#5 - SO MUCH THE SAME BUT SO DIFFERENT TOO!

It's a bit disconcerting to travel completely around the globe to a country you've never been before and not have it feel foreign. I guess it is mostly that there is no language barrier or it's a newer country or the Coral Sea looks a lot like our oceans and the palm trees look like Hawaii - all things we see and places we have been.

                                                                    

Even the accent is quite easy, rarely needing to ask a second time for anything. They use the dollar for their currency and it's not too far off from ours, so the prices for a flat white or a ginger smoothie seem quite normal, just a tad 'we're on vacation' indulgent. 

There's much less diversity, mostly white and Asian. The Aboriginal people are sprinkled about and they stand out by not only their dark skin but their unbelievably unique facial structure and features. There is no mistaking them for an African American or Ethiopian. This is a bit different than our more blended and numerous races in the US. Even after living in Santa Fe for six years, I sometimes have to look hard to decide if someone is Hispanic or Native American. 

                                

Now you do have to get used to the language a bit. The Aussies have a passion for shortening everything to a nickname. Not like Richard to Dick, or toilet to WC, but sunglasses to sunnies, or bathing suits (aka bathing costumes) to cossies, both of which we learned soon after meeting our first Australians ( Aussies) two years ago.  But now that we are immersed here, we learn new ones everyday. I haven't decided when or how you know to shorten a word and add an 'ie' or 'y' on the end, nor have I figured out why. Several personal theories abound such as, they talk to small children all the time and it simply carried over (we have noticed every young couple has three or four children in tow), it makes it easier to tell whose British vs. Australian, or the most likely one - they talk fast and this way you can get in more words per minute. 

Now some of these 'cuties' you could guess. There's brekky for breakfast, barby for barbecue, chewy for chewing gum, and lippy for lipstick. But what about all those signs around town for pokies?

              

Are they like corndogs since they seem to be at bars? Are they some kind of drink? We just couldn't figure it out so, hello google. The actual definition is erect nipples poking out of a shirt, like in a wet tee-shirt contest. But here it also means poker slot machines, so if you are chucking a sickie (which we call a mental health day from work) it may be to play the pokies. 

We are thrilled that even in the hot humid days and nights here, there seem to be no mozzies that bite you and that there is always a place to get a couple of coldies (beers) to cool down. Most folks who travel here probably keep in touch with their friends on Facie.....just not us. And lastly, if we are really so captivated by this trip to Oceania, we may even buy a scratchie, hoping to hit it big, win a million Aussie bucks and return again in style.

But it's not just the words. Sometimes it's the common everyday  things that wow us, like this morning. Up early, we stroll into town to find a cafe for our daily flat whites. Not much is open but we finally settle in at a small outdoor table. Now, as anyone who travels knows, sometimes it is best to take breakfast in your hotel as it affords you the luxury of returning to your room, specifically the bathroom, at just the right time. But the restaurant in our place is a big buffet so we have our coffee on Macrossan Street. And, unfortunately for me, today, post coffee, found me needing a toilet. Those of you who know us well probably know my aversion to public bathrooms, and Steve's addiction to museum WCs. Our coffee spot was none too tidy and clean and so it was partially with relief when they pointed across the street to a small free standing building, apparently the public toilets. It looked the size of a garden shed and as I approached I could see a couple of doors and some flashing lights. Concerned I was going to need coins to enter which I did not have, I kept walking hoping for the best.

                   

Luckily the flashing green light said 'Push me to Open' and I did and the larger of the two doors slid quietly aside revealing a spotless bathroom. Enter...next directions, 'Push me to close and lock the door'.  One quick tap and the door shut and it blinked locked.

                                    

For a split second I figured, this is great, it's clean, free and in just the right spot, so imagine my surprise when a voice spoke. It told me what to do. I had to push the button for the toilet paper to slide out, and when I was done I had to wash my hands for the locked door to open again....talk about behavior modification. And then, after it finished talking.....it played music for me until the toilet flushed.

This was the best public toilet I ever used. It even beat the Japanese ones at Izunami at Ten Thousand Waves in Santa Fe that warm up and clean you too! 

So, there are differences and so far they are rather amusing and enjoyable. Tomorrow we fly to Sydney.  It's just a travel day but for you loyal readers, you may remember....those are usually WTF days, stay tuned.