Australia, what a concept...


I moved to Australia from the U.S. when I was fifty. The transition looked deceptively simple. After all, I’d visited there a half-dozen times, I knew my way around, and the Aussies speak English—how hard could it be? I quickly found there’s a big difference between being a tourist in a country and having to make a serious go of it. This blog covers what I had to learn the first few years in order to survive.
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Sunday, March 2, 2008

Attitudes about Americans

Living outside the U.S. but constantly observing it gives one an international perspective. What strikes one is how inwardly fixated the American people are. They seem to ignore what’s going on beyond their shores unless it intrudes directly and obviously—such as the 9-11 attack. Like Narcissus staring at herself in the mirrored pool, Americans see international realities as something out of focus, floating in the background of their own reflection.
Australians generally like Americans. They watch our movies and TV shows, listen to the music, and read the books, but they don’t quite get why Americans work so hard and are so over the top: hyperactive, aggressive, and determined to boss the world around
Aussies are more relaxed. The prevailing attitude is “she’ll be right” and the answer to any question is usually “no worries.” Personal freedom is the most important issue, and anything that compromises that is a hard sell.

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