Chance to move to Perth, Australia from Texas. Should I take it? Tips on fitting in?

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aussie5468

I'll give you a few tips for fitting in in Australia:

You're from Texas, & your dad is moving to Perth so I take it he's is in the oil & gas industry? I work in the same industry with a load of Texans, and I find them pretty straight up sorts of fellas, so if you follow a few simple rules you should fit in fine:

1) Whatever you do, DO NOT go on about how big your state is. Western Australia is more than 5 times bigger than Texas, ok? WE'RE the biggest........

2) Drop the "USA is great" attitude. You'll just p1ss us all off!!! (And you'll probably end up with a bloody nose)

3) Our BBQ's are different to yours. Tough sh1t, we don't like BBQ ribs or smoking our meats. Snags, steak and fried onions are our staples. The girls will fix the salads ;-)) Bread rolls are optional.

4) Never, ever turn up to a BBQ empty handed. A carton of beer (with ice) is the bare minimum that you're expected to show up with. No cheap & nasty cr@p like Foster's. We don't drink that stuff here, we export it to unsuspecting foreigners who think it's a great drop. VB is perfectly acceptable. Bonus points will be given if you bring a slab of VB AND a 750 of Bundy. Also check with the host beforehand if it's BYO meat or not. We don't like people pinching our snags or t-bones.

5) We like cricket, AFL and rugby. Soccer is for gaylords. We hate NFL, NBL, NBA and all the other "N's". Learn to like our sports or you'll never get along with any of us.

6) You're going to be called "Seppo" a lot. This is not meant as a derogatory term, it is Aussie vernacular for a citizen of the USA. Seppo is short for septic tank, which rhymes with Yank. The similarity is you're both full of sh1t ;-))

7) Do some research & know who the following legends are:
Warney, "The Don", Booney, Punter and Gilly. (Bonus kudos if you can memorise their batting averages)

8) Know and understand the following terminology:
"Chuck a spaz", "Spewin'", "Chuck a u-ey", "Wedgie", "Have a squiz", and most importantly "Your shout"

9) Know the difference between a drop punt and a torpedo.

10) Get used to the Aussie sense of humour. Quickly.

Apart from that, just come on down, we're bloody well waiting for ya!!

J.M

I was born and raised there and I can't imagine growing up in a better place! Saying that, i do now live in San Diego. But its a great opportunity, you should totally do it. I love Americans but ALOT of Aussies dont, just being honest. You will have to work your charm :) I think the schools are great. In highschool i attented a private school which i recommend! Perth is soooo beautiful, the perfect city! Beautiful sunny days, gorgeous beaches and great shooping. I wouldnt want to live anywhere else in Oz. Just beware, it is extremely far away from everything!

princessdisaster76

everything aussie54 said is true but he forgot one thing

thongs belong on your feet!

LOL

Wow what an opportunity... I think you should go for it.

1. Australia is a very multicultural society, and Perth doesnt really have a lot of racism. it's the same as anywhere...a couple of smartarses have there own ideas but on the whole us Perthies are pretty tolerant.

2. The education here is good. Obviously private schools have a higher standard, and the education board is still screwing around on the OBE. There is a teacher shortage but that seems to apply more to rural public schools up north.

3. The stereotype with Americans is that they are all arrogant idiots... as long as you dont act stuck up... and all 'oh my god America is so great' with all that patriotism crap then you should be fine.

4. A lot of the time if you American, but nice and polite you'll be mistaken for Canadian anyway.

I have a couple of friends from California and I think the accents are cute :D.

Anonymous

I'm moving to Perth next year even though I live 3 hours away.
I agree 100% with aussie54. My hometown don't like Americans much either, but if you want to fit in, just don't be arrogant.

Jordan

I moved to Perth from New Zealand 2 years ago and I loved it!! Lets see: the pros: it's an awesome place! modern city, beaches everywhere, hot!! and the cons: the schools in Australia aren't that great but they do the trick so it kind of deppends on where you want to go with life. Australians don't really have a big problem with the Americans like some Europeans do so you should be ok when it comes to that, I would practice your Australian accent though(if you can) that was the thing that got me into the most s*** when I got there. But hey it's a wicked place and you get to experience another part of the world, so if I were you I'd say YESSS!!!

beanie

Everything as said before but as for the schools, they are excellent! i go to a public school and its really realy gud- im in year 12 next year. Yeah and its really gud. Just pick and choose ya skool once you get here if u can do that!

ldf333

Hmmm we are a bit weary of Americans, sorry i dont know why that is ,its just we are........ The schools are alright, they range from mediocre to pretty good. The people here are generally friendly, we have nice beaches, summers are hot and dry, winters are cold and wet. Ummmm you should probably be aware that perth is the most isolated city in the world. So you'll get to know your way around, its not small its just literally the only actual city around. I live in perth and its pretty good, i dont have any reasons to tell you not to come here. I think youd enjoy the different culture(were very multiculutural actually), so cultures and it would be a good experiance.

Insuranceman

What a GREAT opportunity!

My wife spent some time there and loved it! New Zealand was close and she liked it as well!

Plus, you'll have an experience that none of your friends will have!

Take advantage of it while you're young!

Good luck and have a GREAT time!

Ruth H

I would never pass up a chance to go to Australia. Go girl you will love it but don't forget there summer is our winter and our winter is there summer. Its summer their now.

Snorkie

Hmm I heard the public schools in australia are very bad, you will have to go to a private school

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