Culture etc - different strokes for different folks (1 Viewer)

[OzDigger]

Now and then we have touched on the differences in culture, language, customs, cuisine etc of the various members here, and I felt a dedicated thread may be of interest to some members.

I'll start off by saying a bit about Australia and I'd be happy to answer questions and look forward to posts from others about their background etc.

The average Aussie
I don't think there is one anymore because we have absorbed people and their culture from across the globe. In many ways globalisation is a good thing but many countries feel threatened that their culture is being diminished by this, and Australians are no different.

As in most countries, people from overseas tend to initially congregate in the same area. For example, in Paramatta which is a large suburb of Sydney, you would find that most peoples faces have an Asian appearance.

I live on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland which is not as well known overseas as Queensland's Gold Coast, so we don't see many tourists from overseas here. The Sunshine Coast is an area where most inland Queenslanders and other Aussies like to get away from it all.

Our climate here is sub tropical and I guess similar to Florida but here about 99% of the population are Caucasian and speak English, so we don't experience any racial conflicts here, and we don't get hurricanes.

Housing etc.
I live in a concrete brick house with a timber frame that has a concrete tile roof. Most Australian homes built in the last 40 years are of similar construction, a few have metal roofs to cut costs. Earlier homes were usually made from timber boards nailed to a timber frame and these are still popular with some buyers. Btw, I have never seen a house with a timber/felt roof which is why I was interested in the pics of the earlier Treefrog hall.


Maroochydore
http://www.queenslandholidays.com.au/destinations/sunshine-coast/places-to-visit/maroochydore/

Aussies luv the beach and most Australians live as close as they can to it. For example I can get to the nearest beach in under ten minutes by car. Of course this makes coastal land rather expensive and imo we are now entering an era where the dream of an Aussie owning their own home may soon be just a dream.

I guess that the current Australian home ownership rate of 70% is rather high by global standards but our incomes are not keeping pace with increasing house prices and this will be a major election issue.

Aussie cuisine
Firstly, the Outback Restaurant chain in the US is a complete fabrication and nothing like what most Australians eat. That said, with our globalisation I don't think their is a tradtional Australian Cuisine. There are a number of restaurarants here and overseas that use ingredients native to Australia but these are mainly for the tourist trade and don't reflect what the average Aussie eats.

Personally I eat a wide variety of meals, but most are based on meat which is relatively cheap here, steak and roast lamb being my favourites. Seafood is also very popular downunder and also cheap by global standards. I often eat meals based on Italian and Asian cuisine, but about once a week I get some take away battered fish with chips for a Brit style of pig out. And every Sunday I enjoy my bacon, egg and fried tomato breakfast. But you Brit guys would have to look hard downunder to get an Indian curry as they're just not popular here.

Economy/Exports etc
The Australian economy is small by global standards as is our population of 20 million. However our trade is usually in surplus with minerals, cereals, wool and meat being our major exports. Other exports include Eucalypt (Gum) trees to California, Oak/Pine trees to Florida and Redback spiders to Japan. The Macadamia nuts you see everywhere in Hawaii are actually native to Queensland and been rebadged as Hawaiian, similar to the Kiwi (New Zealand) fruit that is actually a Chinese Gooseberry. Australia also exports a number of vehicles with our traditional Holden Monaro being rebadged as a Pontiac GTO (2004-2006): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontiac_GTO A popular vehicle downunder but as it wasn't built in the US I guess it encountered some cultural conflicts in the US market.

 

[Shannon Reuss]

Redback spiders to Japan? What in the world is that all about? What are the for?
Thanks for the glimpse into your part of Australia--it really gave a good feel for the people and the place. Your house construction is very different than here in the Upper Midwest in the US as you know from the thread a year or two back regarding the shingles in the picture of our overstock building. I think you will enjoy seeing the pictures of the progress on the new building. It is all steel construction. We'll try to post more pictures.
Let's here from more people about the places you live and the people who live there...

 

[OzDigger]

Hi Shannon, the Redbacks were exported accidently to Japan in cargo and have apparently become a bit of a menace in some shelted and isolated areas such as drains and cemetries near Osaka: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-back_spider

Our Redbacks are related to your Blackwidow spiders but rarely cause death except in young children if not treated. A few years ago I remember seeing some Japanese tv news footage showing guys in full plastic suits spraying Redbacks in drains. It looked like they were containing a radiation leak rather than killing something we squash with our thumbs, which is not something we do with our Funnelweb Spiders as they are rather aggressive: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australasian_funnel-web_spider

Speaking of roofing, I took my eldest son to see the Simpson movie tonight. It began with Homer trying to hammer in some new shingles and ended in disaster for Homer - as usual. You guys really have to get a new roofing material, our tiles usually last the life of our homes without much maintenance.

 

[OzDigger]

Here's a question on party drink etiquette in the US etc.

I was talking to a woman at work recently who came here from San Diego. She said that she found it strange that most Australians take their own drinks such as beer and wine to a party. She said that would be considered to be rude in the US as the host would be the one to supply the alcohol.

In Australia it's the custom to at least take a bottle of wine if invited to someones house for a diner party, but no one gets upset if you do or don't.

However if we're invited to a less formal occassion where a number of people will be present such as a BBQ at someones house you are more or less expected to bring your own drinks.

How's this done in your country?

 

[Harrytheheid]

In Scotland, in days gone by, at Hogmany (New Years Eve), we would just wander the streets with a grocery store carry-oot (plastic sack, full of cheap beer) listening for the sounds of music coming from houses. We'd then knock on the door and introduce ourselves. If it was a rocking party, full of nubile lady students, the booze would without fail have run out, so we'd be made more than welcome. Many a friendship (and liason with young women) were embarked on after participation in such quaint customs.
Sadly, real Hogmanies are fading into the past, to be replaced with the commercialism that is called Christmas.

 

[damian]

As long as you didn't give those young ladies a Glaswegian Kiss I am sure you did OK there Harry
Regards
And deep fried Mars bars to you
Damian

 

[Shannon Reuss]

Here in the Midwest (USA) it is customary, but not mandatory to bring a bottle of wine when you are invited to dinner in someone's home, however they are not under obligation to serve it if they already have some prepared. They then save it for another time.
Beer and soft drinks (soda) are usually provided by the host and hostess. It is more common at a gathering that guests bring some part of the meal such as dessert or a salad or whatever.

At especially large gatherings called "potlucks" the meat is provided but you are instructed to "bring a dish to pass" meaning any other part of the meal. At a church potluck for instance the meal consists of entirely whatever is brought by the families in attendance and only the beverages are provided. Meat alone is rarely brought and shows up as a main ingredient in the most common offering of "casserole" or as we call it in Minnesota "hotdish." (We Minnesotans have such a way with words don't we?)
When we lived in Idaho (Northwest USA) we noticed people often brought buckets of cold fried chicken to potlucks which I have never seen done here in the Midwest. I believe it is common in the south however.

Damian,
You chimed in...let's hear about life and customs in South Africa. What you do typically eat and drink there? Enquiring minds want to know.

 

[Currahee Chris]

I was talking to a woman at work recently who came here from San Diego. She said that she found it strange that most Australians take their own drinks such as beer and wine to a party. She said that would be considered to be rude in the US as the host would be the one to supply the alcohol.

That's just moronic. If someone wants to BRING ME BOOZE- I am 100% supportive of that!! If someone wants to bring me Food- I am 100% supportive of that- sweet Lord almighty- if I have to go by rules now at dinner gatherings I will go insane!!

I live by one rule- have a designated driver and it ain't me!!

There is pretty much one cultural agenda here in the states- consume everything as quickly and as thoughtlessly as you can- if you roll all over someone else then you are a hero. There is no thought about the other guy or anybody else, it's me, me, me and the hell with you.

The maddeningly frustrating thing about it all is that it is all hidden under this ridiculous political correctness nonsense.

So the next time you visit the states, and you go to make a turn, get in a line, etc, feel free to cut off the other guy as he will sit there and stew about how you are some senseless or thoughtless foreigner when he is really PO'd because he wasn't quick enough to cut you off.

I mean look at this hobby for Christsakes- all of us who pump all this money into buying the next retired piece, gobbling up retired pieces on Ebay, it's just nonsense- I sometimes sit back and wonder how my "Defense budget" could have made a difference in some urban child's life-I could donate the money to buy a needy school a computer, donate money to a reitrement home, the church, etc. There are a million other things I could do with my money instead of buying army guys.

But then I get over it and send in my next order.

 

[Harrytheheid]

As long as you didn't give those young ladies a Glaswegian Kiss I am sure you did OK there Harry
Regards
And deep fried Mars bars to you
Damian

Glasgow kisses were kept in reserve for any of their boyfriends who were daft enough to object....only kidding...
Never tried a deep fried mars bar. Prefer the cholestorol-on-a-plate that we call @The Great British Breakfast".

 

[Shannon Reuss]

Yikes! Chris, I think you need to move to Minnesota.
I don't have the experience you are describing here. People are friendly, helpful and go out of their way for other people. A group of women and teenagers I know just returned from a weeklong trip across the state where they helped package over 8000 meals for a organization called Feed My Starving Children (to be shipped to whatever country the meals were needed), then spent time with another group where they sewed diapers for hospitals in Haiti to give to their new mothers and then spent the rest of the week cleaning up the rubble of a camp in the Boundary Water Canoe Area (near the Canadian border) where a forest fire leveled over half their buildingsso that the site would be ready for cabins to be rebuilt.
More everyday examples are that neighbors offer to bring your kid along with them to the swimming pool, people smile and make eye contact when they pass on the street and other cars let you in when you need to change lanes. Just recently I witnessed someone offer to let another shopper with less items go through the line before them. My cousin's family used our cabin for a few days just last week and their little boy caught a 16" bass. They knew absolutely nothing about fish and asked my neighbor there who was at his cabin with his brothers what kind of fish it was and if you could eat it. The neighbor and his brothers told them it was a bass and that yes you could eat it and asked if they had a knife or knew how to filet the fish. When they found out my cousin and her husband didn't have a knife they took that fish and fileted it for them and bagged it up so the little boy could eat the fish he caught.
I'm not saying all Minnesotans are like this but I'd say it's pretty representative of the people I come in contact with.
It's a regular Mayberry, USA.

And you'll be pleased to know that sometimes buying toy soldiers and giving to charity mix--among other things Treefrog sponsors a summer internship at a local food bank for college students to get a taste of what it is like to work for a non-profit organization. We are also big on donating to programs that provide livestock and other animals to people in underdeveloped countries so they can become self-sustaining, organizations that dig wells in third-world countries to give whole villages a safe source of drinking water and programs that give revolving loans to women in poverty to start their own businesses. Actually 10% or more of Treefrog's net profit each year goes to these programs and others like them to "make the world a better place" and spread the equity around. If you ever want the names of some great organizations to give to I'd be happy to provide the info.
So I definitely don't have the same view of the US Chris and I would be appalled if someone from another country or even another state visited here and was treated as you described. Hopefully you're just having an off day and people where you live aren't always as you described them.

Still waiting for the South Africa report Damian.

 

[damian]

Shannon
Unfortunately we South Africans remain an uncultured bunch. Our highest culinary achievement is the barbecue which is called a " Braaivleis". At the braai all the men stand around teh fire and do their best to burn the meat or leave it completely raw. We season the meat with loads of local beer.

Our conversation genrally revolves around sport. We speak a flat nasal English. This can occasionally be heard on the odd movie. However it is reserved for petty villains who rapidly get killed off. Whenever their is a movie about apartheid all the policemen try and have Sefrican accents but usually make a hash of it. Leonardo d Caprio apparently does it a bit better on blood diamond. We refer to traffic lights as robots, training shoes as tekkies and the term just now means at some point in the next 24 hours. Our version of English does have its own dictionary and is made up of words derived from Afrikaans and Zulu. Our greeting is Howzit and we never say yes but rather ja.

Being so culturally isolated on the Southern Tip of this great land mass we are grateful when any old washed up rock star whose career is now in the twilight of a career condescends to do a tour (Elton John, Smokie, Bon Jovi).

The old advertising jingle was Rugby, braaivlesi,sunny skies and chevrolet. When GM left in the 1980's we changed it to Rugby, braaivleis sunny skies and civil war. We now have democracy and Chevrolet is back in the country.
However as we have 320 days a year of gauranteed blue sky and perfect weather we tend not to worry about all the above.

Regards
Damian

 

[OzDigger]

The old advertising jingle was Rugby, braaivlesi,sunny skies and chevrolet. When GM left in the 1980's we changed it to Rugby, braaivleis sunny skies and civil war. We now have democracy and Chevrolet is back in the country.
However as we have 320 days a year of gauranteed blue sky and perfect weather we tend not to worry about all the above.

Regards
Damian

That sounds similar to an old Aussie jingle: "Football, Meatpies, Kangaroos and Holden cars".

Football: could mean Rugby League, Rugby Union (Rugby), or Australian Rules, depending upon which state of Australia you were in.

Meatpies: are traditionally beef and gravy in a round or square pastry, usually with tomato sauce (ketchup) on top. Pies are a tradition at football games where they are washed down with a beer.....or ten.

Kangaroos: well you know what they are don't you, but they are rarely seen in urban areas, except during droughts when some kangaroos on the outskirts of towns come in at night to eat green grass in parks etc.

Holden: is a division of General Motors but the company is known as General Motors Holden in Australia. For example I drive a Holden Commodore, it has plenty of power for a family hack (handy at traffic lights) but goes thru fuel as fast as you can pour it in: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holden_Commodore

 

[OzDigger]

There is pretty much one cultural agenda here in the states- consume everything as quickly and as thoughtlessly as you can- if you roll all over someone else then you are a hero. There is no thought about the other guy or anybody else, it's me, me, me and the hell with you.

The maddeningly frustrating thing about it all is that it is all hidden under this ridiculous political correctness nonsense.

So the next time you visit the states, and you go to make a turn, get in a line, etc, feel free to cut off the other guy as he will sit there and stew about how you are some senseless or thoughtless foreigner when he is really PO'd because he wasn't quick enough to cut you off.

Chris, I take it you're not the Homer Simpson style Magical Man, from Happy Land, who lives in a gumdrop house on Lolly Pop Lane

The "Me Me" way of thinking is certainly not confined to the US and I have had my share of road rage incidents over the years. I wouldn't say I was an aggressive driver (my wife may argue) but imo every driver should be driving at least as fast as the indicated speed, or perhaps a tad faster And look out for anyone driving slower

At least that is my attitude when I'm not giving my 17 y/o son driving lessons, then it's drive carefully son, or do as I say not as I do

I was impressed with Shannon's Christian style of charity and helping people overseas. But I have a more pragmatic attitude and I rarely give to charities that are outside Australia, charity begins at home as they say. Therefore I usually confine my donations and volunteer work to local causes such as our local Botanic Garden.

I think that Political Correctness has its place but sometimes it swings to far the other way giving to much power to minority groups. They are afterall in the minority and have to go with the flow on most things. Trouble often starts when minority groups start to push their beliefs/culture onto the majority, and this is one recent result of that: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_Cronulla_riots

 

[Currahee Chris]

Hey guys-

Biggest and most sincerest apologies for my post- just had a bad day. I do get deeply disappointed with my fellow countrymen at times- though to put a blanket statement on that is pretty irresponsible on my part. It's probably just issues I have with rationalizing some decisions I make. Shannon- that is a wonderful project you have going and I admire both you and your husband for that ambitious undertaking.

Alright, I will stop here- don't want to get "off topic".

Again, sorry to all for kind of ruining this thread.

BTW Oz- I guess the dinner party rules all depend on who the host is- as I said, I would be more than happy if friends brought food and beverage. Within my inner circle, it's kind of expected actually as we all have kids and it helps cut the costs down to the host.

 

[eborris]

I can't speak for everyone, but when I go to a party, I always bring something to drink at least for the host, providing of course I know what their favorite beverage is and I usually do.

Must be a midwest thing as I come from Chicago, home of the Chicago deep dish pizza, the worlds best hot dogs, ( don't want to hear it New York) and my favorite the Italian Beef sandwich.

We may be a little rough around the edges, but generally we're fairly friendly.

 

[Rob]

Hey guys-

Biggest and most sincerest apologies for my post- just had a bad day. I do get deeply disappointed with my fellow countrymen at times- though to put a blanket statement on that is pretty irresponsible on my part. It's probably just issues I have with rationalizing some decisions I make. Shannon- that is a wonderful project you have going and I admire both you and your husband for that ambitious undertaking.

Alright, I will stop here- don't want to get "off topic".

Again, sorry to all for kind of ruining this thread.

BTW Oz- I guess the dinner party rules all depend on who the host is- as I said, I would be more than happy if friends brought food and beverage. Within my inner circle, it's kind of expected actually as we all have kids and it helps cut the costs down to the host.

Hey Chris,we all have bad days mate, i'm sure no one took offence don't worry about it

Eborris,would love to know how Chicago Hot dogs are better than New York Hot dogs?!.One of the many good things about America is your food.Cheesecake to die for and wonderful Burgers.(Had both at the Beeline diner in Florida-am putting on weight just thinking about it!!)

Rob

 

[eborris]

It's the Vienna hot dogs steamed not boiled, with relish, onions, tomatoes and the celery salt, plus mustard, and for the daring peppers, no ketchup now, that's a sin.

The Italian beefs are to kill for , but you have to find the places that do them right. People travel miles for the ones that do them up right.

 

[Currahee Chris]

I can't speak for everyone, but when I go to a party, I always bring something to drink at least for the host, providing of course I know what their favorite beverage is and I usually do.

Must be a midwest thing as I come from Chicago, home of the Chicago deep dish pizza, the worlds best hot dogs, ( don't want to hear it New York) and my favorite the Italian Beef sandwich.

We may be a little rough around the edges, but generally we're fairly friendly.

My family and I just stopped in Chicago last month- loved it!! The rush hour traffic wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. We went to the Field Museum and enjoyed seeing soldier stadium.

 

[Rob]

It's the Vienna hot dogs steamed not boiled, with relish, onions, tomatoes and the celery salt, plus mustard, and for the daring peppers, no ketchup now, that's a sin.

The Italian beefs are to kill for , but you have to find the places that do them right. People travel miles for the ones that do them up right.

Sounds good,i must confess i like ketchup on my hot dogs.But when i next visit the states i will try one without it!

Rob

 

[eborris]

Yeah, ditch the ketchup, but don't forget the rest of the condiments. Also, remember soft drinks are pop not soda. Well, at least in Chicago.