To become a Swiss citizen, I had to pass a written and oral exam on ‘knowing and understanding Switzerland’ – in addition to living in Switzerland for 10+ years (14 to be precise), being well-integrated, speaking an (actually, two) official Swiss language, behaving as a ‘good citizen,’ and convincing my home community at a local townhall that I’ll be a good addition.
While I am a long shot away from even considering applying for Australian citizenship, it doesn’t hurt to start early, and it’s always good to be educated about the place you’re making your home. Human brains learn better by linking new knowledge and experiences to existing memories. Please enjoy my first cheat sheet of “same-same but different.”
Note: 1) this is by no means a comprehensive (nor serious) list and lacks all the important and relevant aspects of Australian history and culture. There is official material providing excellent insight and guidance; 2) same-same but different is used in a NON-judgmental way. Switzerland and Australia are fabulous and magical in their own unique ways
North = South
You want north-facing windows in your apartment. This does come with a potentially high electricity bill due to AC but is more than offset by non-moldy and non-damp clothes. Southerly winds bring cold air from the Antarctic. Took me only a (not so short) while to figure that out, but mainly because I had never thought about this before. After freezing for a whole day during a sailing lesson, I won’t forget anymore. Fortunately, East and West still work the same way.
Ibis = duck / pigeon
Ibis are just as curious and funny as ducks: weird walk, surprisingly good at flying, and with a funny-looking beak. At the same time, they are just as annoying as hungry pigeons and attack (you and) your food as you try to enjoy the few winter sun rays. Given that there are many ibis, pigeons, and seagulls in Sydney, your outside lunch is sometimes at higher risk. Another aggressive species are Magpies. They attack you, swooping from behind. Now I know that the ‘stupid pigeon’ crashing into my bike helmet was actually a protective Magpie. Just another good reason to wear a helmet when you bike!
Cockatoo = swan
These beautiful white parrots just live randomly in Sydney during the summer, and you can observe them, for example, in the Botanical gardens. They are like the beautiful Swans in Hamburg or Zurich: just minding their own business and posing gracefully for the perfect pictures to make your family & friends back in Europe jealous. Other ‘swan-alikes’ include colorful parrots, which also live everywhere in the city. Both in Bondi and now downtown, I’ve got some of them landing on my balcony every morning for a chat and a dance before they fly off for the day. Paradise.
Kangaroo = Cow
Once you get out of the city area, you find kangaroos at the most random places. They’ll be just standing (or hopping) around and grazing. They’ll look up to check the situation from time to time and then carry on with their grass-eating business. Of course, you can’t milk kangaroos, and personally, I did not have kangaroo meat (yet). Still, otherwise, they resemble quite a bit the Swiss cow population. Kind of beautiful, not really dangerous under normal circumstances, but you really don’t want to bump into an upset kangaroo (or cow) protecting their little ones when you’re out hiking.
Australia Day, January 26 = Swiss National Day, August 1 (not really)
In Switzerland, we proudly celebrate August 1 – the ‘official’ day of the inception of Switzerland. If you’re into politics, you’ll spend your day with your party colleagues debating Switzerland’s future (and past). Otherwise, you’ll just go to the mountains or the lakes, hike or swim, grill some originally Swiss ‘Cervelat’ (a Swiss type of sausage) and just have a great day with your friends in the summer sun. In Zurich, you end your day with beautiful fireworks, ideally watching them from one of the hills surrounding the valley or right at the lake. Australia Day is no different: sun + some cultural / political activity if you want + friends + barbie + fireworks / show on the harbor.
Note: I do have to emphasize here that Switzerland’s and Australia’s history is very very different. Only superficially do these celebrations look alike.
La Niña = Hamburg weather
I was told that Sydney and Australia have heaps of sunshine, little rain, and certainly not weeks of uninterrupted rain and heavy misty air. This year, La Niña kept making our life difficult. So much that woolies had to explain next to the price labels why iceberg lettuce costs 15 AUD (or is out of stock) and why bananas are not as bright but presumably just as tasty. While the flood situation is concerning, the rainy weather wasn’t too bad, to be honest. If Australian winter is like typical Hamburg summer, I really cannot complain.
Bunnings = IKEA (cult)
Bunnings is more of a DIY / household hardware and garden center chain, so technically more of an ‘OBI’ than an ‘IKEA.’ However, what IKEA and Bunnings have in common is their food cult. The popularity of the Sausage sizzle (a hotdog) reminds me of IKEA’s Swedish Kotbullar trend (meatballs). Apart from that, there are real fundamental differences between the Bunnings and IKEA cults. People actually really love going to Bunnings and spending their time there. IKEA, though, is a challenge for any relationship, and thanks to online shopping can be avoided safely nowadays. Who needs meatballs, anyhow?
RMs (R.M. Williams) = Adidas Stan Smith
Australians match their RMs with anything (suits, dresses, jeans, shorts) and wear them to events of any type (work, casual, picnic). Maybe they are even more universal than the neat white Stan Smiths and perhaps even more comfortable. I still have to buy a pair, or not. I like my Rivieras. And my Adidas Forum.
So what? Home is a feeling, not a place.
Katia