Two hands holding a smartphone photographing their food.

Tips for eating out in Melbourne

Earlier this week I wrote a guide on how to speak Australian because although Americans and Australians both speak English, we speak different versions of it. Similarly, Americans and Australians equally enjoy meeting our family and friends for coffee or a meal, but eating out in Miami is very different from eating out in Melbourne. Here are some tips …

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Two kangaroos.

How to speak Australian

Americans speak English. Australians speak English. You’d think we’d understand each other perfectly. Here’s a guide on how to speak Australian. In 1892, German linguist Karl Lentzner wrote: The English language has of late years incorporated a vast store of words and phrases generally known as ‘Slang,’ which, with marvellous rapidity, have taken root in all …

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Resident of where?

Expat, immigrant, resident, here, there. I’m a resident of where? It’s hard to know sometimes. There are six reasons a person may be excused from jury duty. Being in another country is not one of them. I have been summoned to appear for jury duty in Miami-Dade County. One can only postpone for up to …

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Heatwave map from BOM.

Surviving a heatwave

Earlier this week, I blogged about the heatwave. Despite the fact that it gets really hot in Melbourne every year, hundreds of Aussies still suffer from heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and death due to exposure to extreme heat. Below are some tips collected from across the web as well as personal experience to help you …

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Heatwave map from BOM.

Heatwave

After a chilly start to the summer season, a heatwave hit Australia last week. Narrabi in New South Wales saw temperatures rise to 47.8°C (118.04°F). Here in Melbourne, we saw four consecutive days over 40°C (104°F). According to Carl Braganza, Manager of Climate Monitoring at the Bureau of Meteorology, it was the longest heatwave in 100 …

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Couple in a relationship holding hands.

The road to residency part 3: the relationship

The road to obtaining a partner visa, which grants me two years of residency, is long and arduous. When I first looked at all the paperwork, I was so overwhelmed that I cried. Then I pulled myself together and began printing documents, making lists, copies, and appointments. The tricky part is that you need different things …

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