A Cultural Note

G'day! Ha. They don't actually say that. To those of you who have never been to Australia, this post is going to be quite informative. To those of you who have, this will bring a smile to your face.

First of all, Australia is in the southern hemisphere. Meaning: it's currently winter here. Both me and Jen are tired of our winter clothes already. Also, you hear all the time things like, "this is the largest stadium/museum/building in the southern hemisphere!" (not like there's tons of competition)

Transport. They drive on the left side of the road here, from the right side of the car. The first time I sat in the passenger seat was a freaky experience. They have roundabouts instead of 4-way stops, and I can't even tell you how many times we have been close to hit by a car.. Having to look to the right first takes a lot of concentration, believe it or not. 

Social. We've made some friends at church that refer to us simply as "The Americans." They laugh at everything we say- and every time we mention that we don't have something like, say, Cadbury chocolate, they go into hysterics. So funny! 

Terrain. Beaches are everywhere. I have yet to go a day in which I haven't seen the ocean! Even if it's just riding in the car or bus, we're never ever far from it. Mount Eliza is (naturally) on a mountain/hill thing, so almost everyone has ocean views, and if they don't, they just have to walk outside a bit and there it is! Lots of the beaches down here have these adorable little boat houses, which the owners have painted uniquely. I'm obsessed with them. 

Language. Australians speak English, but take the strong accents, plus fast talking, combined with seriously weird words, there have been many instances when Jen & I have just looked at each other in complete ignorance. It feels like they are speaking a different language sometimes! Last Friday night at youth, they were having some sort of panel Q&A time for the kids, and a question was "is it okay to pash randoms?" No joke. Jen & I just looked at each other as the rest of the room erupted in laughter, so apparently it was a funny question.. We turned to a friend and he explained that "pashing" is like kissing or making out. Haha! Usually I can pick up on context clues, but that time we had absolutely no idea. Makes dinner conversations fun.

Shopping. Grocery stores- or supermarkets as they refer to them- are ridiculously smaller here. The first one we went into, we looked around at the shocking lack of selection and said, "oh I'm sure this is just a small one." As it turns out, they're all like that. Intense. Think of the smallest grocery store you've ever been in, and you're on the right track..

Fashion. Think urban outfitters meets forever 21 meets 80's punk, all in black. Super skinny jeans, lots of leggings (even those leggings that look like they're denim- sick), dyed black hair, and no Gap or J.Crew in sight. We haven't bought any clothes yet, and possibly won't at all.. Plus it's super expensive! Nike tennishoes cost around $250 here!! And I found some Sperrys finally- $120!! We'll save our money, thanks.

Cuisine. There's a heavy Cafe culture in Melbourne and the surrounding suburbs, which is fun, and probably would be moreso if it wasn't so pricey. They do have McDonalds, and they consistently refer to it as "Mackers." Cute. That's one of the few chain restaurants/fast food places though! Besides the yummy bread bakeries though- we love love those! Oh, and Australians are absolute chocoholics. It's unbelievable. We'll go to someone's house for dinner, they'll serve dinner, serve dessert, offer you a "cuppa" (most likely a cup of english breakfast tea), then pull out the chocolate platter! Cadbury is like gold here- they're obsessed. Chocolate 24/7. Not that I'm complaining.. However, about a week ago Jen mentioned that she was craving a hamburger. (We miss Chilis.) Then, strangely, a couple days ago I started to crave one too. I never crave burgers! I barely even eat them! Haha. So Monday during our excursions, we included a search for the perfect burger. We never found one!! So Tuesday when we went into the City, we found a place that Claire had recommended, called "Grill'd." Here we are excited to be American again! 

The burgers were, I must say, very yum! (That's a common expression here- "this is so yum!") Oh, and last week we cooked quesadillas for the Hansens, and Alice hadn't ever even heard of them.. Imagine the sadness we felt for her..

Anyway, we're having fun soaking up the culture here, so I thought yall (yeah, we take a lot of heat for that word) might appreciate learning some too! I know I'm not super regular in the blog-updating department, but they're nice and long, so I want to make sure you're actually reading them.. 

p.s. Australian Idol starts on Sunday- we can't wait!!