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避免尷尬沉默的五個話題【雪梨篇】(圖文來源：CNN GO)

"So, Bazza, lemon juice for lunch again?"

1. Traffic

It's not Beijing, but Sydney still has inordinately terrible traffic, and is home to some of the most frustrated commuters around.

"Can you believe it really took two hours to get from [this place] to [that place]?"

2. The weather

Sydney's nearly 10-year drought was broken in 2010, but no sooner did people stop talking about the drought than the floods started, which dominated discussion for another year.

These days, at any given time, parts of Sydney are experiencing either a drought or floods … so pick one to talk about and you've got a 50 percent chance of scoring conversation gold.

3. Politics

Politics isn't always the safest topic, but it may be inevitable that you'll wind up in a conversation about the Australian government's messy state of affairs.

Here's what you need to know: a) Australia currently has a rare hung parliament (no party has a majority), b) Julia Gillard, Australia's first female prime minister, is losing voter support, c) her rival for the 2013 election is the conservative opposition leader, Tony Abbott.

All you have to say is, "Who's the lesser of two evils, Gillard or Abbott?" and the debate will unfold in front of you.

4. Fad diets

The country's rising obesity rate has led some Australians to try to lose weight in the most outlandish ways.

Locals will happily share with you which "quick-fix" fad diets they're starting, such as the lemon juice diet (drink only lemon juice with cayenne pepper), the cabbage soup diet (eat only cabbage soup) and Michelle Bridges' 12-Week Body Transformation, in which the former "Biggest Loser Australia" trainer gives you a three-month ass-kicking -- for a fee.

5. Nightlife

Australians are renowned for knowing how to have a good time. More often than not, that means drinking.

Before you go out drinking, though, you'll need to talk about where to go. Afterward, you'll need to talk about where you went (if you can remember).