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^for ali and geoff
For me, the biggest cultural difference is the age young adults move out, from their parents home. Down under, it is normal to live with your parents into your late 20’s. Students don’t move away from home for University, because they typically stay nearby in Sydney for school. Even post graduating “Uni” (what they call it here) they live at home while they work. Parents seem to be more understanding of the necessary freedoms kids need while living under the same roof – however, I think it is a little bit odd.
in the city people let their cats roam free without collars – this is loved cat and not a stray… also, dogs are never on leashes. Dogs walk with their owner and no-one seems phased or endangered…
In Australia all children, even at public schools, wear uniforms like these (even with the crazy hats, which protect them from the harsh AUS sun)
Something I didn’t know about Australia before I lived here is the large Asian Population (making up around 24% of the population). I really enjoy the diversity here. I also have had the best Thai food of my life… Australia Population Stats (picture sourced from food review on my fav thai called restaurant called Spice I Am in Surry Hills)
Obviously, I had never seen a dust storm like the Sydney Dust Storms this September… The country blew into town :)
As if driving on the other side of the road wasn’t different enough… In Oz there are zig zags in the road (which I am told by my local friends is to warn cars to slow before a cross walk)
Whenever you go to order an “iced coffee” you get this! They put Ice Cream in anything “iced” or even in smoothies if you don’t specify. This has really upset me at several breakfasts.
Another significant difference in Australia is the public health care, which seems to be very effective!
Health care in Australia is provided by both private and government institutions. The Minister for Health and Ageing, currently the Hon. Nicola Roxon MP, administers national health policy. Primary health care remains the responsibility of the federal government, elements of which (such as the operation of hospitals) are overseen by individual states.
In Australia the current system, known as Medicare, was instituted in 1984. It coexists with a private health system. Medicare is funded partly by a 1.5% income taxlevy (with exceptions for low-income earners), but mostly out of general revenue. An additional levy of 1% is imposed on high-income earners without private health insurance. As well as Medicare, there is a separate Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme that heavily subsidises prescription medications. In 2005, Australia spent 8.8% of GDP on health care, or US$3,181 per capita. Of that, approximately 67% was government expenditure.[1] (compliments of wikipedia)
My new favorite breed of dog is the Australian Kelpie. They are so gorgeous, smart, and athletic. They also have all the qualities of a big dog but are more appropriate size for city living. Maybe someday I will get one.
Australian dollars are also different. They are different sizes, colors, and made of plastic so they are waterproof! The colors make it easy when you are sorting your money. In Australia, the 5 cent coin is the lowest currency they have – tax is always factored into the cost prior to purchase. They also have 2 dollar coins, which is amazing when you only have change in your purse.
You do not have to tip! People working in the service industry get compensated minimum wage (which is determined by your age) The minimum wage here is around 15.00 an hour if you are under 18.
In Australia government they elect a prime minister.
The Prime Minister of Australia is the head of government of the Commonwealth of Australia, holding office on commission from the Governor-General. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful political office in Australia. Despite being at the apex of executive government in the country, the Prime Minister is not mentioned in the Constitution of Australia and exists through an unwritten constitutional convention.
Barring exceptional circumstances, the Prime Minister is always the leader of the political party or coalition with majority support in the House of Representatives. The only case where a Senator was appointed Prime Minister was that of John Gorton, who subsequently resigned his Senate position and was elected as a member of the House of Representatives (Senator George Pearce was Acting Prime Minister for seven months in 1916 while Billy Hughes was overseas).[1] (compliments of wikipedia.com)
Also! Australians have a Christmas Tradition of having a large sea food buffet… often spending the holiday at the beach.
People here eat vegemite with butter on toast for breakfast – which is sick. it tastes like salty tar :P
Australian’s sense of humor is very blunt. Sometimes hilarious and other times culturally offensive…
Public transportation is more expensive here – for one week the public transportation pass is 40 dollars, making it 160 a month – twice the cost of an unlimited pass when I was living in NYC.
Right now the exchange rate is about 93 cents AU for 1 US dollar. The Australian dollar has strengthened significantly over the past year (at one point the exchange was AU dollar was valued at 60 US cents)…
Most Australians do not travel within Australia, because international travel opportunities to Asia are so accessible. I am so excited to road trip down here and get to see the “bush” and “outback”
Trusty Australian Sayings, Instead of:
“good for you” Australians say “good on you”
“red pepper” Australians say “capsicum”
“diaper” Australians say “nappy”
“stroller” Australians say “pram”
“candy” Australians say “lolly”
“light bulb” Australians say “globe”
“hello” Australians say “g’day”
“how did you recover from last night” Australians say “how did you pull up?”
“fight” Australians say “smash”
“f you” Australians say “stuff you” or that got “stuffed up”
“sh*t” Australians (mostly girls) say “shivers”
“idiot” Australians say (this is bad) “dead sh*t head”
hmmm I will think of more… :)
Today, Shannon and I went to Cockatoo Island for a comedy festival. Aussie humor is very different than in the US or Britain. I can’t really describe it – obviously, they have their comedy has unique references and inside jokes… :) The coolest part of today was being able to understand the aussie context, which is only possible thanks to living here nearly five months. Definitely picked up some aussie stereotypes, that I hadn’t really thought anything of. Some jokes had me laughing uncontrollably and others left me feeling so awkward :/ but I guess that’s the beauty in Australian Humour
Cockatoo Island was an experience in itself – here is a bit from wiki
Cockatoo Island is the largest island in Sydney Harbour in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Located at the junction of the Parramatta and Lane Cove rivers, Cockatoo Island is a former imperial prison, industrial school, reformatory and gaol. It is also the site of one of Australia’s biggest shipyards during the twentieth century. The first of its two dry docks was built by convicts and was completed in 1857. The island’s maritime industrial activity ceased in 1992.
In late March 2005 the island was re-opened to the public for the ‘Cockatoo Island Festival’, after two and a half years of planning. The island is currently managed by the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust who are currently revitalising the island as a landmark harbour attraction, with commercial maritime activity operating alongside interpretation of the island’s heritage. Today Cockatoo Island retains many remnants of its past. Its prison buildings have been nominated for World Heritage listing, along with other convict sites around Australia. Large workshops, slipways, wharves, residences and other buildings retain the texture of the island’s industrial past.
^We saw Austen Tayshus – maybe it will give you a taste of the aussie humor??
^this one is from a youtube search on australian humor – seems about right… :)
^cockatoo island!
shannon holding on for dear life on the ferry
sydney good eats coming soon. my apologies for being overly enthused in these good eats post… i just survived a few days on master cleanse and this is the result! Hope you can enjoy some of these delectable spots soon!
NYC theme: eclectic mix – i have not even scratched the surface on delicious places to eat in the city… BUT here are some of my favorites anyways! bon appetite -
majority are pretty easy on the wallet…
Caracas Arepas Bar- lower east side – south american arepas bar that ashley showed me. This place and it is SOOOOOOOO GOOD and cheap… but be prepared to wait for a long time to sit because the restaurant is tiny $
Da Silvano Restaurant – toscana cucina :) pricey, cool & delicious $$$
Elephant The – bar & restaraunt – french thai fusion! YUM! one of my favorites – FUSION is the way of the future… really great for any kind of event… a bit rowdy! $$
La Esquina/ the corner bar – cheapo mexicana! has really cool night club underneath if you knock on the door in the back of the restaurant… apparently celebrities frequent but I like it for the tasty cheap mexican $
Socarrat Paella Bar $$$ jamie showed me this delightful paella bar (love seafood!) – really fun & special environment – would be great for a date or with a big group of people for a celebration
Welcome to La Colombe Torrefaction – the best coffee in the whole world!!! ahhh i miss this so much!!! their grinida (sp?) in the summer is what started my addiction :) la colombe is very clean, with simple the decor…. it is all about the coffee. Even though it is a chain it makes the cut $
Il Buco – super romantic and intimate environment – delicious italian, special, and lovely!!!! great date place to impress the ladies (good work ;D) |
Ivy’s Chinese & Japanese Cafe- chinese & japanese cafe on the upper west side – one of the families i babysit for turned me onto this place (their fav local delivery) I got hooked for its prices and tasty dishes! they have gotten a ton of recognition and are referred to as “the best kept secret” on the UWS $
Cafe Habana – cuban lunch spot in Nolita – my boss took me it is so good and cheap – they also have awesome drinks!
Artichoke Basilles Pizza – i am a little ashamed to say i eat here because it is SOOOO bad for you, yet so delicious. the most amazing drunk pizza stop in the world… I recommend the crap pizza :) sometimes it’s good to be bad $
Mission Cafe- the best breakfast ever – I swear by this place because it is super cheap and yummy – order the french toast and you will not be sorry… they also make all kinds of wraps/sandwiches/smoothies etc
Omai- vietnamese in chelsea that is sooo good $$$ |
Rice – like the name suggests, this restaurant serves all kinds of rice. easy affordable and delicious – try their black rice it is very unique
I wish I had room for more!!!
The food in boulder is some of the best I have ever eaten. Love the healthy/organic vibe!!!! ahh I miss boulder so so soooooo much – I can’t put all the restaurants I want to here, because there just is not enough space. good eats.
must try these
theme: organic, healthy, delicious, $-$$
Boulder Creek Market – aka BCM – I almost forgot my favorite!
Tandoori Grill – this is quite possibly the best indian food in boulder – i like to think it is a well kept secret because I don’t think many of my friends even frequent it. My lab partner in schools family owns tandoori grill, it is exceptional |
Mediterranean Restaurant- seriously who doesn’t love the med?? |
The Kitchen – go green vibe + the best wine bar in boulder!!! light, healthy, delicious and the menu changes daily….
Rush – breakfast – smoothie bowls with granola and agave honey on top – aka heaven
Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant – small chain but it makes the cut – yummy margaritas + i am personally obsessed with the fajitas |
Bombay Bistro- so yummy – plus kate and jess worked here forever :) hehe $$$
Deli Zone On the Hill – on the hill- (not really organic or healthy) best breakfast sandwich ever!
I would put hapa up but I have heard not good things recently – :(
is it bad that I want chipotle & cpk on these lists… !!! ahhh I think it is bad but know they should be here…
Arizona
(click on visuals to enlarge) i feel like i am forgetting some essentials! ali??
theme: affordable, local, old school & yummy (malee’s is my favorite!) some of my favorite places to eat from high school – so def a bit dated but they are still the best when I go home… miss authentic mexican like crazy
Malee’s Thai Bistro on main $$ my fav restaurant by far in arizona – order their signature fish dish
Los Olivos- ha! i am pretty sure this graphic says it all… this is legit authentic mex!!!!
Oregano – order their sandwiches & pizzas… and if your feeling indulgent get the pazookie – half baked cookie in a pizza pan w/ ice cream = heaven … any one in az already knows about this
La Grande Orange Grocery – really cute/cool boutique grocery that also has a great lunch menu
Tee Pee Mexican Restaurant- this is the best mexican. it is legendary. they serve your food so hot you can barely put it in your mouth (twss – hehe) anyways, it is authentic and a historic spot in phoenix!
Dhaba The – recently my fam has been hitting up the dhaba for some affordable & savory indian! |
Sushi On Shea – :)
Sugar Bowl Ice Cream Parlor – old town scottsdale landmark – ice cream galore
texas
Joe T. Garcia’s Mexican Restaurant- so much authentic mexican – this place is HUGE and does a 5 course meal that is insane!!! no joke… you will be full for days after eating here… I like the fajitas
chains omitted – original house of pancakes and the good egg (az chain)
today at dinner I realized I don’t know very much about flags of the world…. I obviously choose to blame this on public school education – ;D anyways, it is definitely important to know. Plus it is the ultimate graphic design, which is why I am so anxious to play catch up… so here is my attempt to educate myself – and whoever else is in need of a flag refresher :) this post is a brief random collection from worldflags101.com I have a feeling these posts will keep coming… maybe next time I will find more gorgeous pictures of the flags I choose… but these will do for today because they come with the meaning.
xxxx :X benJammin
National Flag of Albania
‘The eagle is taken from an Albanian folk tale. The eagle faithfully watches over and guides the king or “the son of the eagle”‘
National Flag of Argentina
“There are conflicting views on the meaning of the Argentine flag. One theory states that the blue represents the Rio de la Plata, (river of silver) which is the widest river in the world and that the white represents the metal silver, as the word argentina originates from the latin word ‘argentum’ which means silver. Early conquerors thought there were large quantities of silver hidden in Argentine’s river banks. Another theory of the Argentine flag colors state that they represent the bourban dynasty of spain colonized Argentina in 1516. Argentina recieved its independence from the Spanish 300 years later in 1816.”
The National flag of the Bahamas
“The yellow stripe in the middle of the Bahamian flag represents the sandy beaches of the 700 Bahamian islands, and the aqua blue stripes symbolize the ocean waters that surround it. The black triangle stands for unity of the Bahamian nation and the people’s develop the land and the sea.”
National Flag of Saudi Arabia
“The sword symbolizes justice”
love when nature is incorporated with city architecture – ali, it reminds me of what you are saying about feminine & harsh things being in juxtaposition… the garden brings the area to life!!! Cities need more nature/green for people to enjoy. I have never seen a planter that is integrated in steps like this- very cool and unusual. Picture and article clip from link below :) the explanation is very interesting so read!
The Garden That Climbs The Steps – article
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| Munich’s first ever ‘Oktoberfest’ was held in 1810 to celebrate a royal wedding with horse races and various culinary delights. The culinary delights, primarily the beer, were much more popular than the wedding ceremony and horse races. Since then, the munich beer festival has been repeated on an almost annual basis. Only major catastrophes like war or the outbreak of epidemics can stop Munich’s inhabitants from gathering at the green expanse called ‘Wies’n’, the festival’s location. Even though it is called the ‘Oktoberfest’, the festival actually takes place in September, as the Bavarian autumn can be tricky and throw a surprise with early cold and snow.Today, the ‘Oktoberfest’ is the largest festival worldwide attracting a multitude of visitors. Apart from beer tents the festival offers amusements as diverse as roller coasters, circus appearances, festival parades and live brass bands. The ceremonial opening happens at noon. The mayor arrives in a festive coach followed by a decorated horse-drawn brewer’s cart. Guests, staff and the numerous brass bands are all wearing traditional costumes (lederhosen and dirndls) for the occasion. At the end of the parade the major taps the first keg of beer and shouts, “o’zapft is!” (The keg is tapped). It takes good nerves and a solid stomach to survive the festival’s 16 days of intensive partying and drinking. in honor of matty & tu hehe :)
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i am going here soon :) just not sure when!
http://www.atn.com.au/nt/south/uluru.htm
Kata Tjuta National Park: 280 miles (450km) southwest of Alice Springs. Ayers Rock/ Uluru, the world’s largest monolith and an Aboriginal sacred site is Australia’s most famous natural landmark. Visitors may wish to make the tough 1.6km ascent to the top or take a walking tour around the rock with an aboriginal guide , learning about its fascinating with the Uluru people and its importance in dreamtime legend.
Also in this enormous park are many Aboriginal sacred sites, spectacular scenery and famous rock formations. Visit the Olgas/ Kata Tjuta, a dramatic series of 36 dome-like rock formations which stand up to 1,701ft (546m) high and cover an area of 35km and like Uluru, produce an incredible light show at sunset, with crimsons turning to rusts, and pinks to mauves.
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