Australian Surprises

Now that I've spent a little over a month in the land down under (side note--that's crazy.), I consider myself an expert on the country and its differences from America.

Only kidding, but here's a random list of observations I've made thus far about Australia that have surprised me:

Food:

1. Nutella is cheaper, comes in huge containers, and is eaten by everyone.
2. A "burger" could mean a beef burger, a chicken sandwich, a veggie patty, or a fish sandwich.
3. "Barbecue" is a sausage or veggie patty served on a slice of bread with onions and tomato sauce (ketchup). 
   
4. Fries are chips; chips are crisps.
5. McDonalds is Maccas, Burger King is Hungry Jacks, and the two of them plus KFC and Subway are everywhere.
   
6. Froot Loops don't have blue loops, and Rice Crispies are called Rice Bubbles.
7. Pizza and chips/fries are served together, and Aussies and Brits are shocked to know that this is not an American thing.
8. Starbucks is only in larger cities like Sydney.
   

Weather and Nature:

1. "Winter" means high temperatures in the mid to high 60s. People wear winter coats even when it's 65-70 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. The sun is brighter, the ocean is clearer, and the grass is (literally) greener (on the other side). 
   
3. Sunscreen comes in bulk containers. I bought a liter of it.
4. Trees are huge. And I mean HUGE.
   
   

Shopping/Money:

1. Cosmetics are wildly expensive. A cheap tube of mascara is at least 20 AUD, or roughly $15.
2. There are student discounts for EVERYTHING.
3. Malls have grocery and big box stores along with the typical "mall" stores. You can take a cart full of groceries into a clothing store and no one will bat an eye.
4. The paper money notes are different sizes and colors. Tiny coins may be worth a dollar or two dollars. 
   
5. There is no coin for one cent, so receipts include rounding differences.
6. Sales tax is built into prices, so the price on the sticker is what you pay at the register.

Animals:

1. The number of bird species is incredible. Birds are way more colorful and expressive here than in the States, and on top of that, they are incredibly LOUD. 
   
   
   
   
   
2. Kangaroos are like deer in terms of population and movement patterns. They are like T-Rex deer in terms of build...think about it.

People:

1. Everything is done on "Aussie time," meaning everyone and everything is always 15-30 minutes late.
2. "How you going?" is their way of saying "How are you" and "how's it going" at the same time.
3. Everyone is friendly and helpful all the time.

Life:

1. With roads, "Left is right and right is wrong." That seems simple enough, but it's so confusing having to relearn how you cross a street! (I try to take bridges over the street instead!)
   
2. Clothes lines and "airers" are used in place of dryers. 
3. The music played on the radio, in stores, and at clubs is 90s-00s throwback.
4. Everything seems to be more vibrant.
5. Life is good in Oz. Life is very good.