So, I've been a ghost on here lately. I have been busy exploring and working but a blog post has been in high demand, so here it is!
In the past 2 weeks, I have hid from the biggest spider I have seen in my life, visited the most scenic zoo in the world, eaten the most delicious foods, tanned (more accurately, burned) on iconic beaches, ventured on the most gorgeous coastal walks, gotten lost in massive malls, and lived like a local perusing through library books and safely driving on the left side of the road one round-about at a time. In the process, I have learned some things that should be shared with my fellow Americans:
Australian bank accounts offer the best interest rates
Bring your own hot sauce
Roads are narrow
Life is much easier with an Opal card (for public transport)
Free WIFI is not a thing here
Learn the lingo: One thing I love about Australia is that I fit in like a local...until I open my mouth and speak with an American accent. Some of the words that I had heard were used here before I arrived turned out to be BS, while I learned through trail and error which ones are actually exchanged. If you thought that Californians use the word "like" too much, you should hear how often the Australians say "mate." The coffee culture here is basically a different planet, but as for everyday words, a few that I have learned and am happy to translate for you are:
Shopping cart: trolley
Mail: post
Band-aid: plaster
Elevator-: lift
Drop off: set down
Check (what you ask for when you're ready to leave the restaurant): bill
Someone who litters: tosser
Ambulant toilet: handicap bathroom
Yield: Give way
To-go (or for here): take away (t/a)
When you're lost in a parking structure, don't look for the "exit" sign, look for the "way out" sign.
