Better to admit this quickly: the Australian culture is not that different from Western Europe. Since you probably don’t want to be bored by a summary of similarities, I will try and point out some of the differences.

The most notable one is the diversity. Almost half the population is officially immigrant, including my host family of Indian descent. My language school is mostly attended by Japanese students. They only learn one language in school, but three different writings. English is the fourth and it is as dissimilar to Japanese as a language can possibly be. Understandably, learning English is very hard for them.

The country (or this city, at least) is extremely wealthy. Australia does not take in any refugees, keeping out problems like integration and poverty. Everything is well-maintained and clean. The city is built according to a thoroughly deliberate plan.

One of the closest public parks is South Bank Parklands. The public beach is situated here, right next to the cultural centre. As can be expected things are quite expensive here, except for the cinema: just under €4,- for students. Needless to say, I feel very content with that.

Last weekend I have been on my first great adventure: surfing camp at the Pacific Ocean. Surfing turns out to be less difficult and every bit as awesome as it sounds. Complete elation after the first lesson. I’ll be able to move painlessly again in just a few more days, I guess.