Being an American--A negative connotation?

[neulite]

I see the overwhelming majority of students going abroad to AU are from Canada. There seem to be very few Americans I see going, or at least posting, to these schools. Is there a percentage?

Also, for those Americans that are attending already over there, have you experienced any backlash from being from the US (forget the fact we use an outdated British system of measurements)? From what I understand the US isn't looked at too favorably around the world.

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[Dr.Millisevert]

I see the overwhelming majority of students going abroad to AU are from Canada. There seem to be very few Americans I see going, or at least posting, to these schools. Is there a percentage?

Also, for those Americans that are attending already over there, have you experienced any backlash from being from the US (forget the fact we use an outdated British system of measurements)? From what I understand the US isn't looked at too favorably around the world.

Australia is the least of your worries. Compared with the rest of the world.. they are quite welcoming of all Americans. Heck.. Australians can't really tell the difference btw Canadian and American accents anyways.

Australia also has "pretty much" most everything you'd want from home. Fast food.. most brands, etc.

Basically.. As long as you're not one of those Americans who comes over and then spends every day whinging (complaining) about how Australia sucks because they don't have this or that.. and how you can't wait to go home for the holidays... then you should be fine.

 

[Winged Scapula]

The advice about toning down the whinging is spot on. I was embarassed of my classmates who constantly talked about stuff Oz didn't have.

You'll have to have a thick skin...Aussies love to take a piss out of ya, and our government. Its not personal.

Finally, Americans have a tendency to be more outspoken and can be derided for it. Funny really, because a group of drunk Aussies can be pretty darn loud and obnoxious. Pot meet kettle.

 

[JoeNamaMD]

Australians have something called a "Tall Poppy Syndrome" as long as you do not behave like a big shot, no one should give you a problem. Tall poppies are slang for big shots. One student I knew at USyd told me there was one professor who did not like Americans, and in a lecture was talking about how the US was the fattest country on the planet. Then she raised her hand and said she was from the US. The professor said "A skinny American!!! Wow." The class laughed.

Australians are not as anti-US as people in some other places, although I saw a Canadian in a Brisbane ER talking about Americans when Oprah was on TV, he kept using the F--K word repeatedly.

However you will hear stuff said about the government or about general life in the US(guns, big 4x4s). The worst thing I experienced was a girl told me "You're from the US, I went there last year, I had a horrible time.".

The Western country that seems to dislike Americans the most in my experience is Germany.

If you're diplomatic and low key, you should not have a problem.

Outside of Melbourne and Sydney, Americans are a very rare sight in Australia. Most people in general will be indifferent to you.

You will also hear Aussies say some rather ignorant things, last year I went to a Hungry Jack's(Australia's Burger King) and there were a group of American students, the guy I was with noticed that two of the students were Asian, one was African American, and one was Hispanic, and the rest were white, he commented that whenever you see a group of Young Americans you will always see a token minority hanging out with them.

 

[Live4Life]

What types of things does Oz not have?

 

[LADoc00]

From what I understand the US isn't looked at too favorably around the world.

LMAO, where did you hear that from? An Obama campaigner?

 

[Winged Scapula]

What types of things does Oz not have?

Super Size.

Good customer service.

Good Mexican food.

Cheap interstate airfare.

 

[neulite]

Do they have a 'South of the Border'?...

This thread could go on a while with many comical responses

 

[JoeNamaMD]

Australians know the US is a big and diverse country, I doubt people will give you problems.

Actually there is Mexican food in Australia, there are a few places in Brisbane that serve Mexican, and its actually pretty decent. Taco Bell opened in Oz a few years ago and it failed miserably. People didn't trust 99 cent tacos.

Customer service is bad in Oz because the minimum wage is 15 dollars and its difficult for employers to fire people without getting sued for discrimination or other things.

Most things you find in the US you will find in Oz. A news reporter on Australian 60 minutes says Whatever makes it in America usually winds up in Australia.

I think a while back being an American in Oz meant it was easy to pick up Aussie women, now they are harder but many cute women at UQ, look at the class photos in the Herston campus. I think maybe the weak dollar has some people thinking that we have become poor.

 

[Live4Life]

Super Size.

Good customer service.

Good Mexican food.

Cheap interstate airfare.

I could do without the first three, but the fourth could really destroy plans for seeing Australia. Are there inexpensive bus companies that run between the capital cities like there are in the US?

 

[Winged Scapula]

Australians know the US is a big and diverse country, I doubt people will give you problems.

Actually there is Mexican food in Australia, there are a few places in Brisbane that serve Mexican, and its actually pretty decent. Taco Bell opened in Oz a few years ago and it failed miserably. People didn't trust 99 cent tacos.

Perhaps things have changed. But just a few years ago Mexican was comprised of burritos covered with melted Velveeta/processed cheese and weird things like almonds sprinkled over them. No spice, no good sauce or guacamole. Believe me, I tried. Every time a friend said, "you should try this new Mexican place, its great!". I gave up. It was much better to purchase the raw ingredients coupled with some spices my parents sent me and make it at home.

As for Taco Bell, those guys just don't know what they are missing!

Customer service is bad in Oz because the minimum wage is 15 dollars and its difficult for employers to fire people without getting sued for discrimination or other things.

I absolutely understand the reasoning behind the bad customer service. There is no incentive to provide good service. I found it terribly embarassing when friends and family were visiting.

 

[JoeNamaMD]

Actually I went to a pretty good place in Brisbane in 2004, there are some Mexican places, but I am from California, so yes, it does not compare to the US.

Still some other kinds of food have grown on me in Oz. Nando's and Oporto have grown on me like crack, too bad you can't get either in the US, although Nando's is in Canada.

Australian McDonald's has a lot of stuff you do not get in the US, and the fries in Australia actually taste good. KFC in Oz has no biscuits but their fries are awesome. In general they know how to make fries taste good. I almost never eat USA McDonalds since they suck and we have In N Out in Cali, but Australian McDonald's is actually decent.

They also have these super luxury movie theaters in Australia called Gold Class, expensive but an interesting way to see a movie.

 

[stiz]

I spent a semester in Sydney in Vet School...

I was overall treated very well ...

The Aussies do have a habit of showing they like you by giving you a hard time ... so you'll have to get used to that ... I guess if you had a big brother you may already be used to it ...

I actually took more heat from the Canadians in Australia (and elsewhere) than I did from any Australians....

In my vet class of 120 people or so there were 3 Americans ... Brits, Canadians, a few South Africans, a girl from Bermuda, lots of Asians, Aussies (of course) an Italian ...

My only issues were

a.) it was really hard to get an apartment ...
b.) i decided to change up and go for human medicine instead
c.) it is FAR FAR FAR away from the US (14 hour flight SYDNEY - SFO)
d.) cost

also, all of my tests were essays which sucked.

questions like 'Describe the scapula' ...

I'd go back. Maybe I'll stay next time.

Also, I believe the SECOND FATTEST COUNTRY is AUSTRALIA


PS: Beets on Cheeseburgers are AWESOME.

 

[stiz]

Quietly but surely, more than a quarter of the Australian adult population, 26% of its 15.1 million, has become obese, compared with 25% in the United States, according to a comprehensive survey, titled "Australia’s Future Fat Bomb," released Friday by the Melbourne-based Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute.

 

[JoeNamaMD]

Unfortunately its true that many Aussies are fat. Queensland is the fattest state in the country. Still I have found younger people to be that bad.

Sydney is a hard city to get an apartment but it really depends on the locale, the closer to you are to the CBD and Eastern suburbs, the harder it is to find a place.

Brisbane is actually kind of easy to find accommodation in comparison. There are always advertisements for people renting apartments and sharing houses.

 

[stiz]

i think part of the problem in sydney, close to campus ... is this

you go look at an apartment ... at a scheduled time ...

there are about 10+ other people there waiting to look at it also ...

the interested people make application, submit references, etc...

now, if you're the rental agency, are you going to call LOCAL references
in a LOCAL time zone ? or are you going to start calling places in the
United States ??? ... so that's a problem ...

i ended up staying in a private dorm type situation which wasn't too bad.

all in all, i'm a fan of AUS ... would love to go back ...

 

[JoeNamaMD]

Old school Australian food is loaded with fat and calories, Aussies like to put butter on everything, but I doubt anyone will go hungry here...unless your a vegetarian, then there might be issues.

The hospital cafeteria where I do my rotations serves deep fried sausage and chips.

Australian food is not too different from what you find in the US, its mostly heavy meat and potatoes type fare. There is a lot of Asian food as well. Some Italian and Middle Eastern places as well.

Pizzas here are smaller but they are loaded with meat toppings.

I remember there was some Australian dude living in California who was complaining about the food there, especially American style chips, fries as we know them. There a fair number of North Americans who miss Mexican stuff like Taco Bell.

 

[stiz]

Now you have me thinking about all of the Indian, Thai, Vietnamese, etc...restaurants in Newtown (Sydney) ... and meat pies !!!

I want a curry pie!!!!

 

[Dr.Millisevert]

also, all of my tests were essays which sucked.

questions like 'Describe the scapula' ... :

Hey, it is a skill to be able to answer a question like that.. is it not?

PS: Beets on Cheeseburgers are AWESOME.

Beets and a fried egg are even better!

 

[Dr.Millisevert]

Old school Australian food is loaded with fat and calories, Aussies like to put butter on everything, but I doubt anyone will go hungry here...unless your a vegetarian, then there might be issues.

true.. but I disagree with the comment about the lack of options for vegetarians in Sydney. There are heaps of Veggie cafes around.

There a fair number of North Americans who miss Mexican stuff like Taco Bell.

Although I can't really imagine why.. that stuff is disgusting and really bad for you.

 

[neulite]

Taco Bell is legalized 'crack' fast food for MANY Americans. It's cheap to make, you can get it at any time of the night, and they're usually found in sketchy areas of town.

It is some of the worst food made here. I won't argue that it doesn't taste good though

 

[JoeNamaMD]

Maybe there are veg options in Sydney but in Queensland, no way. My little sister is a vegetarian and visited me, she went home a lot lighter.

Taco Bell can actually be healthy, its one of the few fast foods that you can modify to suit your tastes. They have a lot of low fat Fresco style items. The only other healthy fast food can be Subway. McDonalds, KFC, and Burger King Hungry/Jacks is generally bad.

A Chicken burrito from Taco Bell or a Chicken and Rice bowl is a lot healthier than sausage rolls and kangaroo pies. Oops, I forgot that people eat these cute little things in Oz. I have not ate kangaroo yet, and I never will, they just seem to cute to eat.

Taco Bell opened a few places in Sydney before y2k, and they closed them down a couple of years later and turned them into KFCs.

If you got late night munchies in Oz make sure you have some stuff in the fridge, most places close early. Only McDonald's and Burger King stay open very late.

The two Portuguese roast chicken places here, Nando's and Oporto are as addictive as crack. I heard they might open a few in California, if they did it would be big. Its somewhat more upmarket fast food like Chipotle.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Actually I went to a pretty good place in Brisbane in 2004, there are some Mexican places, but I am from California, so yes, it does not compare to the US.

I think that was my problem as well...as Californians we are used to pretty good Mexican food, so what passed for Mexican in Oz would be closed in 3 months in the US.

Australian McDonald's has a lot of stuff you do not get in the US, and the fries in Australia actually taste good. KFC in Oz has no biscuits but their fries are awesome. In general they know how to make fries taste good. I almost never eat USA McDonalds since they suck and we have In N Out in Cali, but Australian McDonald's is actually decent.

Hmm...the only thing I ever liked at McDonalds in the US was the fries (oh and sausage biscuits)...I can't remember what they tasted like in Oz.

Damn. Now I have a craving for french fries.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Unfortunately its true that many Aussies are fat. Queensland is the fattest state in the country. Still I have found younger people to be that bad.

Sure there are obese people in Oz, but I never once saw a morbidly obese person there like you routinely see in the US. Gastric bypass fat, Discovery Channel fat.

 

[JoeNamaMD]

You never met my landlady from my first year she was FAT. I have seen some insanely huge people here, mostly in Queensland. They smell really bad too. I only think Continental Europeans can get away with making fat jokes, because I never really saw insanely fat people in Europe, although a few are big.

If I had to compare politics Queenslanders and most Aussies outside of Melbourne and Sydney are pretty conservative and more conservative than Americans from the coastal cities but less than people from the Midwest and Southeast. They are not very politically correct here either. Obama is always referred to as a black American in the media.

 

[redshifteffect]

Super Size.


Cheap interstate airfare.

I guess that's subjective $50 to fly one way Melbourne to Hobart is cheap in my eyes.

That is alot better then the $300 I paid to fly Montreal to Toronto (bigger cities, and same distance) one way.

 

[redshifteffect]

I guess that's subjective $50 to fly one way Melbourne to Hobart is cheap in my eyes.

That is alot better then the $300 I paid to fly Montreal to Toronto (bigger cities, and same distance) one way.

On the other hand Indian food here is very popular, and the crap that passes for Indian food in Canada would probably be shut down here in 5 minutes.

So it really depends what you like.

 

[Winged Scapula]

I guess that's subjective $50 to fly one way Melbourne to Hobart is cheap in my eyes.

That is alot better then the $300 I paid to fly Montreal to Toronto (bigger cities, and same distance) one way.

Then that has DEFINITELY changed because it used to be around $300 to fly from Adelaide to Melbourne, but this was before there were any smaller startup companies in Oz and you basically had to use Qantas.

 

[JoeNamaMD]

Virgin Blue and Jetstar offer some good deals with regards to flights within Australia. I have flown a lot in the US and flying in the States is not cheap either. I have paid quite a bit to fly between Chicago and NYC.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Virgin Blue and Jetstar offer some good deals with regards to flights within Australia. I have flown a lot in the US and flying in the States is not cheap either. I have paid quite a bit to fly between Chicago and NYC.

Yeah, they didn't have Virgin Blue or Jetstar when I lived there.

Traveling in the US is unpredictable cost-wise. It depends on the season and the location. It almost always costs more to fly into smaller towns. I'm suprised it cost you a lot to fly from Chicago to NYC, although if you are using the $50 OW fares in Oz as comparison...yeah, you aren't gonna get anything that cheap here. Its pretty cheap to fly anywhere from Phoenix...cheap as in around $200-$300 range with advanced notice and to a major city.

Even more annoying are the new charges this summer. I am flying to Chicago tomorrow and American Airlines charges to check baggage. Since I am going to a conference for a week, I can't just carry a bag on. Another airline, I forget which one, is now charging for water and soft drinks. Still another for a blanket and pillow. Of course, food went out years ago with few exceptions. They're blaming it on the cost of jet fuel but like most things I'm sure the charges won't be dropped when gas goes back down.

 

[shan564]

$300 from Montreal to Toronto sounds pretty high... I paid about $200 round-trip to go from Kansas City to Washington, DC for my Wollongong interview (through Southwest).

 

[JoeNamaMD]

Europe has the best airline deals around, they have so many low cost carriers, I went to the South of France from Berlin last year and paid about 10EUR each way.

Unlike in the US, Europe actually has a ton of interesting and fascinating places to visit. I also appreciate the fact that European women like to show off their assets more than those in the US.


What the hell is there to do in KC???

 

[redshifteffect]

Canadian cities have very little competition so you are left really with Air Canada or a few other low cost airlines. That's why the tickets are so expensive.

I can get a return ticket (on sale) Sydney to Hawaii, $600 AUD which is the cheaper than flying one way Vancouver to Toronto with Westjet, or AC.

 

[Dr.Millisevert]

What the hell is there to do in KC???

Eat BBQ and McDs and get fat... maybe listen to some jazz. Just don't get shot or bashed up on your way to the club.

 

[JoeNamaMD]

eat Bbq And Mcds And Get Fat... Maybe Listen To Some Jazz. Just Don't Get Shot Or Bashed Up On Your Way To The Club.

Lol.