Submitted by Sara Merton on the 2020 winter session study abroad program in Australia sponsored by the School of Nursing…
One of my favorite things to keep as a token from my travels is the currency that is used in that particular country. I love looking at the differences in color, texture and size. While preparing for my program, I went to exchange cash and noticed that the smallest bill I received was 5 AUD. I also noticed their bills are all made of plastic and do not fold easily. Later, on my first day in Sydney, we walked to the Sydney Harbour Bridge. While we were there, we decided to climb the first pylon to get a view of the Sydney Opera House and the rest of the city. It was approximately 200 stairs up to the top. Luckily for us, there was a small souvenir shop on one of the platforms to break them up. I purchased a few small things and noticed that my change was more than I had calculated it to be. Australia’s smallest bill is $5, and their coins are worth $2, $1, 50 cents, 20 cents, 10 cents and 5 cents; they do not have an equivalent to the penny. Because of this, change is never really exact. If they cannot give you exact change when paying in cash, they will just round up or down and give you the closest amount. I found this very strange, especially when I am used to counting exact change in America and asking for it to be corrected if I do not get back what I am owed. It is very different than the culture in America where money is closely monitored, and I feel odd when I am given back too much or not given back enough. It is interesting to see how different parts of the world handle their money.