Hands on a steering wheel, driving a car. Small differences between Melbourne and Miami.

Small differences between Miami and Melbourne

I’ve been in Melbourne about five weeks. Here are some random observations on small differences between Miami and Melbourne. On the Road It’s hard for a young person to get their driver’s licence in the state of Victoria. After passing a knowledge test and an eyesight test, an applicant can get a learner permit at … Read more

A black swan.

One week in Australia

It’s been one week in Australia. Other than go to the Melbourne Aquarium, I haven’t visited any tourist attractions. I’ve been shopping for some daily necessities, nothing exciting. It’s strange. I feel like a tourist and yet I don’t. I don’t feel jet-lagged or culture-shocked. Melbourne is a big city with a diverse population. It’s not … Read more

Into Australia

The last couple of days felt like a week. I knew that the journey from the US to Australia was going to be long and tiring. I tried to build down time into it. The benefit is a decrease in the disorder, confusion, and stress, but it can make the journey longer. I came to Australia … Read more

Watch out for drop bears in the gum trees.

Drop bears

When I told my father that I’m going to Australia, he said, “Did you know about the tiny spider that children step on and die?” I’m surprised he didn’t mention drop bears: the bears that drop on your head and then you die. A few weeks ago I blogged about spiders and other deadly Australian animals. … Read more

Vegemite, Australian food.

Australian food

What’s Australian food like? I’ll find out soon enough. So far, I’ve tried two Aussie favourites: Tim Tams and Vegemite. A Tim Tam is a cookie, or a biscuit, as Aussies say. It’s two layers of chocolate malted cookie separated by a light cream filling, and coated in chocolate. Yes, it’s heavenly. Vegemite is a … Read more

Blackboard that says, "Do you speak English? next to the British flag. Australian English.

English translation

I need more than one English translation. English is not my first language. I was born in Havana, Cuba. When I was almost three years old, I emigrated to the US with my parents and sister. We came on the Mariel boatlift just like Tony Montana (Scarface) except that none of us of went on to … Read more