- Every channel on TV has programs that start and end at the most bizarre times. Honestly, you could have one program starting at 7:27pm and end at 8:24pm. And on another channel, there is a program starting at 8:16pm and ending at 8:42pm. I used to watch a lot of TV back in the states. Now I tend to record TV shows and movies and watch them later. Helps with avoiding all the commercials, too.
- Most people in Sydney do not have a sense of personal space. On almost a daily basis, someone brushes past me in an effort to run wherever (s)he is going. And it's not like they politely get around you. I've had my purse shoved off my shoulder because someone is SO CLOSE to me. And when I look around, it's not like we are in a crowd. There's plenty of space for them to give me some room. Once, there was this guy in a business suit who tried to get around me on the steps going up to Clarence Street and he tripped and went down really hard on those concrete steps. (No, I didn't laugh, but I wanted to scold him for not being more polite and careful.) You could tell that he was hurt, but he tried to shake it off.
- It's very strange to me that you can drive on a back road with no guard rail and a steep cliff drop and the speed limit is 100 km/hr, but on the freeway you can only drive 70-80 km/hr. And there aren't that many cops. There are speed cameras. One day you'll just get a ticket in the mail saying that you were going x km/hr and you owe $$. WTF? I don't even remember where I was going that day. How can you possibly argue?
- Everything is so freakin' expensive. I'll be honest. I'm not one of those people who pays much attention to what I pay for stuff. I figure that if I need it or want it, then I get it. But it's hard to ignore when you go out for lunch... there are two of you... you each get a mini pizza and a beer/cider. And you pay almost $50. Kinda hard not to notice. Or you each get a one-scoop ice cream cone and it's over $10.
- You can't just get a plain old pepperoni and sausage pizza. Everyone wants to put all kinds of weird crap all over it. Like rocket. Or squid. Or kangaroo. And when you try to ask them to take something off the pizza, they look at you like you are nuts. Like why would you want something different? They've thought long and hard about how to make their pizza as weird as it could possibly be. I've seen restaurants who actually write, "No alterations" on their menu. GOODBYE. Thing is... not everyone is a gourmet. I don't feel it's necessary for my food to be dressed up with grass or fancy shredded carrots or leaves or whatever. If the food tastes good, I'll be back.
Yep, I'll probably never get used to any of this stuff. And so ends Day Eight of the blogger's challenge. LOL
Lmao. The pizza! This used to shock me too! Oh no, I just realized, I'm used to it now. Lol.
ReplyDeleteHate the tickets by mail! It seems really unfair - as it is hard to remember if/why you were even there that day?
How about when people knock into & don't even bother to say sorry? It's called being polite people. Someone once knocked me full in the head with their gigantic handbag at the movies & just continued on like hadn't noticed a darn thing! I don't know if this is an Aussie thing though? Might be big city attitude?
I'll never forget my husband's face the first time he ordered a mushroom pizza at our favourite watering hole. They brought it over and it looked like a jungle had sprouted out of it and was coated in balsamic vinaigrette. He's like, "They just can't get anything right!"
DeleteI agree about the different standards of politeness. An Aussie friend of mine says that Americans are too polite and friendly (!). She finds it fake. I'll always prefer the American way. Has anyone else noticed more staring from strangers in Australia compared to the U.S.? At first I thought it might be our clothing, but now we dress like the locals so that can't be it.
ReplyDeleteIf anything I find that I'm ignored or looked over. Post a pic of yourself in something you normally wear out and I'll tell you if you're funny looking. (wink, wink)
DeleteHahahaha...your pizza comment made me laugh out loud :)
ReplyDeleteOh, and don't get me started about speed cameras! Ridiculous revenue raising - it's so blatant! At home, everyone kind of went 10-15 kms above the speed limit without worrying about getting a fine. If you were pulled over at that speed, you would think the cop was being a bit overeager. But here - even going 5 kms over the limit is unacceptable. I got a $220 ticket for going 12 over the limit. When new speed cameras are installed, the papers don't report on how many lives will be saved, but how much money will be raised (e.g. 1.2 million dollars in 3 months). It's insane!!! INSANE!!!!!!
The pizza would get me too! It's funny that we're all writing some of the same stuff- converting money/how pricey everything is, personal space, driving. I think we are spoiled in the US.
ReplyDeleteYa think?
DeleteAll of what you said is very true. Also, I'd like to add, how lax the cops are here, compared to America. Tonight on the way home on the train, we saw two cops confronting a girl who was clearly drunk and had a 6-pack with her, sipping away on her beer. They told her it's illegal, and to get off at the next stop. No ticket, and they didn't take her beer from her....what?
ReplyDeleteI have burger issues too. They never come with the ingredients I want and they never come on a plain ole burger bun.
ReplyDeleteThink I will sign up for total agreement on that list.
ReplyDeleteThe biggest laugh is when we compare notes about a find with another expat and they ask is that local pricing or like home.
It is an expensive place to live for sure and that is before they send sneaky little bills in the mail for being over the speed limit.