Boys and girls
Jun 14th 2003, 1:58 pm
#1
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2003
Location: Formally Outback SA. Now Brighton SA
Posts: 138
Boys and girls
Now I don't quite know how to put this ..... but has anyone found Australian social gatherings a tad sexist. Having spent quite a fair bit of time with Southern Europeans where basically boys and girls do not mix too much in company (boys drink and play cards, girls sit and chat together) I found that Australian gatherings took on a similar format when guys drank and talked about sport and girls were separate etc. I was found to be "quite bright for a sheila". Is it the company I keep and does this extend to the workplace. Please - I don't want any insults.
Elaine
Elaine
Jun 14th 2003, 2:22 pm
#2
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Dec 2002
Location: newbury
Posts: 1,015
back in '93 when my 'then' girlfriend were investigating adelaide we had a meeting with an S.A official
after going through stuff etc
kate then asked
"er how are the male/female relationships as i understand australian men are quite sexist?"
to which the man replied -seriously-
"ah no worries on that now, why, they even allow women in bars these days!!!"
true story......
cheers
richard
after going through stuff etc
kate then asked
"er how are the male/female relationships as i understand australian men are quite sexist?"
to which the man replied -seriously-
"ah no worries on that now, why, they even allow women in bars these days!!!"
true story......
cheers
richard
Jun 14th 2003, 2:29 pm
#3
Be true to your skew
Joined: Apr 2003
Location: Wanneroo, WA
Posts: 373
Glad that you brought this up!
I spent a year on a working visa in Peth in 1995/6 and I did find a few things a little suprising!
Having dinner with a (male) workmate, I was suprised to be asked when he was serving up, if I ate about half of what my boyfriend ate! (as if - pile it on and I'll finish the leftovers too!)
I have also been served a small glass of beer when all the guys got big ones!
Another guy kept apologising for swearing - I was the only 'little lady' in a bunch of guys at the time. The thing that made me laugh (inwardly) was that he was taking so long to tell his fabulously bawdy tale because he kept apologising to me!
Having been one of the lads most of my life I did find this a bit weird, but strangely endearing at the same time! (Oooh being treated like a laaaaady!)
These guys soon got to know me and I got my mammouth dinners and big beers in due course!
From personal experience I did hold off the "Oh come on, you call that a blue joke, have you heard the one about...." line until I got to know these guys a bit better. I found myself in the weird situation of not wanting to offend THEM by being too un-ladylike!
Also at a party I was hanging out with the guys around the BBQ having a drink, (seemed more fun than the kitchen and I was a guest), when I went to see the girls in the kitchen it did seem a bit frosty so I started chopping cucumbers and it all seemed to settle down after that!
Having dinner with a (male) workmate, I was suprised to be asked when he was serving up, if I ate about half of what my boyfriend ate! (as if - pile it on and I'll finish the leftovers too!)
I have also been served a small glass of beer when all the guys got big ones!
Another guy kept apologising for swearing - I was the only 'little lady' in a bunch of guys at the time. The thing that made me laugh (inwardly) was that he was taking so long to tell his fabulously bawdy tale because he kept apologising to me!
Having been one of the lads most of my life I did find this a bit weird, but strangely endearing at the same time! (Oooh being treated like a laaaaady!)
These guys soon got to know me and I got my mammouth dinners and big beers in due course!
From personal experience I did hold off the "Oh come on, you call that a blue joke, have you heard the one about...." line until I got to know these guys a bit better. I found myself in the weird situation of not wanting to offend THEM by being too un-ladylike!
Also at a party I was hanging out with the guys around the BBQ having a drink, (seemed more fun than the kitchen and I was a guest), when I went to see the girls in the kitchen it did seem a bit frosty so I started chopping cucumbers and it all seemed to settle down after that!
Jun 15th 2003, 10:45 am
#4
Forum Regular
Joined: Aug 2002
Location: Parkdale/Melbourne
Posts: 277
Hi Elaine
My partner and i often went to the pub together when living in uk, usually meeting up for a few drinks after work in our local pub, we saw no reason why things should be any different once settled in oz!
We have established ourselves as 'regulars' in our local pub, which i must admit is predominantly male in the 'public bar' but a bit mixed in the saloon bar! im there most nights after work with my partner, exchanging banter and lewd jokes etc with our new found 'aussie friends'. but im one of the few females in the bar and i feel im 'accepted' because im with my partner! but really join in and have a laugh, but i often found this was the case in UK as well!
as well as joining in the banter, i insist on buying my round as well. I find this goes down well, and after all its only fair! so im therefore considered 'one of the lads'! but i always get offered a stool at the bar on arrival! so i know they still have a bit of 'respect'!!
Things aren't as 'sexist here as i thought they would be, but a lot depends on your own attitude!
Cheers!
My partner and i often went to the pub together when living in uk, usually meeting up for a few drinks after work in our local pub, we saw no reason why things should be any different once settled in oz!
We have established ourselves as 'regulars' in our local pub, which i must admit is predominantly male in the 'public bar' but a bit mixed in the saloon bar! im there most nights after work with my partner, exchanging banter and lewd jokes etc with our new found 'aussie friends'. but im one of the few females in the bar and i feel im 'accepted' because im with my partner! but really join in and have a laugh, but i often found this was the case in UK as well!
as well as joining in the banter, i insist on buying my round as well. I find this goes down well, and after all its only fair! so im therefore considered 'one of the lads'! but i always get offered a stool at the bar on arrival! so i know they still have a bit of 'respect'!!
Things aren't as 'sexist here as i thought they would be, but a lot depends on your own attitude!
Cheers!
Jun 15th 2003, 6:01 pm
#5
Guest
Posts: n/a
out of big towns there was a bit of segregation going on at bar b qs - eventually - but everyone started by mixing together. Apart from Grand Final we when there was a huge split. ;-) having said that I met stacks of girls that adored NRL.
I've heard English backpacker girls bitterly complaining about the
Aussie blokes but by the same token they also said that it was quite endearing as they found European men patronising or false.
I personally find Aussie girls so confident that its all water off a ducks back anyhow.
It was great to see 18 year old jillaroos on cattle stations doing things that your average english 'lad' wouldn't dream of doing.
it's all relative
badgers
I've heard English backpacker girls bitterly complaining about the
Aussie blokes but by the same token they also said that it was quite endearing as they found European men patronising or false.
I personally find Aussie girls so confident that its all water off a ducks back anyhow.
It was great to see 18 year old jillaroos on cattle stations doing things that your average english 'lad' wouldn't dream of doing.
it's all relative
badgers
Jun 15th 2003, 7:18 pm
#6
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Dec 2002
Location: newbury
Posts: 1,015
It was great to see 18 year old jillaroos on cattle stations doing things that your average english 'lad' wouldn't dream of doing.
badgers [/QUOTE]
yes, well, to be honest, you can keep those kind of 'things' in your video drawer........
cheers
richard
badgers [/QUOTE]
yes, well, to be honest, you can keep those kind of 'things' in your video drawer........
cheers
richard
