To Anyone from Melbourne, or Australia for that matter..

[Lifetime]

I'm moving to Melbourne at the end of this month to study at Scotch College, so I thought I'd ask the wise Aussies on this board for survival tips [img]smile.gif[/img] Like the stuff they dont tell you in the brochures and school guides..
Any information, advice or comments would be welcome. I'm looking for information that should help me fit in without too much trouble, and maybe orientate myself to a new environ.
Thanks in advance!

[LennonCook]

U have to Remember to things:
1.

AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE !!!!

And 2. GO 4 THA EELS

If u remember these, and spell correctly, u should be right.

[Leonis]

Watch out for the hook turn!

Melbournians are very odd. Treat them like an errant little brother and you should get on just fine...

Seriously, most of us are pretty friendly and happy to help someone out - just ask!. If you're down to earth, easygoing, can take the odd friendly knocking and understand sarcasm - you're halfway there.

Have fun!

[Bokken]

Not much to say that is negative really. Melbourne is a great place to be in and you should have a great time here with no worries at all.
Like Leonis said though, watch out for the hook turn if you're in the city. If you don't know what that is, it's a right hand turn made from the left hand side of the road after the lights have gone red. So you pretty much wait in the middle left side of the road (whether any cars are coming or not) til the lights go red to turn. *L* Go figure hehe.
You'll enjoy yourself here though. I guarantee it! [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Lifetime]

quote:

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Originally posted by Bokken:
Not much to say that is negative really. Melbourne is a great place to be in and you should have a great time here with no worries at all.
Like Leonis said though, watch out for the hook turn if you're in the city. If you don't know what that is, it's a right hand turn made from the left hand side of the road after the lights have gone red. So you pretty much wait in the middle left side of the road (whether any cars are coming or not) til the lights go red to turn. *L* Go figure hehe.
You'll enjoy yourself here though. I guarantee it! [img]smile.gif[/img]

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Uh? I'll just be a geek and stick to traffic lights when crossing the road [img]smile.gif[/img]
Anything interesting I should know about local culture? Something I really shouldnt do in public that I'm not aware of yet? Like snapping my fingers as I walk or spitting at curbs or something equally important and yet equally silly? [img]tongue.gif[/img] [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Also I'm told Melbourne has the highest population of Greeks outside of Athens.. how true is this? (not that I've got something against Greeks of course, but its just a interesting bit of trivia..)

[Pangur Ban]

quote:

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Originally posted by Lifetime:
I'm moving to Melbourne at the end of this month to study at Scotch College, so I thought I'd ask the wise Aussies on this board for survival tips [img]smile.gif[/img] Like the stuff they dont tell you in the brochures and school guides..
Any information, advice or comments would be welcome. I'm looking for information that should help me fit in without too much trouble, and maybe orientate myself to a new environ.
Thanks in advance!

---

Advice from a Melbourne dweller for 40 + years.

1. Never trust the weather forecasts.
2. Don't get into discussions about AFL football - most people take it far too seriously. Know that the quickest way to make yourself unpopular is to say that you you think it is a stupid game !!.
3. Important: Learn the strange little quirks of our public transport system. For example, most trams have - coin only - ticket machines. Don't try to evade paying for a ticket, however easy it may appear to be.
4. Melbourne is a "multicultural" city, but I prefer to call it "multi-tribal" There are several suburbs in which the occupants are mainly from one ethnic background. Eg. Springvale/Vietnam, Richmond/Greek Coburg/Italian. The *vast* majority of people are very friendly but there are some very few areas where "outsiders" are tolerated/ignored rather than welcomed.
5. Be aware that "opportunistic thieves" hang out in the Melbourne Central Business district - keep your goods and money close at hand.
6. Melbourne has some great places to eat, very cheap, and very good.
7. Watch out for agressive food snatching birds if dining outside in some locations !!
8. If you are in one of Melb's many parks after dusk, look in the trees for possums. They will accept bread and fruit by hand, but beware !! they have VERY sharp claws and teeth.
9. Don't try to speak Aussie "slang" unless you know how. Get it wrong and you will probably wind up looking very foolish ... Listen, and learn.
10. Melbourne is a great place. Welcome, and enjoy [img]graemlins/nicekitty.gif[/img]

Hope this is of interest !!

Pang.

[ 01-07-2002: Message edited by: Pangur Ban ]

[Lifetime]

Fantastic that was what I was looking for! Thanks Pangur Ban!

[shadowhound]

Us aussies should stick together.

[Avatar]

Davros and Aelia Jusa are! You'll have to wait ages for them as it's close to mid-night there.

Watch out for Aelia though, she has a vicious pig that can fly called *PINK*. It is really an assassin and has so far failed to take me.
It is refered to as *pinky wonky woo* when you hear that, run for the hills! [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[Leonis]

Lifetime,
very important is that Melbourne is NOT pronounced: "Mel-born"
[img]graemlins/idontagreeatall.gif[/img]
It is said: "Mel-bn" - but think of a very short, flat 'e' between the 'b' and the 'n'.
(there is actually a term for this sound, that is not officially a vowel, but a passing sound between consonants - I have forgotten it though)
Listen to how it's said because it is like sticking a big "I'm new here" sign on top of your head.

Other eg.s are "Brisbn" - not Bris-Bane and "Canbra" - not Can-beh-rah

(the winner was Sydney, not Sidenee!)

PS, everytime someone buys you a drink, you must buy them two in return, then they buy you four back, you buy them eight and so on. This may sound scary but it won't take long for someone to pass out, or get arrested.

[ 01-09-2002: Message edited by: Leonis ]