Biggest Culture Shock?

[sim]

Originally Posted by anj1976

AAAAH, thats a lot. , would you believe how much I pay for the unlimited connection that I have here.. Its 25A$, ok, the speed isnt great, its a 256 kbps connection which doubles up at night but still, I can download anything without worrying too much about the additional cost.

This is getting somewhat off topic, but I pay $60 AUD for a 100/10Mbps unlimited connection, so I'm sure it will take me some getting used to the Aussie connections..

[Gail]

Have to agree - I am just setting up a broadband connection fo the new place and I was going to set up a thread about this anyway. There is no such thing as unlimited downloads in Australia. Its some claim about it having to be piped under the sea or some nonsense but I don't believe that. At home I had phone, cable TV and unlimited internet for £35. Here its more like $99 for Foxtel (cable tv) - which is pants, and $99 for phone and 20GB download (on an ASDL2+) but wooooo they give you a free wirless modem.
And I still haven't figured out mobile phone "caps" yet - they confuse the hell out of me!

[Dolly]

Originally Posted by Gail

(on an ASDL2+)

At least you can get ASDL2+, our exchange doesn't support it yet

Dolly

[FLOYD]

I was excited when I saw this thread got two pages long until I found it was all about internet service. What you describe sounds like internet in rural America plus ten bucks a month.

The bit about going inside to pay for gas is interesting because it is getting to be where some stations here offer only pay at the pump.

I don't do cable or satellite tv so even my friends think visiting me is a culture shock in that respect.

I was wondering about things like; Even in small town (7000 people) USA, I can go get fast food at 10pm or a restaurant until 9pm. Is that the same?

Internet: I can decide to order a book, CD, clothes. Go online, buy and they arrive at my door in about three days. Is that the same?

I read it is commom for restaurants to allow carry in of your beer/wine with your meal instead of serving it. That would be a shock to me-not a bad one though.

[Dolly]

Originally Posted by FLOYD

I was excited when I saw this thread got two pages long until I found it was all about internet service. What you describe sounds like internet in rural America plus ten bucks a month.

The bit about going inside to pay for gas is interesting because it is getting to be where some stations here offer only pay at the pump.

I don't do cable or satellite tv so even my friends think visiting me is a culture shock in that respect.

I was wondering about things like; Even in small town (7000 people) USA, I can go get fast food at 10pm or a restaurant until 9pm. Is that the same?

Internet: I can decide to order a book, CD, clothes. Go online, buy and they arrive at my door in about three days. Is that the same?

I read it is commom for restaurants to allow carry in of your beer/wine with your meal instead of serving it. That would be a shock to me-not a bad one though.

On Saturdays, shops shut at 5pm SHARP, some even 4pm.

No decent Chinese or Indian food to be had anywhere

Or decent furniture shops either

Some Maccas stay open 24 hours a day. I don't think any other fast food chain does?

Dolly

PS when you've travelled halfway around the world and left everything you've known all your life behind, the internet is a lifeline so VERY important LOL

[kaz101]

Originally Posted by FLOYD

The bit about going inside to pay for gas is interesting because it is getting to be where some stations here offer only pay at the pump.

We're in rural South Australia (25,000 people) and we have to go inside to pay. I was used to paying at the pump in the UK but I haven't seen that around here yet, and as well as that the cashiers like to ask you if you want to buy the special today (chocs or whatever else they have on special that day).

Originally Posted by FLOYD

I don't do cable or satellite tv so even my friends think visiting me is a culture shock in that respect.

Me neither.

Originally Posted by FLOYD

I was wondering about things like; Even in small town (7000 people) USA, I can go get fast food at 10pm or a restaurant until 9pm. Is that the same?

Around here some restaurants stay open until about 10pm and McDonalds is open until 11pm. However is smaller areas I think they close earlier than that.
In one place I went to (about 10,000 people) the petrol station closes at 7.30pm and the others had already closed.

Originally Posted by FLOYD

Internet: I can decide to order a book, CD, clothes. Go online, buy and they arrive at my door in about three days. Is that the same?

Depends in where the order is coming from. I love Star Wars books but it's cheaper to buy them from the USA (and I'm only talking paperbacks) than from here. Some books are not printed here so they are shipped in either from the USA or UK. Also depends on where you live in Oz. Since we are rural it seems to take 2 - 3 days from our state capital Adelaide to us, and anything between 5 - 9 days to send something to the UK.

Originally Posted by FLOYD

I read it is commom for restaurants to allow carry in of your beer/wine with your meal instead of serving it. That would be a shock to me-not a bad one though.

They will say byo if you can take your own beer/wine. For wine they may charge you for opening it for you.

Regards,
Karen

[Byo]

Just wanted to add. In Sydney they don't stop at amber lights, so be very careful when stopping cause when we first got here was scary watching the car behind you not slow down. Never really noticed it in the rest of Oz but may be wrong.

[Tiffani]

Originally Posted by Dolly

On Saturdays, shops shut at 5pm SHARP, some even 4pm.

No decent Chinese or Indian food to be had anywhere

Or decent furniture shops either

Some Maccas stay open 24 hours a day. I don't think any other fast food chain does?

Dolly

PS when you've travelled halfway around the world and left everything you've known all your life behind, the internet is a lifeline so VERY important LOL

I would disagree with some of this... I have found VERY good Indian food here (not looked for Chinese) but both are so ubiquitous that you have to look carefully and definitely take advice from others.

I like the furniture here. It's reasonably priced and you can get solid wood which is non-existent in the US unless you're willing to mortgage your house for it I love that I was able to get a solid wood coffee table, TV stand, and bedside table. Again, you have to know where to look.

Do concur on the internet issue though. You asked about culture shock and that's a big one!

[kaz101]

I would also disagree about the Indian and Chinese - we have both here and they are great, and just thinking about the Malaysian restaurant is enough to make my mouth water

Furniture probably depends on your taste. We are still sitting on garden furniture in the front room and a sofa bed. Why? Because the garden furniture is so comfortable and because we can move it around so that we can both sit in the big picture windows and watch the amazing sunsets.

I know that people have a go at Telstra (the BT of Australia ) but we've been using their broadband because I need it for my business and I've found it great and we are in a rural area. It's 1.5MB and I guess because I don't do massive downloads that's fast enough for me.

Regards,
Karen

[Tiffani]

One thing that IS good about the internet here, is that the price they advertise is the price you pay (at least with iinet who I'm using). I pay $49/month for 2Gb peak and 2Gb off-peak which is more than enough for our basic needs of checking email and Skype-ing.

US internet companies tend to nickle and dime the hell out of you so your $25 internet actually ends up costing you $40 thanks to surcharges, fees that you don't know what they mean, and taxes. I pay $49/month for my internet and that's it. The only other fees I pay are for my telephone.. the line is included with my internet and all local and national calls are free, but the international calls, although cheap, do cost. In generally we pay between $60 and $80/month for internet and telephone, depending on whether or not there are family crises back home