I’m feeling more settled in. I now have an apartment, phone, and bank account – some of the critical things. I actually opened a bank account the second day I was here. After comparing a few banks, I went to ANZ (Australia New Zealand Banking Group, I believe – and the “z” is pronounced “zed” down here) to open an account. Interestingly enough, no banks offer free checking accounts regularly, only to students. Quite a shift from the US, where everyone offers a free checking plan. Anyway, At ANZ, I asked about opening a checking account. For a few seconds I got that look from the teller like I didn’t know what I was talking about – or was just another uncultured American – before she asked if I meant a “”transaction account.” So I guess in reality I don’t have a checking account here, rather it’s a transaction account. Just a technicality.

Last weekend and the weekend before I got the chance to check out some of the Australian sports – Australian rules football (“footy”) and rugby league. Both were interesting. The games seem a lot more fast-paced than US sports – the play rarely stops. Also there’s very little protective gear in use. The top photo is from footy, the middle from rugby, and the bottom for humor – apparently some guy name Batman had some role in Melbourne’s early days. Or the government is just a big fan of the superhero.

On an unrelated note, I applied for (and was granted) permission to work, so I now have a visa label in my passport.