jad n rich

I often wonder this, I know everyone in the UK goes on and on about friendly laid back aussies but I look around the Poms we know here and reading this forum and most Poms seem to stick to and actually search out other poms they dont seem to integrate that well really. And its not a finger pointing thread, I do it too before anyone starts. Just a few examples.

Pom mums at the school (three schools here so far) all the pom mums always know each other and always sit together and their kids always mix together.

Why do we miss out on great opportunites to meet aussies, take playgroups mother/baby groups etc, why start ones for expats when its such a great chance to meet aussie women?

Pom nights out why do I for one have so much more fun with pom mates than aussie women who love their craft activities so much.

Is it the sense of humour thats so different?

Apart from the over used g'day 'how ya going which is quite superficial are aussies really that friendly? to Poms etc.

A pom mate at lunchtime suggested a lot of aussies are only usually that friendly when they want something out of you like when you are spending!!

Now I just know everyones going to get all defensive and claim to mix with loads of aussies but after almost 5 years here and reading this forum I think its a bit hard to deny most poms here mix with a lot of other poms.

And I dont mean aussies you play sport with or work with I mean have you really become great mates with them?

So do us Poms really make that much effort to fit in or really deep down do we just feel more comfy being english

mlbonner

I go out with far more Aussies than I do poms, mainly because my partner an Aussie, so a lot of the people I know were his friends/girlf of his friends first. I spent 12 months here not knowing about this site and was quite happy to mix with the Aussies. Now I get to mix with both!

the bettsys

Our bestest drinking buddys are aussies

PommieLeague

I think Aussies and Kiwis are the nearest people to the British for obvious reasons. I prefer them much more than Yanks, whose humour can be hard work.
Aussies and Poms can be mates and probably are. Just look at the recent rugby league tri nations final game over the weekend, enemies on the park, and buddies in the bar.

Go Banana's !!

Hi there
I'm not going to be defensive just tell you how it is for me. Apart from the few 'POMS' that come to the coffee mornings, most of my friends are 'aussies' even have some first generation ones and the rest of the expat tribe are, Canandian, Aussie, Ausie/Dutch, Aussie/Scottish/German!! and South African.

I do admitt though that for 'wild' nights out, so far I have stuck to the Expats crowd, but we enjoy ourselves socially in other ways with the Aussies. But it was like that in the UK there were different friends for different occassions.

I have found them very easy to mix with, genuinely friendly and interested and I even have some of them who make an effort to ring me etc, who won't be my neighbours until July next year. I have a whole host of babysitters too.

I would actually find it very uncomfortable having all English friends as we came over here to be part of this country and you can't be part of it unless you integrate with the natives I just don't like the attertude that it festers, sorry if that upsets anyone.

We were only talking today to one of those soon to be neighbours that we had purposely avoided the densly 'pom' populated areas, sad, but true.

You do have to make a big effort but I feel it is worth it. Can't wait for our house warming party, then I can count them all up and post on here how many Aussie friends we actually have.

Jill

Badge

It's like anywhere else, you make mates with people you like.

It may be easier bonding with poms as they are in the same boat as you are and that may explain a bit.

One way to look at it, is, there are hundreds of people in your home area who you didn't know/didn't want to know(!); its the same everywhere.

I find myself, now we own our own property, of making an extra 5pc of effort to make friends locally. An extra G'day here or there. I'm surprised at how easy this is, as I may not have done this in the UK.

I always laugh when people say aussies are stupid, have no sense of humour etc because if you were to try to make
mates with everyone in your home town because you were new there, you'd come across the same trouble. See what I mean? There would be people who you would find ordinary.

You have built up a base of mates in the UK over time and based on some sort of criteria and selection; its the same over here.

I feel sorry for the buggers who say they are victimised. Well...9/10 if any aussie gives you stick, they like you. There's no need to go to the anti-pom bashing helpline. I often get dissapointed if a Aussie doesn't take the piss or get in to any banter!!! Doesn't mean they don't like you of course.

I walked along our semi-rural road the other day and there were 2 blokes (1 lives there) in a garage 4 doors down. I thought "righto - I'll have a go", and I walked up with what I thought was a friendly grin. In 20 secs flat, I had a stubby in my hand and a chair to sit on. It's not difficult, really it isn't. I had to scull it to get back to the missus on time - I was late

They then introduced me to a bloke from my old regt who has not spoken to a pom for 20yrs or something who lives next door to them. He was pleased to see me.

At the CFA barby the other day, we met the people who built our house 20 yrs ago, they actually got very excited, and told us info we had no idea -the house was built for 2 stories - a bonus as may build up in 10 or so years..they're giving us the photos of when they were building.

I believe Aussies are good at giving you a chance. They may have nothing in common with you, but they will be friendly. I also belive that for all the cultural differences they are as close to us Poms as any other people on the planet. eg Yanks are completely different - no 2 ways about it. Australians have that anglo saxon 'feet on the ground', rough around the edges sense to them, Yanks are more naive in a way.

BM

Tooanfrom

The easiest way to make pals with Aussies is just to mention that Poms are just Aussies without criminal records. Always breaks the ice.

sloake

This also works the other way..

I live in Acton, where there is a massive Oz and Kiwi population. however rather than mixing with the locals down the pub, they would all rather sit in "their" section of the pub with each other, or all hangout at the Redback

However, as my B/f is ozzie, I meet a few of his mates and they all say they would never come up to Acton as they didnt come half way round the world to drink with fellow Ozzies.. but one by one they all do.

I agree with previous posters, its probably because they are all in the same situation as we will be when we get to Oz, far away from home and everything that you know. Its always good to get together with fellow countrymen.

Simone

And works that way with the Dutch as well (though they do seem to mix a bit more than the poms, but not sure..)

Was at a birthday of some 'friends of my parents' on Sunday. They're about 54, have been living here since 1987.
All the people at the birthday were Dutch, except the neighbours.

When my parents lived out here most of their friends were Dutch too, and one kiwi/swedish couple. And in the early days I remember a pom couple and a polish couple.

You definetly have something in common if you're all immigrants, and more so if you're coming from the same country.
I of course though don't think you should purposely shut aussies out etc, but I don't think that's usually the case, it just happens that you become friends with the ones that you have the most in common with, and immigrants or people from the same country are often there.
And if you live in an area with less immigrants, then you'll end up making friends with others(hopefully)
And then there's just some people who get along with everyone!

Anyway, I think it's quite a natural thing, and nothing to be too worried about (except if you're literally ONLY hanging out with poms, that would be weird! )

mlbonner

So true!! If someone doesn't start taking the piss out of the English weather/whinging poms/lack of sporting prowess I'll usually help them out

Beegee

I made friends with two aussie girls in Edinburgh earlier this year and one them explained to me that when they where insulting me it was only because they liked me.

PommieLeague

After last weekends hammering in the rugby codes by both Aussie teams!