10 Things I Have Learned In Australia (Thus Far)

1.  Bus drivers in Brisbane carry DNA kits to help identify and prosecute people who spit on the bus.

2.  The Australian concept of personal space is much different from the American concept, particularly on the dance floor.  Dancing in a standard close-hold ballroom position is considered very intimate.

3.  There will likely be ingredients in your food that weren't listed on the menu.  For example, they may put mustard in your mac & cheese without telling you.  Australians also put butter on everything, including PB&J sandwiches (perhaps they mentally insert a comma: peanut, butter and jelly?)

4.  Australian birds are loud.  As a whole, they are much more noisy than American birds, and are great alarm clocks as they get up at about 6 a.m. every day.

5.  Australians shorten both words and phrases.  For example, a mosquito is a "mozzie" and Brisbane is often shortened to "Brissie."  In terms of phrases, a common one is "sweet as" or "fun as."  As in, "that's sweet as!" - without mentioning whatever word was originally at the end of the phrase.  It is kind of the equivalent of saying "that's awesome!"

6.  Kangaroos and koalas really are amazingly cute.  I have seen plenty of kangaroos in the wild, though have so far only seen a koala at the RSPCA (animal shelter).  One of these days, I will make it out to Lone Pine Sanctuary and possibly get to cuddle a koala.

7.  Scaridae (parrotfish), Siganidae (rabbitfish), Pomacentridae (damselfish), Acanthuridae (surgeonfish), and Blenniidae (blennies) are all important grazers in coral reef communities.  Surgeonfish and blennies stay the same gender their entire lives, while parrotfish and damselfish change gender (parrot fish go female à male, and damselfish go maleà female).  Yes, I have been learning things in my classes, too.

8.  Vegemite is an acquired taste (I find it unappetizing).  Tim tams are great.

9.  The gender gap in economic earnings is larger in Australia than in the United States.

10.  Sports are a very common pastime, both to play and to watch.  Australians seem to get very competitive on the subject of their favorite teams.  I need to remember to not wear blue to school in a week and a half (when the state of origin game occurs; the team I am automatically supporting is maroon, where the other is blue) - I am under the impression that the competition may be fiercer than the Stanford/Cal game.