It takes an insane number of hours to get to Australia on a plane. I would guess if you tried to come here by boat or some other old-fashioned method you would be noticeably older by the time you arrived. But for all the time and energy it takes to get here, it really isn't that different from the US. After all, they've got everything here from Target to K-Mart to Colgate toothpaste (that last one is especially nice to have around after our experience in SK). But as they say in Pulp Fiction, it's the little differences.
They have colleges here, of course, but no one calls it that. It's "university", or "uni" for short. College apparently refers to high school here. I feel really weird whenever I say "uni", though, like I'm trying to be cool but failing horribly.
And everyone says "No worries" instead of "You're welcome" or "No problem". Oddly enough, and contrary to what the people saying it suggest, "No worries" makes me a little nervous. I always think, "Well, maybe in this case we have nothing to worry about but there are a lot of problems out there that we should worry about." Something keeps me from saying that out loud, though. Probably my desire to not get punched in the face.
As you probably know, Aussies drive on the left. That's not really a big deal but it is a little disorienting when trying to cross the street. Also, when walking on the sidewalk, because the same road rules apply. Luckily they still wear their shoes on the same feet here (not the case in New Zealand).
There is Coke and Pepsi, along with a few other familiar brands, but there are a couple drinks that are specific to Australia. There's "Lift", which sounds like a 5-Hour Energy sort of drink but is actually a really nice lemon-flavored soda that contains no caffeine. I've also seen a lot of ads for ginger beer-flavored Slurpees, which sound really good (oh right, and they also have 7-Eleven). Good Australian wine is in abundance, and apparently pretty cheap according to our hosts.
We've been staying with a really great couple named Barry and Kay for the last few days. Nissa met them through the Rotary Foundation, which is sponsoring her fellowship here, and they've been feeding us some great home cooked meals while filling us in on the fineries of Australian culture. They're big into food, and have been telling us about all the great kinds of local fruits and vegetables you can find here in Brisbane -- anything from mangoes to pineapples to pumpkin, it grows here. I'm looking forward to settling into our apartment in a couple days and checking this abundance out for myself.
They have colleges here, of course, but no one calls it that. It's "university", or "uni" for short. College apparently refers to high school here. I feel really weird whenever I say "uni", though, like I'm trying to be cool but failing horribly.
And everyone says "No worries" instead of "You're welcome" or "No problem". Oddly enough, and contrary to what the people saying it suggest, "No worries" makes me a little nervous. I always think, "Well, maybe in this case we have nothing to worry about but there are a lot of problems out there that we should worry about." Something keeps me from saying that out loud, though. Probably my desire to not get punched in the face.
As you probably know, Aussies drive on the left. That's not really a big deal but it is a little disorienting when trying to cross the street. Also, when walking on the sidewalk, because the same road rules apply. Luckily they still wear their shoes on the same feet here (not the case in New Zealand).
There is Coke and Pepsi, along with a few other familiar brands, but there are a couple drinks that are specific to Australia. There's "Lift", which sounds like a 5-Hour Energy sort of drink but is actually a really nice lemon-flavored soda that contains no caffeine. I've also seen a lot of ads for ginger beer-flavored Slurpees, which sound really good (oh right, and they also have 7-Eleven). Good Australian wine is in abundance, and apparently pretty cheap according to our hosts.
We've been staying with a really great couple named Barry and Kay for the last few days. Nissa met them through the Rotary Foundation, which is sponsoring her fellowship here, and they've been feeding us some great home cooked meals while filling us in on the fineries of Australian culture. They're big into food, and have been telling us about all the great kinds of local fruits and vegetables you can find here in Brisbane -- anything from mangoes to pineapples to pumpkin, it grows here. I'm looking forward to settling into our apartment in a couple days and checking this abundance out for myself.
Well done. I mean, good on ya. Enjoy the Rotary experience. Do they toast the queen at the start of meetings? Also, I've worked with some Australians and their ability to curse in workplaces is amazing.
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