4 ms·

It's by far more than just language. Cultural norms, customs, and the fact that on many campuses, there are quite a number of foreigners, making it more diffic

It's by far more than just language. Cultural norms, customs, and the fact that on many campuses, there are quite a number of foreigners, making it more difficult for the social scene to absorb. US/UK and Australia are all basically the 'same culture' as far as people outside the Anglosphere is concerned.

vacri 10y ago
> US/UK and Australia are all basically the 'same culture' While indeed similar, a story on that: a friend at a high-end consulting firm here in Australia told of a US colleague who was over for a 6-month secondment. At the end of the visit, he apparently said "I wish I had known at the start that the people making fun of me probably liked me, and the people being perfectly polite probably didn't..."
- morgante 10y ago
  > At the end of the visit, he apparently said "I wish I had known at the start that the people making fun of me probably liked me, and the people being perfectly polite probably didn't..." That's not really a cultural difference. It's just basic social skills in America too.
  - flukus 10y ago
    From what I understand (Australian here) the Australian (and British) version is much more extreme.
    - ska 10y ago
      In my experience the American version really isn't the same thing at all.
  - girvo 10y ago
    Excuse the language, but Australia (Aussie/Kiwi here!) is where you call you friends "cunts" and your enemies "mate". So I can understand someone's confusion!
- daurnimator 10y ago
  As an Australian living in the US it was probably odder: I'd make fun of people that I thought were friends... which probably drove them away; while I'd be polite to people I didn't like. My spouse always said she had a problem that people thought she was being genuine when she was being sarcastic, and sarcastic when she was being genuine: she even got told off at work about it.

4 ms·

It's by far more than just language. Cultural norms, customs, and the fact that on many campuses, there are quite a number of foreigners, making it more diffic

by edblarney 10y ago

vacri 10y ago
> US/UK and Australia are all basically the 'same culture' While indeed similar, a story on that: a friend at a high-end consulting firm here in Australia told of a US colleague who was over for a 6-month secondment. At the end of the visit, he apparently said "I wish I had known at the start that the people making fun of me probably liked me, and the people being perfectly polite probably didn't..."
- morgante 10y ago
  > At the end of the visit, he apparently said "I wish I had known at the start that the people making fun of me probably liked me, and the people being perfectly polite probably didn't..." That's not really a cultural difference. It's just basic social skills in America too.
  - flukus 10y ago
    From what I understand (Australian here) the Australian (and British) version is much more extreme.
    - ska 10y ago
      In my experience the American version really isn't the same thing at all.
  - girvo 10y ago
    Excuse the language, but Australia (Aussie/Kiwi here!) is where you call you friends "cunts" and your enemies "mate". So I can understand someone's confusion!
- daurnimator 10y ago
  As an Australian living in the US it was probably odder: I'd make fun of people that I thought were friends... which probably drove them away; while I'd be polite to people I didn't like. My spouse always said she had a problem that people thought she was being genuine when she was being sarcastic, and sarcastic when she was being genuine: she even got told off at work about it.