I am one month into the fall semester at the University of Norte Dame in Fremantle, Australia. Thus far, I have experienced an immense amount of Australian culture. After being here for only a month, I am finally beginning to understand the Australian accent. Australians talk very fast and love to shorten their words, so it has taken me a while to adjust to the annunciation of their version of the English language. I have interacted with many Australians and learned some cultural differences between Australia and the United States. For example, it’s common for young adults in Australia to attend school at the University level in their hometown, compared to the United States were many students venture off to different states for a college education.
The University of Notre Dame, Australia is located within the city of Fremantle and is about a 10 minutes walking distance to the nearest beach. I am currently taking a course on Australia’s Aboriginal people, where I learned that the Aboriginals rely oral tradition to pass down history from one generation to the next. However,my favorite class is my Business in Asia course where I am learning about the different cultures and business etiquettes for the different countries in Asia. It’s interesting to see the business customs these countries adopt and the importance of forming relationships within the business field.
I had the awesome experience of going to the Perth Zoo where I got to see the different animals indigenous to Australia. Did you know that the average male adult kangaroo could grow up to 7 feet tall? In addition, Koalas can sleep for about 20 hours a day—a college student’s dream! In the next couple of weeks, I’ll be heading to Singapore as part of the Business in Asia Program as well as Broome, Australia a small coastal, pearling, and tourist town in the Kimberly region of Western Australia. Stay tuned for more as my adventures in Australia have just begun!
Peace,
Nathan Nusaputra