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Australia is my absolute favorite country to visit, and is probably one of the only countries that I would live in outside of the United States. Heck, I'd live in Sydney or Melbourne before living in most other US cities.
Here are some things differences and similarities I've noticed:
FOOD
- Australians put beets ("beetroot") on their burgers (blech)
- For whatever reason they just LOVE vegemite as a spread (vegemite is like a salty spread -- I can't really even describe it but to this American's mouth it tasted terrible)
- Australian and US wines are both top notch
a hamburger is infinitely better with beet AND fried egg
Vegemite, agreed is acquired taste. You have to remember to not spread it like peanut butter. Less is more
Quote:
Originally Posted by DynamoLA
PEOPLE & LANGUAGE
- Probably the friendliest people I've met are Australian -- they are very outgoing and not at all reserved like their British cousins. Americans for the most part are also friendly, but I think a little more guarded.
- The accents between the US and Australia are obviously quite different
- Australia seems to have a lot of words/slang that only they understand. I'm sure the US does as well (or even different parts of the US), but since I'm a native of the US I'm not sure which phrases/words we use that would make an Australian say "what does that mean"?
HOUSING & SHOPPING
- I think a lot of the residential neighborhoods that I saw (at least around Sydney) seemed very similar to American neighborhoods with single family homes on fairly large yards, two car garages, etc.
- It seems that Australia and the US have similar shopping areas, with the usual "big box" stores, supermarkets, etc. I didn't see a big difference in the retail environment between the two countries.
FLORA AND FAUNA
- It seems like every animal in Australia is the "most poisonous" thing on earth that will kill you -- jellyfish, spiders, snakes, not to mention crocodiles, great white sharks, etc. While the US has some poisonous animals as well, I've never encountered so many warnings about the animals as I did in Australia. We couldn't even go in the water at the beach because it was "box jellyfish season" and they will kill you if you touch them.
- That said, Australia makes up for it with Koalas and Kangaroos. Although they treat kangaroos like the US treats white tail deer -- kind of a pest.
Anyway, those are some of the things I can think of off the top of my head. If you want a very good (and hysterical) read of an American traveling in Australia, I highly recommend Bill Bryson's book "In a Sunburned Country". It is a very ammusing read of an American's adventures in Australia, and all of the "local color" he encounters.
Bill Bryson is one of my favourite authors, and his accurate yet hysterical commentary is well worth the read.
It is correct, melbourne is often quoted as having the worlds largest greek populaiton outside of greece, weather their is any truth to that I dont know. It certainly does have a signifiant greek population however.
US citizens are certainly more interested in their ancestory than Australians thats for sure, basically any person hear who's family have being around for more than two generations would identify their ancestory as australian.
Here in Australia we have a small and pretty insignificant latino population so thats a difference between the 2 countries.
As for the Greeks, im a Greek from Melbourne, we are a large population that stands out mainly because unlike the US you we dont have the massive hispanic population and the millions of italians, poles, germans etc, in saying that the new york metro area has the biggest "official" greek population outside of Greece, 230,000 according to the american census bureau of 2009 and Astoria remains the largest greek neighbourhood outside Greece, Greeks in greater Melbourne total about 160,000 according to our last census, but unlike new york only Greeks, Italians, Chinese and Indians (last 10 yrs) have populations over 100,000, as opposed to the 3 million italian americans in new york and the other very large communities.
its the "commonwealth" of Virginia (and Massachusetts, Kentucky and Pennsylvania) "Technically" they are not really states.
Okay, point taken about the name LoL. Its interesting that 3 of the states you mentioned, Virginia, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania were leaders of the American Revolution*. They probably started calling themselves Commonwealths as a way to stick it in the eye to King George.
But they are still states of course. Part of the 50.
For starters, consider the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Also known as the "Keystone State" and sometimes the "Quaker State". And location of the Borough of State College, Pennsylvania. Which is home to PSA aka Pennsylvania State University, and is often called Penn State for short. And go on the PA government website and you will see the word "state" all over the place.
* The fourth state, Kentucky, possibly calls itself a Commonwealth because it was part of Commonwealth of Virginia until the 1790s. Just a guess.
as someone who is not white (Indian ethnicity), while people are quick to bash the US in regards to race relations, it's a lot better than it is in Australia (or the UK for that matter).
as someone who is not white (Indian ethnicity), while people are quick to bash the US in regards to race relations, it's a lot better than it is in Australia (or the UK for that matter).
I love Australia but even i have to conceed that we are just about the most racist country on earth, back in the 60s and 70s it was the italians/greeks and the euros in general that copped it bad, 80s became the turn of the chinese and the other asian communities, nowadays its the indians. It never really ends though, as a result i believe the ethnics have more of a siege mentality here and tend to stick to their roots more.
I have relatives in the US who are Greek, but they are so patriotic towards the US..they are genuine Greek Americans...you dont really see that here, the greeks here consider themselves greek only.
I love Australia but even i have to conceed that we are just about the most racist country on earth, back in the 60s and 70s it was the italians/greeks and the euros in general that copped it bad, 80s became the turn of the chinese and the other asian communities, nowadays its the indians. It never really ends though, as a result i believe the ethnics have more of a siege mentality here and tend to stick to their roots more.
I have relatives in the US who are Greek, but they are so patriotic towards the US..they are genuine Greek Americans...you dont really see that here, the greeks here consider themselves greek only.
to be fair, the reason for this could be the difference that Australia is a new immigration destination, and USA is an old one!
Could you claim that when the USA had its first major migration in the 1880's -1920's, that everyone who showed up was welcome with open arms, was totally free of persecution, and they all just considered themselves american as soon as they showed up? I dont think so some how.
Last edited by danielsa1775; 11-05-2011 at 11:38 AM..
to be fair, the reason for this could be the difference that Australia is a new immigration destination, and USA is an old one!
Could you claim that when the USA had its first major migration in the 1880's -1920's, that everyone who showed up was welcome with open arms, was totally free of persecution, and they all just considered themselves american as soon as they showed up? I dont think so some how.
Valid point, though its still a huge point of difference between the US and Australia today.
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a hamburger is infinitely better with beet AND fried egg
Although they treat kangaroos like the US treats white tail deer -- kind of a pest.
Bill Bryson is one of my favourite authors, and his accurate yet hysterical commentary is well worth the read.
