Australia vs. USA

I've now lived 5 months in Canberra, Australia! Using my obviously perfect knowledge of both Australia and the USA (after living in Virginia, Utah, and Texas), here's the first post that will answer the most common question that I get from friends in each country: "What's different there?"

Let's start with what I find to be the most important category: PEEPS

If I had to describe Australians 3 words, they'd be: chill, friendly, and party-on. Americans tend to care a lot more about status and the invisible social hierarchy. We've been treated like equals by people of all statuses here, and while they may ask our opinions on sensitive topics like parenting techniques and religion, they usually refrain from judgment. Perhaps because politicians are universally viewed with disdain and religion is nearly nonexistent here, politics and religion aren't the heated topics that they are in the USA and no one seems bothered by a differing view.

At least here in Canberra, people don't live to work. They get lots of vacation days and they generally use them to travel to a beach or another country. Their job is just their job. There seems to be much less work ambition and enthusiasm than in the states and much more family or party time, depending on their life stage.

Winner: Australians

Photo Credit

Next category: The Beauty of the Land

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Little known fact: Australia is close to the same size as the continental United States, but the population is equal to half of California. At least half of Australia is believed to be unlivable so only the Aboriginals (regarded similarly to the USA's Native Americans) can be found there, living as tribes. Almost all Australians live in one of 6 cities (Canberra, the capital city, similar to Washington D.C., only has 358,000 people and is not one of those cities). Americans have spread everywhere, even areas which I suspect are similar to the 'unlivable' areas of Australia. America has Alaska's glaciers, Virginia's green woods, Florida's beaches and Utah's snowy mountains. Australia has the Great Barrier Reef and...the bush (our woods, but relatively barren)?



Winner: United States





Category: "What'd you say?"

Perhaps the biggest change for us has been the language difference. Sure, both countries speak English, but differently. Most people can quickly guess that I'm American when I speak, and when they try to imitate my accent, they do a harsh, southern drawl. A friend told me that when Americans imitate an Australian accent, it too sounds 'bogan', or 'hick' in American lingo. Accent aside, Australians seems to speak with better grammar and vowels have only the intended sounds (it's neighbor not neighber, etc.).

Word Equivalents:

• flip-flop = thongs  "What nice thongs you're wearing."
• good job = good on you    "Good on you for finishing your broccoli."
• good-bye = cheers (meaning best wishes)
• no problem = she'll be right     
• like = _____     No valley-girls in Australia
• X, Y, Z = X, Y, Zed

Oh, and wherever the saying "put some shrimp on the bbq" came from, it was not Australia. Shrimp are called prawns and they don't put them on the barbecue.

Winner: Australian English

Keep posted for round 2 of the battle!