Sunday, November 9, 2008

Differences...

So, obviously when you enter a different culture there will be differences. I've been here for two months and I'm starting to catch on to some of the differences and discovering new ones every day. My housemates often laugh at the way that I say things or wonder what I mean by a certain phrase that I say...who knew that Heidi was so complex?I like that...hah.


Here's a few:
*Flip flops=Jandals
*Sweet/Awesome= "Sweet as" I would often stand there and expect them to continue to say something, but nope..it's just "sweet as." You may think "Sweet as what?"...just "Sweet as"
*Friend=Mate
*Profanity is A-OK here...that's different.I won't go into detail on those words :)
*Grilled Cheese=Toastie
*They're used to eating spaghetti in a can and not actually making it...weird...at least my flatmates.
*The word "jerk" is a big insult here.
*Q-tips=Cotton Buds (I was so confused when I first went to find them)
*No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service=Barefeet are typical...and they come with grass stains...ew.
*Laundry=it's very uncommon to see dryers in households because it's so expensive, so drying racks and hanging clothes outside are in.It takes at least two days to do laundry.
*French Fries=Chips
*House at the camp=Bach (house at the beach...pronounced "Batch)
*Cookie=Biscuit
*Trunk to a car=Boot
*Woods=Forest or Bush
*Parking Lot=Car park
*Candy=Lollies
*Rice Krispies=Rice Bubbles
*Tired/Exhausted=Knackered,fagged out
These are just a few of the differences in language.It may not be learning a totally different language, but there are so many differences and they speak quickly...so it's challenging depending on how fast the person is speaking.
Enjoy!
Be blessed and be a blessing.


1 comment:

BJ said...

And it doesn't snow - so even in the Winter it is possible to get clothes dry without freezing!