English is Australia’s primary language, but there’s plenty of slang that differs from American English. Here’s a bit of lingo for you: arvo means ‘afternoon’, mozzie means ‘mosquito’, and Macca’s means ‘McDonald’s’. Can you think of any words you use that an Australian might not understand?
In all of Australia, we use Australian dollars (AUD). Like I wrote a couple weeks ago, Australian dollars aren’t equal to U.S. dollars (USD). Currently, 1.00 AUD equals 0.67 USD. Notice that it’s changed since two weeks ago, when I wrote that 1.00 AUD equaled 0.64 USD.
As it did at the place where I went camping further up the coast, a bottle of water in Sydney usually costs between one and three AUD at the supermarket.
On Friday evening, I attended a backyard barbecue for current Fulbrighters and alumni. I had a great time sharing a meal alongside new friends, both American and Australian. One of our hosts even made homemade marshmallows, which we enjoyed roasting over the fire. The barbecue was held near the beach, so all the while we could see the waves and hear them break along the shore.
