11/11/2016
A lot of people don’t want to believe that there is a class system operating, but sadly according to Marx, this is not possible without being communists!
I myself, live in the Hunter Valley, near the vineyards. Naturally, I am accustomed to tourists flocking into the town during long weekends and holidays to see what the different wineries have to offer. However, next door in Cessnock, you wouldn’t think such a tourist attraction could exist so close. As a low socio-economic status town, unemployment is high, as is teen pregnancy and random stabbings.
As stuck up as it makes me sound, I try to aim a little higher than this. Having graduated Year 12, I spent several years working at Woolworths and took a few overseas trips before starting uni.
A blurred snapshot of the theatre as we hurried up the street.
However, one night last week I began to wonder whether there is a class divide between cities. Last Thursday night, my partner and I drove to Capitol Theatre in Sydney to see Aladdin The Musical. In order to save money, the two of us packed our tacos, salad and pre-cooked mince in Tupperware containers, which we ate in the car before heading to the theatre. As Jay and I waited with the crowd in the foyer to get a photo in front of the purple Aladdin backdrop, I couldn’t help but stare at the men dressed in suits from YD, and their girlfriends wearing Dulce & Gabbana dresses and heals. Eventually, Jay and I got in front of the backdrop; wearing our Zoo York t-shirts and Jay Jays shorts.
At intermission, as I lined up at the bar, the men in designer suits were purchasing fifty dollar bottles of sparkling wine with two glasses, while I bought a can of Pepsi and packet of Maltesers for Jay and me to share.
The show was brilliant, and at the end, Jay and I headed to the fourth floor underground in the car park next door to collect our car before making the two hour car ride home. I watched as the crowds parted ways; many making their ways to the apartment buildings and townhouses near the theatre, others went for ice cream.
Perhaps I am over-thinking this, but I have to wonder why the city/country divide seems so obvious. I can’t help but wonder how often we would see a guy from Cessnock take his girlfriend to a restaurant in town, wearing designer clothes, eating caviar and only drinking the best of the best. Likewise, how often would you see two men, born and raised in the heart of Sydney, attending the theatre in shorts and a t-shirt?
Just a little food for thought…
