G?Day Mate from the land down under.
My name is David and I have been interning abroad in Sydney, Australia via the CIBS’ partnered Education Abroad program. While Australia and the US are relatively similar as English-speaking countries, especially compared to other destinations such as Spain or Germany, there was still some culture shock to be had.
The first thing I noticed once I got out of the airport was that everyone walks on the left. When trying to pass someone, when just walking on the sidewalk, everyone sticks on the left just like how they drive on the left in Australia. I?ve run into a few awkward situations where I?ve stuck on the right like how i?m used to and someone else has stuck on the left and we do a little awkward dance for a second.
Next, I noticed alcohol and bars were a lot more prevalent here. Drinking culture is definitely a thing around with both my coworkers and fellow interns hitting up bars. While I?m not much of a drinker, there definitely was a lot of drinking going on. Along with that, cursing, in general, was more normalized as it was not strange to hear some swearing while just walking down the street.
Vivid, a lights festival
Finally, there is a more formal public transportation system here compared to the states. There are buses, trains, taxis, and ferries all available through their opal card system and accessible to the public. These are what I used mainly to travel around and are definitely viable to use if you do not own or wish to drive a car whereas back in Texas, you require a car to get around. These are just some of the initial differences I noticed once I arrived in Australia but I’m sure I’ll be able to learn more the longer I stay here.
The public ferry system in Sydney