Almost 24 hours’ flight from Italy lies Australia, an island that covers the same distance as Lisbon in Moscow. A unique country to say the least, starting with flora and fauna down to its particular slang. In fact, I will tell you about 10 strange things in Australia which, in almost 9 years, sometimes continue to amaze me.
There are so many strange things in Australia. From day one, I knew I was in a very distant place not only in terms of distance but also in terms of traditions (few), customs and traditions. Read on to discover the top weird things in Australia!
Walking barefoot
In the early days of Australian life, I noticed both adults and children they walked calmly barefoot. I immediately thought: “what?! They are at risk of getting hurt!” But no. Everyone walks without problems without shoes, whether it’s in the driveway of their house, at the beach or at the supermarket. Would make your grandmother’s hair stand on end. But still, they would tell her: “no worries mate, you’ll be right!”
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Shorten words
If once you get here you won’t understand anythingDon’t worry, it’s all normal. The English that Australians speak is one of the strangest things in Australia. It will seem like it to you let the words be eatenbut most of all, some you will never have heard. In fact, these people have the habit of shorten many of them. Afternoon becomes “value”, barbecue becomes “barbie”, breakfast And “brekkie”, avocado And “avo”, cigarette And “ciggy” and I could go on forever. Also, don’t be surprised if everyone calls you “mate”. It’s their way call friends, but also strangers!
Kangaroo, emu, crocodile meat..
Maybe you won’t find horse or rabbit meat, but you definitely will you will be able to buy a kangaroo steak at the supermarket. Among the strange things in Australia this cannot be missed. Especially in the north of the country, you will find several pubs or restaurants serving crocodile or emu meat. Kangaroo meat resembles game and is very lean, while crocodile meat seems to resemble chicken!
More kangaroos than people
If you’re wondering why kangaroos eat (it seems absurd to me too!) one reason is because this species outnumbers people. In fact, it is estimated that there are many 50 million kangaroos throughout the country, while there are only 25 million people. This certainly makes Australia special and unique: kangaroos are only found here, along with many other exclusive species.
There are even camels!
What? Camels? Yes, among the strange things in Australia there is also this. I also thought that camels were only found in the desert, but they can also be found here. Obviously, they are not native animals, were introduced here by 19th century settlers to explore the Australian lands. Furthermore, the camel population here is the largest in the worldconcentrated in the desert and central areas of the country.
Il “Bottle-O”
If you want a beer, don’t go into the supermarket. Indeed, you will never find alcoholic drinks among the shelves. There are some shops designated for the sale of alcohol, called “bottle shop” o “bottle-o”, and here you will find what you need. And he remembers bring a document with you, because very often you will be asked. Among the strange things in Australia, this is truly particular, especially coming from a country where it is normal to find alcohol in any supermarket.
Nicknames for the inhabitants
If Australians like to shorten words, they also love to give nicknames for its inhabitants. Any examples? Queenslanders are called banana bender (banana benders), while those of New South Wales cockroaches (Beatles). Instead, those from Western Australia are nicknamed sand groupers (sand groupers)!
Mania for giant things
Sure this land is not known for its monuments and works of art, but there are some strange things in Australia to see: le big icons. In fact, there are some here giant buildings, such as one huge banana, a pineapple, a lobster, a shrimp, a guitar and a mango. Mostly I’m in New South Wales and in Queensland, but there are also in South Australia and Victoria.
How are ya mate?
One of the strange things in Australia that positively surprised me is definitely the fact that they almost always say hello. At the supermarket, at the restaurant, in any office the first question is “hey, how are you? How is your day going?”, or “how are you? How’s your day going?” Very often strangers are also asked and, sometimes, there is no real interest behind it. It’s normal to say it, but very often it is done out of pure kindness. However, I find it a nice way to make the customer feel appreciated, especially in shops or restaurants.
The University? I’ll pay for it later!
By hanging out with many kids my age, I discovered this opportunity that is given to young Australians. Some university faculties allow you to postpone the payment of the tuition in the future. This means that very often boys they don’t have to rely on their parents, they can have a part-time job and live alone (which is very common after the age of 18!). The amount to be paid will then be debited once the student has finished the course will be employed in a full-time job with a certain amount of earnings per year. On the one hand it certainly is a nice advantageon the other it simply is an accumulated debt. But since wages in Australia are quite high, definitely doable.
One pizza to share, please
A pizza to share, please. If in Italy sharing a pizza is a sacrilege, here it is truly normal. It is not uncommon to see in fact also a table of 5 or 6 people can share 2 or 3 pizzas. For them it is considered an abundant meal, and therefore, to be shared. It must also be said that Australian pizzas are loaded with cheese, excessive toppings and they are heavier than a good Italian pizza. Despite this, even in Italian restaurants they already cut the pizzas before bringing them to the table and place them on risers to make it easier sharing.
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