I miss Melbourne.

My home in Australia!

It's been almost a month and a half since I left Melbourne. I got back to the United States Monday, November 25th and left for my trip with Habitat for Humanity in Argentina that Friday, November 29th. My trip to South America definitely helped take my mind off of leaving Australia. I was  a wreck during those four days in between. I even went down to school that Tuesday and Wednesday, just so I could try to get my mind off everything and be around familiar faces. I guess that's the benefit of starting the semester over a month earlier than everyone back home!

I want to use this post to note some of the differences I noticed between Australia and the US. 

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Expressions and Words!

Okay, so we already know that the Australian accent is different (and definitely better in my opinion!!!!) than the American accent. In addition to the accent, there are quite a few things said differently in Australia than America. Thanks mainly to Zac, I compiled my own list of the differences! 

Words

Peg - Clothespin
Jelly - Jello
Fairy floss - Cotton Candy 
Mozzies - Mosquitos 
Busker - Street Performer 
Parma - Chicken Parmigiana 
Arvo - Afternoon
Tea - Dinner 
Lollies - Sweets 
Pokies - Slot Machines 
Eskie - Cooler 
Chewie - Gum
Op shop - Thrift Shop 
Biscuit Cutters - Cookie Cutters
Bigs and Smalls - Stripes and Solids in Pool 
Boot - Trunk 
Hash Key - Pound Sign
Lot - Group
Scull - Chug
Tradies - Construction Workers + Other Tradesmen
Thongs - Flip Flops
Singlet - Tank Top/WifebeaterShout Ya - Lend Money

Expressions

Good on Ya
Bloody Hell
In Your Ear
Quietly Content On special 
Nick Off, Bugger Off - Go Away
Crack the Shits - Get Angry
Stuffed Up - Messed Up
Stuffing Around - Messing Around
Stuff All - Nothing
How you going? - how are you? 
Ta - Thank You 

I'm sure some of these are said in the States, too, but I've never heard them, so they made the list! There are probably tons of words/phrases I forgot, so this is obviously not everything! But it's a small glimpse into some of the different phrases/words I've heard while studying abroad in Australia!

Vehicles

Australians call all sorts of trucks, "utes". In Australia the term "truck" is reserved for what we call "18 wheelers". However, to me, "utes" were the cars they have with truck beds, like the green one in this picture. I've never seen anything like them before in my travels (until I went to South America). I thought they were so cool!

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It was also a lot more common to see brighter colored cars you usually wouldn't see in the U.S. This includes pink and purple cars, too.

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Houses

The firetrucks look different, too!

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The majority of the houses I saw in Australia were made out of brick, compared to how the majority of the houses in the United States are build with wood and then siding over it. I also found it interesting that showers and sinks were usually in a separate room from the toilet. That actually makes a lot more sense than having all three in the same room if you think about it. 

Food

The food actually wasn't all too different from that in America. I REALLY miss the parmas though. Ham layered on top of the chicken with cheese and sauce…. mmmm. 

Maybe it's just me, but I never had spaghetti bolognese before I went to Australia. I know it exists America, but in Australia, if you're eating spaghetti, the norm is to have it with minced meat. 

Sunday roasts are also popular in Australia!

Oh, and can't forget Vegemite. Not a fan.

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Money

It may just be me, but I think American money is just so boring. Australian money is so cool! And colorful! Colors are good! And the coins are big and pretty!

Animals

I always thought kangaroos were cool. I still think they're cool and I think it's awesome how common they are to find in the wild in Australia. I am also extremely jealous of the bright birds Melbourne was home to. They were noisy, but I had a lot of fun going to the park and watching them fly around. The wild cockatoos at the Grampians were pretty awesome, too. 

Oh! And I can't forget the cute possums that would come out on a nightly basis! And I was able to pet one!

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Transportation

The Melbourne trams were pretty good. If you go on exchange in Australia, definitely make sure to get a concession card to get discounted fares. 

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Melbourne was Home.

I miss the comedians, the music, the art and the laneways of Melbourne. Melbourne truly was home to me for four months and I loved every minute spent there. It's no wonder it is continuously voted as the most livable city in the world. The people I met in Australia were some of the nicest people ever and I hope I can one day call Melbourne and Australia home once again.

**This is my last post on Melbourne. I hope you've enjoyed learning about my experience in this great city**