Hi everyone, I am Lily and I’m studying a Bachelor of Business, majoring in accounting.
I am from Kyoto, Japan, which is famous for Japanese traditional culture. My top tip for new students who are full of anticipation and anxiety: don’t worry too much about Australian life!
Being an international student in Australia, I realised some clear and amazing differences between Australia and Japan.
Let’s find out some of these differences…
Cultural diversity
Before coming to Australia, I knew that people of various nationalities and cultural backgrounds are living here. But the reality was beyond what I imagined in a good way. As an international student at Griffith University, I could make so many friends from all over the world. Compared to Australia, over 90% of the population in Japan is Japanese. So, I didn’t have any opportunity to be close to someone by using English. Because of this, I love the Australian international environment. If you become a member of Griffith Mates, you can meet people from all over the world, and work together to make the event a success!
Shop trading hours
This was one of the most surprising differences for me! In Japan, most of the shops usually open until late at night, sometimes midnight. In addition, I think Japan is famous for convenience stores that are open 24/7. And once people finish their work, they go somewhere to have a drink. On the other hand, most shops close really early in Australia, especially cafes. I like this culture because I feel this may be from a culture that values spending time with family.
Beach lifestyle: Do you like the beach?
When I first came to the Gold Coast, I realised how important beach culture is to Australian culture in general and the Gold Coast in particular. Personally, beaches on the Gold Coast are one of the best beaches in the world. Some examples are Main Beach, Burleigh Heads, Surfers Paradise, and Currumbin Beach. On the other hand, the beach doesn’t play a significant role in Japanese culture. But I’ve been visiting the beach a lot since moving to the Gold Coast. And it’s a really good way to relieve stress by going to the beach.
Moving to another country is such an amazing experience for us because we can see differences in each country, and that would be our most valuable asset.
I’m so proud to be part of the community on the Gold Coast, and I hope you would fall in love with the Gold Coast too!
See you around,
Lily
