What is australian culture like?

Question

im thinking about going there on an exchange student program...what do australians eat and what is the street fashion (pics would be great!) what do you do for fun and just, what is a normal day like? school and stuff? thanks!

also, would it be difficult being vegan (no meat, dairy, eggs)?

Answer 1

Hi! I live in Melbourne. I'm not too impressed with the other two answers - sorry folks! For one thing, "mates" or "sheilas" is NOT a greeting. We say "G'day" and Hi, Hello, Good Morning, Good Evening, like other English speakers. Working class people often call their male FRIENDS mates and sometimes they call females IN GENERAL Sheilas; middle class people use these terms much LESS often, especially sheila.

It is probably no more difficult to be a vegan in Australia than it is in any other Western society, but if you are staying with a family you'll have to ask them to cook vegan meals especially for you. In the big cities there is a vast variety of foods available at supermarkets and produce markets, both fresh and processed, including organic, vegan, vegetarian, halal, kosher, and so on.

Australians tend to eat a lot of Italian and Asian-style foods, as well as old-fashioned British meat and 3 veg. Aussies drink a lot more tea than Americans, and will mostly serve it with milk and two sugars unless you specify otherwise. They'll probably offer you a "bickie" with it (a biscuit!). They're especially fond of chocolate-covered TimTams, which are addictive!

Generally we eat cereal or toast for breakfast with tea or coffee, sandwiches or foccaccias for lunch with soft drink or flavoured milk. A lot of boys eat meat pies and sausage rolls, which you will probably find disgusting! They also cover it with generous amounts of tomato sauce (ketchup to you).

For dinner we often have pasta and salad followed by fruit or ice cream for dessert. A lot of Aussies enjoy barbequing steak, chops,sausages, and fish, which you also probably won't appreciate! We also eat a lot of stir-fry and rice, baked or steamed veges, and roast lamb. You could probably cope with a vegan stir-fry. (We often cook with garlic and chillies as well.)

High school starts at around 8:30 in the morning at most shools, and goes till about 3:15pm, Monday to Friday. Most students bring their own lunch or buy some food from the "tuck shop", a small shop operated inside the school, often staffed by parents, and providing a limited range of take-away foods. There is no sit-down cafeteria in most Australian schools.

After school most students catch public transport home and study for an hour or two, watch TV, swim, walk dogs, play computer games, and basically hang out like teenagers everywhere. Most Australian homes have a couple of big TVs, DVD players, sound systems, and leisure areas. The back yard and the lounge room are the favourite relaxation areas for most people, as well as the kitchen, of course!

Most homes have dishwashers these days but kids are generally expected to stack the dishwasher, clean their bedrooms, care for pets, and do other light chores around the house.

Most teenagers have their own "mobile phone" which is what we call a cell phone, and text each other a lot.

The fashions are probably exactly the same as what you have at home, as fashion is global these days. You probably know that Aussies are very fond of the beach, so bathers ("togs" in Queensland) are essential wear, along with "thongs" (on your feet, not your bum). By the way, a "bum" here is your backside, not a beggar or homeless person. LOL!

The style of life is very casual, and children never call adults "sir" unless they're army cadets! You'll find most Australians open and very friendly.

Our society is now VERY diverse, and getting more so every day: there are over 180 languages spoken in Melbourne, but there is very little conflict between ethnic groups.

The biggest cause of trouble in my opinion is alcohol, of which Australians are extremely fond. If you are over 18 you can attend a pub legally, although you may be asked to show proof of age. Your friends will "shout" [buy] you a drink, but you are expected to then return the compliment, which may entail buying drinks for the whole group [a "round" of drinks]. There is quite a lot of pressure to drink alcohol. Taxis are expensive, so young people usually share a car. There is often a "designated driver" to avoid getting busted for drink-driving.

In Sydney, Melbourne, and other big cities, there are loads of bars, night clubs, cafes, and restaurants, as well as frequent outdoor concerts and festivals, some of them free of charge. The Gold Coast, where Bindi Irwin's Australia Zoo is, is great during the day, with lots of fun parks and lovely beaches, but there is NO night life.

Byron Bay, on the northern NSW coast, is an exceptionally beautiful place to visit, and would also have lots of vegetarian/vegan food due to the strong hippy influence.

Have a great time!

Answer 2

Australia uses the metric system, America doesn't
America has a president, Australia has a Prime Minister.

As for our culture :::::
Aussies are informal and “laid back,”
Greetings are: “mates” and “sheilas”: G'day (Good day).

Our fashions and entertainment differ little from those in Europe and North America. If you go to the websites http://www.myer.com.au http://www.target.com.au and http://www.kmart.com.au etc you can view catalogues online on what Aussie fashion is all about and the prices of course.

Our humour is often characterized as sarcastic, ironic, and self-deprecating.

Drinking and gambling is a very important aspect of Australian popular culture – Beer being the top choice!

Australian cuisine has kangaroo and crocodile on the menu (you can buy kangaroo meet in any supermarket butcher department. Barbecues (“the barbie”) is the Australian pastime.

Traditional Aboriginal Outback cuisine consists of such unique foods as kangaroo, wombat, turtle, eel, emu, snake, and witchetty grubs (larvae of the ghost moth).

Vegemite, a salty, dark-brown yeast extract, is an Australian icon and used on toast for breakfast. You must try some while you are here otherwise they will not let you leave the country, it is custom.

To be a true Aussie you need to know the slang used.
go to http://www.australianexplorer.com/australian_slang.htm for a 'hoot'. (laugh)

Australia does have four seasons, but much more diverse - as we also have the outback and the tropical way of life ….

I'm a bit past school life - I'm sure someone else can help you out there.

Answer 3

The answer to all those things depends a lot on who you would be staying with and where. There are plenty of vegans around, but it's not the norm. You would have to specify and find a host family who's ok with that. As far as daily life goes, we aren't that different to America. We are part of "Western Culture" after all. You're asking pretty general questions, so it's hard to answer. Basically, if you are wanting to go somewhere really different to home, don't come here. If you're wanting somewhere a bit different but uncomfortably so, we're a good choice!

Answer 4

After reading all the answers I have to say Zucchinisinratatouille has given you the best one in my opinion.

There are just 4 things I'd like to add/correct.

1. What we call bicuits (bic-kies) here. In the US they're called cookies.
2. Nearly all schools here insist on the wearing of school uniforms. There are very, very few schools that don't.
That's ok because everyone has to do it.
3. Australia Zoo is NOT on the Gold Coast in Queensland. It's located just outside Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland.
4. Both the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast have a very lively nightlife. Particularly the Gold Coast it's known across the world for the the bars, clubs, pubs and general after dark entertainment.

Answer 5

After reading what Zucchinisinratatouille, I don't think there's anything else to say . I think you'll really enjoy it if you come to Australia.

Answer 6

Vegans are banned from here.