Just call me Clint! What's different about it? People, lifestyle, weather, everything?
I'm curious to ask, what are the Christians over there like?
What's different? Well, driving on the other side of the road and on the other side of the car is a biggy!! It's taken me months to get use to it.
Their food is more different than I ever thought possible. Try having a 'cookout' (BBQ), on just a grill, and having a hamburger... it's just plain mince (called ground beef here) squashed together into a patty... and that's it... nothing added.
Meat tastes different.. I know an American woman who couldn't handle our beef in Australia. It has such a different taste. The bread is not as good as Aussie bread.. and that's why they don't like vegemite.. it tastes terrible on their bread. I have found one brand of Oat bread that's pretty good. They love cheese on everything and have their own 'dishes' of course.
If you go to a restaurant you'll get served your salad first before the main meal, and the main meal is called an entre. They don't use a knife and fork like Aussies and British do, and they love to watch me use them. I try not to use both when I'm out so I won't be noticed.
There are so many little differences, but at the same time, their clothes and furniture etc are like ours, and both Aussies and Americans live the same kind of lives. The houses are different though, made of materials that can stand the great yearly differences in temperature, and designed to keep the warmth in. Most houses and apartments have a huge furnace built in, much like in Canberra and cold areas, to heat the whole house.
The atmosphere does feel different, it's softer somehow, not as harsh.
The people over here are soooo friendly, which includes the christians of course. In fact, I think they're just as friendly as the Aussies. I get lots of comments on my accent and they tell me they like my accent better than their own (but I like theirs). After you've been here for awhile you don't hear the American accent anymore, it doesn't seem to stand out so much.
Anyways, I enjoy living here, I love Autumn.. or Fall, with all the beautiful coloured leaves.. and getting out to pick them up..
. Give it another two months and the snow will come. Love it!
