5 days ago
G Flip 'freaks out' Americans with Australian school tradition that no other country has: 'This has to be a lie'
G Flip has set the internet alight once again, with the singer dropping a 'bizarre' school tradition from Australia on unsuspecting Americans.
The Aussie singer, who goes by they/them pronouns, has moved to the US after marrying Selling Sunset star Chrishell Stause.
Earlier this week, G Flip left Americans baffled after explaining the concept of 'meat raffle' prizes Down Under.
Now, the musician, 31, has reflected on the use of pen licences in Australian schools.
When students are around nine years old, in year three or four, they are handed an informal certificate that allows them to officially transition from writing with a pencil to a pen.
It's believed to be a schooling rite of passage exclusive to Australian kids.
'I'm an Australian living in America and today I found out that Americans don't get their pen licence when they're a kid,' G Flip said in a TikTok video.
'So, in Australia, when you're eight or nine, you do a test to deem if you are ready to upgrade from a pencil to a pen.
'You've got to make sure it's all legible and your letters look great and then your teacher will grade you... and you will then get a certificate that says you can now use your pen, you've got your pen licence.
'Apparently, Americans, y'all don't get a pen licence and you're out here using pencils until you're in your teens. That's a lot of sharpening!'
The video has since been viewed more than 1.5 million times, with comments divided between nostalgic Aussies and 'freaked out' Americans.
'As a primary school teacher, I can't tell you the joy it gives me to give a student their pen licence,' one wrote.
'Anyone else left handed and have their pen licence taken off them when they smudged the ink across the page?' another reflected.
'No pen licences is crazy. How do you know you are safe and ready to use a pen without one?' one more wrote.
Then came the other side.
'This has to be a lie,' American singer Lauren Sanderson replied.
'No... this can't be real,' another echoed.
Even G Flip's own wife was dumbfounded.
'This can not be true - you have never told me this,' Chrishell wrote.
G Flip received a similar response when they covered the beloved pub and golf club tradition of winning a 'meat tray' in a raffle.
'I'm an Aussie who lives in America and I have an American wife... I think one of the funniest things to explain about Australian culture is that you can win a meat tray at the pub,' G Flip (born Georgia Flipo) said in the video.
'So you go to the pub and you can buy raffle tickets to win a meat tray - and you just win a tray of various uncooked meats like steaks, chops and sausages from the butcher, completely raw. You get to go home with a meat tray.
'And everyone I ever told that to who's American is like... "What the f***".'
