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As a Brit I was pretty shocked to arrive in Australia and see that binge drinking there is next level. The Melbourne Cup horse races is like a national drinking day, my employer took everyone out to get wasted (this was in Sydney, didn't even watch the races) and then it was understood that you'd probably take the next day off.

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When I read your story, as an Aussie, I felt really proud that we'd "beaten" the Brits at getting pissed. Perhaps this is part of the problem.

My mother's Australian, and as a (partial) joke to rib some relatives of mine (I was born in the US; father is American), I used to sing this parody:

99 bottles of beer on the wall

99 bottles of beer

If you're an Aussie you'll drink them all down

99 bottles of beer on the ground

Not only is it a faster version of the song, I hadn't internalized quite how true it was. lol

How odd, I used to work with an Aussie (Sydney) expat and he was glowingly boasting how much better they are at anything because competition. It’s so much part of their culture he said, that they will out-do anyone, even at their core traits (and so concluded that Sydney pizza is better than anything I’ve ever eaten. Me. Italian from Rome :D)

To be fair, one of the best pizzerias in the world is in Melbourne (400 Gradi). And my Nonno lives in Adelaide!

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