CasG

Shame some people are just so bloody 'anti' on here at times - get pissed off with the negativeness on this site sometimes.

We are 12, 000 miles from the UK...and still people expect things to be the same, and moan when it's not.

I think anyone has to be broad-minded enough to adapt, or at least try .....'when in Rome'

....and be damn grateful that they have been allowed to live here...it's not some God-given right!!

Of course....for some people, it is not for them....but as long as they have given it a proper go...then thats ok...BUT...

Right...I've had my whinge now

Comments welcome and valued..

The Bevs

Good on ya, as they say here in Rome
Sue

CasG

Damn plane took a wrong turning

Wondered why I can't get Walls sausages ...


Sorry, wasn't going to take the p*ss

sunshine23

I agree, if you want Australia to be like the UK then stay in the UK. We want to move to Aus for a different and better way of life. The Aussies don't want "winging Poms" in there country.

Sunshine23

Wendy

That's why I haven't replied yet

CasG

Hell....no-one has taken offence yet

Teliko21

wait.....this isn't the UK?

Gibbo

This is so true. After reading a lot of the posts on here I sometimes wonder if I live on the same planet , never mind the same country.

moneypenny20

You don't hear me whinging but that's my parallel universe for you. Anyway it's always the same people and for whatever reason they are not happy and this might be the only place they can let rip without losing their minds so I might or might not read, but since being here, don't really want to post on the threads because their lives are obviously nothing like mine.

Unfortunately the negativity is far stronger than the positivity (is there such a word )

Exile

Hi Cas,

With respect, many of these people are not moaning primarily about things being different, but about things that they sometimes find surprisingly, annoyingly, ridiculously, frustratingly and unacceptably crap, slack, and sloppy.

For example, are you saying people in Perth should adapt to hardly ever having people in business phone back when they say they will? Out of deference to the locals and because we are being granted the privilege of living here, should we just pay up and smile for poor products and service?

The thing about adapting really makes me laugh sometimes. What is there to adapt to, barbecues?

There, that's my whinge about people who whinge about whingers. I feel better now. Thank you for listening.

CasG

Hi Exile...thought you may answer...

Maybe I'm lucky here in Melbourne...for example...because I haven't come across bad service personally..or maybe it is my attitude, that makes people want to give me good service...who knows

Regarding the adapting bit....you may or may not have noticed...but there is a different way of life, and attitude here (**** knows why you've spent all that effort and money coming to somewhere which is just the same as the UK) ...and that requires adaptation and integration - if this was Greece, Spain or UAE...then it would be assumed that the culture is different .....just because it is an English speaking country doesn't mean it has English culture ...any more than the USA.
Some people moan incessantly because they can't get certain products they could get at 'home' ....well, ffs....open your eyes and look for alternatives and don't assume that things 'should' be here

I'm not whinging - that is best left for those who moan...and don't plan to do anything about it - to whom this thread is aimed.

Youre welcome.

Vash the Stampede

Nobody minds a few posts about people having occasional trouble with trades and services in their local area, etc. What people take offence at is the claim that this is representative of the entire nation and/or the result of Australia's "laid back" attitude.

My wife and I are trying to get our bathroom renovated. We need it done this week (half term holiday) since it's the only time when one of us will be off work. Can we find a couple of tradesmen for the job? Can we hell!

Emails not answered; phone calls ignored. We are offering around £1,000 of work, and nobody seems to want it. How on Earth can we motivate these people? What will make them get off their backsides and come over to give us a quote? Gold bullion and a free trip to Alicante?

But does any of this justify a thread entitled "UK tradesman are slack buggers who can't even be bothered to answer their phones"? Nope. That would be a stupid and worthless generalisation.

Yes, you will find poor service and poor products in Australia. You will also find them in the UK. Having lived in both countries, I honestly do not believe that one is worse than the other in this regard.

If you want a list of things in the UK that I have found surprisingly, annoyingly, ridiculously, frustratingly and unacceptably crap, slack, and sloppy (not to mention mind-numbingly wastful and inefficient) just let me know and I will fill an entire page.

Are you serious?

Different food; different social mores; different culture. Eg. children wearing pyjamas and dressing gowns to the supermarket; people walking around barefoot; Australian bluntness ("Yeah mate, your bum DOES look big in that. Time for a diet, eh!"); supermarket shelves stocked with unfamiliar foodstuffs; no Tesco.

I have done a LOT of adapting since I came to the UK; the differences between our two countries are far greater than I had expected. And that's not a complaint; merely an observation.

Bottom line: if you go to a different country, expect a different experience. Some things better, some worse, some the same.

Exile

I think you're missing my point. The things that some of us moan about are not to do with integration or adapting to a different culture, unless you're talking about a culture of not phoning people back, providing shoddy service, etc. Or are you saying that these are aspects of Australian culture that people should respect and assimilate to?

I'm sure it's very comforting for you to go on believing the myth that you get good service because people respond to your attitude, but I'd guess that you are more likely very lucky, or not trying to do as much that really depends on locally provided products and services (hence not as much frustration), or living in an area where these things are generally better. Lucky you. Doesn't mean the experiences of others are not real or valid, or that it is the result of our "negative attitude". It doesn't mean that we expected it to be the same as in the UK (probably not great there, either -- I haven't lived there for quite a few years now).

We seem to have Cas suggesting that crap service is part of Australian culture and should be adapted to and respected, and Vash saying this is not part of Australian culture and has nothing to do with the "laid back" attitude.

I'm not saying crap products and standards and service are uniquely Australian, but my hit rate for mind-blowingly poor service here in Perth has been incredibly high over the last 2.5 years. In my view, you cannot disconnect this from the laid-back attitude.

Before anyone says it, I knew it was laid back before I came here, but didn't realize how frustrating it would be having to deal with it when my livelihood depends on products and services provided by incompetent idiots.

I think people's experience of Australia depends mainly on where exactly they are and what they are trying to do here. It's great if you're here to be laid back, opt out of the rat race, etc, but can be hell on earth if you want to do things, run a business, build a house, etc.

Exile

I'd say it absolutely does justify a thread, if this were an Australian expat site and you were warning people of the pitfalls of trying to renovate a house in the UK. Very useful information, in my view.

Exile

These are not significant cultural differences, in my view.