BadgeIsBack

Had a conversation with some of my Aussie colleagues today
when we had a powercut.

We were talklng about the time we all worked overseas. We're all veterans of London and Central Europe. We were talking about adjustment of different cultures in varying locations.

I mentioned that I found it hard to believe that Poms could
come over here, where people are probably more like English people than anywhere else, and could find a lack of sense of humour <insert gripe>, etc. (We'd already discussed the Germans, the French).

One of the Aussies said thoughtfully, "some people just don't travel well."

Then he added as an afterthought, "they're always comparing here
with back home".

I almost said :"Bingo!".

I've really realised.

If you meet an Aussie who hates Poms or doesn't understand your humour then you've met someone like that who would be the same the world over with anyone. You need to change the people you meet by moving area, or job.

Or it's you. For example, your sense of humour is either geared so highly to English TV that noone understands the reference (we've heard this before) and you need to get some life experience, or you're hard to get along with.

Polyphemus

'I almost said :"Bingo!".'

That would be the inscrutable English idiom then.

BadgeIsBack

They also play bingo in Australia, and use the term too, do they not?

Polyphemus

'House'

Yep, wasn't meant to prove Aus vs Pom, I agree with your post - merely our use (often unconciously) of idiom esp. in humour does lead to confusion worldwide.

wmoore

So how much did you win?


It's true though. I went on hols to Tunisia a few years ago (loved the place and the people BTW ) and we were sitting on the next table to a Brit couple who were filling in their survey before leaving. Woman says "what do you reckon about the food?". Bloke says "crap!! Tell them they need to learn how to make decent English fry up".

Or pick any Spanish resort and you can guarantee the English theme pub and fish and chippy are always chocka

ozzieeagle

There's a lot of subtle undertones that come with this subject. In this area, Moreland, we only have a 2pct demographic make up of British Migrants, possibly one of the lowest in Melbourne. Yet I feel at home.

It's amazing to see our workforce, with it's very large pct of Italian and Greek, with a lesser but very well intergrated proportion of, Asian workforce (Vietnamese and Hong kong).

The 2nd generation Asians and the 3rd and 4th generation Italian and Greeks, (or wogs as they refer to themselves) are very Australian in their outlook, whilst they have positively influenced the local Aussies, with their different cultures being taken on and homogonised into some kind of special inner city Melbourne feeling.

The jokes are understood by all, Aussie rules and Soccer and Cricket and Tennis are followed and discussed with the same kind of interest and feeling that you would find in any UK city. Beyond that there is an undertone of togetherness, maybe it's true egliantarism, I don't know. it really seems to Exist, Could be a feeling unique to Melbourne I suppose. Best way to sum it up, if someone brings in something ethnically different, there is genuine interest from all around.

Pom haters are few and far between in this neck of the woods, and if one ever surfaced, the Vietnamese and Greeks would probably retort with an Aussie accent "nick off arsehole"


I've got to add, I've never seen a racial group take on a culture as quickly as what the Vietnamese have, hats of to those guys. Probably the exact opposite of what happens in to a certain ethnic group in Sydney.

BadgeIsBack

(There's a funny scene in 'Crackerjack' where a bloke with a voice mike croaks House or Bingo - I can't remember now. But people are familiar with both due to Hollywood)

The humour complaint has often raised my eyebrows.

I've realised that my humour comes from shared human experiences, self-deprecation, making light of my situation, all delivered very dryly - sometimes too dry for my own good. The dryer the better in my opinion. It's worldwide, across cultures, everyone gets that sort of humour.

I have heard other Poms making very obscure jokes and you could tell why they weren't working.

I've also known an Aussie bloke make obscure geek references and completely baffled me, but he baffles everyone and anyone.

JayneS

I disagree with this entirely...and before everybody shoots me down in flames this is a forum for different opionions, some good some bad.

I think there is big difference in the humour of English and Aussies and so do a lot of the expats I know. This doesn't mean I have humour geared by british tv and nor does it mean i'm hard to get along with - I'm neither - I rarely watched tv in the UK and i'm the best company i know

There are a lot of differences between Oz and the UK - some things I find are better and some things aren't. The problem I find is most people on this forum have come here to their adopted country for a better life and hate to hear anything which they see as a negative. I'm not saying the aussie sense of humour is particulaly bad because if you're an aussie i'm sure its great but it is different and therefore a lot of brits don't find it funny and I'm sure this works both ways.

I personally don't laugh half as much at work as when I was in the UK because I just don't find the jokes as funny. I do however smirk alot when I see its -3 at home and i'm sitting on the beach.
Swings and roundabouts and all that.