There are things that only happen in Russia, China, India and so on.
Think it may be interesting to learn your thought/experience on things that you think are uniquely Australian. No right or wrong.
First example from me.
I don't think anyone knows the gibberish that you are speaking.
blank stare
You mean different words in different states?
people who wear runners with suits on the way to work
people who change into thongs after finishing work
oh and buying investment properties to build wealth.
That's not unique to Australia. Wealthy Chinese and Indians are all into the property investment game all over the globe. They're not just interested in Aus, with Malaysia next in target for property development.
Oh and very frequently forgotten Africa.25% capital growth going on in investment clubs is whats happening in Africa.Mixed investments, property, money markets,equities etc.Yass..! So proud of my peeps over there making their mark quietly .One of the capitals was the fastest growing real state in the world at one point.Not a resource country for those wanting to jump into the dirty oil and diamonds issues
Voting a prime minister in then watching him get knifed in the back. And letting it happen. Then watching it happen twice again
What about paramedics stop asking patients "Who is the current prime minister of Australia?"
We fought the 'Great Emu War'.
We eat the Animals on our Coat of Arms. (I don't)
Skippy is so delicious…. He would have wanted it that way
Which we lost.
Elect a new pm only to know it's not the one you get
That's all parliamentary systems.
Negative gearing
pm who wore speedos on the news,
Find missed delivery slip in your mailbox even though you are home the whole day.
First thing that comes to mind. I've just hit a Kangaroo
Paul Hogan
Tax evasion
Paul Hogan evading tax
Extremely confusing off street parking rules and signs…
Generational displacement.
100,000 people at a football match With no segregation of fans, and no issues around fan or player security.
Tell this to people overseas and they don't believe it. Not too many countries can have crowds like that, and allow opposition supporters to sit together without a riot.
That because we always scream at the umpire :)
immigration law changes every 6 months….
terms and conditions changes without any notice……….
Using an hourglass in federal parliament to set the time when a division is required
A government that pays $6 million to make a Border Protection telemovie to deter asylum seekers. It will be available in many different languages except English. Not sure if they are going to buy asylum seekers a DVD player and TV so they can watch it?
To put the cost in perspective, the movie Priscilla cost $2 million, Wolf Creek about $1 million and The Castle $750,000.
Gees, there are some in here that really hate this country or think that it's pretty shit.
If y'all genuinely think you have it so bad here, or that we're some horrible,cruel country, i welcome you to get the (profanity) out =)
It's one thing to criticize and objectively AND subjectively review and comment, which is a freedom we enjoy in this country,as a fundamental right and in actual practice, but some of you just go too far. Don't like it THAT much? Think we're shit and horrible? Well mates, the emigration doors are open. You're free to go.
What a bogan answer. I don't know whether you're being sarcastic or legit.
No, not bogan at all. Just a very grateful Australian born child of immigrant parents who each came from fairly war torn counties.
I don't understand why it's wrong to say "if you hate the country, then go". It's one thing to criticize, which i assure you i do, but it's another thing to go on and on about how shit Australia is. If it's so shit, leave and let someone who desperately wants to be here come.
Wait until you experience living in a country where a bomb goes off every other day, or where basic medication costs thousands of dollars, where going to school is a privilege, not a right, where your second child would have to be terminated, or where you can't practice your religion, you're stoned to death for being raped, your children are kidnapped to form a child army, you're denied emergency hospital care because you have no private insurance, there are shooting massacres annually etc etc
The other day i was in adelaide and some drunk old guy was mocking me saying repeatedly "you're not born here, you're full of it" basically harassing me for walking down the street. THAT is bogan. Me laughing him off as some dumb drunk country fool instead of choosing to treat myself as a victim of racial abuse,is why i love this country. Because the worst thing that's happened to me for being slightly ethnic looking is some drunk old guy? For the first time in 30yrs of my life?! If i was born in either of the countries my parents are from, I'm pretty sure i would've experienced a lot worse.
Bogan i am not. I am grateful. I am grateful my grandparents worked their asses of in Africa to save enough money to migrate here with my mum. I am grateful my father survived the turmoil of watching his parents killed in the Lebanese civil war, and found his way here.
Australia isn't utopia. It isn't perfect. But it is pretty fvcking great.
It depends what you are comparing Australia to.
If you're comparing it to the best countries in the world it's far from but when compared to bottom barrel countries it will always be infinitely better bar social status and wealth.
Most of these responses are from shared personal experience and as such there's no such thing as a wrong answer. I've spent a little under a decade living abroad and given the choice I'd rather live elsewhere which I do. Again, it really depends on each circumstances, if I was piss poor I'd choose any of the high standard of living countries and that includes Australia. Truth betold the world is going to shit (pollution, war, disease, corruption, mass ecological destruction, mass poverty, mass starvation…) and to be a citizen of Australia is to be lucky.
There are some things that are 'bad'(expensive) as much as there are 'good'(healthcare-welfare system) and considering we're a 'developed' nation mature enough to critique it's downfalls as well as everything under the spectrum of discussion, this can only be seen as a sign of a healthy country. Everyone has gears to grind with things when they're immersed in those things and as such a matter of perspective and a symptom of the luxury (as opposed to 'right') of free speech.
TDLR: agree but nothing wrong with 'bashing' just them being passionate on the topic :) freedom of speech yo
Interesting what u wrote after
If everyone thinks like you across the globe, then who would be allowed think of possible improvements in any nation? Life would have been so easy if what you think was the solution to the issues people have mentioned here and if that made our country greater.
I haven't mentioned a solution to any issues…so maybe I'm not understanding you.
But like i said,criticism of Australia, our government, our policies, etc etc is perfectly fine, warranted and, indeed, like you mention, often necessary for improvement. Our Constitution protects our right to free political and civil speech (something not all countries enjoy) and we definitely, definitely, make the most of that free speech. Myself included. Dissent, protest, criticism etc etc is not the issue. However, i think there's a big difference between criticism and outright bashing of our country. And it's the latter that pisses me off and which invoked my remark, and which i stand by.
And you know what, if someone can come in here and write essays on how shit this country is, then i can write that i wished ppl who seemed to hate this country that much would just up and leave.
Ah, bless this great country that allows us both the freedom to do so. Lucky we're not in North Korea..might get shot dead. Or China, where this thread would be deleted..or Brunei..or depending who's in power, even Thailand. PHEW!
Thanks! By solution, I meant 'leave the country if you have problems with things'. Btw, Those countries aren't that bad either… media shows more gloomy picture most of the times.
Well bar NK,which none of us really know about, yes those countries are fine. I've been to Thailand, China and Brunei. But they all do restrict free speech which was the point they were referenced in.
it happening in HK/Korea/Japan as well, not just Australia.
Tourist always get good deals
the tourists get ripped off theory is changing now.
out of curiosity, any reason for that?
Forgetting who the current PM is as they keep getting changed whenever they please.
Eating the animals which feature on the coat of arms.
Stubby Holders?!?
Ozzy Man Review
Fact: Australia is the only continent without an active volcano.
We should start a KictStarter campaign to get one then.
But then, do we really need an active volcano, when we already specimens like these? :
findings at the International Congress of Geodesy and Geophysics in Melbourne 2011, Professor Joyce said the most likely places in Victoria for eruptions would be around Colac, Port Fairy, Portland and Mount Gambier
we do have volancos…The volcanoes here are dormant, but still active! with the last eruption ~5000 years ago at Mt. Gambier.
People like eating vegemite.
People think swimming races are important.
Regularly trashing the reputation of cricket as a sport is acceptable.
People think cricket is important.
John Farnham could have a prosperous career.
Tony Abbott could be a primeminister.
Talking about property prices literally all the time.
Visiting the sacred site at Gallipoli wearing horrible bright yellow hoodies. Not strictly in Australia I know…
Deriding the English class system and talking about "a fair go" while paying obscene amounts of money to ensure you don't have to live near or have your kids go to school with westies or bogans.
Taking credit for the weather.
Working at Domino pizza store at the age of 26 can own 10 investment properties:
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/realestate/news/former-pizz…
something called football when majority of game time play the ball with hands.
Delivery cost is more than the product.
We call mates "c^nt", and c^nts "mate"!
only in australia we put dickhaed on food label.
Our Police will drive around and issue speeding tickets in the worlds fastest fleet of muscle cars. Typically rear wheel drive V8's.
Whilst Australian citizens just blindly accept ever lowering speed limits.
Australia has no Autobahn roads and Victoria has a 2km/h speed camera tolerance.
I'm not well traveled but I don't think speed camera vans are used in other countries.
Australian states/territories have always demonised motorcycles whilst it is the number 1 vehicle ownership in other neighbouring countries.
Australia has no Autobahn roads and Victoria has a 2km/h speed camera tolerance.
You do. Autobahn is just the German for Freeway. Also, tolerance is 3% in Germany, so not much higher. You won't get demerit points for less than 10 kph over the limit though.
I'm not well traveled but I don't think speed camera vans are used in other countries.
They are. Quite more common in some countries actually.
Australian states/territories have always demonised motorcycles whilst it is the number 1 vehicle ownership in other neighbouring countries.
Rules for motorcycles are much much stricter in Europe actually. A licence can easily cost you 2000 Euros and lane filtering will never be legal.
We call our mates c@#ts and actual c#@ts mate
Opal where it's cheaper if you use it more (free travel after 8 trips). Helmet on push bikes, illegal to ride electrical scooters. Fence around pool even if you don't have kids. List goes on but I'll stop here.
Helmet on push bikes
That's not unusual.
The government thinkgs that bicyclists are mute and cannot shout… so they decided on fines for not having a bell or horn on a pushbike.
Parking tickets for parking the wrong way - front to kerb and all that nonsense, you wouldnt see it in any other country
You have to take trash cans to the street every 2 weeks and look after the bloody bin.
On a hot day, you can ask your best mate if he'd like a golden gaytime.
Only your mate may ask for your stick when the golden gay time is finished. it is all good, we are only humans, who would say no to a golden gay time?
You can buy a bottle of 600ml water for $7 bucks.
Not sure if it's been mentioned yet.
But only in Australia are you better off being a thief/criminal than a homeowner trying to defend your home. It is ridiculous that homeowners are not even allowed to protect their own home and just let criminals walk in and out freely.
http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/emotional-family-of-burglar-ricky-…
That's a dodgy example right there. Lots on unknowns in that case at this point. NSW has a "reasonable response" in their self-defence law, which doesn't mean that people can just walk into your house and help them selves.
In the link given, the thief/criminal is dead. Can't get much worse off than that.
"yeah, nah"
My fave
The c bomb being a sign of respect when you call someone it
Sick c…
Mad c…
gday c…
X says "You are cute' hun (honey)."
I thought it was cuz… then I read the first sentence =(
Failed bike share scheme due to mandatory helmet laws…
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/the-de…
Councils with an addiction to coffee and photocopying - not at the same time of course.
This is qld specific. Can drive a car for 60 years and don't need a road worthy done, as long as doesn't change owner.
Third world infrastructure in a first world country… seriously transportation is atrocious and the internet… really? Oh and Sydney city roads, those are a mess.
Feeling lucky recently?!
Keep landing on jackpots - i.e. car lands on potholes.
Alloy wheels buckled.
We have some adult healthy people with the ability to work, who choose to lay on the sofa and get paid on the welfare system; while having four wives and their descendants all paid by this country.
Those who think the money is all given by their God, so their also share the money with their brothers to support attacking Australia.
Don't forget, they don't appreciate it. They hate us while our stupid govenment want to give them more of our hard earning money.
tracy grimshaw fell off a horse
Only in Australia:
Highest concentration of idiotic and shit drivers that need to have their license revoked (hoons, and you know who the other group is)
Not only in Australia. Pretty much everywhere around the world.
Ridiculous inflated house prices that are not in proportion to salary income
Hong Kong is much worse.
Ridiculous price on new cars, except Australian (so-called) models such as the Holden/Ford variants
Try Singapore.
Ridiculous Clothing, trending and Shopping varieties, oh we just got Zara and TopShop and H&M!!! woo
Not sure what you mean by this?
It's seems more like you've never left Australia.
Yours just sounds like a complaint/rant to be honest LOL.
Agreed with ronnknee that idiotic drivers are worldwide. It is ridiculously easy to get a driver's licence in many places around the world and Australia seems to actually have a slightly more stringent exam than other places. I agree that it still isn't "good" and it can be improved, but it's better than many other parts of the world.
Ridiculous price on new cars, except Australian (so-called) models such as the Holden/Ford variants
Cars are really not that expensive here.. unless you're comparing to the US?
Ridiculous tax system that ASSWIPES small business owners and ass-whips salary earners
What do you mean?
Ridiculous road infrastructure, an M5 Motorway with 2 lanes? with a daily breakdown and accident, it's technically a 1 lane road
That might just be a Sydney problem lol
Weak Australian dollar compared to the rest of the developed countries, (we do better than the Kiwi, phew)
AFAIK it's not necessarily a "goal" to have a strong currency. For example, it is often cited that one of the major benefits of a weaker dollar is more demand for Australian tourism because it becomes cheaper for foreigners to come here and spend money and this will stimulate the domestic economy.
Weak Australian dollar compared to the rest of the developed countries, (we do better than the Kiwi, phew)
AFAIK it's not necessarily a "goal" to have a strong currency. For example, it is often cited that one of the major benefits of a weaker dollar is more demand for Australian tourism because it becomes cheaper for foreigners to come here and spend money and this will stimulate the domestic economy.
Yeah. Poster seems to subscribe to some kind of macho currency theory. Currency rates cut both ways. If AUD is strong, imports are cheaper but local producers (e.g. farmers producing produce that is also imported) and exporters suffer. Exports include inbound tourism and overseas students. If AUD is weak, then local producers and exporters have it easier, but it becomes more expensive to buy imported goods and take overseas holidays. The theory is that a floating currency will find its level. In fact the AUD is at the mercy of far larger currency forces, so what can be done here is limited.
"Yeah, nah" used both for approval and disapproval, interchangeably.
Compared to most other countries,
A political system where the politicians care more about themselves and getting kickbacks from big business, preferring to abuse one another than work together to make actual progress for Australia. A system where the only 2 major parties make short term policies, only if it will help them get elected / re-elected, not whether it will advance this country long term.
" Hey guys we plan to improve schools, and hospitals " etc etc.
We are a first world country, why is this still an issue. We should already have this shit sorted out at some point in the last 100 years.
In WA the premiere is talking about selling our Electricity provider because they can't afford it. And if we keep it we will have to steal funding from education, healthcare etc. Meanwhile people are making billions behind closed doors.
I know it happens in other countries but I feel it happens more here.
Oh and only in Australia where the communications minister single handedly (profanity) up the biggest infrastructer project ( NBN ) ever and then gets elected to Prime Minister. Thanks Rupert. You can make money off foxtel for a few more years yet.
Let us also not forget we have a bunch of old conservatives who vote these idiots to power. They like screwing over the nation to protect the interests of a handful of rich, already over privileged people.
And focusing on short term economic gains without thinking in the long run. Case in point - the copper based NBN and dumping crap in the great barrier reef.
Only in Australia do you get charged with murder detaining a break and enter offender…
Plus killing him.
The worst straya-tax in my view is on tradies(sparkies, chippies,plumbers) insurance including green slips & health,cheeses,pharmaceuticals,toys inc lego,parking,tobacco and grog.
Our tradies are in the top 10 in the world and in my view not always of comparable standard compared to some European,Asian and South American tradies I've used. I think this is due to many closed shops, lack of apprenticeships, maybe also due to the fact that there is no focus by schools to get kids including girls into trades, maybe too many kids are being raised in all female households or at least in families which are not "handy". I probably deserve to be docked for that for being politically incorrect.Why is there no media attention on getting girls to become sparkies or plumbers & all the focus is on the composition of the boards of multinational companies.
Australia should have a much cheaper cost of building than it does considering we do not import much of our raw building materials.
Having a gentle blue, with a bloke who could actually have been called Blue, re relative beauty of (ravishing) ranga at end of Medibank Private ad
Also, nope, requires a separate comment…
The taking of the cactus cake by prize (profanity) for the worst, deliberately stupid, stunt, to ever feature in a Fail Army video.
WARNING: Seriously. This is the full video, not the featured snippet. Please Do NOT watch if really squeamish about needles or blood.
Link very appropriately ends in a capital 'Y'…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHSJCMkUa9Y
$1,299 iPhones.
Oh, not sure if anyone else has mentioned this yet.
I find it extremely Aussie to put "but" at the end of the sentence (as opposed to "though").
Example lol sorry to use you as an example PainToad.
Oh and "stuffed up" (as opposed to "screwed up", "not working", or "broken").
Another one I just noticed
People saying "there's" which is technically a contraction for "there is", even though they're referring to multiple quantities of something. Example here
When it's spoken aloud, although technically wrong, it doesn't sound as wrong.
However, when it's typed, it looks completely wrong.
Australia has the highest minimum salary in the world that is proportional to the living cost and house prices:
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/04/where-are-the-world-s…
That answers why Australia is a country you can find a person working in domino pizza store owning multiple properties:
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/realestate/news/former-pizz…
Drive on holidays to geelong from Perth.
Go into a deli ask for a "round of ham and salad sandwich"
Blank stare the "what is a round"?
Took me 5 minutes to explain… blank stare…then the bulb went on in their head.
Ask a mate in melbourne for lend of a crescent.. blank stare….