Differences between countries! the topic´s thread...

[Timosity]

The weather in Sydney in the middle of winter today was 21 C (70 F) which is 5 above normal but it's been pretty normal for the last couple of years.

but as far as weather goes it ranges a lot depending where you live.

Australia is much larger than what everyone thinks, it's about the size of the USA minus Alaska. The east coast would be like going from Mexico to Canada, or Egypt to Sweden.

It also extends well into the tropics

- Sydney likes to give the impression overseas that they're a big harbour based city but again... for the tourists, really. Whenever I see Sydney portrayed on overseas shows, I'm like "All they -ever- show is the harbour!".

very true, I live about 28km out of the city in a suburb surrounded by bush, I don't see Kangaroos (or the harbour) but there were a few roos after the fires a few years back as they'd moved from other areas that got burned out.

There's other wild life that comes closer to the city, eg bats, possums, and a large variety of birds, Kookaburras, Rosella's, Gallah's, Cockatoo's

but there's much more to Sydney than just the silly polluted harbour

- There may be a lot of spiders and stuff in the outback but you hardly ever see them in a city environment. My biggest problem this year is ants.

that may be true in Brisbane (I doubt it though) but spiders are literally everywhere if you look.

I work outdoors in Sydney over a large area, covers the whole north area, which is friggin huge, and you are pretty much guaranteed a few spiders in every yard, they are my friends, I may break a few webs now and then (a few hundred everyday) but it's pretty safe.

also Sydney has the most deadly spiders in the world. They are also quite easy to find if you know where to look, but the average person won't see them or get harmed by them.

Sydney has a larger population than LA, but not the greater LA area

Brisbane is the biggest city by area

The temperature of Darwin is above 30 C (86 F) every day of the year

Most people live in the cities of Sydney, Melbourne & Brisbane, the rest is pretty much country areas with a few large country towns.

I think the dressing like whores thing is quite big in Sydney, although I'm not sure of the age level, cause it's hard to know the age. It doesn't really bother me (as long as they keep doing it once they pass 20 [and can still pull it off]) but seriously, I guess it's getting more dangerous these days as rape seems to be going up dramatically (well at least the reporting of it)

I can't wait to have enough money to move into a quieter smaller town.


a root is not part of a plant

if someone says  "did you remember your budgie smugglers" make sure you remember to bring your swimmers, boardie's, cozzie's, bathers, speedo's, which ever you call them.

[Las Naranjas]

My room is full of spiders, and there's usually 6-8 webs larger than 50cm in diametre in the front yard [which is 10*5 metres].

I like them, I leave them alone, they leave me alone. And they eat the flies and mozzies.

it's win win.

And despite being in an Urban area, we still get bluetongues and other lizards of a nice size coming in the house and annoying the dogs and cats.

[Timosity]

Yes I love Blue Tongue lizards, I've had some big one's in the garden, also Eastern water dragons around the local creeks, not to mention deadly snakes, but you are pretty lucky to see them, as when they hear you coming they hide before you get near.

[Pet Terry]

Random things about Finland:
- Finland has 4 seasons, winter, spring, summer and autumn
- We have lots of mosquitos during the summer
- At summer in some places sun doesn't set, and at winter in some places sun doesn't rise
- Almost every house has a sauna
- Almost every family has a summer cottage
- Almost all 10 - 13 years old boys wear too big pants, skateboard and listen to rap
- Many girls around the age 13 dress like whores
- No, we don't have penguins or polar bears wandering on streets
- No, not all Finnish people are unhappy

...I think.

[Nacho]

About the fauna: We had a lot of rabbits... We ate them, I've been told that in the U.S. the rabbits are pets, so, I think that you american guys may show disgust of this, like when I do when I see chinese guys eating dogs... but here it's common.

It's common to see awls and falcons. Eagles and vultures is not so usual, but there must be a cuople of two in evey Shire, and lots of them in the very mountany zones.

Sometimes I see dead foxes. Some guys who practise mountain bike have seen one alive once, but not all of them.

In the 19th centure "every" forest had its family of wolfes, but they're not longuer there, what a pity. In the forrest north half of the Peninsula you can still hear them in some forest, some nights, though.

There are Iberical bears in the Pirineos and in some Cantabrian mountains (North, atlantic bank) I think...

We have a lot of snakes, but almost all are harmless. the only poisony is the adder, and not deadly.

If you know where to look, you can easily find half a dozen of scorpions in every excursion.

[shbaz]

People here eat rabbit, but it's not a common food, they don't market it in grocery stores. You have to hunt them yourself. I've never eaten one though.

We had one for a pet once, they're pretty good pets. They can be trained to use litter boxes.

[Eigen]

Few facts:
- Estonia has 4 seasons
- Yes, we were the most advanced a part of the Soviet Union
- We have season capitals - Summer capital is Pärnu (I live here), spring capital is Türi, winter capital is Otepää
- We have national Song festival every 4 years
- Yes, we have a lot of drunk Finnish people here during summer
- Our landscape is quite flat
- Yes, our language is quite similar to Finnish
- Yes, Estonians are stingy by nature, but also hardworking
- Most of the teenagers are 'Oss'-es (Oss - Trance, drum'n'base and all that *poo* listeners)
- Yes, our prime minister's head is down to left side and he has a cat
- Yes, our president doesn't know English
- Yes, I rule

- A dinner for the whole family is being kept at funerals.
- No we don't shake the hand of the girl. Usually...
- Guns in school? Shaa! Maybe not!

-Eigen

[Kinoko]

Oh, in Brisbane, in my place at least, we've been getting lots of lizards lately. They're FANTASTIC ^_^ I've never had such a welcome pest in my house. We even have "regulars" who appear in the exact same place at the same time of each day... man, lizards are so cool.

Another American/Australian difference... in America, "fanny" means bum, so it's not uncommon for anyone to use this word, even small children, or parents to their children.
If you say this word in Australia, do NOT say it to a child! It means something much worse *cough*. A certain part of a female ^_- I'm always shocked when I hear Americans say things like "a slap on the fanny"...

I had a couple of rabbits when I was a little kid. It bit me on the finger and blood was everywhere. They escaped from their pen one day and I'm rather glad they did. I still like rabbits but I'll never put my finger near one again.

also Sydney has the most deadly spiders in the world. They are also quite easy to find if you know where to look, but the average person won't see them or get harmed by them.

What spider is that? The funnel web?

Brisbane is the biggest city by area

I didn't know that @_@

if someone says  "did you remember your budgie smugglers" make sure you remember to bring your swimmers, boardie's, cozzie's, bathers, speedo's, which ever you call them.

I have honestly never ever heard of that one before.

We have plenty of bats on my street, and cockatoos, rosellas, etc. Cockroaches, too. QLD has WAY too many cockroaches, it's ridiculous. When I lived in WA, you hardly EVER saw one and here you just expect to see one whenever you open the laundry door at night.

[Darth Mandarb]

Somebody commented about how if a guy looks at one of these little sluts he's immediately a pervert.Ã,  This spawns a question ... "If you don't want the eyes on you ... why the f*ck are you dressing like that?"

I say we start a movement.Ã,  Whenever you see one of these little sluts just go up to them and say, "How much for sex?"Ã,  And then, when they get all indignant/mad/whatever just say, "Hey kid ... If I went out in public dressed like a soldier, people would assume I was in the army!!"Ã,  Meaning, for those who don't get it, that if you dress like a prostitute, people will think you are one.

2 MORE AMERICAN GOODIES:

- Beer commercials show only skinny chicks with huge boobs partying with guys who all have six pack abs and chisled faces.Ã,  In reality, it's mostly fat, unshaven men sittin' on a couch wearing an oft stained white t-shirt that doesn't fully cover their protruding stomach.

- Our fashion models are starved, too skinny, chicks who parade up and down the runways wearing the 'latest trends in fashion.'Ã,  However, if you go out in public, you NEVER see anybody actually wearing these 'latest fashions'.Ã,  Odd that.Ã,  (is this the same elsewhere?)

[Nacho]

I remember that once we went to a hooker and told her "Would you suck our c*cks for free?" as she said "No" and we answered... "So, you're a BITCH!!!"     

And we left the place making the wheels scream.

It was quite hilarious, but now I think it was very inmature... Well... we were 18...

In my defense, I must say that I was a passive witness of the scene... I didn't knew what my friends were planning...

[Sam.]

At last! an oppurtunity to rant about stereotypes. I am from england and I hate the "British" sterotype.
- You can't cut glass with my accent
- I live in engalnd but NOT IN LONDON
- I do not punctuate my sentences with "what-ho" and "chaps"
- I have very good dental hygene
- I do not wear a butler outfit

[SSH]

I thought that the English stereotype was of a sunburned, drunk foottball thug in Ibiza...

[Sam.]

no, they're the ones who let us down. un fortunatley. One idiot can influence the image of an entire country. (look at george bush!)

[Dart]

Er... to any Americans reading this, are most of y'all anti-Canadian in your country?

[Darth Mandarb]

Dart - when I lived in Michigan (just outside of Detroit) most people didn't really consider Canadians as outsiders or any different at all.Ã,  They weren't 'our neighbors' or anything ... but that's probably just because the two areas are so intertwined.Ã,  We'd share the ocassional 'what are you talking aboot?" jokes ... but all in good humor.Ã,  The upper peninsula of Michigan is more 'aboot' than any place I've been in Canada actually.

One of my very good friends is/was Canadian (just got his US citizenship).

I've never really differentiated myself from Canadians actually ... I love Labatt Blue and Hockey ... so I guess I'm an honorary Canadian eh?Ã, 

Most people down here in Florida (south Florida at least) don't know much about Canada and most places you can't get Labatt ... it's a damn shame.Ã,  So I don't think there's any anti-Canadian sentiment.

I've found (and I've traveled extensively through Canada) that y'all tend to be a friendly lot who treated me well.Ã,  That's just been my experience though.

[Sam.]

easy way to piss off a canadian, call them american. my mate learned that klesson the hard way 

[Moox]

Im anti candadian government, not anti canadian

[Phemar]

- South Africans (Zorc): Is it true that you can change a pack of flour (or sugar/beans/rice) for women? If not in South Africa, does that happen in other parts of the continent?
[/quote

Hehe...Honestly ROTFLMFAO when I saw this! I was laughing at the mere thought of it!
No, we can't do that...Hehehehehehe....I'm absolutely ignorant to the rest of the continent, never left this country, and don't plan to...hehe...Oh yeah, and it's Zor, no C. (changed my name to the copyright at end, to avoid confusion, as you're the 3rd person to get that wrong, hehe....)

[Primus]

About the fauna: We had a lot of rabbits... We ate them

Rabbits: we've also domestic and wild ones, but we call the wild ones lebres - hares). And we eat both.

And, Shbazjinkens, we rarely find wild ones (hares) for selling;  it's very rare eating wild ones without chasing them first.
But we find them more (as veal, trout, pheasant,Ã,  patridge, hare, wild boar, etc.) in restaurants specialized in "wild" fauna (they are usually grown in "viveiros" - as fishponds).

[SSH]

I've heard rumours that Farlander gusta mucho comer conejos  (enjoys eating rabbits) of course, "rabbit" in Spanish has a similar double meaning to "beaver" in English...