AUSTRALIAN LIFE STYLE

Australian Lifestyle

Once student reaches Australia, they will start noticing the differences in culture and lifestyle immediately. Australians are very friendly and helpful people, with a great sense of humor. Australia is considered one of the most competitive nations on Earth. For most newcomers, exploring the cultural differences is one of the most rewarding things about living and studying in Australia, or any new country for that matter. It is therefore important to remember the different aspects of Australian culture. Australia offers a wealth of exciting opportunities for people seeking a new challenge and a fresh start in life. Besides having some of the best beaches in the world and no shortage of pools or BBQs, Australia boasts a very low crime rate, excellent education and great dental and medical care, and a very good standard of living.


Food

The diversity of foodstuffs available in Australia is huge and comprises grains, meats, dairy products, seafood, fruit and vegetables, bakery goods, olive oil, wine and other beverages, confectionery plus a host of individual gourmet treats and specialty lines. Organic products and products with native ingredients are found in a number of categories. Australia also has significant expertise in the areas of food processing technology and cool chain management.

Australians have three meals a day of which dinner is the biggest. Breakfast consists of toast, cereal, fruit and fruit juices, milk and tea or coffee. Standard of hygiene are high in the preparation of food to the public and tap water is safe to drink in any Australian town. Fresh food is plentiful at shops and markets. Seafood's and all meats, fresh fruit, salad and vegetables are of high quality and quite safe to eat. Australian food and beverage products are recognised worldwide for their variety and healthy image.


Dressing
As far as dressing for Australia is concerned, casual wear is generally the go. They dress up very casual when at home, shopping and sightseeing. However while at work or evenings out they essentially dress formally. Australians do wear their shoes in their homes, so it is not required to take your shoes off before entering the house you wanted to, Unless it’s a really formal occasion, one has no need for a tuxedo or a formal long gown; a jacket and tie are not de rigueur for other occasions but the rule of thumb is usually whether one is comfortable with one’s choice of clothing for a particular occasion.






Australians tend to say what they think
Australians tend to give their opinions freely and openly. This applies in basic situations, such as saying yes or no when offered a drink, as well as when discussing complex political scenarios in a University tutorial or over dinner with friends. Generally, Australians are not overly concerned whether people they are speaking to agree with their opinions or not.

Most Australians like their personal space
Australians tend to stand quite far from each other when they're talking. They believe in giving each other the desired distance. When somebody stands very close to them they might begin to feel quite uncomfortable.

Australians generally pay their own money
When most Australians go out to a social function in a group, it is generally expected that people will pay for themselves. This applies as much to going out to lunch/dinner with friends, as to seeing a movie. A good common example is going out to dinner. At the end of the meal when the bill is brought to the table, the total amount will either be divided equally among the number of people who ate the meal, or each person will examine the bill and contribute the amount they owe.

Most Australians place a high priority on time
Australia is a very time-oriented place. This is reflected in their public transport system, which is strongly measured by how closely it runs to its published timetable; also in their education system where class, lecture and tutorial schedules are very strictly adhered to. The same applies to meetings with friends, although the rules are generally a bit more flexible.

Australians tend to be spontaneous talkers in conversation
Australians can be spontaneous in their conversations and may talk lot of additional information that may not be totally essential to the main point of the conversation. One reason for this is that Australians tend to feel uncomfortable with periods of silence and often prefer to fill the gaps with jokes, or by quickly introducing a new topic of conversation. The key is to understand the general meaning behind what is being said.

Gifts
In Australia it is common for the people to gift people on certain occassions like birthdays and so on. Such gifts are generally not expensive. Inviting friends to a dinner party at home is a common social activity in Australia. If you receive this sort of invitation, it is not normally necessary to bring a gift to the person's house. However, if you drink alcohol, it is very common to bring a bottle of wine to contribute to the meal. Occasionally people also bring flowers, although this is not expected.

Australians respect other people's privacy
The average Australian is very aware of not intruding too much into other people's personal affairs. There are a range of issues that are best avoided when talking socially to many Australians on the first meeting. They include discussing a person's marital status, religion, income and age. Australians also tend to respect other people's physical privacy. For example, many Australians will expect other people to knock on their bedroom/office door, or announce their presence, by saying "excuse me", before entering.

Australians place great importance on individual responsibility
Australians believe in taking up individual responsibility for their own actions whether it's at work or in a study environment. In a study environment, students are expected to produce essays and reports independently. There are great penalties for copying another person's work without proper acknowledgement

Almost all Australians have a sporting interest of some kind.
Australians enjoy variety of sports like baseball, swimming, cricket, athletics, netball, softball, soccer, hockey, basketball and tennis. Watching sport is also common for most families. Many thousands of people attend professional football games every week and many more watch all forms of sports on the T.V.