the same, but different

so that last few days, i haven't been doing much of anything noteworthy, so i thought i would just do a post about the things that are similar and different to being home. australia is just enough to feel like i'm somewhere else, but it still feels like home pretty much so i didn't have a massive culture shock as if i'd been dropped off in the middle of bangkok or something haha!

similarities:
the queen
people are really chill and answer my questions
the bills are plastic and coloured
they love nutella here!
pine trees, but they look weird still haha they are called norfolk pines

in terms of differences, there are a lot! i feel like australia has more in common with the uk than with canada. some of the words are so strange!

the accent, obviously
the coins. are so weird. if you saw that picture i posted before of the 50 cent coin vs the 2 dollar coin you'll know what i mean. they are HUGE!
also, the bills are the same colours but reversed. a $5 is purple, and a $10 is blue, and the $20s are red! it makes it kind of confusing 
driving on the other side of the road! this means you have to look right then left, which is so odd for me
they have these weird car/truck hybrids called utes. quite ugly things i think, but lots of people have them.

the weather. it is winter here in WA and although the temperature is between 16 and 21 on most days, i still walk around with a hat on and two layers of fleece! it is so windy, and such a damp cold. i feel like being from canada i'm supposed to be walking around in shorts and thongs (flip flops), but it's not the type of cold i am used to! surely, if you live in NS or NFLD, you would be ok, but it is very different for me!

prices - everything is so expensive here! it was so hard for me to find a sweatshirt because i'm not used to paying 69 for a dang sweater! (on a side note i am also very cheap and at home would buy all of my clothes from value village or giant tiger) so they might be normal prices for some people, but not moi! i'm sure once i start working it will be better!

speaking of working, minimum wage is way more here, i think between 15 and 20 dollars per hour, so that will be nice!

at coles, the eggs are in the baking aisle, not in the refrigerated section! whaaaaat! so crazy

hmm what else..  i just ate dinner and had a glass of western australian merlot and actually really enjoyed it (normally i don't like red wine at all!) and i'm just pooped and brain fried right now. haha also, today someone ASKED ME FOR DIRECTIONS! and i told them how to get there!!! haha so cool, i felt like i was from here lol

despite all of the differences and similarities, i'm really loving australia so far. i can definitely see why people don't want to go home after their visas are up! tonight is my last night couchsurfing, i have had a really good experience with it, which i'm very thankful for! 

tomorrow, i check in to old firestation backpackers, have one night there and then bryanna gets in! so excited to see her! we spend 3 nights there, and look for cars and then hopefully after that, we'll be on our way to margs. then its job time! and surfing timeeeee :D 

i'm going to go read and finish re-packing my bag and then go to bed! missing everyone <3