OZ Way

Australians have absolute certainty that Australia is a lucky country. You will notice this during one year, the amount of times this is said on television, news articles and about disasters or problems in other countries. This is not said by the presenters, but by common people interviewed. And it is, especially if you do not have any serious health or money problems, it may even feel like a paradise. There are lots of natural beauties and attractions that make Australia great, like low air pollution, cities are not very crowded, clear and pristine seawaters, stability in the economy and government, and very few occurrences of natural disasters. These factors can be translated into a single description of the Australian people as a whole: they are a happy people and give the impression of   being well and easy going.  Recently research was conducted with pensioners between the ages of 65 and 80 years old which showed a surprising result: 90% of the 10 thousand people interviewed marked the “very” happy option when asked how they feel in relation to their lives at the moment (the other options were happy, indifferent and unhappy). Australians really love Australia deeply.

The pride and happiness everyday Australians take in themselves and the environment can be seen everywhere. When you go out on a Sunday stroll and come cross elderly people you are always greeted with a smile, joke or funny expression. Young people are not so inclined to talk on the streets, but the majority of them are friendly and polite when conversation is initiated. If you are in a pub, you can barely make it 5 minutes without someone greeting you with conversation and the atmosphere is defiantly bubbly and relaxed. Of course not everybody is as open and upfront depending of course on different personality differences, but they usually have a very good sense of humour. The word "Friendly" can be used as one of the main characteristics of the Australian people. But this does not mean that everybody will make an effort to be your personal friend, actually what may happen is very different. Showing good manners, smiling and being friendly, does not mean that an aussie will be your friend. Friendship and mateship for an Australian is something to be cultivated over time, and only after a long time knowing the person well, will your mate disclose some private problems or family details. I consider it very easy to get to know Australians, as most of them enjoy knowing a wide variety of people and contacts but becoming their close friend is a whole other story and can be hard to maintain. To become a real friend of an Australian, it will demand time and of course it will depend on some other factors such as the city, age of the person, situation, children or without children, personal affinities, etc.

One of the most important values in the Australian society is respect. They usually treat people who are polite and educated highly and do not tolerate people who are rude or disrespectful in a conversation. They pride themselves highly in personal independence (man and woman), and sometimes a comment concerning another person’s life or spouse may be seen as obtrusive and offensive and therefore as a lack of respect. If the person you are conversing with seems comfortable in revealing personal information and you have a trust built up with them than its ok to invite them over or build up a repour that’s more comfortable and relaxed.

Like anywhere, not all Australians are nice and you must be very careful especially with a relationship in a work environment. Competition can be taken very seriously and certain people are very determined and may use all efforts to knock down a workmate and take their place. It has already happened with a friend of mine, being contracted as general manager in computer store. There were 2  places and both had been contracted and admitted in the company. One day my friend was late, and the following day she was dismissed. When talking with another manager in another state, the boss was informed that she was always late even during the training period.  This was not true, but was actually the devious ploy made by the other workmate in a conspiracy to get the top job as a manager. My friend was astonished at how a person she considered a friend, in her workplace could do such a deceitful thing.

There are some services that must be well selected as omission of details and overcharging is very common, this is especially the case when choosing a mechanic for your car. Well, just now I know a good one, but already I have had many problems such as changing parts not needed, services not very well done, etc. Greed exists in Australia and can really ruin some people, building contacts with reliable trustworthy people is essential.

Despite this, the majority of Australians are good people, friendly, not racist, and doesn't matter colour, race, age, sex, etc... they treat people with respect and equality but demand to be respected in return. (That’s why it’s important not to forget the magic words: "please" “thankyou” and "sorry"). But as with any other place in the world, you must be cautious with some people who do not seem trustworthy. This is why researching about different aspects or services is especially important, this will decrease the chances of you paying too much for a product or service. My advice is to gain as much information as possible, so those few "bad guys" don't take advantage of you.

Mary Help got a very good friend in Australia