coxfamuk

Was out shopping with my mum this morning and came across some lady selling her wares (upholstery if you must know) at our local shopping centre. Got chatting to her and as soon as she spoke realised she was Australian. Of course, my interest piqued so I started quizzing her. Turns out she has been in the UK since 1997, lived in Brisbane all her life, after her parents emigrated there, and would NEVER EVER go back. Her husband who is a full blooded Ozzie said he would never go back either. She said the Ozzies were no where near as friendly, and that the average temperature in Brisbane is 37 degrees (because of global warming, she said 10 years ago it was 27).

Her daughter and grandchildren have also come back and she raved about the school her granddaughter is going to - how they have bent over backwards for her, even offered her private tutoring . Turns out it is the same school my daughter is going to, and they have done absolutely nothing for her - her school grades are down, she has been pressured into doing things she is not comfortable doing and we can not wait to yank her out of there.

Our experience of the Australians is that they were extremely friendly and helpful. Oh, she also said that on the train up to London, people were always willing to have a good chinwag with you (I had to laugh at this) and in Australia you would be lucky to get a nod. Has anyone else discovered these well meaning, benevolent chatty people on the train to london, she is on about.

The whole conversation made me smile and realise 'Different strokes' and all that.

We still can't wait to leave.

ABCDiamond

It does make you wonder !! That "average" temp figure made me curious. These figures from Bureau of Meteorology-Brisbane are the average maximum temps for each month stated:

May-04.. 24.7 °C
Jun-04.. 23.3 °C
Jul-04.. 23.0 °C
Aug-04.. 23.6 °C
Sep-04.. 25.2 °C
Oct-04.. 28.4 °C
Nov-04.. 28.2 °C
Dec-04.. 29.3 °C
Jan-05.. 30.2 °C
Feb-05.. 30.8 °C
Mar-05.. 29.3 °C
Apr-05.. 27.7 °C
Annual Average Maximum temperature was 27°C

The only days in that 12 months that it exceeded 37°C in the Brisbane recording area were:
Oct 23rd 38.7°C
Dec 14th 37.6°C

Obviously some areas outside Brisbane (Ipswich etc) do get much hotter days, but as you say, some people have different impressions of an area

JayDeee

I always found people in the UK would be much more chatty if I were with my Aussie Hubby, it just because they are interested in speaking to someone different.

You spoke to this lady more purely because she was Australian which probably happens a lot so she thinks everyone is really friendly, if she were in Australia no one would have battted an eyelid at her because she would be "normal"

The same for us Brits in Australia, people ask you questions about where you are from because we are different.

But no never has anyone spoken to me or the Hubby on a London train, except the loonies.

Kala

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You're bang on the money. I find that in London you ask a question of the train carriage(like "does this train go to Strawberry Hill") and people stare at you like a rabbit caught in headlights. Some courageus soul will eventually cough and almost apologise to you for replying. You feel ""come on you bastards, talk to me! I won't bite". Now I think about it, I remember chatting to this girl on a train once just after I came back from Straya and she asked me if I was an australian. I said no - (she was an Australian) - I asked her what made her ask, and she said, well you the first person to answer me, and you look like one" :scared:

One of the good things about Austalia is that there is a ''code of conduct'' for talking to strangers which allows Australians who have nothing in common with each other to hold a limited conversation without there being any awkward silences or nervousness. It may be as simple as a murmured reply but it needn't be apologetic. To end all you have to do is nod, or say "no worries" There is none of that ''I would love to be friendly, I know you are friendly, but I'm so embarassed in case you are so I will either say nothing or waste my time in futile polite questions'' thing.

A generalisation which will have exceptions but you get the idea.

lol

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