Aussie friendliness at it's best
Mar 18th 2006, 5:29 am
#1
sunshinesarah
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2005
Location: Buderim, Sunshine Coast, Queensland
Posts: 203
Aussie friendliness at it's best
Having been in Oz 18 months, I still never take the Aussie friendliness for granted.
Recently on my way to the airport in my friend's 4 wheel drive, we had a bad/dangerous puncture and ended up in centre section of the Bruce highway. Having recently bought the car, my friend discovered there was no jack in the boot.
Knowing we could not use any old jack, my friend and I stood on the side of the Bruce Highway trying to flag down other Cherokee drivers for help. Someone pulled over in all of 4 minutes! We got to the airport with time to spare. I stood there wondering how long in Britain it would have taken someone to pull over??
Coming through immigration at Brissy airport, the man at customs must have mentally noted my date of birth from my passport and asked "so did you have a nice birthday in Bangkok?". Now a customs is the last person who has to make polite conversation for the sake of it.
Sunshine Sarah
Recently on my way to the airport in my friend's 4 wheel drive, we had a bad/dangerous puncture and ended up in centre section of the Bruce highway. Having recently bought the car, my friend discovered there was no jack in the boot.
Knowing we could not use any old jack, my friend and I stood on the side of the Bruce Highway trying to flag down other Cherokee drivers for help. Someone pulled over in all of 4 minutes! We got to the airport with time to spare. I stood there wondering how long in Britain it would have taken someone to pull over??
Coming through immigration at Brissy airport, the man at customs must have mentally noted my date of birth from my passport and asked "so did you have a nice birthday in Bangkok?". Now a customs is the last person who has to make polite conversation for the sake of it.
Sunshine Sarah
Mar 18th 2006, 5:56 am
#2
Forum Regular
Joined: Aug 2005
Location: Bangkok
Posts: 241
Re: Aussie friendliness at it's best
Originally Posted by sunshinesarah
Coming through immigration at Brissy airport, the man at customs must have mentally noted my date of birth from my passport and asked "so did you have a nice birthday in Bangkok?". Now a customs is the last person who has to make polite conversation for the sake of it.
Sunshine Sarah
Sunshine Sarah
Mar 18th 2006, 5:59 am
#3
Worongary
Joined: Sep 2005
Location: GC hinterland
Posts: 10,288
Re: Aussie friendliness at it's best
Originally Posted by sunshinesarah
Having been in Oz 18 months, I still never take the Aussie friendliness for granted.
Recently on my way to the airport in my friend's 4 wheel drive, we had a bad/dangerous puncture and ended up in centre section of the Bruce highway. Having recently bought the car, my friend discovered there was no jack in the boot.
Knowing we could not use any old jack, my friend and I stood on the side of the Bruce Highway trying to flag down other Cherokee drivers for help. Someone pulled over in all of 4 minutes! We got to the airport with time to spare. I stood there wondering how long in Britain it would have taken someone to pull over??
Coming through immigration at Brissy airport, the man at customs must have mentally noted my date of birth from my passport and asked "so did you have a nice birthday in Bangkok?". Now a customs is the last person who has to make polite conversation for the sake of it.
Sunshine Sarah
Recently on my way to the airport in my friend's 4 wheel drive, we had a bad/dangerous puncture and ended up in centre section of the Bruce highway. Having recently bought the car, my friend discovered there was no jack in the boot.
Knowing we could not use any old jack, my friend and I stood on the side of the Bruce Highway trying to flag down other Cherokee drivers for help. Someone pulled over in all of 4 minutes! We got to the airport with time to spare. I stood there wondering how long in Britain it would have taken someone to pull over??
Coming through immigration at Brissy airport, the man at customs must have mentally noted my date of birth from my passport and asked "so did you have a nice birthday in Bangkok?". Now a customs is the last person who has to make polite conversation for the sake of it.
Sunshine Sarah
its good to see some one whos so positive about their move
we are looking at sippy downs as we want to get our daughter in chancellor state school thats up your way isnt it?
Mar 19th 2006, 11:13 am
#4
Back in OZ!
Joined: Oct 2005
Location: Perth, Australia
Posts: 905
Re: Aussie friendliness at it's best
I always love that whenever I go through Customs in Perth, they welcome me home!! I mean, I have both Aussie and English passport but because I am a citizen, they always say 'Welcome home' 
*sniff* brings a tear to my eye!!
*sniff* brings a tear to my eye!!
Mar 19th 2006, 11:17 am
#5
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 23,400
Re: Aussie friendliness at it's best
When I landed at Brisbane airport, the immigration guy studied my passport for a few minutes, made a big thing about staring at my picture and then my face.
'Look, if you're going to laugh at my picture then laugh' I told the guy as he kept staring.
Grinning at me he said 'Christ mate I wouldnt have put ya at 35!'
I cannot imagine British immigration doing that let alone having a sense of humour.
'Look, if you're going to laugh at my picture then laugh' I told the guy as he kept staring.
Grinning at me he said 'Christ mate I wouldnt have put ya at 35!'
I cannot imagine British immigration doing that let alone having a sense of humour.
Mar 19th 2006, 11:33 am
#6
Worongary
Joined: Sep 2005
Location: GC hinterland
Posts: 10,288
Re: Aussie friendliness at it's best
Originally Posted by Professional Princess
When I landed at Brisbane airport, the immigration guy studied my passport for a few minutes, made a big thing about staring at my picture and then my face.
'Look, if you're going to laugh at my picture then laugh' I told the guy as he kept staring.
Grinning at me he said 'Christ mate I wouldnt have put ya at 35!'
I cannot imagine British immigration doing that let alone having a sense of humour.
'Look, if you're going to laugh at my picture then laugh' I told the guy as he kept staring.
Grinning at me he said 'Christ mate I wouldnt have put ya at 35!'
I cannot imagine British immigration doing that let alone having a sense of humour.
did he think you we older
or younger
Mar 19th 2006, 11:38 am
#7
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 23,400
Re: Aussie friendliness at it's best
Originally Posted by steve`o
did he think you we older
or younger
or younger
He said he thought I was 28, I would have snogged him had it been possible!
Mar 19th 2006, 12:49 pm
#8
Fighting my corner
Joined: Aug 2005
Location: Adelaide, South Australia
Posts: 11,948
Re: Aussie friendliness at it's best
Originally Posted by Professional Princess
When I landed at Brisbane airport, the immigration guy studied my passport for a few minutes, made a big thing about staring at my picture and then my face.
'Look, if you're going to laugh at my picture then laugh' I told the guy as he kept staring.
Grinning at me he said 'Christ mate I wouldnt have put ya at 35!'
I cannot imagine British immigration doing that let alone having a sense of humour.
'Look, if you're going to laugh at my picture then laugh' I told the guy as he kept staring.
Grinning at me he said 'Christ mate I wouldnt have put ya at 35!'
I cannot imagine British immigration doing that let alone having a sense of humour.
Warmth, courtesy and friendliness were all notable by absence.
Mar 19th 2006, 12:54 pm
#9
ah-beng
Joined: Aug 2004
Location: ^.^
Posts: 3,113
Re: Aussie friendliness at it's best
Originally Posted by Vash the Stampede
You're not wrong; all I received at Heathrow was an arched eyebrow, a handful of impersonal questions barked out in rapid succession, and a rubber stamp.
Warmth, courtesy and friendliness were all notable by absence.
Warmth, courtesy and friendliness were all notable by absence.
Mar 20th 2006, 9:03 am
#10
Banned
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 316
Re: Aussie friendliness at it's best
Originally Posted by sunshinesarah
Having been in Oz 18 months, I still never take the Aussie friendliness for granted.
Recently on my way to the airport in my friend's 4 wheel drive, we had a bad/dangerous puncture and ended up in centre section of the Bruce highway. Having recently bought the car, my friend discovered there was no jack in the boot.
Knowing we could not use any old jack, my friend and I stood on the side of the Bruce Highway trying to flag down other Cherokee drivers for help. Someone pulled over in all of 4 minutes! We got to the airport with time to spare. I stood there wondering how long in Britain it would have taken someone to pull over??
Coming through immigration at Brissy airport, the man at customs must have mentally noted my date of birth from my passport and asked "so did you have a nice birthday in Bangkok?". Now a customs is the last person who has to make polite conversation for the sake of it.
Sunshine Sarah
Recently on my way to the airport in my friend's 4 wheel drive, we had a bad/dangerous puncture and ended up in centre section of the Bruce highway. Having recently bought the car, my friend discovered there was no jack in the boot.
Knowing we could not use any old jack, my friend and I stood on the side of the Bruce Highway trying to flag down other Cherokee drivers for help. Someone pulled over in all of 4 minutes! We got to the airport with time to spare. I stood there wondering how long in Britain it would have taken someone to pull over??
Coming through immigration at Brissy airport, the man at customs must have mentally noted my date of birth from my passport and asked "so did you have a nice birthday in Bangkok?". Now a customs is the last person who has to make polite conversation for the sake of it.
Sunshine Sarah
My immediate thought-"must find Aussie"-ask three people who turned out to be Brits and told me to sod off(not that I blame them)-then find an Aussie, before I finish my sob story he whips out $200-says here money for the tax and extra for a taxi in oz and a meal at the airport (or the equivelent in baht)
I tell him to give me his bank account or address to pay him back-he says don't worry its a gift ( pay him back at anyrate in Sydney).
Mar 22nd 2006, 9:42 am
#11
sunshinesarah
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2005
Location: Buderim, Sunshine Coast, Queensland
Posts: 203
Re: Aussie friendliness at it's best
Bump - 'cos I think that Bangkok story is great.
Two more stories to had to my original post. Had bad car accident last night (love the country but they can't drive) - so carless at the momehnt. Have had several offers of lifts etc, even from people I hardly know. Not only have I had offers to take me to the supermarket, I have someone tell me to give them a list and they'll get my groceries FOR me!!!
Other tale. My other half works at Wow Sight and Sound - big electrical store. Before we went on holiday for 4 weeks recently he served a lady looking at buying a plasma. Whilst away she called the store twice to find out when he would be back and waited FOUR WEEKS before coming to purchase it - to ensure he got the commission. Unbelievable.
Sarah
Two more stories to had to my original post. Had bad car accident last night (love the country but they can't drive) - so carless at the momehnt. Have had several offers of lifts etc, even from people I hardly know. Not only have I had offers to take me to the supermarket, I have someone tell me to give them a list and they'll get my groceries FOR me!!!
Other tale. My other half works at Wow Sight and Sound - big electrical store. Before we went on holiday for 4 weeks recently he served a lady looking at buying a plasma. Whilst away she called the store twice to find out when he would be back and waited FOUR WEEKS before coming to purchase it - to ensure he got the commission. Unbelievable.
Sarah
