I wouldn't say it's been complicated to move to the other side of the country - the whole process went pretty quick, because I didn't really have any time between degrees, and I was really busy with schoolwork right up until the move. But there have definately been some surprises since moving.
In Australia, I like the friendliness of the people. I thought we were friendly in Canada (maybe it's just a comparison to the Americans), but they are even more so in Australia. In stores, banks, etc. And I like the easy-going nature of Australians - very down to earth (of course, these are all generalizations).
I like a lot of the food here - the dairy is so much better than in Canada. They have some nice, cheap wine here too - perfect for a student (I was never much of a wine drinker before moving here).
I like some of the older architecture in the city. For a European, it probably seems funny - but for a western Canadian, it all seems so old to me, and I love it. I also like all the brick houses.
I also love the environment here. The trees and birds. The eucalyptus smell wonderful and the birds are so colourful!
Unfortunately, there are also a lot of things I hate about Australia. The first is that everything closes early and not much is open on Sundays. Coming from North America, I guess I'm used to shopping and doing errands in the evenings/weekends. Here you have to take time off to do it.
And it's too cold here! I know it's crazy coming from a Canadian who's used to -40 weather, and it never really goes below zero here - but they don't prepare for the cold at all. Houses aren't insulated, very few have central heating. I hate having to dress warm just to be inside! (But luckily, spring is here!).
I thought Australians were supposed to be beer drinkers - but most of the beer is terrible! I'd almost rather buy a beer in the States than in Australia (the States has notoriously bad beer). I miss Canadian beer.
Banking services are much worse here. Although bankers are usually more friendly, they seem to be a bit more incompetent. I've had so many frustrations with them here, never getting a straight answer to anything!
I miss watching hockey and football. I'm not a big fan of rugby, Aussie Rules Footy and cricket (what kind of sport has everyone dressing in white anyways?).
The world news coverage here is very poor - it's almost all local (which rugby/cricket player is in court now - that type of thing).
I think some of my disappointments about Australia stem from always being told how similar it is to Canada. And it is in a lot of ways, but in some ways it's very different!
It gets dark too early in the summer - about 9:30 pm. I miss long summer nights.
These are just a few things that come to mind about Australia. Papua New Guinea is a whole different story! When I'm in PNG, I live in a small village - no electricity, running water, etc. It's much different. So my experiences there are much different than most expats to PNG.
I love PNG, the people are so incredibly friendly. They make you a part of their family - this is extremely common in PNG villages. I love having my eyes opened to a vastly different culture. I can't really begin to explain the differences here, there are so many.
The connections I made with people in PNG are much deeper than any I've made in Australia. Of course, I lived in a village in PNG, and a city in Australia. But it's really nice being a part of a community. And I liked the challenges of learning to live a completely different lifestyle, learn a new language (or two), etc.
But I missed the fact that I am so completely out of touch with anyone outside of my little world in PNG. There are no phones or anything where I live, so I have to travel into town to make a very expensive phone call, or even more expensive internet connection. I don't do it very often.
I get tired of having to wash fully clothed in a river with water up to my ankles and lots of kids staring at me. I get tiring of drawing a crowd because people want to look at me/hear me talk.
And amazingly, it's too hot for me in the village - I never thought I'd find a place that was too hot, but without any breeze or fans, being just a few degrees off the equator is too much.
It gets dark way to early here - about 6:30 year round. It's a bit strange.
Well, this is getting a little long, so I'll stop. But I just want to say that I love both Australia and PNG, and I wouldn't trade my experience for the world!
)
)
Everything you need to know as an expat woman in Saudi Arabia
Working in the Dominican Republic
Working in Taiwan
Getting married in Qatar
Getting married in Saudi Arabia
Driving in Saudi Arabia
Getting married in the Philippines
Banking and finance in Taiwan
