Australia Thoughts #1

Here's the first of what I imagine will be several musings on the country of Australia. I'm traveling abroad for work and there are certain Aussie-Yank cultural differences that just spring themselves on me as I go about my daily business.

1. Kangaroos in Australia are much like deer in the U.S. They are everywhere, they have simliar intelligence, and they tend to have population problems. And yes, those yellow caution signs with a kangaroo in the middle actually are on the roads here.
2. Traffic is quite different here. The first (and most obvious) difference is that Aussies drive on the wrong side of the road. Roundabouts are used much more than intersections requiring traffic lights. Believe it or not, it's quite nice; they are very much more efficient for traffic flow. Also, drivers seem to be more polite and cooperative with one another. It's the exception rather than the rule for a driver to cut you off or be rude to you.
3. In the city (Brisbane) people walk. Driving through the city is very nerve-racking because of the sheer volume of people walking at intersections. Again, though, even the pedestrians seem to prefer order over chaos and therefore actually wait until they have the "walk" sign prior to crossing the street. That impresses me.
4. Aussies seem to be much more laid-back than Yanks. You have to work pretty hard to tick these guys off. At least that's true with the people I've met so far.
5. Many of the stereotype phrases you here in the U.S. hold true in everyday language here, such as "G'Day Mate," and "No worries." Also, Instead of "How's it going," you hear, "How you going."

Okay, that's all for this installment. More later.

CS OUT