G’day!

This blog post is going to a little deeper into studying abroad in Sydney, Australia! As I am only 10 days away from my program ending, I want to talk a little bit more about the culture in Sydney. The first thing I want to talk about is how us Americans are perceived by Australian natives. The reputation that Americans have in Australia is loud and obnoxious. Australians are very quiet so to have a lot of strong American personalities will make you stand out like a sore thumb.  Even when it comes to talking on the phone… it is rare to be on the train and here people talking on the phone because they speak so quietly. Another thing that makes Americans stand out is our way of payment.  This is inevitable, but Australians have an amazing payment method where all you have to do is tap your debit/credit card on a little screen and it accepts the payment. However, our American cards either need to be swiped or inserted and then we are prompted with a series of questions regarding the account and then have to sign.  If you ever see a long line at a coffee shop, there is a high percentage that an American is in front of that line!

The next thing I want to talk about for the culture of Australia is their pace.  People here are incredibly relaxed.  No one is in a rush, everyone takes their time walking and shopping, it just is incredibly slow when compared to the United States. This is a very calming part of Australia’s culture.  This can even be seen in the workplace, where employees are dressed casually and come in late.  It is definitely a change from America, but a positive change of pace.

The last thing I wanted to mention was a little bit of the language.    One of the main reasons I chose to study abroad in Sydney was there was no language barrier.  That was my initial thought, but the Australian accent is actually a little tricky to understand.  It really does depend on where in Australia they are from.  For example, people from Melbourne have a thicker accent than people here in Sydney.  There is also Australian slang, such as “Maccas” for McDonald’s, “Brekkie” for breakfast, and “Sunnies” for sunglasses.  I was hoping I’d be able to pick up on the accent but I am having a hard time mastering it!

That’s all for this post! Cheers!