I’m in hospital while watching this video. My thoracic physician told me to call him Peter, thoracic surgeon introduced himself as Sanjay and my anaesthetist said “Call me Warren. All these doctors are right up there prestige-wise in their profession. There is no BS about these guys, believe me.
All the doctors at my regular medical clinic (GP) are known as Dr Mary, Dr Dan, etc rather than Dr Smith. As a bank manager I was sometimes addressed as Mr first name. Mix of respect but familiarity at the same time.
I feel we do it because of the tall poppy syndrome, which we are famous for. It doesn't matter what ur rank in life is, ur no better than the rest of us. Using first names takes away that authority n places us on a level playing field. I have utmost respect for my Dr but I always referred to her only by her first name. It made me more comfortable to talk to her as well.
I was a cop in suburban WA in the 70s where we had a repeat complainant who whinged about people parking obstructing his two storey view of the city over the river. He was a retired English Lt Colonel who identified himself as such on each visit indicating he should be addressed as such. All he got from me was Righto mate.
I watched a US marine addressing an Australian NCO as "sir" during a live firing exercise in Afghanistan. The Australian said .".don't call me "sir" . I'm a corporal. Call me Dave." 😂
@@adamburt1811 yeah being a corporal in a past life if someone called me sir I would respond the same way. Americans say Sir yes Sir to NCO's which is unheard of in any other force. I think that is what the OP was getting at.
My first parade, on joining the Australian Navy, I answered "Sir" to my training Petty Officer. He bellowed, "I'm a Petty Officer, not an Officer, I work for a living".
It has little to do with the fact that it was a military setting as it is more of a cultural thing. Americans will address anyone who holds a position of authority - yes even a "lowly" corporal - as "Sir".
I am a teacher in Australia and students also wear school uniforms for security reasons. If there is someone on school grounds not in uniform (students not in uniform or adults not wearing an ID badge or visitors badge) we can question them. Also, if something was to happen to students going to or from school, a uniform can help to identify them if requured. This also means however, that the public know which schools to contact if students are misbehaving at local shopping centres etc.
I had a female colleague who had gone to a private school where there was a rule that students must not be seen in public in (compulsory) uniform after 5pm. It was the school's way of seeing it to it that students went straight home rather than hanging around shops.
In the 70's I was a trainee at the Western Australian Department Of Agriculture. I was asked to take an envelope to the head of the department, Mr. Waterhouse. As I entered the lobby, I saw my friend, Simon, who was my 500 partner when he visited our office. He was chatting to two others and I approached him and said G'day Simon, do you know where I can find Mr. Waterhouse?" Simon said "You're looking at him!" I turned to the person immediately next to Simon to offer him the letter. Simon laughed and said "I'm Mr. Waterhouse!" I had known Simon for almost three months and only knew him as Simon.
@@countrabricksbuildcraze8916 yep all the schools around me sell good quality used uniforms. If you have a couple or more kids going to the same school it saves families a heap. Especially useful for families that are struggling.
I worked in a Ski resort in Australia. The Mountain Mgr said at a meeting no more nick names on the radio, we want to look professional. Next morning at 6am he calls me on the radio by my nickname.
Those blower vacs are the most ridiculous type of power equipment invented. The electric one are just hair dryers with a long neck, that sound like Dentist drill. 🇦🇺😀
Never understood the leaf blower - they blow it in a pile but never think about picking up the pile and say, sticking it in the compost bin. That pile of leaves is not going to stay there.
you know someone is a real friend when you can take the piss out of each other, or drop the formality of first names and call them by their real name which is their nickname. also i do think everyone in australia is your friend until you give them reason not to be, and by the same token friendship gets stronger when actions prove it.
Yes here it's considered a subtle sign of disrespect to call someone sir or madam especially in customer service, if someone emails you Dear sir they are pissed.
@@MrTaylor1964 not to my experience though I'm a child of the 60/70 it's an expense that parents don't need especially when things are tough the excuse about designer ware setting kids apart is BS when it comes to public schools however private ones can do as they please as they have a minimum payment/income to get in so it makes no difference there either as all parents pay the same
@@shanehansen3705you don’t think it’s an expense to dress kids in casual wear 5 days a week, then competing for designer labels. I had 3 kids go through public schools and costs for uniforms were not that high.
@@MrTaylor1964 I agree, and you just know that if you showed up to school multiple days in the same 'outfit' you would be bullied, but with a uniform, you never had to worry. I grew up poor in the late 90's early 00's and it was almost impossible to just buy a plain t-shirt as a kid, at least with uniforms (which you can get second hand) you never have to worry about if that branded t-shirt your parents bought 6 months ago is still 'cool'
My grandad's cousin Jim, retired from the Navy in 1970's getting to the rank of Commodore when I was a young kid. Just after he retired, he was made Lt Govenor of Western Australia. He rocked up that day at my nan's house to have a cup of tea and a milk arrowroot. There was a Rolls Royce and driver waiting outside and he was still wearing his ceremonial uniform from the investiture. He wanted to take nan for a spin in the roller, but she wouldn't have a bar of it. "Getting a bit too up yourself Jim" A couple of years later he became the Govenor of Queensland and got a Knighthood. But he was still Jim.
I went to hospital with a heart issue, the doctor told me to call him Garry. And said when I go back to see reception the next day, he said to ask for Garry. I think it's pretty cool.
I used to work in the head office of the Australian division of a global company. From the start, I had regular conversations with the Australian managing director of the this division. He was from Hong Kong, but had readily adopted the Australian way of speaking to each other and so like everyone else, I addressed him by his first name. It was normal to address everyone by first names, no matter what the rank or position was that they held in the company.
I worked for many years in a federal government organisation that was a first-names workplace. Everybody was addressed by their first name, no matter how senior or junior the parties involved. If you addressed even the director-general as Mr or Ms so-and-so, it would sound sarcastically formal or pointedly distant or unfriendly.
My first 10 years of school was in Southern California. We didn't have lot of money, so school wear was basic and cheap. Then the family uprooted and moved to the UK. I was required to wear a school uniform, which suited me as I wanted to blend in as much as possible. A year later the family emigrated to Australia. Same deal with the school uniform. My Australian sons, and now my grandsons, wear school uniform. I like the idea. I would have added the German man's video the following from Australia; plastic bank notes, and pay wave. Both Aussie inventions.
Pay wave is SHITE. CASH only paywave is there to rob you. Cash is easy to control When your wallet is empty, that’s it the end. Paywave and credit is a phucking disaster for most people. Credit is now a right!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DO NOT spend today what you haven't earned yet. The banks will screw you tp HELL and BACK. CREDIT is SHITE it will be your down fall unless you can do the books. That’s why we call them bookies. Financial manager or bookie there the same, it’s a calculated risk.
I'm an Aussie, and one thing I can say about my countrymen, and the government of my country is: We do handle bureaucracy quite well. Quite quite often you can fill in a form online.
There are two kinds of respect. One is where you lower yourself to appear humble, and the other is where you raise someone else up to acknowledge their status. Most Aussies do neither. It's not to say we don't respect social boundaries because we do, we just have other ways of showing it such as body language and levels of speech. For example, when addressing someone as "mate", it all depends on the way you say it as it can mean either a term of endearment and respect OR it can be used in a very hostile manner. You need to be attuned to the difference, which can be very subtle. "Thanks mate" can mean two entirely different things; most foreigners will not pick up on it until they've been here a while.
I (in Australia) use cash so infrequently that I'm still waiting to get a $10 note of the latest variety in my wallet - by "latest variety" I mean those with the transparent strip right across the width of the note.
I agree on the uniforms - a leveller, and identifier too. However, for many public schools (that I was aware of before 2000s at any rate) kids didn't always have to buy school-branded uniforms, rather as long as they wore general colours e.g a white polo shirt and grey shorts.
Yes, competition, disparagement or bullying about what other children are wearing is not helpful at school. Aside from equality, cost and security, uniforms slso save time in the morning!
I believe there are subtle variations in levels of conversation that give you a clue about who is a friend. In reality, despite being cordial to everyone, Australians are very private past a certain point.
I think non-Australians mistake our extreme social politeness for friendliness. We smile and greet strangers, sharing some small talk, or helping them with directions, for example, because it would be terribly rude to ignore them. It’d be implying that we think we’re ‘better’ than them, and that’s utterly unforgivable for an Australian.
A parents perspective on uniforms; One school shirt can range from $15-30. A jumper can be $30-80 This all depends on the schools requirements and what uniform shops cater to your child's school.
2:30 I'm 60 years old (for context): When I was a kid, we were taught to address our elders as 'Mrs' or 'Mr', or sir. Over the years, that formality slowly dissolved. I can remember as I grew older but still under 12, where I'd address an adult as Mr xx xor Mrs xxx, and they'd say, don't call me Mister, my name is ... I'm pretty sure that by the mid-70s, to early 80s, we Aussies gave up that formality, except in very official occasions. I regularly get letters from official sources addressing me by my first name, and arguably, if we had retained those archaic terms, arguably, everyone would be calling me "Mister" or "Sir" and quite frankly, that would make feel really bloody weird! Oh, and, I call my doctor by his first name. I just feel strange calling him, "Doctor (surname)". He's a person, just like me. As people, we are always equal. It's just titles and 'class' that artificially separates us.
I get really annoyed when I fill out a form either online or paper and it asks me whether I am a Mrs, Ms or whatever.. who the hell cares? my gender is already asked for, my name is usually an indicator anyway.. and again... why?
@tukicat1399 Yeah. But hey, remember that boy named Sue? Or, Lola? That would make for some confusion, and possible violence if old Johnny Cash or Pete Quaif were still kicking :)
I'm the next generation, and from young, referring to people as "Mr and Mrs" was just a part of the whole "manners thing" as ubiquitous as "please" and "excuse me" and "thank you". If the elders were close family friends, they they would be referred to as "aunt" or "uncle". Whenever I see a movie where a character says to the bartender that they want a beer, without saying "please" I shake my head and cringe. Lack of acknowledgement through a little politeness has become malignant.
I think you nailed it with your referral to titles and class. This is based solely on my own experiences over quite a few years. When I was promoted to a more senior position at work, my relationship with staff who had previously been on a similar "level" remained the same. While I took responsibility for final decisions, my staff and I discussed all major situations because we all had perspectives that should be considered. It meant that the workplace was one where everyone contributed and the results reflected a deep understanding of what was needed. Fortunately for me, I worked with people who didn't care so much about what people earned, what their job title was, where they were educated and in what country they were born. Titles meant nothing, just how each one contributed. In my experience, while Aussies respect titles, they are not in awe of them and frankly, what role do traditional ideas of class have to do with anything in a country that that was originally settled by our wonderful indigenous peoples tens of thousands of years ago, followed by the arrival of convicts and poor free settlers escaping British class? That is what makes Australia so great.
the school uniform thing was a godsend, Like him, I grew up quite poor, never had brand name clothing or shoes etc. a lot of my cloths were hand me downs etc. never had to worry about getting bullied at school for my cloths. it would be a lot easier now, as you can get just plain shirts and pants, back in the late 90's early 00's it was IMPOSSIBLE to get non-branded clothing. even the 'store brands' had branding on them, they were just knockoff's of other brands or stupid pictures of people skateboarding or surfing, It was SO obvious that it was the cheapest shirt Kmart sold. now you can just get a plain t-shirt any any colour you want.
Addressing the "mate" point. It depends on the tone of voice, setting like a pub or in general public settings etc. If you ever hear at say the pub "look here mate!" then its likely someone that isn'tt their actual friend, and a fight is to break out. If you hear "sorry mate," then likely not their mate but apologising to a stranger over a spilt beer. If they are addressing an actual mate, then probably a nickname will come into it. It's all about setting, tone of voice, etc.
One of the reasons some restaurants require a deposit when a diner is making a reservation is due to no shows. They may have put on extra staff based on the number of covers they are expecting and the booking is cancelled at the last minute or they just don’t show up. The deposit would be non refundable in that situation.
In Australia I worked in theatre with surgeons. When they called me out of hours it was hey paul or bob. In the operating theatre or the hospital wholesale it was Mr Bob XXX. Outside of surgical medicine I dont think anyone uses titles in Australia. Most people with titles know it is bullshit so if you refer to them as bloke, john etc, they will never defend their title. Because they themself know it is bull shit. And hands off for school uniforms. the great equiliser. I know tough and rough kids that would wear their school uniform on no uniform days as a protest and say why are you paying $2 to look like a knob. I dont need to show off my Nike's
this was a super good reaction in the fact that i have never seen this guy before and i am going to check out his channel right after this , thanks Kaitlyn :)
When I was very young, my dad refused to buy expensive running shoes, so me and my sisters got Dunlop Volleys instead. We complained one day to our parents that we'd be embarrassed at the primary school sports with our cheap shoes, so my dad tried to draw with a beg texta 3 Adidas stripes on the Dunlop Volleys. Dunlop Volleys are/were mostly a canvas or similar material, so the ink bled into the material to make 3 big blobs on both sides of each shoe. 😄 I've still got a photo somewhere of it
School uniforms: usually the school has a secondhand uniform purchase system, so each year the parent takes the child, with the laundered and ironed uniforms from the previous year to swap with the next size up. Well-off families may buy new uniforms, but most use the second hand system. At the end of the schooling, or on leaving, the uniforms are handed back in.
When I was teaching in the NT students would refer to teachers as the honorific followed by the first name eg. Mr Bob or Mrs Liz. It felt comfortable and was culturally appropriate. Doctors would get the same treatment.
First names are a newer thing. As kids we were expected to address those older or unfamiliar to us by their last names. Mr and or Mrs.. That began to change late 1990s through 2000s.
An interesting aspect is that as a 1980s primary school kid, I can remember far more first and last names of the girls even though I never spoke to most of them at all. That suggests to me that girls were named more formally by teachers. What a prim and proper lot we were.
Perhaps apocryphal - a team of Australian soldiers were digging foxholes without shirts in WW2 North Africa, when a British lieutenant approached them demanding to see their captain. The soldiers stopped but did not salute him. The lieutenant then berated them, when one stepped forward, put on his captain's shirt and then demanded he show more respect to his men. (I'd like to think that he then gave the lieutenant a shovel, but I don't think that happened...)
And fair enough. They're running a business and the booking is a contract that ensures the business will receive something if the table stays empty for 2 hours@@eileendoyle6537
Even our doctors are usually called by their first names now, most don’t even bother introducing themselves as Dr ?? just their first name. I love the informality, it’s mostly because Australians don’t see anyone as better than someone else
They typically have to call patients in the waiting room by their first names now for privacy reasons. In busy offices they find that annoying because you can have multiple people with the same first name. The idea being overhearing someone’s last name is more identifying and the privacy laws are really strict.
Optus Stadium in Perth is completely cashless, though there are machines all over that you use, free of charge, you put in a cash amount in exchange for a card to use within the venue, speeds up lines 10 fold.
I refer to someone’s life partner as their partner, until I know the status of their relationship, or know the person well enough to know their status. IE: their gender, living arrangements etc. it’s just polite not to assume and can save embarrassment on the other person’s part if they aren’t comfortable sharing personal information. Everyone is different so it’s nice to respect that. I almost never call someone Mr or Mrs / Ms however, that’s too formal for most of us Aussies.
I liked that it was bit of a different list to the strengths/differences that we see in every other video. And being from Germany, the perspective was different too. The perspective that someone from the US or UK has is different. Like you say, on some of thise things the US is somewhere in between Aus and Germany. And yes many places in Europe, cash is still king. I agree with him that places should offer both so people can choose.
Aussie school kids wear hats to establish a habit of sun protection from an early age - Australia being a high skin cancer location.Two Australian scientists won the Nobel Science Prize last year for progress in skin cancer treatments.
Doctor, priest, member of parliament, CEO, anybody may be introduced as "This is Bob, he's the Bishop." Depending on the business, a client may be different at first meeting. Someone pointed out recently that our major sports stadiums don't have much parking and councils provide free transport to and from many events.
In Australia they do a sort of line dance to the song Nutbush. In MERICA! they teach their children what to do, not if, but when, a shooter comes to the school. So, I guess it sort of balances out, right?
In country schools in Australia traditional bush dances are taught as part of the music curriculum; I remember learning the barn dance, the heel and toe polka etc. Well that was my 80s era anyway. Nowadays I have no idea. Maybe they teach the Taylor Swift shake it off shuffle 🕺
The many high schools at which I taught, "out of uniform day" occurred a couple of times per term. It was not obligatory but if students chose to come out of uniform, there were a couple of rules regarding obscene or derogatory motifs etc. there a small charge ($1 or$2). It was organised by the school social committee or school council (year 11 & 12) and the collection was given to a different charity each time.
I grew up in the 60's and 70's, and got my first job in '77. I was told that on my first day I needed to report to my foreman, Brian Long, upon arrival, so when I entered the offices off the street, I was met by a lady (who turned out to be the Pay Mistress) who asked how she could help me. I told her who I was, and asked where I could find Mr Long... "MISTER LONG?!" she cried, amid gales of laughter from the rest of the office. Well, it was "Brian" from that day forward, and that was my introduction to the casual way the Aussie workplace functions. It was so strange after calling all the adults in my life Mister or Missus such-and-such, or Uncle or Aunty whoever. But so much more comfortable, and with no lack of respect. 😊👍🇦🇺🇦🇺
I’m a retired high school teacher and while I was still teaching, a former student came to an executive meeting. She was a deputy principal at a nearby primary school. Before the meeting started she said hello to our the senior executives and other head teachers by their first names. When she came to me, she couldn’t call me by my first name, even though I invited her to do so. She would only call me Miss surname. The same thing happened at my sister’s workplace. She teaches at TAFE. A new teacher started working with her last year and he was also a former student of mine from the 1990s. I popped in to say hello and he had the same response. He said it didn’t feel right to call me by my first name.
I remember a few years ago before I retired, I was in my office (I worked for the state ambulance service I was sitting at my desk it was a quiet day so I was chilling out with my feet on the desk watching TV and the CEO walked in he just said hi and started chatting I just used his first name we were both very comfortable with this.
When I started my apprenticeship, being 17yrs old, in 1969, l was taught to respect my elders, l called every supervisor MR or MRS/MISS ,but within 2 years l was even calling the owner by his first name.
All the Chinese take away shops near me, North of Brisbane only take cash , NO cards. I think it is a tax dodge and they probably pay their casual staff cash each day, so the owners don't pay income tax or superannuation.
That is very interesting . I'm on the Northside of Brisbane too and all of the takeaways including Asian, Turkish, Lebanese , Indian, Japanese, Korean & Fish & Chip shops all take cards & cash In fact some prefer cards.
It might be a tax dodge as well, but from personal experience it's also likely to be due to the fact that the bank charges a) for the equipment to take card payments, and b) a small percentage for every card transaction. Some businesses can't or don't want to lose that profit margin. A lot of Asian businesses here in Sydney will give a discount for cash payments or don't accept card at all. Many small businesses, not just Asian ones, have a surcharge if you use card to pass that extra cost onto the customer.
The hats are a new-ish idea, we didn't have them when I was at school in the 70s and 80s. It's intended to protect against sun damage. Melanoma - skin cancer - is a BIG public health problem in Australia, and its occurrence is strongly correlated with ultraviolet light exposure from the sun. Hence the French Foreign Legion-style kepi hats for the kiddies. IMO it's a bloody good idea, and it makes me happy to see how we Aussies look after each other.
No hat, no play and the foreign legion style hats was definitely a thing by 1987 in Brisbane. Good thing too, I have had 6 aunts and uncles all with Melanomas.
Uniforms are definitely a case by case basis with schools here. My high school was private and we didn't have uniforms. It's very much up to the school.
I’ve never seen an Australian school without a uniform, and the private ones are usually more elaborate, we had to wear long pants, a blazer and a tie, in QLD summer!
Gosh you are looking gorgeous today! Love the lace on your dress and your makeup looks spot on to me. Hope I’m not being too forward complementing you. Cheers from an Aussie granny.
In Australia, the term 'partner' is used where you are living together with someone in a relationship; but not married. (Wife or husband wouldn't apply as you are not married). The name of the relationship is 'de facto' marriage........ a marriage without the annoying paperwork.
11:00 There was an incident recently where a cafeteria in Parliment house Canberra that staed "They wrere card only" . After a discussion with management it was found that they had to take cash as cash is" Legal Tender' and cannot be refused.
Cash can be refused but only if notice is given before the transaction. Did you also know too many coins isn’t legal tender, there are limits on how many you can use. The manager accepted his cash to get him to go away (you have a yelling MP you would too). The policy is still no cash, and Katter got his moment in the news which was all he was after. Yes you too can abuse staff and sometimes find they do what you want if you’re in a position of power, despite it not being legally required.
As an Australian, i have a number of very good friends who i have had form many year, but I realise while watching this video I don’t actually know their last names, although I do assume they have them. And FYI Australian beer bottles sold domestically are not required to have caps that can only be removed with a “bottle opener” while a foreign be exported to Australian must not be able to be opened by twist top, some sort of legal rule when it comes to import export.
I went to primary school from 1976 to 1982 and then high school from 1983 to 1987. My primary school didn't require a uniform and my high school uniform was very casual. I'm gladthatt has changed. I never experienced or saw any bulling. I'm not saying there wasn't any, I just never saw it. I loved school. I feel so sorry for the school kids these days.
One of my brothers lives in the South-West Sydney suburb of Cabramatta. The suburb is renowned for its large multicultural population of Vietnamese, Chinese, Laotian, and many other people groups. There are still many shops there that are cash only, and some of the banks have 5 or 6 ATM'S.
Australia is essentially a classless society whereby tall poppy syndrome is knocked out of persons purporting to elevate themselves to above everyone else By the way, it’s good to see you have a bottle of Bundy Rum on your bookshelf behind you. And yes, most everything and everyone’s name is shortened to a word with a “y” on the end. Excepting of course to refer to a redheaded person almost exclusively as “Bluey”. Love you channel mate
Since Covid, I pay most purchases hy card now. The only problem I have with doing that is that some places charge as much as an extra 3%, even though I pay with a debit card. Government guidelines suggest that the charge should be 1% for a debit card and 1.5% for a credit card. 😮
The cost of acceptance varies quite a bit, the big supermarkets pay well less than 1% maximum (bargaining power) while other businesses can pay more based on risk. Though the bigger % are card not present transactions, eg something like booking a hotel over the phone/internet I’ve seen them actually have to pay 12% (yes that was the cost the banks charged). Places that do large transactions 3% probably happens. Eg a computer shop etc. But if other places are passing it on they don’t shop around as much, some have higher fixed monthly fees, and lower transaction costs, others no fees and higher transaction costs. Businesses that don’t have the owner present favor card more because it’s harder for staff to steal and they don’t need to pay some to take the day’s takings to the bank or risk getting robbed etc.
When I worked at a university in Thailand the students called me 'Ajun' meaning teacher. I asked them to call me Michael, but they felt that was disrespectful, so we compromised and they called me 'Ajun Michael'.
School uniforms are kept very simple in. Public schools - usually .cotton knit shirts and shorts and hat of course. Most schools keep a stock of donated second hand uniforms which, given how kids grow, they've only worn for a year, if your lucky.
I am Australian and dont think i have ever worked somewhere that was formal with names. When I worked in aged care they tried to tell us to use Mr or Mrs but you gain a rapport with them so most have nicknames or we just use their given name. Same with any appointments I have had, they just address you by ur first name. I find it more welcoming using first names.
It's at 6pm at my RSL (Returned Soldiers League), club and most others I've been to. There is usually a symbolic flame inside the club that all patrons stand-up and face to recite the "ode of remembrance".
In Sydney you can now just tap your wrist to pay for transport without authentication. I wonder how long till they implant chip in your body and you just pay everything by passing by.
Majority of high end beer/craft beer will be pop tops, it creates a far superior seal for those types of beers that inherently need to hold more pressure and it takes far less complex machines to do so. Corona is notorious for exploding upon opening if not chilled to the right temperature in my experience.
When I was in school in the 89s, there was a time when uniforms were optional. This led to bullying based on fashion. As a result, the country went back to uniforms.
The first name thing. Almost every doctor I know is still referred to by their first name by employees and patients alike. Dr Sarah, Dr Herbie, Dr Cindy. True examples. We don't have Officer Dibble either.
Twist lids for wine as well, is an Aussie invention 🇦🇺 bloody brilliant 👏 😅. I have just come back from Europe where we leased a car and there was a ton of paperwork to sign. Yes cash in Europe is nearly mandatory, especially in small businesses.
I previously had a job where I knew my boss only by his first name. I was filling in some work related paperwork and I had to ask what his family name was.
Twist tops, there called Twist tops. Back in the day, 1970's, KB had these little bottles called KB Kegs, throw downs we used to call them, and they had ring pull cap on the bottle like a Bundy ginger beer bottle. By careful manipulation of the cap you could turn these caps into frogs and sending them bouncing about the place while playing space invaders on the table top video games.
I kinda think that here in Australia everyone is your friend until they’re not! Also, when I was dating my wife, being a bit of an old school pom, it took me quite a number of years before I felt comfortable addressing her parents by their first names! I’m sure it gave them the sh@ts!
I would expect something like a council letter would have your full name on the front, while the start of the main body of the letter may have "Dear Mimi,". However if I am a regular at a store, it would not be totally odd to eventually gain "Hi Mimi!". (My IRL name is not Mimi, though it is on my Coles account, so my deliveries have "M Sardinia" on them.) School uniforms are something I feel gives an air of discipline and unity. It also means, in bus exchanges, you can spot your schoolmates by uniform colours. This is my feeling remembering back to my school years. The blue tartan dresses later turned dark green tartan shirts and white shirts? My church school. Red tartan when I moved to a state school. Mum was the sort who went to certain fabric stores who got in stock of school tartans and she just got the fabric herself and sewed my clothes at home. Hell, she sewed our school sweaters in normal fleecy. At least with her doing that, she got my sizing right. Screw-lid bottles? Now I think of it, I don't drink alcohol, so opening bottles of Patritti (grape juice - the company does sell wine as well) is a bit out of my usual because they are corked. I remember what Valandhir said about how in Germany, everything is stamped. Also, buses? I felt like the German buses were get your monthly fare card, and you just jump on via the backdoor and totally bypass the driver after the first time. But the cahlessness of buses has become almost total since COVID, with Go Cards being standard (Sydney has Opal cards).
School always had their own clothing, books and equipment, second hand and sold cheaply, or on laybuy. I don't know how it is now. We faught to keep cash in our town in Aus.
Letters addressed to me by given name come from the water company, the gas company, the electricity company, and the local council. Regarding school uniforms: it ends up being cheaper for struggling families, especially with help from the school.
I’m calling bullshit on the bit about not knowing who your friends are. In the workplace especially, it’s quite easy to work out who your friends are. in fact, it’s quite easy to work out who they are not. Australians are pretty good at using the gift of ASP. Arsehole Sensory Perception. We can spot them all away and generally avoid. You will generally have at least one in your workplace.
now here's a funny thing I'v met a few CEO's in my life from both Aussie and international companies and only met 1 Aussie ceo who demanded being addressed as MR the foreign ones were introduced by first name and seemed to be happy to converse that way even American and Swiss and NO uniforms shees back in the 70's the girls in our school went on strike to be able to wear pants and very few boys ever wore a proper uniform
Most schools have 2nd hand uniform shops or a FB page for parents to sell 2nd hand uniforms, so even lower socio-economic families can still afford uniforms. Plus most schools will assist parents who are struggling financially.
My kids are now adults but when they were young they were tought to address adults as Mr, Mrs, Doctor etc. Almost 100% of people responded with "call me Bill, Jenny, Sue" etc so the informality kicks in early here.
I’m in hospital while watching this video. My thoracic physician told me to call him Peter, thoracic surgeon introduced himself as Sanjay and my anaesthetist said “Call me Warren. All these doctors are right up there prestige-wise in their profession. There is no BS about these guys, believe me.
exactly the same in my experience over the years.
All the doctors at my regular medical clinic (GP) are known as Dr Mary, Dr Dan, etc rather than Dr Smith. As a bank manager I was sometimes addressed as Mr first name. Mix of respect but familiarity at the same time.
I feel we do it because of the tall poppy syndrome, which we are famous for. It doesn't matter what ur rank in life is, ur no better than the rest of us. Using first names takes away that authority n places us on a level playing field. I have utmost respect for my Dr but I always referred to her only by her first name. It made me more comfortable to talk to her as well.
@@CQuinnLady jacks as good as his master was the old saying.
I was a cop in suburban WA in the 70s where we had a repeat complainant who whinged about people parking obstructing his two storey view of the city over the river. He was a retired English Lt Colonel who identified himself as such on each visit indicating he should be addressed as such. All he got from me was Righto mate.
I watched a US marine addressing an Australian NCO as "sir" during a live firing exercise in Afghanistan. The Australian said .".don't call me "sir" . I'm a corporal. Call me Dave." 😂
@@adamburt1811 yes but not an officer who is addressed as sir or mam.
@@adamburt1811 yeah being a corporal in a past life if someone called me sir I would respond the same way. Americans say Sir yes Sir to NCO's which is unheard of in any other force. I think that is what the OP was getting at.
My first parade, on joining the Australian Navy, I answered "Sir" to my training Petty Officer. He bellowed, "I'm a Petty Officer, not an Officer, I work for a living".
Don't call me 'Sir'. I work for a living.
It has little to do with the fact that it was a military setting as it is more of a cultural thing. Americans will address anyone who holds a position of authority - yes even a "lowly" corporal - as "Sir".
I am a teacher in Australia and students also wear school uniforms for security reasons. If there is someone on school grounds not in uniform (students not in uniform or adults not wearing an ID badge or visitors badge) we can question them. Also, if something was to happen to students going to or from school, a uniform can help to identify them if requured. This also means however, that the public know which schools to contact if students are misbehaving at local shopping centres etc.
I had a female colleague who had gone to a private school where there was a rule that students must not be seen in public in (compulsory) uniform after 5pm. It was the school's way of seeing it to it that students went straight home rather than hanging around shops.
In the 70's I was a trainee at the Western Australian Department Of Agriculture. I was asked to take an envelope to the head of the department, Mr. Waterhouse. As I entered the lobby, I saw my friend, Simon, who was my 500 partner when he visited our office. He was chatting to two others and I approached him and said G'day Simon, do you know where I can find Mr. Waterhouse?" Simon said "You're looking at him!" I turned to the person immediately next to Simon to offer him the letter. Simon laughed and said "I'm Mr. Waterhouse!" I had known Simon for almost three months and only knew him as Simon.
That's so cute! It doesn't matter at all about titles. The most important thing is to find a good 500 partner.
In all of the schools I know, the school parents generally run a second-hand shop and sell uniforms very cheaply.
Never. Herd of that in Orly to mid. 80 s in Australia
@@countrabricksbuildcraze8916 yep all the schools around me sell good quality used uniforms. If you have a couple or more kids going to the same school it saves families a heap. Especially useful for families that are struggling.
Every school i have ever been to and every school my kids have been to have had them.@countrabricksbuildcraze8916
I worked in a Ski resort in Australia. The Mountain Mgr said at a meeting no more nick names on the radio, we want to look professional. Next morning at 6am he calls me on the radio by my nickname.
Hey, Robbo, let's be professional. NO nicknames.
Sounds like a git!🇦🇺😀
@@mort8143 Good guy just lacked some self-awareness.
One the weaknesses of Australia is people using leaf blowers when you are trying to make a TH-cam video.
Those blower vacs are the most ridiculous type of power equipment invented. The electric one are just hair dryers with a long neck, that sound like Dentist drill. 🇦🇺😀
Never understood the leaf blower - they blow it in a pile but never think about picking up the pile and say, sticking it in the compost bin. That pile of leaves is not going to stay there.
you know someone is a real friend when you can take the piss out of each other, or drop the formality of first names and call them by their real name which is their nickname.
also i do think everyone in australia is your friend until you give them reason not to be, and by the same token friendship gets stronger when actions prove it.
Yes here it's considered a subtle sign of disrespect to call someone sir or madam especially in customer service, if someone emails you Dear sir they are pissed.
on the uniform issue the main reason must be it equalises everyone. Such an important issue amongst kids.
nah it standardizes everybody no 2 people are equal
@@shanehansen3705 it can do both.
@@MrTaylor1964 not to my experience though I'm a child of the 60/70 it's an expense that parents don't need especially when things are tough the excuse about designer ware setting kids apart is BS when it comes to public schools however private ones can do as they please as they have a minimum payment/income to get in so it makes no difference there either as all parents pay the same
@@shanehansen3705you don’t think it’s an expense to dress kids in casual wear 5 days a week, then competing for designer labels. I had 3 kids go through public schools and costs for uniforms were not that high.
@@MrTaylor1964 I agree, and you just know that if you showed up to school multiple days in the same 'outfit' you would be bullied, but with a uniform, you never had to worry. I grew up poor in the late 90's early 00's and it was almost impossible to just buy a plain t-shirt as a kid, at least with uniforms (which you can get second hand) you never have to worry about if that branded t-shirt your parents bought 6 months ago is still 'cool'
My grandad's cousin Jim, retired from the Navy in 1970's getting to the rank of Commodore when I was a young kid. Just after he retired, he was made Lt Govenor of Western Australia. He rocked up that day at my nan's house to have a cup of tea and a milk arrowroot. There was a Rolls Royce and driver waiting outside and he was still wearing his ceremonial uniform from the investiture. He wanted to take nan for a spin in the roller, but she wouldn't have a bar of it. "Getting a bit too up yourself Jim" A couple of years later he became the Govenor of Queensland and got a Knighthood. But he was still Jim.
I went to hospital with a heart issue, the doctor told me to call him Garry. And said when I go back to see reception the next day, he said to ask for Garry. I think it's pretty cool.
I used to work in the head office of the Australian division of a global company. From the start, I had regular conversations with the Australian managing director of the this division. He was from Hong Kong, but had readily adopted the Australian way of speaking to each other and so like everyone else, I addressed him by his first name. It was normal to address everyone by first names, no matter what the rank or position was that they held in the company.
We dont go in for much pomp or ceremony. People are judged on their heart not position or title.
I worked for many years in a federal government organisation that was a first-names workplace. Everybody was addressed by their first name, no matter how senior or junior the parties involved. If you addressed even the director-general as Mr or Ms so-and-so, it would sound sarcastically formal or pointedly distant or unfriendly.
My first 10 years of school was in Southern California. We didn't have lot of money, so school wear was basic and cheap. Then the family uprooted and moved to the UK. I was required to wear a school uniform, which suited me as I wanted to blend in as much as possible. A year later the family emigrated to Australia. Same deal with the school uniform. My Australian sons, and now my grandsons, wear school uniform. I like the idea. I would have added the German man's video the following from Australia; plastic bank notes, and pay wave. Both Aussie inventions.
Pay wave is SHITE.
CASH only paywave is there to rob you.
Cash is easy to control
When your wallet is empty, that’s it the end.
Paywave and credit is a phucking disaster for most people.
Credit is now a right!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DO NOT spend today what you haven't earned yet.
The banks will screw you tp HELL and BACK.
CREDIT is SHITE it will be your down fall unless you can do the books.
That’s why we call them bookies.
Financial manager or bookie there the same, it’s a calculated risk.
I'm an Aussie, and one thing I can say about my countrymen, and the government of my country is: We do handle bureaucracy quite well. Quite quite often you can fill in a form online.
There are two kinds of respect. One is where you lower yourself to appear humble, and the other is where you raise someone else up to acknowledge their status. Most Aussies do neither. It's not to say we don't respect social boundaries because we do, we just have other ways of showing it such as body language and levels of speech. For example, when addressing someone as "mate", it all depends on the way you say it as it can mean either a term of endearment and respect OR it can be used in a very hostile manner. You need to be attuned to the difference, which can be very subtle. "Thanks mate" can mean two entirely different things; most foreigners will not pick up on it until they've been here a while.
It's so common for visitors to get this one wrong.
I (in Australia) use cash so infrequently that I'm still waiting to get a $10 note of the latest variety in my wallet - by "latest variety" I mean those with the transparent strip right across the width of the note.
I agree on the uniforms - a leveller, and identifier too.
However, for many public schools (that I was aware of before 2000s at any rate) kids didn't always have to buy school-branded uniforms, rather as long as they wore general colours e.g a white polo shirt and grey shorts.
Yes, competition, disparagement or bullying about what other children are wearing is not helpful at school. Aside from equality, cost and security, uniforms slso save time in the morning!
Yeah at my school we all wore the official polo but bought our navy pants at the surf shop, so long as the branding wasn't too obvious
I believe there are subtle variations in levels of conversation that give you a clue about who is a friend. In reality, despite being cordial to everyone, Australians are very private past a certain point.
I think non-Australians mistake our extreme social politeness for friendliness. We smile and greet strangers, sharing some small talk, or helping them with directions, for example, because it would be terribly rude to ignore them. It’d be implying that we think we’re ‘better’ than them, and that’s utterly unforgivable for an Australian.
Well put.
A parents perspective on uniforms;
One school shirt can range from $15-30. A jumper can be $30-80
This all depends on the schools requirements and what uniform shops cater to your child's school.
2:30 I'm 60 years old (for context):
When I was a kid, we were taught to address our elders as 'Mrs' or 'Mr', or sir. Over the years, that formality slowly dissolved. I can remember as I grew older but still under 12, where I'd address an adult as Mr xx xor Mrs xxx, and they'd say, don't call me Mister, my name is ...
I'm pretty sure that by the mid-70s, to early 80s, we Aussies gave up that formality, except in very official occasions. I regularly get letters from official sources addressing me by my first name, and arguably, if we had retained those archaic terms, arguably, everyone would be calling me "Mister" or "Sir" and quite frankly, that would make feel really bloody weird!
Oh, and, I call my doctor by his first name. I just feel strange calling him, "Doctor (surname)". He's a person, just like me. As people, we are always equal. It's just titles and 'class' that artificially separates us.
I get really annoyed when I fill out a form either online or paper and it asks me whether I am a Mrs, Ms or whatever.. who the hell cares? my gender is already asked for, my name is usually an indicator anyway.. and again... why?
The teachers at my son's primary school went by first names, I didn't like it.
@tukicat1399 Yeah. But hey, remember that boy named Sue? Or, Lola?
That would make for some confusion, and possible violence if old Johnny Cash or Pete Quaif were still kicking :)
I'm the next generation, and from young, referring to people as "Mr and Mrs" was just a part of the whole "manners thing" as ubiquitous as "please" and "excuse me" and "thank you". If the elders were close family friends, they they would be referred to as "aunt" or "uncle".
Whenever I see a movie where a character says to the bartender that they want a beer, without saying "please" I shake my head and cringe. Lack of acknowledgement through a little politeness has become malignant.
I think you nailed it with your referral to titles and class. This is based solely on my own experiences over quite a few years. When I was promoted to a more senior position at work, my relationship with staff who had previously been on a similar "level" remained the same. While I took responsibility for final decisions, my staff and I discussed all major situations because we all had perspectives that should be considered. It meant that the workplace was one where everyone contributed and the results reflected a deep understanding of what was needed. Fortunately for me, I worked with people who didn't care so much about what people earned, what their job title was, where they were educated and in what country they were born. Titles meant nothing, just how each one contributed. In my experience, while Aussies respect titles, they are not in awe of them and frankly, what role do traditional ideas of class have to do with anything in a country that that was originally settled by our wonderful indigenous peoples tens of thousands of years ago, followed by the arrival of convicts and poor free settlers escaping British class? That is what makes Australia so great.
the school uniform thing was a godsend, Like him, I grew up quite poor, never had brand name clothing or shoes etc. a lot of my cloths were hand me downs etc. never had to worry about getting bullied at school for my cloths.
it would be a lot easier now, as you can get just plain shirts and pants, back in the late 90's early 00's it was IMPOSSIBLE to get non-branded clothing. even the 'store brands' had branding on them, they were just knockoff's of other brands or stupid pictures of people skateboarding or surfing, It was SO obvious that it was the cheapest shirt Kmart sold. now you can just get a plain t-shirt any any colour you want.
Addressing the "mate" point. It depends on the tone of voice, setting like a pub or in general public settings etc. If you ever hear at say the pub "look here mate!" then its likely someone that isn'tt their actual friend, and a fight is to break out. If you hear "sorry mate," then likely not their mate but apologising to a stranger over a spilt beer. If they are addressing an actual mate, then probably a nickname will come into it. It's all about setting, tone of voice, etc.
One of the reasons some restaurants require a deposit when a diner is making a reservation is due to no shows. They may have put on extra staff based on the number of covers they are expecting and the booking is cancelled at the last minute or they just don’t show up. The deposit would be non refundable in that situation.
Thanks for watching my video! I was wondering where all the traffic suddenly came from 😅
Keep up the good work!
You too! Hope you're having a great time in Australia! 🇦🇺
In Australia I worked in theatre with surgeons. When they called me out of hours it was hey paul or bob. In the operating theatre or the hospital wholesale it was Mr Bob XXX. Outside of surgical medicine I dont think anyone uses titles in Australia. Most people with titles know it is bullshit so if you refer to them as bloke, john etc, they will never defend their title. Because they themself know it is bull shit. And hands off for school uniforms. the great equiliser. I know tough and rough kids that would wear their school uniform on no uniform days as a protest and say why are you paying $2 to look like a knob. I dont need to show off my Nike's
Thanks Katlin for the video it's nice to see how Australia is different in many ways from other countries. Keep up the good work
this was a super good reaction in the fact that i have never seen this guy before and i am going to check out his channel right after this , thanks Kaitlyn :)
Hi Did you find the young German's channel? Please tell me his site. I like him, but I couldn't find him. Thanks.
In particular there is respect for the term Doctor (medical) but in private he is still first name or mate
When I was very young, my dad refused to buy expensive running shoes, so me and my sisters got Dunlop Volleys instead. We complained one day to our parents that we'd be embarrassed at the primary school sports with our cheap shoes, so my dad tried to draw with a beg texta 3 Adidas stripes on the Dunlop Volleys. Dunlop Volleys are/were mostly a canvas or similar material, so the ink bled into the material to make 3 big blobs on both sides of each shoe. 😄 I've still got a photo somewhere of it
School uniforms: usually the school has a secondhand uniform purchase system, so each year the parent takes the child, with the laundered and ironed uniforms from the previous year to swap with the next size up.
Well-off families may buy new uniforms, but most use the second hand system. At the end of the schooling, or on leaving, the uniforms are handed back in.
When I was teaching in the NT students would refer to teachers as the honorific followed by the first name eg. Mr Bob or Mrs Liz. It felt comfortable and was culturally appropriate. Doctors would get the same treatment.
Nah when you got close mate from Australia who is like family it’s obvious, it’s got nothing to do how someone introducing themselves to you
First names are a newer thing. As kids we were expected to address those older or unfamiliar to us by their last names.
Mr and or Mrs..
That began to change late 1990s through 2000s.
An interesting aspect is that as a 1980s primary school kid, I can remember far more first and last names of the girls even though I never spoke to most of them at all. That suggests to me that girls were named more formally by teachers. What a prim and proper lot we were.
Perhaps apocryphal - a team of Australian soldiers were digging foxholes without shirts in WW2 North Africa, when a British lieutenant approached them demanding to see their captain. The soldiers stopped but did not salute him. The lieutenant then berated them, when one stepped forward, put on his captain's shirt and then demanded he show more respect to his men.
(I'd like to think that he then gave the lieutenant a shovel, but I don't think that happened...)
That restaurant reservation deposit thing must be a Sydney idea. I live in Melbourne and have never had to do that, as far as I can remember.
Last Christmas eve a restaurant lost much of its profit due to no show booking. These days, they learn their lessons.
I have been asked once in Melbourne. I chose a different restaurant.
A lot of people were making reservations then not turning up, so some restaurants started charging deposits
@@leannewith3 Good response
And fair enough. They're running a business and the booking is a contract that ensures the business will receive something if the table stays empty for 2 hours@@eileendoyle6537
I love how you're developing a slight Aussie accent❤
Psssst. Let the assimilation into the Kangaroo Force be complete. Only then inform her.
Even our doctors are usually called by their first names now, most don’t even bother introducing themselves as Dr ?? just their first name.
I love the informality, it’s mostly because Australians don’t see anyone as better than someone else
At my local surgery most are Dr.......followed by their first name.
@@heatherrowles9930 yes some places are like that but a lot have now dropped the doctor 😁
They typically have to call patients in the waiting room by their first names now for privacy reasons. In busy offices they find that annoying because you can have multiple people with the same first name. The idea being overhearing someone’s last name is more identifying and the privacy laws are really strict.
Optus Stadium in Perth is completely cashless, though there are machines all over that you use, free of charge, you put in a cash amount in exchange for a card to use within the venue, speeds up lines 10 fold.
The great thing about the informality is that if you forget someone’s name you can just refer to them as “mate.”
I refer to someone’s life partner as their partner, until I know the status of their relationship, or know the person well enough to know their status.
IE: their gender, living arrangements etc.
it’s just polite not to assume and can save embarrassment on the other person’s part if they aren’t comfortable sharing personal information.
Everyone is different so it’s nice to respect that.
I almost never call someone Mr or Mrs / Ms however, that’s too formal for most of us Aussies.
I liked that it was bit of a different list to the strengths/differences that we see in every other video. And being from Germany, the perspective was different too. The perspective that someone from the US or UK has is different. Like you say, on some of thise things the US is somewhere in between Aus and Germany.
And yes many places in Europe, cash is still king. I agree with him that places should offer both so people can choose.
Aussie school kids wear hats to establish a habit of sun protection from an early age - Australia being a high skin cancer location.Two Australian scientists won the Nobel Science Prize last year for progress in skin cancer treatments.
Doctor, priest, member of parliament, CEO, anybody may be introduced as "This is Bob, he's the Bishop." Depending on the business, a client may be different at first meeting. Someone pointed out recently that our major sports stadiums don't have much parking and councils provide free transport to and from many events.
In Australia they do a sort of line dance to the song Nutbush.
In MERICA! they teach their children what to do, not if, but when, a shooter comes to the school.
So, I guess it sort of balances out, right?
In country schools in Australia traditional bush dances are taught as part of the music curriculum; I remember learning the barn dance, the heel and toe polka etc. Well that was my 80s era anyway. Nowadays I have no idea. Maybe they teach the Taylor Swift shake it off shuffle 🕺
@@musicalneptunian 🤣🤣🤣
Australian schools have lockdown practice.
@@GeoffCB since when and what for?
They do lockdown practice for intruders but I don’t think it’s as active shooter based as in America.
The many high schools at which I taught, "out of uniform day" occurred a couple of times per term. It was not obligatory but if students chose to come out of uniform, there were a couple of rules regarding obscene or derogatory motifs etc. there a small charge ($1 or$2). It was organised by the school social committee or school council (year 11 & 12) and the collection was given to a different charity each time.
I grew up in the 60's and 70's, and got my first job in '77. I was told that on my first day I needed to report to my foreman, Brian Long, upon arrival, so when I entered the offices off the street, I was met by a lady (who turned out to be the Pay Mistress) who asked how she could help me. I told her who I was, and asked where I could find Mr Long... "MISTER LONG?!" she cried, amid gales of laughter from the rest of the office. Well, it was "Brian" from that day forward, and that was my introduction to the casual way the Aussie workplace functions. It was so strange after calling all the adults in my life Mister or Missus such-and-such, or Uncle or Aunty whoever. But so much more comfortable, and with no lack of respect. 😊👍🇦🇺🇦🇺
Twist tops are good for stopping flies in your beer. They dont drink much but still annoying.
In most cases it does not take too long to work out who is a good friend.
You could also do a whole series of episodes on Aussie slang...
I’m a retired high school teacher and while I was still teaching, a former student came to an executive meeting. She was a deputy principal at a nearby primary school. Before the meeting started she said hello to our the senior executives and other head teachers by their first names. When she came to me, she couldn’t call me by my first name, even though I invited her to do so. She would only call me Miss surname. The same thing happened at my sister’s workplace. She teaches at TAFE. A new teacher started working with her last year and he was also a former student of mine from the 1990s. I popped in to say hello and he had the same response. He said it didn’t feel right to call me by my first name.
Re cash - remember that cheques are still a thing in the US! :O I don't think I've used a cheque for 20 years.
Checks 😉
Ha ha, I wrote two cheques today!!! They are not dead yet down under.
@@blueycarltonout of interest how long do they take to clear and does the bank charge for the privilege now?
@@MrTaylor1964 Cheques is correct here and in most commonwealth countries. Checks is American.
@@marieravening927see the little smiley face, of course we spell it cheques but the post discusses the USA.
I remember a few years ago before I retired, I was in my office (I worked for the state ambulance service I was sitting at my desk it was a quiet day so I was chilling out with my feet on the desk watching TV and the CEO walked in he just said hi and started chatting I just used his first name we were both very comfortable with this.
When I started my apprenticeship, being 17yrs old, in 1969, l was taught to respect my elders, l called every supervisor MR or MRS/MISS ,but within 2 years l was even calling the owner by his first name.
All the Chinese take away shops near me, North of Brisbane only take cash , NO cards. I think it is a tax dodge and they probably pay their casual staff cash each day, so the owners don't pay income tax or superannuation.
That is very interesting . I'm on the Northside of Brisbane too and all of the takeaways including Asian, Turkish, Lebanese , Indian, Japanese, Korean & Fish & Chip shops all take cards & cash In fact some prefer cards.
It might be a tax dodge as well, but from personal experience it's also likely to be due to the fact that the bank charges a) for the equipment to take card payments, and b) a small percentage for every card transaction. Some businesses can't or don't want to lose that profit margin.
A lot of Asian businesses here in Sydney will give a discount for cash payments or don't accept card at all. Many small businesses, not just Asian ones, have a surcharge if you use card to pass that extra cost onto the customer.
The hats are a new-ish idea, we didn't have them when I was at school in the 70s and 80s. It's intended to protect against sun damage. Melanoma - skin cancer - is a BIG public health problem in Australia, and its occurrence is strongly correlated with ultraviolet light exposure from the sun. Hence the French Foreign Legion-style kepi hats for the kiddies. IMO it's a bloody good idea, and it makes me happy to see how we Aussies look after each other.
No hat, no play and the foreign legion style hats was definitely a thing by 1987 in Brisbane. Good thing too, I have had 6 aunts and uncles all with Melanomas.
Really glad to hear you still enjoy living here after two here, Kaitlyn. 😊
Uniforms are definitely a case by case basis with schools here. My high school was private and we didn't have uniforms. It's very much up to the school.
I’ve never seen an Australian school without a uniform, and the private ones are usually more elaborate, we had to wear long pants, a blazer and a tie, in QLD summer!
Calling people by their 1st names came in either the very late 60's or early 70's. I 've forgotten exactly when. 😊
You know who your friends are regardless of what people call you. Its an instinct.
Gosh you are looking gorgeous today! Love the lace on your dress and your makeup looks spot on to me. Hope I’m not being too forward complementing you. Cheers from an Aussie granny.
In Australia, the term 'partner' is used where you are living together with someone in a relationship; but not married. (Wife or husband wouldn't apply as you are not married). The name of the relationship is 'de facto' marriage........ a marriage without the annoying paperwork.
I’ve been referred to as ‘my partner’ by a girl I had known a week :o
11:00 There was an incident recently where a cafeteria in Parliment house Canberra that staed "They wrere card only" . After a discussion with management it was found that they had to take cash as cash is" Legal Tender' and cannot be refused.
Cash can be refused if notice is given, but most shops are sensible about it.
Cash can be refused but only if notice is given before the transaction. Did you also know too many coins isn’t legal tender, there are limits on how many you can use.
The manager accepted his cash to get him to go away (you have a yelling MP you would too). The policy is still no cash, and Katter got his moment in the news which was all he was after. Yes you too can abuse staff and sometimes find they do what you want if you’re in a position of power, despite it not being legally required.
As an Australian, i have a number of very good friends who i have had form many year, but I realise while watching this video I don’t actually know their last names, although I do assume they have them. And FYI Australian beer bottles sold domestically are not required to have caps that can only be removed with a “bottle opener” while a foreign be exported to Australian must not be able to be opened by twist top, some sort of legal rule when it comes to import export.
Oh wow! I did not know this... interesting. Thanku 😊👍
I went to primary school from 1976 to 1982 and then high school from 1983 to 1987. My primary school didn't require a uniform and my high school uniform was very casual. I'm gladthatt has changed. I never experienced or saw any bulling. I'm not saying there wasn't any, I just never saw it. I loved school. I feel so sorry for the school kids these days.
Ultra formal = Mr Smith
Formal = "mate"
Normal = John
Informal = "Smitty"
Friend = (nickname only his friends know)
One of my brothers lives in the South-West Sydney suburb of Cabramatta. The suburb is renowned for its large multicultural population of Vietnamese, Chinese, Laotian, and many other people groups. There are still many shops there that are cash only, and some of the banks have 5 or 6 ATM'S.
Australia is essentially a classless society whereby tall poppy syndrome is knocked out of persons purporting to elevate themselves to above everyone else
By the way, it’s good to see you have a bottle of Bundy Rum on your bookshelf behind you.
And yes, most everything and everyone’s name is shortened to a word with a “y” on the end.
Excepting of course to refer to a redheaded person almost exclusively as “Bluey”.
Love you channel mate
I always paid the bus every morning in 1990 in Australien and at the train Station they had this wood since that you can draw.
The uniform is huge for kids, especially public school kids.
Since Covid, I pay most purchases hy card now. The only problem I have with doing that is that some places charge as much as an extra 3%, even though I pay with a debit card. Government guidelines suggest that the charge should be 1% for a debit card and 1.5% for a credit card. 😮
The cost of acceptance varies quite a bit, the big supermarkets pay well less than 1% maximum (bargaining power) while other businesses can pay more based on risk. Though the bigger % are card not present transactions, eg something like booking a hotel over the phone/internet I’ve seen them actually have to pay 12% (yes that was the cost the banks charged). Places that do large transactions 3% probably happens. Eg a computer shop etc. But if other places are passing it on they don’t shop around as much, some have higher fixed monthly fees, and lower transaction costs, others no fees and higher transaction costs.
Businesses that don’t have the owner present favor card more because it’s harder for staff to steal and they don’t need to pay some to take the day’s takings to the bank or risk getting robbed etc.
When I worked at a university in Thailand the students called me 'Ajun' meaning teacher. I asked them to call me Michael, but they felt that was disrespectful, so we compromised and they called me 'Ajun Michael'.
School uniforms are kept very simple in. Public schools - usually .cotton knit shirts and shorts and hat of course. Most schools keep a stock of donated second hand uniforms which, given how kids grow, they've only worn for a year, if your lucky.
My parents bought us 2nd hand uniforms that was fine…..
The no school uniform day, "MUFFTI DAY!
I am Australian and dont think i have ever worked somewhere that was formal with names. When I worked in aged care they tried to tell us to use Mr or Mrs but you gain a rapport with them so most have nicknames or we just use their given name. Same with any appointments I have had, they just address you by ur first name. I find it more welcoming using first names.
You skipped past the RSL clubs and the stop everything at 7pm, to do the ODE, be upstanding & facing the sunset. Lest we forget.
It's at 6pm at my RSL (Returned Soldiers League), club and most others I've been to. There is usually a symbolic flame inside the club that all patrons stand-up and face to recite the "ode of remembrance".
In Sydney you can now just tap your wrist to pay for transport without authentication. I wonder how long till they implant chip in your body and you just pay everything by passing by.
twist lids.
we call them screw tops
Majority of high end beer/craft beer will be pop tops, it creates a far superior seal for those types of beers that inherently need to hold more pressure and it takes far less complex machines to do so. Corona is notorious for exploding upon opening if not chilled to the right temperature in my experience.
When I was in school in the 89s, there was a time when uniforms were optional. This led to bullying based on fashion. As a result, the country went back to uniforms.
The first name thing. Almost every doctor I know is still referred to by their first name by employees and patients alike. Dr Sarah, Dr Herbie, Dr Cindy. True examples. We don't have Officer Dibble either.
Twist lids for wine as well, is an Aussie invention 🇦🇺 bloody brilliant 👏 😅. I have just come back from Europe where we leased a car and there was a ton of paperwork to sign. Yes cash in Europe is nearly mandatory, especially in small businesses.
CUB has the patent for the twist top. You'll note that its the CUB beers have the twist tops. Nice ear rings. My wife would love them.
I previously had a job where I knew my boss only by his first name. I was filling in some work related paperwork and I had to ask what his family name was.
Twist tops, there called Twist tops. Back in the day, 1970's, KB had these little bottles called KB Kegs, throw downs we used to call them, and they had ring pull cap on the bottle like a Bundy ginger beer bottle. By careful manipulation of the cap you could turn these caps into frogs and sending them bouncing about the place while playing space invaders on the table top video games.
Deposit for a table??? Maybe in Sydney, since it's a major tourist hotspot. I've personally never heard of that down in VIC
I kinda think that here in Australia everyone is your friend until they’re not! Also, when I was dating my wife, being a bit of an old school pom, it took me quite a number of years before I felt comfortable addressing her parents by their first names! I’m sure it gave them the sh@ts!
We went to a supermarket in German when travelling. We were very surprised that they didn’t take card 😮
I would expect something like a council letter would have your full name on the front, while the start of the main body of the letter may have "Dear Mimi,".
However if I am a regular at a store, it would not be totally odd to eventually gain "Hi Mimi!".
(My IRL name is not Mimi, though it is on my Coles account, so my deliveries have "M Sardinia" on them.)
School uniforms are something I feel gives an air of discipline and unity. It also means, in bus exchanges, you can spot your schoolmates by uniform colours. This is my feeling remembering back to my school years. The blue tartan dresses later turned dark green tartan shirts and white shirts? My church school. Red tartan when I moved to a state school. Mum was the sort who went to certain fabric stores who got in stock of school tartans and she just got the fabric herself and sewed my clothes at home. Hell, she sewed our school sweaters in normal fleecy. At least with her doing that, she got my sizing right.
Screw-lid bottles? Now I think of it, I don't drink alcohol, so opening bottles of Patritti (grape juice - the company does sell wine as well) is a bit out of my usual because they are corked.
I remember what Valandhir said about how in Germany, everything is stamped.
Also, buses? I felt like the German buses were get your monthly fare card, and you just jump on via the backdoor and totally bypass the driver after the first time.
But the cahlessness of buses has become almost total since COVID, with Go Cards being standard (Sydney has Opal cards).
Great video Kaitlyn 😊 I still use cash when I go shopping, but not as often as I used to, I have gotten used to using the card now
School always had their own clothing, books and equipment, second hand and sold cheaply, or on laybuy. I don't know how it is now.
We faught to keep cash in our town in Aus.
Letters addressed to me by given name come from the water company, the gas company, the electricity company, and the local council.
Regarding school uniforms: it ends up being cheaper for struggling families, especially with help from the school.
I’m calling bullshit on the bit about not knowing who your friends are. In the workplace especially, it’s quite easy to work out who your friends are. in fact, it’s quite easy to work out who they are not. Australians are pretty good at using the gift of ASP. Arsehole Sensory Perception. We can spot them all away and generally avoid. You will generally have at least one in your workplace.
now here's a funny thing I'v met a few CEO's in my life from both Aussie and international companies and only met 1 Aussie ceo who demanded being addressed as MR the foreign ones were introduced by first name and seemed to be happy to converse that way even American and Swiss and NO uniforms shees back in the 70's the girls in our school went on strike to be able to wear pants and very few boys ever wore a proper uniform
Most schools have 2nd hand uniform shops or a FB page for parents to sell 2nd hand uniforms, so even lower socio-economic families can still afford uniforms. Plus most schools will assist parents who are struggling financially.
The school uniforms also helped the Esme Watsons at the shops after school report bad behaviour to the principals. 😂
My kids are now adults but when they were young they were tought to address adults as Mr, Mrs, Doctor etc. Almost 100% of people responded with "call me Bill, Jenny, Sue" etc so the informality kicks in early here.
I don’t have a card so everything is cash, you don’t want it I will just go elsewhere
Honorific prefixes and suffixes are almost gone in Australia, but the respect still applies.
It’s nice being casual with people…