My sister used to live in Sydney, so when I told her that it was raining and she suggested taking my kids to the Powerhouse Museum, I typed it into maps and off we walked. It’s a museum I don’t completely understand -- it focuses on science and design (which do seem to go together) but the Asian section featuring pottery, clothing, and weapons is just next to the bit where children experiment with electricity and physics. Perhaps my objection or confusion lies in the museum organization rather than the collection itself.
Anyway, it was an interesting day for two reasons. The first is that the - from this first experience - Australian children and parents have different expectations about turns and waiting for turns. At least four times, one of my perfect, well-mannered children was waiting for "a go" on something and when the person ahead of them finished their turn, another child jumped in before T or L could move. At one point, I said something but for the most part I guess they have to figure it out. But SO RUDE.
The second reason is the best one. In the electricity section, a section meant for children to learn and experiment, there is an electric chair and all the children going through the museum are invited to sit in it. I realize that this is Australia, which is different than the US where (I think) some states still kill people using the electric chair, but I found the presence of an electric chair meant to be sat upon by children horrifying. Then, for all the children who can read, the plaque explains that when it was first invented, the electric chair was thought to be a painless, quick way to execute those so sentenced, but that we have since learned that the person being electrocuted remains conscious and can feel him or herself burning. He or she is so in shock from the electricity that he or she is unable to react, which is why people initially thought it painless and quick. OMG!
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We learned lots of interesting things at this museum, but my favorite (apart from the electric chairs) was that Australia used to have such a hard time obtaining fresh water that police used to disregard public drunkenness because beer was all anybody had to drink. Just like on the Mayflower!
