1. Friendliness of people
G’DAY MATE! Ok, maybe I haven’t heard that cliché welcome yet, but I have been so amazed by how I have yet to feel unwelcome by any of the Australians I’ve met. They are so eager to meet and interact with Americans.
Vibrant day on-campus at Bond Uni2. Hot. Hot. Hot.
The ozone layer is depleted over Australia, so it’s very important to take the right steps to avoid sun damage. All schools in Australia have a uniform, and part of that uniform is that at recess, the students must wear a wide-brimmed at to protect from the sun. It’s HOT.
3. Café chillin’
Take the amount of Starbucks in America and replace them with high-quality, individually owned, mom and pop coffee shops and they’re all over in Australia. You can get a variety of sandwiches, desserts, baked goods, coffee drinks, TIM TAM SHAKES… it’s great. P.S. their iced coffee has a scoop of ice cream on top. Amazing.
4. Blockbuster’s still exist in Australia
Australia is a little behind in that there is no Netflix and video streaming is extremely lengthy, so things like Blockbuster still exist all over Australia. Nothing to make you feel more reminiscent of the 90’s than renting a movie at Blockbuster.
5. Yes, you can eat kangaroo…
It’s flavorful. It’s tender. It’s kangaroo. I didn’t feel completely horrible eating it because kangaroos are more of an annoyance in Australia (like deer in America) because there are twice as many kangaroos as there are people actually living here in Oz. It was strange eating the roo though, considering we were just playing and feeding kangaroos earlier at a wildlife park. Sorry bud.
6. No graham crackers
I guess at Aussie BBQ’s they don’t start a bonfire and make s’mores, because they have no idea what graham crackers are.
7. A whole new vocabulary
Here are a few tips on words you might need to not look like a silly American
Ketchup = Tomato sauce
French Fries = Chips
Chicken parmesan = Parmy
Sunglasses = Sunnies
Swimsuit = Swimmers
Vacation = Holiday
Afternoon = Arvo
8. The waves are huge
We went surfing with TEAN and after swallowing about the entire Pacific Ocean and repeatedly being engulfed in waves, I realized how truly strong and large waves are along the Aussie coast. Scary stuff if you’re not careful, but perfect for catching a good wave.
9. Welcome to Canada?
Ordering a bacon cheeseburger ultimately results in a cheeseburger with Canadian bacon on it. In order to get that good, fatty American bacon, you have to order “streaky” bacon.
10. Just say “no worries”
Aussies are so quick to say “no worries” in the most nonchalant, bubbly way whenever you say “I’m sorry” “thank you” etc. I think it goes with the stereotypical laid back vibe one gets when they think of Australia.
Andrea Trach is a student from The University of Dayton and a TEAN Featured Blogger. Andrea is currently studying abroad with TEAN on the Gold Coast, Australia.
