down under and back asswards

Well everyone knows that this is Australia is the land Downunder, but I dont think people really realize/realise how backwards little things can be. I've been trying to take note of all these little things. Some of them are obvious, some just different, and some very annoying.

1. light switches - to turn on the lights in my apartment, you flick the switches down instead of up.

2. locks - to lock lock the door, you turn the key opposite of the way you want the lock to go. hard to explain, but very annoying.

3. cab - in a cab, you get in the front seat, not the back. apparently people don't rob cab drivers down under.

4. table - If you table something, instead of that meaning that you put it off, you do it right away.

5. fanny - a big one. Down under, fanny does not mean butt. it means...well i would never type something like that on my blog, but the word contains these letters - yssup - and rhymes with pussy.

6. Instead of chasing someone down, you chase them up. (eg "Try and chase up Susan from HR - she'll know the answer.") weird.

7. The first floor - is actually the US second floor. I walk into the building, walk up a flight of stairs and I think I'm on the second floor. Well if you ask the IT guys to bring you a new computer, and that you're on the 2nd floor, they take a really long time. And arrive kinda mad.

8. Of course there is the driving on the wrong side of the road. And the driver's side being on the right... I still notice people on the left side of the car asleep or texting and have a mild panic attack thinking they're about to steer into the sidewalk and run over me.

9. You hail a bus, but you are not allowed to hail a cab. weird, huh?

And FYI - I have witnessed water going down the drain counterclockwise. I actually filled a sink to check. And I don't think that is allowed under the current LEVEL 5 water restrictions. Shhh...Don't tell the authorities.