G’day, Swansea! An Aussie has made the big leap from sunny Adelaide to the charming, if a tad quirky, land of Wales. After nearly a year in Swansea, Nina has quite the list of eyebrow-raising differences she’s come across. From “terrifyingly massive” seagulls to the head-scratching absence of plug sockets in bathrooms, her new Welsh life has been full of surprises!
Nina, who swapped the Aussie sun for the UK’s infamous weather, has a few cultural quirks she’s still getting used to. Especially the UK’s penchant for day-drinking – something not so common back home. She marvels at pubs packed even on a weekday afternoon in London, unlike the typical weekend binge she’s used to in Oz.
And those seagulls? Nina thought they were albatrosses! The size and colours are quite the departure from what she’s seen in Adelaide. Navigating the “tiny” country roads in her Volkswagen Polo also keeps her on her toes, not to mention figuring out the art of driving manual – stalling in the early days was a daily occurrence.
The UK’s plug-less bathrooms have her missing the convenience of mid-morning haircare routines and pondering why anyone would pay for a TV licence when it’s free Down Under. Plus, the rich tapestry of UK accents has her frequently asking people to repeat themselves.
But it’s not all head-scratchers – she loves how easy and affordable it is to jet off to places like Italy and Croatia. Though she sometimes misses Aussie staples like chicken salt and their renowned coffee, she’s soaking up the British charm and even dreams of a royal encounter one day. 🇬🇧✈️
Despite the cultural quirks, Nina’s enjoying the UK vibe and says, “I’m happy living life as a Brit. Perhaps one day I’ll even bump into the royal family.” Cheers to that! 🥂