Every day I get up in the morning, get ready and walk to university. I go to classes, write essays and drink coffee. I cook meals, go shopping and live a life no different to the one I would be living at home. Yet somehow, nothing is the same at all.
Where I am right now – Bristol, in the United Kingdom – people don't use stoves, they use 'the hob'. They don't use White-Out, they use 'Tipex'. They don't eat Weet-Bix, they eat 'Weet-a-bix'. They don't eat chips, they eat crisps. If you cut yourself, you apply a 'plaster', not a band-aid. Snow Peas are called 'Mange Tout', Zuchinni is called 'Courgette' and Capsicums are called 'Peppers'. Cars drive at 70 miles/h and not at 110km/h. Things that are good can be described as “lush” or “mint”. Football matches are hostile, and Rugby matches are family-friendly. You don't go to ‘tutorials’, you go to ‘seminars’. It's not 6.30, it's 'half six'. There are no ATMs, rather, there are 'Cash Machines'. If you say 'bludge' nobody knows what you're on about. Milk comes in pints, and not litres. They don’t use a vacuum cleaner, they use a Hoover. They think Australians use the word 'Huroo' and drink Fosters beer. AND to top it all off, TIM TAMS AND TWISTIES DO NOT EXIST.
How is everything the same, yet so different?
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Comments
Wow! Who knew there could be so many differences. It is almost hilarious! I bet you are having the time of your life. Keep up the good posts.
Posted by: canopy tent | December 19, 2012 10:40 AM
This is exactly how i feel about my stay at ballaret university
Posted by: John | December 21, 2012 10:39 AM
Haha, time your life is an understatement. Keep up the posts guys. Really entertaining :)
Posted by: Alex M | December 21, 2012 09:15 PM
This cracked me up. When I first moved to Australia from the UK, people at school asked me if we had Coca-cola in England and I said 'I think we probably got it before you did.' My main excitement was that I'd get to watch Neighbours and Home & Away before any of my friends back in the UK (embarrassing but true).
Posted by: Natalie | January 9, 2013 01:21 PM
Nice way of putting it together.
Posted by: Rockingham Counselling | January 17, 2013 06:43 PM
Great post. It's amazing simple names can be so different in another english speaking country.
Posted by: Jerry | May 9, 2013 05:51 AM