Things people do in Australia that would be totally strange done elsewhere -Part 2

A few weeks ago I started telling you about daily actions Australians do that would look completely out of place if done anywhere else. You can find the article here. This week I came up with a couple more for your entertainment!

• She'll be right mate 

This very popular answer even has its own Wiki page! The fancy definition is: whatever is wrong will right itself with time, my dear fellow. In a nutshell, and in pure Australian chill mood: don't worry. There is a fine line between optimism and apathy and this common answer balances perfectly on that line. I doubt there even is a similar sentence in Italian, given the peculiar "she" instead of a general "it". Real life examples: both of your car light go out and you need to drive home at night: "She'll be right". You get a leech stuck to your leg for hours: "She'll be right". 

• Drinking habits 

Getting a great bang for your buck is imperative, that's why 'goon bags' exist. Have you ever seen wine in a box? The kind of wine people that have their shit together use to cook and only to cook? Well, people that don't have their shit together just yet, remove the bag from the box, hang it on clothes line, or hide it in their pants, and get the party started! Also, it's not uncommon to see youngsters drinking from shoes, or to see people walking around without shoes at all, especially in summer. I wonder if the two are somehow connected. Although I have seen some pretty interesting drinking habits in my England days, a £2.50 wine bottle from Tesco still looks somewhat 'classier' than a goon bag.

• Having complementary water on the table 

I have to admit, this is something I got used to very quickly. Everywhere they serve food they will bring water to your table, for free, without questions, and free refill. In Italy you would find bread on the table, that you will pay no matter what, and if you wanted water you'd have to ask, and they would bring you fancy bottled water. You'd think twice before pouring water for the whole table, or plan to share a bottle with someone. Of course, they do have tap water, but you would have to be specific about it, and endure the judging eyes of your waiter.

• Showing the content of your bag while walking out of a store 

I promise you, this is the weirdest thing. Luckily, I have never been asked to show the content of my bag and receipt to the guard at the doors, because I tend to scrunch up the receipt and throw it in my bag, where it will exist much like Schrodinger’s cat. Is it alive or dead in the box? Is it still in my bag or did I lose it? I probably have more chances to find a cat in my bag, than the receipt. Anyway, I have never heard of people checking your purchases in any other Country I’ve visited. You can imagine the face of the guard in Berlin when the boyfriend showed him his brand new item. The guard had to contain a laugh and mumbled a 'Ohhh, good stuff, man!'.

• Walking on zebra crossing knowing that cars will stop 

Every time I am about to cross a street in Australia, I would automatically stop, look left and right, then realise cars come from the opposite side, so I would look right and left, and in the meantime the rest of my group is three blocks away. Seriously, if you are walking in Italy, do not attempt crossing when a car is approaching. Repeat. Do not attempt that. The car will not stop. Should it? Yes. Would it? No.



Image: via