European abroad: Au pair Jenny Blenk has said Australia took a lot of getting used to. Photo / Jennt Blenk
European abroad: Au pair Jenny Blenk has said Australia took a lot of getting used to. Photo / Jennt Blenk
A young European au pair has taken to the web to complain about the hardest things to adapt to in her new home in Australia.
Jenny Blenk, who is studying and living in Brisbane, revealed the biggest cultural confusions since moving from Germany a year ago.
There's more than distance separating Germany from Australia.
The 20-year-old visitor took to YouTube to share the biggest culture shocks from her year abroad, saying: "I hope this is not going to be offensive or anything - this is just things that [Europeans] do differently and I don't mind people doing them, I'm just not used to it."
Perhaps it takes an outsider to see these odd habits for what they really are:
People walking barefoot in public
"The thing I found very interesting is people just casually walk barefoot around," she said of her experiences in the Gold Coast.
"I also saw someone in the city the other day getting groceries without shoes. You don't see it as much in the city but it does happen and then I saw this man walking his dog barefoot."
Germany au pair Jenny Blenk has spent a year in Brisbane, Australia. Photo / Jenny Blenk
If she was to see someone barefoot in Germany she would immediately assume "something's going on."
'Hi, how are you?' does not really mean 'how are you?'
Jenny was taken aback by how friendly everyone was and concerned about her day. When she was interviewing for jobs as an au pair, her family were overwhelmed by how outgoing she was until she realised it was merely a greeting.
"Just say you're fine and move on with your day."
Tap water
Where has the carbonated water gone?
Aussies only drink tap water. If you were used to drinking water "with gas" it would be "really hard coming here."
Fake Tan
Fake Tan seemed an odd thing to need on the sunshine coast.
There are things that a year living in Australia can not accustom you to. Photo / Jenny Blenk
"I first thought it was super weird because hello it's Australia, there's just so much sun and you just go outside for five minutes and get a tan," she said.
Although she hadn't considered that a fake tan might be a healthier option.
"Then I thought about it, tanning might not be really healthy here because the sun so dangerous you can get cancer."
Vegemite
Even after several attempts at eating Vegemite, the taste has not grown on Jenny. "It just doesn't go into my head how people eat it. I've tried it so many times as a spread and I don't even know how that would taste good," she admits.
It's not just the flora and fauna that are odd in Australia. Photo / Jenny Blenk
"I see people eating it and I'm like "oh man I really want to try it again" and every time I try it, it's just disgusting," she says of the national dish.
"Do people like it or do they just pretend? I'm really confused."
Jay-walking or crossing at red lights
"Another thing that hurts my German heart is people crossing the street on a red light," said Jenny. "It makes me so nervous I can't do it."
Pedestrians caught crossing at a red light could face a fine, but "in Australia it's not that big of a deal."
Wearing shoes inside the house
Jenny has been told countless times to "leave her shoes on" when going to visit the homes of friends.
Jenny Blenk is originally from Germany, which is a long way removed from Brisbane. Photo / Jenny Blenk
"I'm like "are you sure?" They really don't care," she says.
"The difference is that in Germany it gets really cold in winter and snowy so you don't want to bring your dirty shoes into the house, you just don't do it."
