Noticeable things, words.........

After being here for 3 weeks now you start to notice the normal or typical things and words that are used. For starters people, or city siders as they are called, are ALWAYS rushing to get somewhere. I suppose it is a lot like the fast paced NYC or NJ, but they sure do like to get places fast. This is something I am still getting used to because I don't function at these high speeds. I don't run up or down the escalator to catch a train that I know is not coming for another 5-6 mins - it's just not right. I don't speed walk or run down the sidewalk to a store or cafe that I know is not going to pick up and move by the time I get there. It's just strange. Australians also don't seem to be very polite when it comes to exiting or entering a train. No one waits for people to get off the train before getting on. They all crowd 2 inches in front of the doors before they even open and then it's just this big mass of people moving at the same time to get on/off. They also don't seem to follow the ladies first or women with children first rule. If you're not quick enough people from behind will quickly dash in front of you and cut you off. Drives me nuts. I can't get on or off the train if I see an elderly person or parent with a baby or stroller that should be able to get on/off first. But people don't care, they'll cut you off while you are being polite and waiting. It's all very odd. They also don't say "bless you" or anything after someone sneezes. I find it hard to do when I am work so I just try to ignore the fact that someone sneezed since you won't get a response either way.

Around the animal hospital.......I noticed that raw diets are somewhat the norm here. This something I still have a hard time with. Like yes I know dogs descended from wolves and wolves are carnivores and they eat fresh meat and what not. BUT our furry friends are not wolves and they have evolved over years and years and years so their digestive tracts are not used to those types of diets. I know there are "raw diet" fanatics out there and yes, some of it makes sense and I did, for about 5 seconds, think about putting my allergy dog on one IF I could not figure out what his issues were, but it's just not AS good for them. A lot of the patient check in sheets will have boxes checked off what their pet eats and most of them have the "meat" box checked off. The meat we feed in the hospital is raw kangaroo meat. They have a brand specially packaged for pets. I was kind of grossed out at first, but now it's like an everyday normal thing to slop this raw meat in a bowl and stick it in a cage. I've also noticed, because Sydney is a city and most people live in apartments, that  they mainly have small dogs or cats. I never realized how much of a big dog person I am until I worked here when I have only seen like 6 or 7 big dogs the whole 3 weeks.  I love all creatures great and small, but there is just something about being around a big goofy lab, golden, or boxer that makes working with "small" animals so much butter. The cool thing about seeing a lot of cats here is that I am seeing all of the breeds that you don't typically see in the US. Here, the average U.S. grey tabby, black, or tuxedo kitties are the rare ones. Your everyday cats here are the burmese, siamese, korat, rex, and any other breed like that. A lot of the cats also seem to be mostly outdoor cats as the ones we see all come in for some sort of fight wound repair. Maybe it is me, but if I had one of those expensive breeds I would definitely be keeping them indoors.

Everyday terms/words..........
my all time favorite has to be the word/expression Cheeky...it basically means "being fresh"
bench: counter top
tin: can of something
rubbish: garbage
bloods: blood work
reckon: think
give it a go: exactly what it says
trolley: movable lift table
jumper: sweater/sweatshirt
swab: gauze square
lollies: any type of candy except for chocolate
heaps: LOTS of something
desexing: spay and or neuter
meths: methylated spirits - used instead of isopropyl alcohol (smells just as bad)
lovely: means what it says....they just say it a lot here
when they don't really like something they just call it annoying
I am sure there will be more words/sayings to come, but for now those are the ones I hear the most.