There is every chance in the world this thread is going to bomb. But I'm going to give it a shot anyway, it might just turn out ok. Who's going to stop me, YOU? ------------ So I'm wondering, what are some customs/ways of life/local laws/food that exist where you live that people from overseas may not know of, and would probably find strange as hell. In Brisbane, one of the capital cities of Australia: 1 - We are not allowed to take a shower longer than 4 minutes 2 - Washing your car is illegal (and neighbours will report you if you do) 3 - If I understand correctly, while America has pickup trucks, Australia instead has Utes which look very different (you see these things everywhere, basically anyone on a worksite will own one of these, the V8's sound beasty as hell): 4 - One of our most popular breakfast cereals are flavourless lumps of wheat. We sometimes have them with sugar. Sugar in the morning is rare though, so breakfasts such as Cocopops, frosty flakes etc. are almost non-existent (we always have ads running from sports stars and the government telling us to have healthy breakfasts) 5 - In order to busk in the city, you need to apply to the council and audition first. Anyone without a permit will be dragged away. 6 - In winter, for the good part of the season we spend most of the night and start off in the mornings freezing to death, then spend the rest of the day with the air con blasting and walking around in singlets complaining about the heat. 7 - Our humidity often gets to around 97% on a hot day So, anyone else have some strange facts about where you live?

I'm sure I do, but I just want to point out that utes are awesome vehicles and I wish we had them in Canada. I'd much rather have the Cobra Ute than a Chevy Avalanche.

One of the capital cities? How many you guys got :P. I thought Canberra was the capital.

Anyways, I'll start on Canada (Ontario). I kind of deviated from the given parameters as Canada doesn't really have it's own culutre. We're a tossed salad [grin]:

1. Only country that i'm aware of that sells it's milk in bags.

2. There's no law against illegally downloading music or recording films in movie theatres

3. The age of consent is 14

4. We're not a democracy as is commonly thought. We're a constitutional monarchy with the Queen having symbolic power and the Prime minister being of secondary importance. Any bill trying to be passed can be struck down the queen, but it's never done.

5. We're ranked lower than Kyrgyzstan in men's soccer

6. We now officially have the 2nd tallest free standing structure in the world (CN Tower). More Info. We also have one of the wonders of the modern world (Niagra Falls)

Quote:Original post by Karan Bhangui
One of the capital cities? How many you guys got :P. I thought Canberra was the capital.

Canberra is our national capital, but we also have another 7 states and capitals (although Sydney is in the same state as Canberra, New South Wales):

Linky

Quote:Original post by Karan Bhangui
Only country that i'm aware of that sells it's milk in bags.

HAHA! This one made me nearly choke on my damn coffee [lol]

Quote:Original post by anothrguitarist
- If you cannot wash your car, can you at least wash the windshield?

We are allowed to do that. Also, if we need to wash out car, we can take it to a car cleaning company and pay them to do it, but as far as washing your car in the driveway it's a no no (we are on massive water restrictions at the moment). This also means we are not allowed to water plants.

Quote:Original post by anothrguitarist
- My Dad's long time friend lives in Australia, we may visit sometime. Were you born in Australia?

Although I was moved further up north in Australia for a while, I'm now staying just down the road from the hospital I was born at in Brisbane [smile]

Alright. This could be an interesting thread.

In Alabama:

1. There is a nice large list of things that aren't allowed to be done on Sundays. Thing such as, telling your servants or apprentices to do labor, or 'gaming' and 'hunting'.

None of these are enforced, but it is still in the law books. (Code of Alabama 13A-12-1 'Certain acts prohibited on Sunday' for those that don't believe me)

2. The majority of food here consists of things that are fried. Fried chicken, fried corn, fried chocolate, fried ice-cream. If you can imagine it, it's fried.

3. Contrary to popular belief, Alabama doesn't have the largest concentration of rednecks and hillbillies. I'd have to say that Pennsylvania and West Virginia respectively win those rewards.

4. Our state constitution currently has 777 sections (like amendments basically). As opposed to 26 sections in Florida's (a neighboring state). And 27 amendments in the federal government's constitution...

This is because all sorts of petty laws must be added as constitutional amendments and it causes all sorts of craziness.

5. Burning without a burn permit is illegal in most parts of the state. We all burn stuff anyways, and nobody cares. Same goes with water restrictions.

And boolean, how is that shower thing enforced? I mean do you have timers on your showers that have monitors hooked up to government offices or something?

6. The largest city in this state (Birmingham) has one of the largest ratios of citizens with pistol carry permits in the nation. So to all you anti-gun types you should avoid this city ;) It's a good thing to avoid anyways since it's a boring city with a shit-ton of crime anyhow...

Quote:Original post by boolean
4 - One of our most popular breakfast cereals are flavourless lumps of wheat. We sometimes have them with sugar.

Yours is a knock-off.

Quote:Original post by Ravuya
I'm sure I do, but I just want to point out that utes are awesome vehicles and I wish we had them in Canada. I'd much rather have the Cobra Ute than a Chevy Avalanche.

El Camino, all over again.

Quote:Original post by curtmax_0
And boolean, how is that shower thing enforced? I mean do you have timers on your showers that have monitors hooked up to government offices or something?

While there is no real way of enforcing it (unlike people catching you washing your car), men in black suits scour everyone’s water bills looking for those who are using too much water for an average house (our house has received one warning). If they find you are using too much water, you get a fine. We get lots of little reminders that we are not allowed to go above 4 minutes, such as the newspaper putting out a 4 minute shower timer for people to use, TV ads most days telling us how much water we use just by staying in a few extra minutes.

People have been caught though. There’s been a number of cases where people have noticed (in units, caravan parks, close proximity living areas etc.) people who stay in the shower for 20 minutes at a time and dob them in. But most people are quite good about it. One of housemates has her BF knocking on the shower door as soon as 4 minutes is up going "COME ON, WATER RESTRICTIONS".

Quote:Original post by Oluseyi

Quote:Original post by boolean
4 - One of our most popular breakfast cereals are flavourless lumps of wheat. We sometimes have them with sugar.

Yours is a knock-off.

I think Weetbix came first (hence the lame knockoff name Weetabix [grin]), and was actually started by a businessman and the Seventh-day Adventist Church back in 1930! Yes, our most popular cereal has ties with the Seventh-day Adventist Church 0_o

i haven't seen bagged milk in years, now its in those semi-transparent plastic containers