| Living in Australia | |
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8.15 Orientation – Planning and preparation is vital for a successful move, whether that be to Australia or returning to your home country. It may be easy to think that if your settlement has not been successful, you will be able to return and life will continue as normal, but there is a long history of people who go home and find culture shock all over again and then move back to Australia. The top three success factors include: . creating a good first impression on your arrival (by being well organized and having someone to meet you at the airport to take you to some suitable accommodation and sufficient financial resources to support any emergencies or a lack of paid work in the first 12 months) . starting new friendships with people of all backgrounds as soon as possible and asking people questions so you can find information. Seek help or assistance if you need it . expecting it to be challenging, being prepared to learn completely new ways of doing things and not making assumptions about what happens to you or judging other people’s behaviour through your own experience (they may not have intended to offend you in any way but your existing cultural perspective may find it offensive) 8.16 Public Transport - In capital cities, the public transport system is regularly used by commuters and the service quality can vary from time to time. In some cases it can be overcrowded and unreliable but if you do live close to a transport hub or train station, as a general rule, you will have many options. You will need to make sure that you always have the right ticket and concession/student identification/card with you if you are travelling with a concession fare ticket. Investigate all of the local fares available as you can sometimes get extra discounts for travelling on a Sunday, during off peak times, after 6pm etc. Whilst the individual transport modes may be run by private companies, there should be a central timetable resource for your state. Public Transport Metlink Melbourne 8.17 Questions – it is vital to ask questions whenever you need to, especially in the workplace where your personal safety is at risk. You can always ask different people questions and if you have personal concerns, it is a good idea to speak to someone outside of your workplace. Service providers are usually required to maintain your privacy – but if you have any concerns, again, ask the question before you reveal your personal details. Remember that when you say ‘yes,’ people assume you mean ‘yes’ and that you will then do whatever you have agreed to or have’ understood the question. Likewise, if you say ‘no’ people will assume that you mean ‘no.’ 8.18 Rituals, routines and relationships – In your previous location, you would have had many regular routines and rituals – ways to celebrate important occasions, regular events to attend, similar patterns of work and socializing. However, in your new location, you need to re-create all of these and replace your old practices with new ones. Relationships with people from your previous location will change, but it is very important to remain in regular contact with your most special friends and family members (thanks to technology and Skype http://www.skype.com this is both simple and cheap). Your current relationships may also be tested so it is vital for you to make new friends, particularly of the same gender, so that you have other people to talk to face to face. If you are embarking upon new friendships and relationships, do not rush in to these at the same intensity as your previous well established relationships as some people find this overwhelming when you have only met recently. If you are seeking a personal relationship to help you cope with the adjustment, remember that it is still important to spend time with people who share the same values as you do. Relationships Australia Australian Psychological Society (has good tip sheets in the publications section) http://www.psychology.org.au The Line (if you think someone has crossed the line and been disrespectful to you) 8.19 Social networks – There are many ways to create new social networks in Australia – some of the most popular include sporting groups, hobbies, interests, causes, faith groups, ethnic communities, industry/work/professions, online forums/networks etc. You can connect with people face to face, online, via referral from someone else, at events, at open days, at festivals, seminars, training or educational facilities, the list is endless. Use methods that suit your own personal style and wherever possible, collect people of different ages and backgrounds and decide as time passes, which ones you will keep in contact with in the longer term (but do not dismiss people during your first six months as they can all help you – even if they are only answering questions). 8.20 Time – In most cities in Australia, if you make an appointment for a certain time (business, personal or social), even if you know that the other person may be late, you are expected to arrive on time (so allow extra time to cover transport delays, difficulty finding the location or security procedures). Australians look forward to long weekends and holidays as a time to relax with family and friends, however, in most cases, they do work hard at work. Some key dates (there are many more always being added to the calendar) are: January – Australian Tennis Open, Australia Day (26 th) There are always many local, ethnic, activity specific festivals in Melbourne city, suburbs and regional Victoria. There are also many film festivals, sporting carnivals, displays, exhibitions and competitions. 8.21 Understanding – the Australian, State and Local Governments all have policies and procedures to encourage cultural diversity, equal opportunity and equity for all residents. There have been many initiatives that have helped other residents be more understanding to the other people living here but there is also a strong emphasis on newcomers making the effort to understand the Australian lifestyle as well. Please take some time to review these websites. Diverse Australia Program Reconciliation Australia Australian Human Rights Commission Accessible Government Services http://www.immi.gov.au/about/reports/accessible_government/ 8.22 Values – As an island continent a long way from the rest of the world, we are well known as pioneers of new technology, research and innovation as we do not have the immediate access to other resources. Australians encourage the ¢ underdog’(the person who may have fought hard to get to their current position) but at the same time, they knock down the ‘tall poppy’ (the person that they think is receiving too many accolades for their achievements). In most states, it seems as though the local football code will receive a lot of coverage in the media (Australian Football League, Rugby, Soccer) and everyone is always looking forward to the weekend. It is very important to actually say ‘please’ or ‘thank you’ rather than imply this message through your tone of voice. For instance, if you were saying yes, you would say ‘yes please’ and if you did not want something, you could say ‘no thank you.’ If you are in a situation where there are people who do not speak the same language as you (even if it is only one person), you must speak in English. If you cannot communicate with the other people in English, then you will need to ask permission to speak in your first language and ask someone to translate what you are trying to say so that they can understand you. It is considered extremely offensive and rude to speak in another language in the presence of someone who cannot understand it. Australians are generally very willing to take extra time to understand you if your English is not perfect – just try and speak more slowly. If you are planning to live in Australia permanently, you must learn English. In conversation, you need to ‘get to the point’ quickly rather than explain all of the history or background of a situation. A regular greeting is ‘Hello, How are you?’ and the standard reply is ‘well thanks.’ The person is not expecting to hear about any personal problems you may be having, it is just a greeting. You also need to keep the volume of your voice similar to that of the person you are talking with. You will also find conversation easier if your tone of voice and mannerisms are similar. If you encounter a busy service situation, you are expected to join a queue where the first person to arrive is served first. However, in a shopping centre, if you have many groceries to purchase and someone behind you only has a few items, it is also courtesy to let the person behind you go first. Again, after being served, say thank you. If you are invited to attend an occasion, you will need to confirm your attendance (and not cancel on the day and arrive on time) and offer to bring something – this could include something to drink or eat. Even if the person says not to bring anything, it is still courteous to bring a small gift (chocolates or flowers). If you are invited to ‘bring a plate’ or ‘BYO meat’ this means that you need to bring a large serving of food or your own meat to cook on the barbeque.
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