13 signs you’re an expat in Australia

The land of sun and surf, Australia is a well-travelled, friendly, and very international culture that welcomes expats. You’ll know you’re an expat “down under” when:

1. Everyone is a mate
A boistrous, friendly culture, “mate” is a common greeting and the word greases most daily interactions. You’ll be mate to the shop clerk or an old friend, and the culture of mateship is incredibly strong. Aussies are loyal and generous friends, and value their insider relationships with each other. It doesn’t take much to become a mate, just reciprocate that kindness in return!

 

2. You celebrate Christmas at the beach, and then do it again at Christmas in July
December is summer and July is winter, so you’ll likely spend December 25th at a beach barbeque in shorts and a tank. In July, when it’s cold and dark, Aussies love to break out the twinkly lights and faux Christmas trees and host a gift exchange party to have the proper cold Christmas that the rest of the world enjoys. You’ll likely get Christmas, twice! (Though don’t expect day off for your Christmas in July party).

 

3. You’re worried about being the Tall Poppy (and maybe being “cut down” to size)
Australian business culture is generally one of fitting in and pulling your weight, exceeding expectations but doing so quietly, without calling attention to your efforts. If you’re experiencing success, you’ll be expected to downplay it, credit others, and remain humble or self-critical. The habit of disparaging or discrediting the success of those who have become “tall poppies” in public life is a real aspect of Australian culture.

 

4. You dress your best
Sydney especially is a stylish place. Business attire is the norm, and you’ll find extremely well dressed men and women crawling the city at all hours whether at the Opera House, or out for work drinks on a Thursday evening, or out for a casual brunch on Sunday. An Australian city is not a place where you’ll wear your lounge pants to the supermarket.

 

5. You talk about the surf (or your trip up the coast that weekend)
Australians love their life outside of work, and make the most of the beautiful beaches whenever they can. Being an Aussie is all about enjoying the easy access to beach life, and you’ll frequently hear talk of going for a morning surf or swim, or the beach bootcamp or yoga happening that weekend. With generous vacation and leave policies, and beaches no more than 30 minutes from just about anywhere, you’ll become one with the surf conversation in no time.

 

6. You drink, a lot. And at work!
Get ready for a few beers at work drinks, and tales of colleagues who spent the weekend hung over. The drinking culture is big in Oz, and young people especially will plan the rest of their weekend around the “big night” that they know is coming on Friday or Saturday. The drinking culture extends to the office, where it’s common to celebrate a colleague’s birthday in the conference room with champagne, or have wine with your lunch meeting. And sometimes you’ll see a beer popped open on the desk on a Friday, just because.

 

7. You become obsessed with real estate prices
The thing that Australians can not stop talking about, thinking about, planning for, and educating each other on is…real estate. When you move here you learn pretty quickly that it’s EXPENSIVE. So to rent or to buy, you have to get good at understanding the market and saving to do so. But don’t worry, the wages are high and you’ll have lots of support from others who want to buy, just bought, or are looking for their next investment property.

 

8. You greet with a kiss (for women)
You’ll touch cheeks with a single kiss when meeting a woman for the first or 200th time, it’s how we say hello! It’s just handshakes between men, though.

 

9. You become sun paranoid
Due to the hole in the ozone, skin cancer is a real risk in Australia, and Aussies are incredibly sun-smart, thanks to massive public education campaigns. You’ll be tempted to lunch in the sunshine until you realize that 10 minutes can be enough to cause a burn. You’ll quickly learn to scout out the shady spots on warm days out of the office and will be seen lathering on sunscreen any time you walk out the door. And don’t forget a hat!

 

10. You have a nickname
Aussies love their nicknames, and you can expect to be introduced to “Kazza” “Juzzy” and “Jono” or any variation of someone’s last name. You know you’ve assimilated into Aussie culture when you get a shortened version of your own name, and you refer to others by their nicknames so often you begin to forget their given names.

 

10.1. You begin to abbreviate everything, actually
Words are just so, wordy. Why not shorten them up a bit and save some breath, mate? The barbecue is a barbie, Facebook is Facey, Spaghetti is spago, smoking is smoko, and the car registration is rego. If aussie shorthand speak has become natural to you and you shorten every unnecessarily long word, you’ve assimilated as an expat for sure.

 

11. You can hold your own at 2-Up
This popular betting game is only legal to play on Anzac Day, and it’s a rite of passage to learn it and play on the holiday that commemorates the Australian participation in World War 1. Clear your schedule and head to the local hotel (bar) for several rounds.

 

12. You freeze in winter
Aussies do not like the cold, and yet, finding homes with central heating is rare. Winter always takes the country by surprise, and you’ll see intrepid aussies braving a cold day in whatever layered warm clothing they have laying around the house. If you’re new, you’ll learn to buy a portable heater and electric blanket to make it through winter in your poorly insulated new home. You’ll make it through and then celebrate the final arrival of summer once again!

 

13. Brunch is your new favourite meal
Aussies LOVE their brunch, and for good reason: it’s delicious. There’s a strong cafe culture down under and a vibrant food scene, and you’ll find popular brunch spots packed to eaves on a weekend morning all the way up to the afternoon. Toast with smashed “avo” and poached eggs is a local favourite, and the coffee is delicious.

 

Special for ELM – guest writer Janet Matta!

Have you already read the blog post about 13 signs you’re an expat in Japan?

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