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Living overseas

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Original poster

Im curious - what do foreigners living here NOT get about Australia?

142 replies

eidsvold · 11/10/2006 11:38

just following on from not get about UK thread - curious to see Aus from another perspective.

Dh finds the idea of picking an ordinary child's name and then imagining the wackiest spelling you can just so your child can be different.

OP posts:
humpydumpy · 13/10/2006 07:17

Polony/devon - I try not to think what's in it when DD gets given it a playdates etc.
Roundabouts - There is just an endless series of lights when a round about would be far easier and quicker.

Must admit I can think of far more positives to living here than negatives.

HauntedsandCastle · 13/10/2006 07:29

"but I couldn't get on with the whole mail box thing at the bottom of the garden. What's that about? Then most folks I know had to rent mailboxes too. Very strange. Easier to pop it through the door no"

Just so te poor posties don't have to walk, sorry drive up to the door....wait till one get a job in UK!!

suzywong · 13/10/2006 07:52

Actually
I am very pleased to be home - there, I called it Home!!!!!
(been back from UK 48 hours in case you didn't know)

SueW · 13/10/2006 07:57

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at OP's request.

Original poster
eidsvold · 13/10/2006 10:51

yeh for SUzy - you know dh said when he was in the UK a couple of weeks ago he couldn't wait to get home and I said home - Kent or home here - and he said home to Aus!!! ALthough he loves being here anyway just felt strange calling it home.

I know our postie does a much bigger delivery route than our UK one.... so don't begrudge him a postie bike especially in the bloody summer!!

OP posts:
Original poster
eidsvold · 13/10/2006 10:54

Sue - we have a good paper delivery guy after we kept not getting it - the owner of the shop delivers ours personally along with jsut a handful of other customers - even lobbing it over our six foot fence - good lad he is

I guess it is just what you are used to.

OP posts:
arfishymeau · 13/10/2006 11:11

But Manchester is in England. And we don't call our linen Manchester?!?

OK, fair enough about the PO Boxes, but still don't see why you would want one in a city unless you were being norty.

threebob · 13/10/2006 18:35

Re the Manchester thing: We didn't have English Muffins either until they came over from America.

Maybe it's something to do with waiting for it:

"can I have some sheets please?"
"no we're still waiting for manchester" (meaning the boat from Manchester)

This makes sense given the Aussies love of shortening phrases.

Also I don't get "sweet as" (what?)

SueW · 14/10/2006 19:15

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This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at OP's request.

cod · 14/10/2006 19:18

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Original poster
eidsvold · 14/10/2006 23:45

never heard of it SueW - but could be a regional thing - have heard the phrase - 'sweet as' or just 'sweet' but nothing about nuts

OP posts:
Linnet · 15/10/2006 00:15

I've never been to Australia but would love to go one day, but have a question about mail boxes.

I understand that some houses have long drives etc, houses are further apart so would make posties job harder trying to get all the mail into the actual door.

but if the mail is put in a box at the end of the street is that not a security risk or are they locked and only you, the owner, can open them with a key?

I know this is probably a really dumb question but I'd like to know.

Original poster
eidsvold · 15/10/2006 00:31

our new one locks but the old one didn't - never had any trouble. Most mailboxes are made that they lock or can be padlocked.

For people who live out west and have large properties with the mail at the end of the drive - or a mail plane to collect from - not really the traffic to worry abuot anyone taking anything from the box.

OP posts:
tilba63 · 15/10/2006 00:55

Never really thought about the mail box thing. I have always rented a mail box at the Post Office mostly because of the freedom it gives you when you go away. I guess because after a few days it looks pretty obvious you're not there when mail is spilling out of the average size letter box (not talking about the stations where they use old refridgerators etc as mail boxes!).
In England it's not an issue as it would all just pile up inside your door and therefore not a security issue.
Haven't ever thought of myself as being norty!!!

threebob · 15/10/2006 03:40

We put a hold on our mail and the postie just brings it all in a large envelope when you are back. It's free.

Original poster
eidsvold · 15/10/2006 07:50

unless like us in the UK you have a glass double glazed front door and people can see the mail piling up. We just get a neighbour to collect our mail or again put a hold on it.

OP posts:
arfishymeau · 15/10/2006 08:19

Ahhh!! I see. The penny has dropped. That's so obvious about the mailboxes when you think about it. In England there is no reason unless you're trying to hide your address/not get 'certain' mail through to the house.

Thank you .

This has been so enlightening I'm going to think of some more baffling Aussie-isms.

Shocking price of raspberries? Why most clothes in 'fashionable' (gives away age and sounds like old lady) shops are in primary colours? Why I can't get BIG jacket potatoes?

threebob · 15/10/2006 08:49

Weave what? cotton won't grow here.

SueW · 15/10/2006 09:04

Cotton grows in manchester?

hannahsaunt · 15/10/2006 09:14

We both misunderstood the lolly thing for a long time. I loved the beetroot, dh hated it. Loved the bottleshops - much bigger (and better and cheaper) choice - always entertained when a ute was in front and they loaded up for about three months at a time.

Didn't get why all the shops closed at 12noon on Saturdays and no late night shopping.

Didn't get everything shutting on a public holiday (absolutely everything - pools, petrol stations; too bad if you forgot milk the previous Friday!).

Didn't get why preschoolers aged 5 & 6 still needed a rest for an hour in the middle of the school day only to get sent home an hour after they got up.

Loved it all though . Still miss it...

hannahsaunt · 15/10/2006 09:16

Also didn't get bank charges for absolutely everything nor why I couldn't use eftpos to pay online.

Or why no Australian amazon.

hannahsaunt · 15/10/2006 09:16

Or how they grow all their children so big!!!

cod · 15/10/2006 14:46

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threebob · 15/10/2006 18:58

No they don't but it was on the slave route.

bloss · 15/10/2006 21:34

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