Ozzie Obzervations
Clubs and Culture
Each suburb has a Returned Servicemen's League (RSL) club and a "sporting" club. The RSL clubs are run much like the Canadian Legions though many of the buildings would not look out of place in Las Vegas.
The only sporting done in the "sporting" clubs is gambling (pokies are popular) and not the usual football or rugby as I would have thought (silly me). All persons entering these buildings must be members or be sponsored by a member.
Bowls Clubs are also found in each community and offer good fun and cheap food to their members. The bowlers look smart in their whites and are seen rain or shine out on the greens.
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Favorite Aussie songs
Being immersed in the Aussie culture for a year exposed us to many cultural events. One of the most memorable was a free Tuesday concert at the Brisbane City Hall featuring the Australia Army Band performing favorite Australian songs.
Who can forget such classics as Who Put the Roo in the Stew, A Pub With No Beer (based on an actual happening), Click Go The Shears, My Boomerang Won't Come Back, The Day I Rode the Emu and Tie Me Kangaroo Down. My personal favorites are Duncan (substitute your own mate's names for fun) and Home Among The Gum Trees (complete with actions).
I can't wait for amateur talent night back home to sing these true blue classics.
Telephones and charges
By my estimation, 95 per cent of the people in Queensland own and talk regularly on mobile phones. Not realising that it is the caller who picks up the mobile charges, imagine our surprise when we got the bill for our first mobile call and had to mortgage the apartment to pay it.
The regular telephone service also needs a bit of explaining. Telstra levies a flat monthly charge as well as a per call charge based on local and STD rates. Best to make a list of things to say before you dial and say it all in one call. If you miss something out and have to call again it's going to cost.
Telephone sets have a double ring to alert you to an incoming call. For the first few months I thought the ringing was coming from the television set so did not answer the phone. My apologies to those whose calls I inadvertently ignored.
The cheapest way to call overseas is with the use of a phone card. We were able to call anywhere in Canada (over 15,000km away) at a cost of 4.9 cents per minute plus a local number connection fee. This is awesome considering that when in Canada it costs us 10 cents per minute to place a call from Vancouver to Nanaimo (which is no more than 50km away).
Other everyday notes
- The word "knickers" is actually used for underwear that is not big, baggy and white.
- Handkerchiefs (rather than tissues) are widely used.
- Australians don't play cribbage or even know what the game is about.
- Many home have salt-water pools rather than fresh water and chlorine.
- Many homes are sold by means of auction.
- The Big Dipper is hard to see down here but the Milky Way and the Southern Cross are magnificent.
- Store hours are called "trading hours" and the bills are called "dockets".
- Wheelie bins are issued by Brisbane Council and hold lots of garbage.
- Many traffic signal boxes are painted with murals (as are some of the telephone poles). Traffic Signal Box Painter is a profession passed on down the family.
- Roy and H.G. — what a pair — as well as Dame Edna.
- Get a TFN (Tax File Number) if you plan to work in Australia, otherwise tax is withheld at 48.5 per cent.
- Cricket and footy are the national sports — we miss our hockey!
- Holden cars and utes are very popular.
- Lots of BYO restaurants (bring your own wine) — small corkage fee usually applies.
Next page: Birds, Fish and Crawly Things
- Driving in Australia and Other Aussie Experiences
- U-Turns and Highways
- Billy Tea, Beet Root, Bacon, Beer
- Spyders, Sausage Rolls
- Does the Water Go Counter-clockwise?
- Big Things in the Big Country
- Clubs and Culture
- Birds, Fish and Crawly Things
- Lizards, Leeches and Cane Toads
From our Forum: "Favorite sign - WRONG WAY GO BACK ... Uh ... mind if I ask how many times you ... uh ... encountered that one??? [very big grin]" — Joseph
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