Advice for an Aussie in Hawaii

Hey guys, I'm flying to Hawaii next week.

Even though things are similar between Australia and America, I think I still need some advice.

1)I've been told Americans can struggle with the Aussie accent. True or false?

2) I know you drive on the right side of the road, but does that mean you guys keep right if you're the slow vehicle? We drive on the left and slow vehicles keep left. Since it'll take me a little while to get used to not only sitting on the wrong side of the car, but some reversed controls, I reckon I'll be the slow driver for about half and hour. :naughty:

3) Tip for services at 10% as a standard?

4) Best ways not to piss off an American?

5) Best way TO piss off an American? :naughty:

6)I've also been told to be very clerical and straight forward at Hawaii Airport and don't joke about a thing. Does anyone have a sense of humour in Airports anymore? Last time we traveled, Aussie customs guys wanted to confiscate a six pack of beer for themselves.

7) does your beer contain alcohol? :runaround:

8)And Spite is not Lemonade over there, right?

1. I have no trouble with accents...but most Americans do. I find it's usually not the accent as much as the speed that trips me up with accented English...just be slightly more deliberate and should be fine. Pretend you're talking to idiots, because you probably are :0

2. Yes slower on the right, pass on the left. Make a right turn on red (after stopping of course) unless the sign says you can't or pedestrians are present.

3. I usually tip around 15%, but that's me, I don't know what's standard.

4. Hmmm. As far as driving, don't putz around while trying to figure out where you are or are supposed to turn...pull into someplace, get your bearings and re-enter the road...

5. See #4...although I suspect in Hawaii 60% of the people on the road are tourists, so it may not faze them as much as here.

6. Yeah, airport security is without humor anymore. In addition to being lazy and hopelessly incompetent as ever...

7. Yes, around 6% for most.

8. Huh?

2) Whats this about a right turn on a red?
We will always turn left (your right equivalent) when free to do so and always has right of way, except for pedestrians with a green walk signal.
When turning across oncoming traffic, we can cross on an amber light but never a red.

4) My pet hate is people not knowing where their going and slowing everyone else up. I'll turn off to a side street and work it out rather than slow people down. I also won't just change lanes only to hit the brakes and turn. I will take the next available turn and then back track so I don't cause anyone else issues from my mistakes.

7) I don't drink beer, but rumour has it that Aussie beer is stronger. I drink cider which is more potent again. So what is a brand of cider in the states?

8) This is one we get warned about.
We call "Sprite" lemonade. (Well actually Sprite is a registered name for Coca-Cola Company). We have different brands of lemonade, all similar to Sprite. American "lemonade" is traditional lemonade and we only have a few brands that make it and no-one really sells it other than supermarkets.

We have Sprite here (the name brand stuff)...by all means take it all with you, we don't want it.:rofl:

I'm not sure if we have any alcoholic cider...outside of a novelty drink for holidays and festivals, I've never seen it...but I don't drink so I might be clueless...

Sounds like our right on red rules are the same as your left.

We can make a left on red only from a one-way street onto another one-way street...I did it once and it felt really wrong to me :eek7:

I may be wrong, but the "right turn on red" law varies from state to state. Most states seem to allow it. Imo just observe the local's driving and do what they do.

You may be able to find Strongbow cider (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strongbow_Cider) in some places. But real cider is not too popular in the US, and seems to be more of a regional thing. Imo drink what the locals drink.

As for pissing off Americans.... I have found Americans to be just about the nicest people found anywhere, and I certainly do not want to piss them off.

They are very tolerant of differing opinions for the most part. But they take their country and it's national institutions very seriously. Do not say anything bad about the flag, the office of the President, American history, the Constitution, the military, American politics and foreign policy or any national symbol or monument.As a guest in their country Imo this is just good manners. :)

Don't ever joke around at the airports. American airport staff and security personnel have a tough job to do for obvious reasons. Make it a bit easier for them, do what they say, don't fool around and try not to look like you are up to no good :)

Thanks Jeff and Magic,

Magic, haven't you learned that I'm a shit stirrer yet?

I was bush walking one day and we came across some Canadians. We got talking and we kept pretending that Australians think Canada is just a northern state of USA where all the french speaking people live. They got the joke eventually.

I don't want to piss an American off in particular. you fooker's are allowed to have guns! :screwy:



I read a little about cider in the states, and its part of your heritage. Back when the country was first founded, grain products didn't thrive as well as apples. This meant it cider was more readily available than beer.

I used to drink Strongbow, but then I was put onto other stronger and better tasting cider's. We have an "alcopop" tax on pre-mixed drinks like bourbon, vodka and rum, to make it too expensive for the underaged kids to drink. It makes it expensive for everyone to drink. Cider has taken off down here because its tax free and is better for people with yeast allergies and other problems associated with beer.

I was bush walking one day and we came across some Canadians. We got talking and we kept pretending that Australians think Canada is just a northern state of USA where all the french speaking people live. They got the joke eventually..
hahaha..... the reason why the Canadians did not think you were joking at first, it that it's common for us to come across people, often Americans who have amusing misconceptions about Canada.

I have come across some who believe that Canada is a dependent US territory, like Puerto Rico. Others are convinced everyone here speaks French (only about 25% do; it's rare outside of Quebec) and believe they can't visit here because nobody knows English. These people usually are surprised at how good my English is. :)

A local comedian working for a TV network here made a comedy series called Talking to American (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talking_to_Americans)s where he pretended to be a news reporter and would convince Americans that we have 'metric time', or we just got our first airplane in Canada, or our first mile of paved road.

He even managed to fool Al Gore, George W Bush and Mike Huckabee.

This link leads you to a 5-part series of funny videos.... but all are intended to be in good fun.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEOmTYcb7PE

Funny stuff!

Here's the Australian version......


fJuNgBkloFE



Or an aussie trying to fool americans into thinking we have all the famous landmarks Down Under

iDIsOqq6yko

Funny stuff!

Here's the Australian version......


fJuNgBkloFE



Or an aussie trying to fool americans into thinking we have all the famous landmarks Down Under

iDIsOqq6yko

Yeah it's sad.

I tell myself that part of the problem is that for nearly all of the rest of the world, it's impossible to travel any distance or carry on business without interacting with other cultures, peoples, etc...and their own country's development and policies have to work under direct influence from their neighbors...

Most people I've met from other countries speak at least 2-3 languages, and have a pretty worldly understanding of other cultures and such...

Meanwhile we're a bunch of isolated people...our day to day life for the most part requires no direct involvement or interaction with other cultures or languages...

But then if you dig deeper...you find that most of us have little understanding of our own culture, political process, law, geography, or language...:banghead:...so making excuses doesn't work.

It always cracks me up when I hear someone say something like "I cain't unnerstand them danged far'ners...why the hell don't they larn to speak English if they wanna come here?""

I always giggle at the irony...you know they'd probably fail a third grade spelling test, while lambasting people from other countries for not speaking clear English:lol:

1. nah, we're ok with the Aussie accent, we loved Steve Irwin...lol!
2. Jeffcoslacker covered this plenty well enough
3. 15% is more a standard, 10% or less for bad service, 20% for Godly service
4. do the speed limit (or 5 MPH over), don't drive with your turn signal on, don't even mention the metric system
5. Just be yourself Blayne, that oughta do it.
6. don't even smile in the Airport, they'll cavity search you...unless you're into that sort of thing.
7. only about 4% on average. Some Canadian imports have up to 7% Woodchuck is another brand of cider available here, as well as the Strongbow you mentioned.
8. If you ask for lemonade, you'll either get the juice of a lemon mixed with sugar and water, or a nalt beverage called Mike's hard lemonade.

You're lucky my border patrol friend has no contacts in Hawaii. otherwise #6 would be in your future regardless of whether you smile or not! Love you like a brother buddy, have a great time!

1. nah, we're ok with the Aussie accent, we loved Steve Irwin...lol!
We didn't want him! Do you want to take the rest of the Irwins away too especially the one they call "Bindi" (her name is appropriate as its a weed down here)



5. Just be yourself Blayne, that oughta do it.
Aw shucks, thanks mate! :banghead:



6. don't even smile in the Airport, they'll cavity search you...unless you're into that sort of thing.
I bring my own lube and velveteen glove! :grinyes:



7. only about 4% on average. Some Canadian imports have up to 7% Woodchuck is another brand of cider available here, as well as the Strongbow you mentioned.
Our standard is 5% and goes up to 8% for some boutique stuff. Strongbow is pretty standard and is drinkable, but I like a stronger local variety. I even got some of my beer drinking mates onto it!

Well, I'm back from Hawaii and had a blast.

I actually struggled with the Japanese/american accents. Most people understood me except when I used Australian jargon.

I found all the trucks interesting. We have the F250 down here but they are rare. Our usual vehicles are the Tacoma or Colorado. We have more vans for tradies than utes.
I drove a Charger for a few days and it was great. The Right Turn On Red had me a few times but the locals were very patient. I think the hardest thing was the spacing. I am used the having and entire car to my left and nothing on my right, so when I was driving, the misses kept letting me know how my space was on the right so I wasn't going to wide or too close. The pedals are the same but the indicators and other controls were reversed.
The freeways were cool. I noticed people just went fast no matter what, but I was cautious about the cops. I went with the flow but was never the fastest car out there. It seemed to work well.
I had a Lotus for a day and that was really cool. It was so small I could drive under most cars
http://i727.photobucket.com/albums/ww280/aussieIDI-07/Hawaii%202009/PC100270.jpg
http://i727.photobucket.com/albums/ww280/aussieIDI-07/Hawaii%202009/09122009121.jpg

Most of the restaurants had the tips worked out for you on the receipt. After two weeks of people serving us and earning the tips, we came home and realised how shit the service is here.


We had no probs with customs or security at airports and even had a few laughs with the Hawaiin Customs guys at the expense of the LAX guys.

overall we found everyone so relaxed and laid back, it was great. The only people we/I didn't like were the Japanese tourists and the visitors to the Arizona Memorial. The Japanese tourists wouldn't say thank you and would push past to get into elevators when we're trying to get out. At the Arizona, we were amazed that people had no respect for the dead and were taking happy snaps of themselves smiling. I don't think they were Americans or Aussies, since they didn't speak English.

. At the Arizona, we were amazed that people had no respect for the dead and were taking happy snaps of themselves smiling. I don't think they were Americans or Aussies, since they didn't speak English.
:uhoh: Uh... were they Japanese?





j/k

I'm glad to read that everything went well. I understand your difficulty with the driving... I had the same experience the first time I drove in the UK.


Don't blame the Japanese. They learned their people skills wresting 12 million other people on the Tokyo public transit.

And the Americans really know retail customer service and hospitality... they make Canadian customer service staff look like Soviet prison guards at a gulag. :)

I had the same problem at a museum in Chicago at the King Tut Exhibit. There was a handicapped young man there in a motorized wheel chair and I would go ahead of him and block traffic so he could get up front and see everything. These two Japanese men would rush up, jump in front and then laugh while talking in Japanese. About the 3rd or 4th time this happened, I grabbed one of them by the shoulder and asked if they knew English (he said yes). I proceeded to tell him what would happen to him if he did it again, and the two of them scurried off like roaches. I got a standing ovation from others in the crowd!