Australian Culture
by Sean on Jun.06, 2010, under Australia
My first experience with Aussies came when I moved to China a year and a half ago. I was so used to American culture that the way they acted was at first a bit of a turn off, and after a few weeks I got used to it. I thought it was just how these two guys acted, so I adapted to the way they behaved. It seemed like they were always “taking the piss” with me and putting me down, but I grew to realize that it was them trying to help guide me towards the right path and make quality decisions with my life.
Typical Aussie
Overall I found that customer service was quite terrible, yet sadly still better than China’s. In some sense, they want to make you happy like in the States, but at the same time they don’t really care either way. Americans ask, “What would you like,” while Australians ask “What are you after?” like it’s a desire.
The country seems to be run by unions, and as a result things get done much slower, and it takes a lot more money to get it done. The minimum wage is about $18 and they get mandatory breaks (which even in the eyes of some Australians are far too often). I guess it’s a product of our generation who only cares about mucking around and not having any ambitions in life, and I think that’s something you’ll find in every country within our generation.
Another thing was that many people have tattoos and piercings and show them in public without hesitation, whereas in America one would do well to conceal these things from their workmates and bosses. I found many people to be either particularly overweight, or way too skinny. Most young people had their hair dyed and walked around with an attitude, but I doubt that’s who they really are (unless they’re just white trash like I believe them to be).
I hate to generalize or speculate, but this post is based on my experience in Queensland, Australia. Your experience may differ, so don’t hold my words to be true to the T.
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