Being back in Australia has been quite different this time around. In my short time here I already feel as though I have been exposed to more "Aussie" lifestyle than during my entire semester abroad. I am not sure whether that is because I am at a school with less international students or if it is because I have Australian friends and classmates. Either way, I wanted to share some of the hilarious phrases, responses and names that are culturally different than those in Canada.
General Stuff:
Lifestyle:
Food:
General Stuff:
- everything is a bit more expensive here - the Canadian dollar is not much less than that of the Australian dollar but things tend to be 10 - 30% more expensive
- Australian culture is much more British than that of Canadian culture
- Australians drive on the left hand side of the road - still learning to look right before left
- Australia has a million and one traffic circles (known as roundabouts here) - literally at the end of every street you will find one
- Australian currency is even more colourful than the Canadian bills; Australian bills are similarily coloured based on denomination; coins come in 5, 10, 20 and 50 cent along with the dollar and two dollar coins - note: they don't know what loonies and toonies are
- what we would call "downtown" Australians call "the city" - Brisbane is composed of thousands of regions or modified suburbs (they are all connected) and then "the city" is what is considered Brisbane
- Australia - Canada word differences: thongs - flip-flops, singlet - tank tops, utes - trucks, cuppa - coffee, esky - cooler, lolly - candy, mate - friend, mozzie - mosquito, petrol station - gas station, overtake - to pass on the highway, fortnight - once every two weeks, holiday - vacation, kindy - kindergarten, uni - university, flat - apartment, lift - elevator, letterbox - mailbox, mobile - cell phone, telly - television, rubbish - garbage, footpath - sidewalk, EPTPOS - debit card, ring - call, sammie - sandwich, crisps - potato chips, fairy floss - cotton candy, bloke - man & sheila - woman
- a liquor store is called a Bottle Shop in Australia; a stubby is a bottle of beer
- ask for a bathroom and people will look at you oddly - its TOILET & apparently TOILET only
Lifestyle:
- common sporting events: - cricket, netball, football (soccer-style and rugby-style) and tennis
- spending time outside is common here, from what I have seen/experienced people are very active and much more fit than Canadians
Food:
- CANADA - AUSTRALIA
- whole wheat - wholemeal
- cantaloupe - rock melon
- arugula - rocket
- fries - chips
- biscuit - cookie
- peppers - capsicums
- milk is not labeled our common - skim, 1%, 2% but rather as "lite", full cream, thickened cream --- I still can't figure the milk situation out
- cheese - orange cheddar cheese DOES NOT EXIST here - all their cheese is white
- lamb and veal are SUPER popular here whereas it is more common to eat beef, pork or chicken in Canada
- "Barbies" (BBQ) are common over here and they have a sausage (tastes like a breakfast sausage) with a piece of white bread wrapped around it (so odd) - hot dog or hamburger buns are uncommon
- pickles are nearly non-existent
- vegemite here is like our peanut butter - it's a spread on toast for breakfast and to me is like eating salt on toast...
- BYOB - in Australia restaurants allow you to bring your own booze to enjoy with you meal
- CANADA - AUSTRALIA
- How are you? - How you going?
- Response to thank you: your welcome - that's okay, no worries, that's alright
- Afternoon - Arvo
- No problem - No worries
- Think - Reckon!
- Goodbye - Cheers!