I just realized that tomorrow is my three month anniversary of being in Australia. Does that make me an Australian? Would being here longer? I’m guessing no either way. Being away from home is a great adventure and I’m loving so much of what makes Australia different from the US. BUT… it also reinforces how much being an American is part of my identity. I would NEVER have thought that until I moved here and it seems like quite a revelation to me. Maybe I’m too easily impressed with my own revelations – haha.

Lately, I find myself going through my daily routine and somehow forgetting that I’m in Australia. Then I hear people talking and I’m nudged back into the present. I read a letter to the editor in the local paper and someone was complaining about the paper using the work “franking” when referring to post marking a letter and claimed that was just another example of the paper being too American and using Americanisms. Well, color me surprised since I am pretty sure the only time I’ve heard of “franking” something is in reference to making sure my train ticket was “franked” in Germany. It is funny though because so many of the language differences are just that for some word we (Americans) typically use, Aussies often use a synonym as their preferred term… dogs on lead v. dogs on leash, pass v. badge, heaps v. lots, diary v. calendar… but that is hardly what truly distinguishes an Aussie so it amuses me that someone took the time to write and complain as is often the case with letters to the editor!

Jon and I are in the process of watching DVDs lent to me by a coworker who suggested that if we watch all of them, then and only then, we might just might understand Aussies. I can’t imagine what the equivalent movie set would be from America. Any suggestions?? We’ve only watched one so far, Kenny and found it quite funny with a few turns of phrase that we didn’t quite get. We’re also watching How I Met Your Mother on Netflix (the Netflix Australia selection is very limited…) and all the Canada jokes remind me of Australians. Lots of the same stereotypes fit…

Robin : You can’t just up and run a marathon it’s like 42 kilometers
Ted : Alright Canada Australia I’ll take it from here. Barney it’s like 26 miles !