Cheers from the Classroom

On the 25th of February I received a comment on my first Australian post as follows, under which I responded with my experiences so far :

Hi Becca, this is Mrs. Fitzpatrick's homeroom, aka hound dog team. We are excited to chat with you! :-)


1. How long was the plane ride?
- The travel over consisted of three different legs : one from Chicago to L.A. (five hours), from L.A. to Melbourne (fifteen hours) and then from Melbourne to Perth (another five hours). Given transportation, lay overs and the time difference I left Chicago at 4:30 pm on February 6th and arrived a little after noon on Sunday February 8th. Two days of travel, phew!

2. Is it hotter than expected?
- Last Weds. the temperature broke 100 degrees, which I wasn't expecting this late in their summer. However, I was warned that I wouldn't be needing my jeans anytime soon.

3. How many people ask you if you are American?
-In most cases, I am asked where I am from before my name is even established. I live at a student village where eighty percent of the student are from another Australian state or an all together different continent.

4. Do they serve ice in the warm water?
- If you are out an about, most people just buy bottled water from the fridge. In my apartment, I am glad to say I have discovered ice trays (smile).

5. What kind of wildlife have you seen?
- On orientation day for the University I saw a Bobtail ( a lizard with a blue tongue - pictured below), a echidnea (similar to a porcupine), a quokka ( eats food like a squirrel). And then around my village on an everyday basis I have seen a cockroach (very large), kookaburra (a bird that laughs at you, and coos like a monkey), a skink (a lizard featured in my blog), Australian ravens (commonly called crows here) and magpies (a black and white bird that sings like a dying cat).

6. Do some small animals walk through the markets there?
- At Freemantle, the markets are pretty controlled due to the presence fruits and veggies. There are tons of pigeons in the city area though who aren't afraid to come close for bread droppings.

7. What other words have you come across that have different meanings here in America, like trolley and green pepper?
- A lolly (candy), Barbie (Barbeque), trolley (grocery cart), a cue (waiting in line), notes (dollars), reckon (I think), strewth (suprising, or OMG), G'day Mate (Good morning), unlucky (tough luck, bummer), sanga (sausage), chips (french fries), thongs (flip flops), sunnies (sun glasses), jumpers (sweaters), chemist (drug store), brooli (umbrella), spirits (drinks), bugger (oh shoot), ute (truck), doona (quilts), tots (totally), petrol (gas), biscuits (cookies), uni (college), burre (beanies), car park (parking lot), the loo or dunny (the toilet), tele (TV), mobile (cell phone), and aircon (air conditioning).
- Also English spelling is different with 's' instead of 'z' and added 'u'. E.g. organisation instead of organization. and colour instead of color.

8. Is there a speed limit? Is it in metric?
- Average is 60 km an hour, but in suburban areas it is 50 km. Or on the freeway it is 100 Km.

9. How different is the food?
- Australian food is a mix match of food from all over the world. Most Aussies have a yeast spread on toast for breakfast that is called Vegemite (also popular in Europe). Ironically, Vegemite was created during World War One along with ANZAC biscuits because they hardly have an expiration date. Barbes (barbecues) occur all the time with sausages, kabobs, or rissoles ( breaded meatballs). Most meals consist of fresh veggies in the form of curry, stir fry or meat as the main dish.

10. Is there baseball? If so, what is it called? Is soccer called football, like in Europe? Do they have bowling alleys?
- They aren't large into baseball but they do have both male and female softball. Soccer is called soccer here though. There is AFL, which is what Aussies call futbol, the Australian version of football. They do have bowling alleys, there are two in my area (haven't been quite yet).

11. What is the currency exchange? What’s an AUD?
- AUD is the Australian dollar. The currency exchange changes everyday but on average it is 1 AUD for .90 American Dollar.

12. Do they dress differently than Americans?
- Australian dress seems to be about the same however they are a lot more relaxed when it comes to wearing shoes. And everyone has a pair or two of sunnies (ray ban brand is popular) Although, that being said, you won't see anyone going to the movies in their pajamas so there is a boundary. Growing up, almost all public and private schools require uniforms.

13. Do they have McDonald’s and Burger Kings?
- There are McDonald's (rumor has it their hamburgers are better than ours due to a higher regulation on meat) and Burger King (but is called Hungry Jack here)

14. How do you feel about the time difference, did you get jet lag?
- The time difference from Michigan is thirteen hours (or fourteen if on daylight savings time, which they do not observe here). So that when I wake up, you are just going to bed. It makes it convenient when I want to talk to someone online back home. I wasn't that jet lagged on the way over because I made my mind up not to sleep on the plane unless is was nighttime Australian time. I am a bit worried about the way back, since going against the grain seems to be harder or at least that was my experience with my studies in South Africa.

Dearest Hound Dog Team,
I hope this has sparked your curiosity. I look forward to further questions!
Cheers, from a land down under