What is ... Ta? and Skinny Milk?

I had never thought that living in a different city, ok continent would mean I have to re-learn a language almost! And a language I was familiar with since I could open my mouth to yawn. I accept that shifting places so drastically can lead to some adjustment drama, but you've got to be kidding me when someone tells you 'thongs' are worn on the feet and 'ta' means thankyou!! Seriously?

The number of 'firsts' and 're-learns' that ive had here in just a month are crossing all known records. The way you order coffee is different, long black, flat white, the regular cappucino and latte (thankfully!) and many more.There's a variety of milks like, no fat, full cream, tone, soya and then there was 'skinny' milk. That really got me going! I only knew skinny jeans. =)

Clearly my education in the whole new culture of city lingo is just beginning. OK, the roads are the best, pedestrians are kings here. Pedestrians have their own traffic light system, zebra-crossings MEAN what they stand for - pedestrian convenience! Cars rushing in stop for you, and wait! even if youre tottering at the speed of .005 kmph. What a refreshing change this is. From the years of dodging speeding cars, raving mad bikers, plodding buses and all that's in between, and getting second citizen treatment on the roads solely because I chose my legs over a petrol guzzling car to reach office, I was welcomed open-armed into this relatively free and dignified manner of crosssing the road. I'd call it close to pedestrian nirvana! More so, because you have your own system of pedestrian traffic symbols and lights and not to forget the bikers who cannot step out without their helmets and tiny night-lights. Order, discipline and sytem. These are a few of my favourite things. 
Weather. Whether or not. Weather or not. Its interchangeable, these two sentences. Whether or not it is going to rain, whether or not its going to be hot and subsequently windy are concerns that the weather develops in you here. But, I am not complaining yet, these are a few unpredicatable things left in life that you can truly relish. Other 'firsts' which I can recollect are the vending machine experience and the water fountain. Classic western inventions exemplifying convenience. Negotiating with them as an international student who has never used either, is another story altogether. How exactly do you drink water from a spout without messing your clothes or wetting your hands and other parts of the face is still a mystery for me. I search for the true water spout-drinker sans mess albeit. The vending machine although Ive learnt how to operate.
Well, that is it for now folks. I do have many other interesting updates in my life, that being of a new house and my very first aussie BBQ. But I will save them for another post.
Let me get back to spending a beautiful Saturday afternoon within the environs of the uni (pronounced you-knee in case you wondered) library and cook me up a story for my upcoming group workshop on short fiction.

Love,
J


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