Differences between The Netherlands & Australia

Ok, so I’ve been in Australia for almost 2 years now and I do feel like I’m settled in and Perth has become my new home-town. However probably once a month you meet people that don’t really understand that you’ve been here for a while and you don’t consider yourself to be a tourist anymore. You get questions fired at you: ‘How do you like Australia?’, ‘The weather must be a plus for you coming from The Netherlands?’, ‘What are the biggest differences between The Netherlands & Australia?’. Here we go again I think to myself and my facial expression probably doesn’t hide my slight irritation, but polite as ever I will answer the questions with a smile. But then I thought, what actually are the biggest differences between the two countries. Apart from the obvious answers like the weather, language and maybe food. I was thinking what else can I think of in terms of work-culture, drink-cultures and maybe even how people spend their free time.

So I thought time to make a little list, as I am a list person. I know this sounds like something that has already been done before, but different eyes notice different things. And so I might be able to open your eyes to think out of the box.

1. The prices, I won’t be the first one to say this, but Australia is expensive. A ‘vaasje bier’ for 3 euros is really a European thing, sadly.

2. Work culture, casual Friday, really this is a thing in Australia was my first thought? Where in The Netherlands neat casual clothes are accepted in most offices, apart from the banks and law-firms of course. In Perth everyone has to wear business clothes to work apart from casual friday. Where in The Netherlands it’s accepted to wear neat but casual clothes to the office.

3. Drink-culture, yeah what should I say, I suppose the prices have a connection to the pre-drinks culture Australia has developed over the years. Although I do really miss having a drink in the ‘kroeg’.

4. Coffee-culture, most Dutch people will notice the slightly fussy coffee culture in Perth. Which I must say does end up in a really nice cup of coffee, when you’ve finally figured out what kind of coffee to order.

5. English is very basic. I’ve found myself trying to explain to my Australian boyfriend multiple times that I had a ‘gezellige’ night. There simply is no word to describe what dutch people mean with gezellig.

6. Wake up early! Australians really know how to wake up early. They seem to be morning birds, which after 2 years has finally started to make sense to me. Waking up early can be a great way to make the most out of your day. Or to meet some friends for breakfast. (Something I would never do in The Netherlands) Where going out for breakfast here is a big thing in The Netherlands it doesn’t  really exist apart from maybe a cheap HEMA breakfast.