It's a pretty spot on comparison. I moved here from Sydney about 3 years ago and feel basically the same. Though I don't have the same aversion to tipping that he has, probably because I (having grown up in the US before immigrating to Oz) understand how to work the system—particularly in bars. As for the unicycle/mustache thing, I lived in Newtown in Sydney, and that sort of thing wouldnt have garnered more than a doubletake there either ;)

Still, I miss my four weeks of vacation and my stress free access to medical care. Oh yeah, and the extremely efficient government agencies. The difference between Aussie immigration (DIMIA) and American (DHS) is striking.