Difference

There are more similarities between AU and the US than there are differences. Both populations speak English although the accent can be hard to parse sometimes. Here are some obvious and not so obvious distinctions:

• They drive on the left side of the road. Crossing the street causes some anxiety for me because I don’t want to make a mistake and get hit by a car. I always use the cross walk and am hyper-alert when there isn’t a cross walk.
• This left side of the road thing is mirrored in escalators and walking traffic. Walking in the city with so many people on the sidewalks, it’s a constant move to the left side of the path.
• Money. Like most of the world, AU money is multi-colored based on denomination so it’s easier to distinguish.
• Doors don’t open out.
• 3% rain means it will rain. 3% rain in CA means there is a cloud nearby.
• Holidays. They have a LOT of holidays including a day off for football finals. Each state sets its own Labor Day date.
• Nouns. They shorten nouns at an accelerated rate. Garbo means garbage man. Avo is avocado toast. Brekkie is breakfast.
• Names. If you have a long name, they shorten it. Kevin becomes Kev. If you have a short name, they lengthen it. Max becomes Maximizer. The longer you know someone, the more nicknames they make up for you.
• TikTok. When you’ve been on TikTok for xyz amount of time, you see a video suggesting that you’ve been watching too long and should get some water, brush your teeth, walk around, or get some sleep. TikTok serves different “turn this off” videos for AU, complete with Men at Work’s song “I come from the land down under.”
• They crushed covid. I’m living life with no mask.
• People sit/hang out on the grass in front of the library. In the US, the homeless grace the grass in front of the library. In Melbourne, families and groups of young people sit on the grass, even in the evening.