Reading Between the Lines

Communicating well with people in your own culture is often times difficult, especially when trying to explain abstract ideas or feelings. Communicating those same things to people of other cultures can prove to be a very difficult task indeed. When I first came to Australia, I was worried that I would offend people through my actions - perhaps by doing something that is normal in the states, but frowned upon here. However, I had no reason to worry. The people here are not as coy as they are in the states. At home, people use flowery language when dealing with hard subjects in order to easy any discomfort. Here, they are very blunt and could be interpreted as rude sometimes. 

The colloquial way of speaking is quite abrasive, and a little off-putting at first. They also really like to shorten everything. Instead of McDonald's, it's Macca's. Instead of spaghetti bolognese, it's spagbol. Sometimes it is hard to keep up with all their shortened words! They also throw around insults like we do compliments, but the insults are actually compliments. Words that are extremely offensive in the states are used as a way of expressing fondness between friends, or as a way of just calling to someone. The way that we say "you", they use other things that are slightly more offensive. Some words I was not used to, and was pretty offended at first. It was something that I had to recognize, and then get used to. A little bit of culture shock, I think. 

Here in Australia, they have a lot of habitual responses. For example, when I was traveling, I would get stopped a lot trying to pass through customs because the reader has a hard time matching my face to my passport. Whenever I would go to the desk, I'd always apologize and they would respond with "that's alright". It's their way of saying, "it's okay" or "don't worry about it". It's a pretty general blanket response, and it's usually always meant in a good way. Sometimes they will say "cheers" or something like that, if you are closer with them. Strangers tend to say "you're alright" or "that's alright". I think it is interesting, and it's sort of grown on me. I've found myself saying this sometimes as well. 

Communications here are also extremely important if you're living on campus. The colleges - which are what we consider dorms - are very close. People from the same college tend to stick together, and there is a lower rate of association with people not in the same college. One reason is because the colleges are really spread out across campus and it's easier to associate with people in the same college than have to go to the other side of campus just for a few hours. Another reason is the inter-college competition called Fisher Shield. It pits the colleges against each other in a large amount of different events, and it is really intense. In George Roberts - where I stay - we always get ready before any game by painting our faces and just getting up a general hype. Some colleges encourage their residents to not associate with other colleges. It's a really intense competition for the Fisher Shield. It's comparable to how hyped people get between OSU and Michigan. 

Some painted GR folks. 

Here, less students have cars than I am used to. And since I have a car on campus at Allegheny, I am not used to not being able to go to places when I need to or want to. I either have to take the bus or ask a friend for a ride. There are things on campus, but they close early. Most of the stores here close early, compared to what I am used to. During the week they close around six, and on the weekends they close even earlier. I am used to be able to running errands in the evenings, so it was hard to plant around that at first. I have gotten used to taking a bus around, and the bus drivers around here are always really friendly.