??’.

Downtown Sydney, Australia

From Sydney to Los Angeles, an Event Managers Journey…

After many years as an event manager at various well established businesses in Sydney, Australia, I find myself here in Los Angeles. Before beginning my time here at FantaSea Yachts, I worked all over LA doing events from wedding’s, corporate and many parties.

The most significant difference in events between Australia and Los Angeles is mainly cultural.  Most Australians work hard, but on the same token like to play hard as well, so events tend to be more ‘party’ oriented.  In LA, depending on the event, it can be more work oriented and has a definite ‘networking’ feel to it.

Certainly economy of scale is a factor in the differences.  Having experienced many events here in LA, the budgets tend to be higher and events with opulent design can be the norm especially in the entertainment business.

Australians are a very sporty bunch and many of the events are centered around such times in the year where big corporate sponsored sports are watched. For example, the first Tuesday in November is ‘The Melbourne Cup’, a horse race not unlike ‘The Kentucky Derby’ which literally stops the nation to watch for 3 minutes every year.  Every major city in the country will have events on incorporating the racing theme and intertwining fashion, food and of course champagne.

These events are considered culturally to be part of the Australian way and most employers give their staff half days to enjoy such events.  Therefore these events tend to go longer and are usually an all day affair.

Although there are differences the one thing that levels the playing field is the ocean.  I had the privilege of being the events coordinator of Cafe Sydney, a world renown restaurant perched high above Custom’s House overlooking arguably one of the most stunning harbors in the world.  Many people from all over the world came to get a glimpse of Circular Quay and watch the boats meander their way from point to point as they enjoyed their meal.

The ocean has a mystical allure that transcends languages and countries, its flow is not only mesmerizing but also tranquil, and people are drawn to its energy.  It’s one of the reasons I have chosen to work at FantaSea Yachts, as I love the water and enjoy being out on the marina at sunset drifting around the water ways as people enjoy their time on our yachts.

FantaSea is family through and through – from the Ginzburg family to the deck hands and dishwashers! In fact, there are three generations here working together. During school holidays, you will often see father and son working together out on the yachts so that the young men appreciate the hard work that goes into their upbringing.

The Captain, crew and staff have all been working together for ten to twenty years. As part of our interview process, we had to work a yacht party. We were both super impressed with the team – they worked like a well-oiled machine! The entire crew is very versatile and shares responsibilities to ensure a seamless cruise. We were personally amazed as we watched the party deck where a ceremony was held be transformed into the most elegant dinning room in a flash – it was actually less than 8 minutes. We were later informed that this is standard operating procedure for this group!

The impact of a group of this caliber and their knowledge and experience can’t be measured when it comes to your party and makes us proud and confident to plan parties here at FantaSea Yachts.