Australia

Australians have a good sense of humor and anything is a topic for humor. Australians have a sense of national pride, especially on Anzac day (April 25th National Holiday) where in most towns you will find men and boys wearing the traditional Digger slouch hat. “Digger” is the name for the Australian soldier.

Most people are working for leisure opportunities with increasing amounts working for investment opportunities - real estate etc. Most people regard wealth in terms of real estate. Owning more than one house seems to put you into the “well off” category. Most households have plenty of spare cash for cars and entertainment.

A typical greeting in the morning would include “Hi”, “Hello” or “Good Morning” or Just “'Morning”. During the day one would say “Hi”, “Hello” or “Gday”. “Gday” is more or less restricted to the working class and males.

Greetings are usually accomplished with a handshake - especially between males and especially if you have not seen each other in more than a few weeks. When someone leaves they might shake hands if they are male, and kiss on the cheek if they are female.

Pointing at someone with the index finger is rude, One usually points with the open hand. Forming a “V” with the index and middle fingers, palm facing in is considered vulgar. Many times it is considered impolite to touch people during conversation. During a conversation with Aussies, you should stand back - most Aussies like a bit of personal space. Eye contact is good, but do not stare. When sitting, sit back, without folding your arms.

Australian men are not expressively emotional. To be overly physically demonstrative is sometimes seen as unmanly.

When yawning, always cover your mouth and say, "Excuse me". When drinking in some Australian pubs, you can signal that you can win a fight with anyone in the bar simply by finishing your drink, turning the glass upside down, and placing the glass squarely on the bar.

Australians are very much into sports, thus, any type of sportsmanlike gestures, such as congratulating a good performance or being a good loser, are appreciated. Good sportsmanship is highly respected in Australia.

Australian catchphrases include “G'day mate!”, “no worries”, “not a problem” and “Good on yer!”. Visiting without a prior appointment is common but be careful about timing. The atmosphere can tense up if you call on people shortly before “Te”, the evening meal or dinner time. Only newer homes have more than one “Loo” or bathroom. Older homes might have the bathroom outside in a shed or “Dunny”

The most popular way to socialize is at a pub or club. Usually, this involves beer and often gambling (poker machines are at most clubs and many pubs). Impromptu visits are usually met with an invitation to join which one should decline or at least answer with “are you sure”. After that, it is okay to visit.

Australians will frequently dress in styles that are popular in Europe and other western countries. In winter, jumpers or sweaters are common in many homes due to a lack of central heating. During the summer shorts and a T-shirt are popular for both males and females. Females often wear running shoes or sandals with skirts.

“Tucker” is the aussie word for food. Because of Australia's many immigrant communities, many of the dishes have European and Asian influences including Asian, Greek, Italian and Thai dishes. The unofficial national dish is the Great Australian Meat Pie. A variation of this is found in Adelaide called a “Pie Floater” or “Adelaide Floater” made from a meat pie floating in a small sea of split pea soup. Surprisingly good, this dish is associated with Adelaide, and not common throughout Australia. The Aborigines traditionally ground various seeds to make flour for a type of bread. Early settlers learned the technique and called the bread "damper." Kangaroo meat is another Aboriginal delicacy.

Australians' eating habits reflect their British heritage. A traditional breakfast may include fruit or juice, cold cereal or hot porridge, fried eggs and sausages, with hot tea or coffee. Toast may be spread with Vegemite, a concentrated yeast extract. For more leisurely breakfasts, some people enjoy baked beans, spaghetti or minced meat on toast.

The noon meal is usually quite light. Most people eat sandwiches during the work week. Other lunch foods include Australian meat pies (a flaky pastry filled with ground beef mixed in spices) and sausage rolls with hot chips (French fries). Children enjoy milk flavored with vanilla, strawberry, chocolate, peppermint or spearmint. An afternoon snack may feature lamingtons (small sponge cakes with chocolate frosting and coconut) or pikelets (small pancakes) and tea.

A typical dinner consists of meat, potatoes and vegetables. Most families have barbecues and often grill their meat. One specialty is steak stuffed with oysters. The array of available seafood includes lobsters, Sydney rock oysters, barramundi fish, mud crabs, crayfish, prawns and snapper.

Dessert is often fresh fruit, such as bananas, mangoes, pawpaws (papayas), pineapples, pears, apples and citrus fruit. Custard is also a popular dessert. Another well-known dessert is pavlova, made with meringue, cream and fruit. The name honors the ballerina Anna Pavlova, who visited Australia in the 1920's.

More than 85% of Australians live in urban areas, mostly on the east coast. Sydney and Melbourne are home to almost a third of the total population. Further inland, there are enormous distances between the small towns. Sheep farmers may live on isolated farms, known as sheep stations, many kilometers from their nearest neighbors.   A typical Australian home is a one-story dwelling made of brick with a tile roof. A two-story home is considered a luxury. Most houses have their own plot of land with a garden. Many rural homes have a backyard dunny, or outhouse. In the warm northern area of Australia, homes are built on stilts, allowing airflow beneath the building and acting as protection against flooding.

Australia is an aging society. The number of people over 65 is expected to double during the next few decades. Elderly people, who receive government pensions after the age of 65, may live on their own or in retirement homes. Australia once had a reputation as a "macho" country, where men expected women to take a subordinate role and remain at home as wives and mothers. However, in recent years, this reputation has changed. In the 1970s, Germaine Greer, a leading feminist thinker, and other Australian women demanded greater rights for women. Women now enjoy a larger range of career opportunities and increased political influence.

It is a common misconception that Australia's indigenous peoples, the Aborigines, and the Torres Strait Islanders, live in remote or nomadic communities. In fact, Aborigines live in every state and territory of Australia, both in highly urbanized locations and in remote rural areas. Although in the past, Aborigines were nomadic people, few Aborigines today have a traditional tribal lifestyle.

The national sport Australian-rules football ( "Aussie Rules") a combination of rugby and soccer was invented in Melbourne about 1858. It is played with an oval ball on a huge oval field. Each team has eighteen players and each end has four goalposts.  Aussie Rules football attracts more spectators than any other sporting event in the country.  Cricket is also a popular national sport with the Melbourne Cricket Club being established about 1838. The first “Test” match between Australian and English cricketers was won by Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in 1878. Since then the Test trophy has been nicknamed the “Ashes”   A modified form of the game, called "Kanga Cricket," is played by children, using plastic equipment.

Netball is the most popular women's sport in Australia. Netball is a fast, skillful team game based on running, jumping, throwing, and catching. Teams may include up to twelve players but only seven may take the court at any one time.

With children, soccer is popular, but they switch over to rugby or Australian Rules football around the age of 7 or 8.  Handball is a popular game among children: a tennis or rubber ball is bounced off the hand of one player into the court of the opponent. Many girls enjoy playing netball.

Among older Australians, lawn bowling is popular, and most cities have lawn bowling clubs.  Australians enjoy games of chance. Unique betting games include "two-up," a game that involves spinning pennies and is legal on only one day of the year-ANZAC Day.

Australians have almost unlimited recreational choices. The mountains provide opportunities for hiking during the summer and alpine skiing during the winter. National parks and wildlife reserves attract nature lovers. Australia's beaches, including the famous Bondi Beach near Sydney and Surfer's Paradise, a resort near Brisbane, offer opportunities for "boogie boarding," surfing, swimming, sailing, scuba diving, fishing, and sailing.  Because strong currents along the coast make swimming dangerous, specially trained lifesavers patrol Australia's beaches. Lifesaving clubs, first formed in Sydney, are staffed with volunteers.

Breakfast will vary by family preferences and culture. Twenty percent of Australia’s inhabitants were not born in the country, and another 20% have at least one parent who was born outside of Australia. Many families are diligent in preserving their own subculture and its foods.

Children usually take public transportation to and from school. Unlike North American schools, there is no bus system dedicated solely to the schools, but public transportation supports the needs of students, as regulated by each state.

Education is a priority in Australia and is regulated by each state or territory. The teaching tends to be interactive and challenging, with much student participation. The schools place much emphasis on technology, ensuring access for students and teachers to multimedia materials, Internet access, and general computer usage. An average school lunch costs no more than US$3-4. Traditional lunches include meat pies, sausage rolls, and hotdogs, although health-conscious menus are tending more toward foods such as sushi, noodles with vegetables, sandwiches, and watermelon slices. School lunch shops are run by the Parents and Citizens’ Association, whose volunteers create menus and prepare the food.

Australian schools are rigorous and expect their students to work hard in school. Most school days begin at about 9:00 a.m. and run until 3:00 or 3:30 in the afternoon, Monday through Friday. Most Australian schools require their students to wear a conservative uniform, determined by a local school council. Nearly all elementary schools will teach the core subjects of mathematics, science, arts, technology, languages, and English. Education is demanding, and most students understand that they will have a significant amount of homework regularly. Although the last two years of secondary school are not required, they do play a significant role in preparing students who desire to attend a university or advance towards a specific career. During those years, students will focus their studies on particular disciplines such as digital media, agriculture, performing arts, or applied mathematics rather than being required to study general topics. Approximately 99% of all students complete the mandatory first 10 years of school and earn a School Leaving Certificate, with slightly over 70% continuing on to finish the final two years offered.

A variety of extracurricular activities are usually available to students in secondary schools, including performing arts (choir, drama, orchestra, band), publishing (school magazine), and athletics (cricket, swimming, tennis, basketball, and other sports).

Children in Australia love to spend time outdoors after school and on weekends. Many join sports clubs for health, fun, and the thrill of competition. As they become teens, evenings may find them watching movies or hanging out at disco clubs. Because much of the population lives close to the coast, swimming is not only a pastime but also a way of life for many.

Australians are well known for their hospitality and openness. Most parents work outside the home, and evening meals are a perfect time to gather the family together, catch up on the day’s events, and share stories. Despite their openness, parents are quite protective of their children and are often quite strict about family rules. Families are important in Australia, and so is family time. Although many people around the world perceive Australians to be rugged outdoors people who spend much of their time surviving in the Outback, riding horses in the Smokey Mountains, or exploring the Great Barrier Reef, 85% of the country’s population lives in urban areas.

Australia offers two general types of schools: government and private. Government schools provide “free” education to the children, but families and others are encouraged to make donations to enhance what each school has to offer in both its curriculum and its extracurricular activities. Private schools charge tuition fees that range widely and are often founded on alternative educational philosophies, including religious ones. Though there is some diversity between states and territories concerning the school year, most follow a general calendar of four terms with breaks in between called holidays. The longest holiday extends over Christmas, which is the major summer holiday, and usually lasts for five or more weeks. Children are required to attend school in Australia until age 15. Preschool, which is offered beginning at age 3, is not obligatory. Attendance is usually not very high until the year before entering primary school, which serves as a preparatory year. Most children participate in that year. Primary school, which covers ages 6 to 12 or 13, is mandatory. This is followed by secondary school, from ages 12 or 13 to 17 or 18, depending on the regulations of the local state or territory.