living in Oz
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Things I've learnt living in Oz |
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| Here are just a few of the little things I've learnt over here. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1. The stubby bottle is alive and well and hiding in Oz. They speak english down here so you would think that ordering a beer would be easy. Well, it can be a bit more complicated than just asking for a pint. For example, do you ask for as pot or a pint? What's a schooner (sounds like something you might float away in right)? And is it bigger or smaller than a jug? To top it off, ordering a beer can change depending on which state your in. Click this link below to a VB (Victoria Bitter, an australian beer) add that I uploaded to see what I mean: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| How to order a beer | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2. Australian like to shorten words whenever possible and usually by adding a "ey" to the end. For example, for sunglasses its sunnies, for Brisbane its Brissy, etc. It can get quite funny. The best one I've heard was on the news when a news anchor referred to the "Hells Angels" as a "bikey gang"!!! I suddently imagined a big fat mean tattooed ZZtop bearded guy riding a itty bitty little pink tricycle with a bell barrelling down the main strip in Sydney! HAHAHAHAHAAH..... :) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3. Driving down under is an adventure....to say the least. They drive on the left hand side of the road so as the driver, you sit on the right hand side of the car. This means you shift with your left hand and the signals and wipers are also reversed on the steering column. I've turned on the wipers instead of signalling more times than I care to admit. Also, the lines on the road are generally only painted in one color. Sometimes you can't quire figure out if it is a one way or a two way road. It kinda makes you real nervous about passing. For such a laid back country, they drive like maniacs...just like Montreal drivers. Apparently, to some drivers, signalling and lanes are completely optional!!! They also use roundabouts here. Those are fun! Not too complicated once you get the handle of it. They guy on the right always has the right of way. There are stop signs but more often than not, they use a yield sign instead of a stop sign. Again, stopping or "yielding" seems to be entirely optional. I've had to brake hard a few times as someone just figured they had the right of way even though clearly did not. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4. It is a very laid back and relaxed lifestyle here on the Gold Coast. That means people don't live to work but rather work to live. Sounds great right! Not always, what this translates into is that if you want to get something done quickly, it ain't gonna happen. When someone says "I'll get it to you tomorrow", that usually means next week. "A couple of days" means a few weeks and "soon" means "whenever I get off my lazy ass butt and get around to do it" No worries mate!!! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5. Australians, for all there political closeness to americans, aren't overly found of them. When I meet someone new and they ask me if I'm a Yank and I tell them I'm Canadian, they apologize for insulting me. I like that. I also learnt that quite of few of these blokes like to play "Scare the Yank!", especially several of the divers I've met. They give you great horror stories and warnings about diving but once they learn you are Canadian they say "oh, sorry, I thought you were American. Well, ignore what I said mate, the truth is...." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| All kidding aside. All the Aussies I've met have been great. Everyone here is really nice, a little quirky at times, but really nice. :) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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