Bend it Like Beckham

Today is a big day in Sydney. The LA Galaxy are playing an exhibition match against Sydney FC, and David Beckham is in town. The city has gone mad. They have filled Telstra stadium (83,000 peeps), and that doesn't normally happen for football here. Everytime the man touches the ball, the crowd go crazy. And there are a lot of women there with banners saying things like 'Bend Me, Beckham!' Not very sporting if you ask me. And of course, if anyone is going to bend for Beckham while he is here, it ought to be me.

Course, if you say football here, they think you mean rugby league. You have to call football soccer, and although it is not a big spectator sport here, lots and lots of people play it - men and women. In fact, on the whole, I'd say that Australian sporting culture is all about taking part, and not necessarily watching. Whereas, in the UK, it is pretty much the reverse - all about watching and very little about playing.

So you'd think, wouldn't you, that Australia would have a lower rate of obesity than in the UK. Wrong. The rate is higher. Now, I have to say, that there is very little evidence of this where I live. I've never seen so many people running, everyone plays sport, and everyone is a member of the gym. Everywhere sells healthy food, and most people are eating it. And I have only met one person since I got here who smokes (which has reeked havoc with my social smoking habit....there is no one to beg a fag from....). This all must mean that in other, probably less affluent areas of Australia, there are some very very fat people.....

I read in a magazine the other day, that Australian women have the second highest number of sexual partners in the world. Guess which country has the highest? Interestingly, everyone I have asked this question of (including English people), have said the United Kingdom. Not a very flattering supposition for us ladies, that people think we are the world's biggest slappers. But they are wrong. I guarantee you will never, ever, guess who are. The turkish. I kid you not.

There are lots of things I need to find out about Australia. For example, something that has been exercising my mind whilst doing the ironing lately, is what the teenage pregnancy rate is here. I'm curious, because contraception is not free, and I'd like to see what impact this has. But at the same time, they have a very open and robust approach to sex education. I've been told that part of it involves parents also attending, and a session where parents, children and teachers are encouraged to become comfortable with the use of words relating to sex. This is done by making everyone shout as loudly as they can. 'Penis!!!!' they scream. 'Testicles!!!!!' 'Vagina!!!!!!!'. Can't wait - especially if the headmistress is there, as she is so prim and proper they call her The Queen.

I suppose that with this approach, contraception might never be needed.....