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Re: Australian attitudes
And that's even a bizarre concept because the ancestors of the British that colonised/settled Australia are still living in the country. They are 'Aussies' now.
The colonialists are patronising the colonists, it's really quite ironic. |
Re: Australian attitudes
Originally Posted by ProudVIC
(Post 10041356)
And that's even a bizarre concept because the ancestors of the British that colonised/settled Australia are still living in the country.
The colonialists are patronising the colonists, it's really quite ironic. |
Re: Australian attitudes
Originally Posted by Rljacobs
(Post 10041137)
'own kind' meaning other Australians. I can only comment on what I know to be fact. We as a family had no Australian friends, not through want of trying. We lived in centre of Perth, hillarys and padbury over the 2 years. I'm guessing most expats desperately want to fit in to their new aussie lifestyle, including making Australian friends, it just didn't happen for us. Like I say, it seems that things have changed which is great as I hope to go back soon.
I wonder if there are regional differences when it comes to levels of welcome and ease of forming friendships with Aussies? :unsure: Here in Canberra we've found making friends with Aussie locals to be very easy and getting easier. They have been very warm and welcoming - in fact they've outperformed the local British expat community though we haven't been leaning towards any particular demographic. Aussie attitudes baffle me sometimes but on welcome and friendliness they get a strong thumbs up :thumbsup: |
Re: Australian attitudes
Originally Posted by BadgeIsBack
(Post 10041280)
I find that none minds references to the UK as long as you're not a git about it...
believe it or not plenty of Australians know about and are interested in other countries.... |
Re: Australian attitudes
Originally Posted by ProudVIC
(Post 10041329)
Here's a question..
Why are Australians and Australian culture seen as such a novelty and so alien to people in countries such as the UK and throughout Europe when effectively most Australians are European by ancestry anyway and came out from the UK and Europe in relatively recent times? The general culture in Australia is still predominantly a British/European one. For all I know I, and many other Australians, could be distantly related to any one of the posters on here given the fact that most of us have considerable UK ancestry (albeit in my case mainly Scottish and Cornish therefore Celtic). Most of my ancestors lived in the UK and took their culture with them when they came to Australia therefore passing it down to me (as is done in families over generations). The same holds true for the vast majority of Australians, I think the current figure is around 70% of people in Australia who have mostly British Isles ancestry. Australian's have more in common with you lot than many of you are willing to concede. :p have zero in common with. I'm willing to accept my experience is probably very inferior to people's in Melbourne or Sydney as I am in a small, very working class town yet I do believe there are some big differences between the Aussie and British sense of humour and the way people interact generally. |
Re: Australian attitudes
Originally Posted by hobbis
(Post 10040404)
Some people make sarcastic comments about The behavior of our ancestors( as if that is our generation's responsibility) and there are concerns that Pommies come over here to tell Aussies how to do it better regarding working practices. In my view, some Australians fell intimidated by Brits and need time to get to know you. The friendliness can be superficial and it does take time to make real friends as opposed to acqaintances
Probably the most accurate post re the downsides of migrating as a Brit on this thread..... After 30* years here, I reckon Aussies may have some right to be suss about Brits trying to tell them they do it better in the UK. It's definitely a phenomenon that seems only to apply to Brits in the workplace and quite common. 100 pct correct post re the superficial friendliness in the early stages. *I mention my longevity for new readers to these boards. |
Re: Australian attitudes
Originally Posted by Turban Explorer
(Post 10041864)
Culture is a constanly changing thing surely?
Originally Posted by Turban Explorer
(Post 10041864)
I do believe there are some big differences between the Aussie and British sense of humour and the way people interact generally.
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Re: Australian attitudes
Originally Posted by Turban Explorer
(Post 10041864)
I don't really get the ancestry argument as a basis to develop working relationships and friendships. Culture is a constanly changing thing surely? I meet many people a couple of generations in or even ten pound pomz who I
have zero in common with. I'm willing to accept my experience is probably very inferior to people's in Melbourne or Sydney as I am in a small, very working class town yet I do believe there are some big differences between the Aussie and British sense of humour and the way people interact generally. Zulu has a go at you for not providing balance, but it is precisely because you live in a blue collar QLD town that I believe every word you say - and I believe it is probably a fairly accurate, if sometimes satirical, portrayal.. I've often said this on BE in recent years - when you have lived in other parts of the country for the best part of a decade you start to form friendships with people and find they are not so dissimilar to yourself. In Melbourne there are sorts of people. I count among my Australian friends and mates some who have literally been to the best schools in the country and have many of the values of those that were commonplace when I was growing up (yadda yadda). In fact I have chats about UK and Australia culture with one of them, and he has admitted he finds most of the Brits he meets quite provincial - the irony will not be lost on some of you! - and he thinks I am different. I've said it before - I say to the average Expat - underestimate Australians at your peril.
Originally Posted by GarryP
(Post 10042312)
There is a distinct lack of appreciation of the oeuvre of Monty Python.... Most of my Aussie friends know Monty Python inside out. |
Re: Australian attitudes
Originally Posted by BadgeIsBack
(Post 10042481)
I say to the average Expat
Bullet points maybe. |
Re: Australian attitudes
Originally Posted by BadgeIsBack
(Post 10042481)
This is exactly why I always question - literally - the people some expats know, work with, indeed, sigh about... Most of my Aussie friends know Monty Python inside out. |
Re: Australian attitudes
Originally Posted by bcworld
(Post 10042492)
Can I ask...how you differ from the average expat?
Bullet points maybe. |
Re: Australian attitudes
Originally Posted by Luthien
(Post 10042518)
I was going to let that go through to the keeper but you are right. ;)
It forms part of their own - in my opinion, particuarly the deadpan, dry sense (if not the sarcasm). |
Re: Australian attitudes
Originally Posted by ProudVIC
(Post 10041329)
Here's a question..
Why are Australians and Australian culture seen as such a novelty and so alien to people in countries such as the UK and throughout Europe when effectively most Australians are European by ancestry anyway and came out from the UK and Europe in relatively recent times? The general culture in Australia is still predominantly a British/European one. Australian's have more in common with you lot than many of you are willing to concede. :p The issue I think, is that new culture is growing in Australia. The US style suburban culture is one that still shocks a lot of Brits, and many will admit to finding it more alien that they planned for. I hadn't realised, myself, the extent to which Australia looks 'US' in fact. (Call me a thicko...) I find though, that there is still a lot of European/UK culture under the surface. Demographics partly. I would also say that British popular culture is not necessarily any better than Australian 'old' (UK) culture. In fact in some instances, it will not be. But it's also easy to pick on Australian mass culture. |
Re: Australian attitudes
Originally Posted by GarryP
(Post 10042312)
Actually culture is one of the slowest changing attributes of society. Not saying it doesn't move over decades, but cultures are very resilient to forces upon them. Think of a company culture. Half the workforce can change every two years, but the culture of the company sticks.
Take a group of people used to one culture and substantially shift the situation and the culture soon changes. Put a group of well mannered schoolboys on a deserted island and their culture changes. The same with Australia. Move here and after a while your cultural attitudes an expectations morph. |
Re: Australian attitudes
Originally Posted by Rljacobs
(Post 10041137)
'own kind' meaning other Australians. I can only comment on what I know to be fact. We as a family had no Australian friends, not through want of trying. We lived in centre of Perth, hillarys and padbury over the 2 years. I'm guessing most expats desperately want to fit in to their new aussie lifestyle, including making Australian friends, it just didn't happen for us. Like I say, it seems that things have changed which is great as I hope to go back soon.
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