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Welcome to Australian Culture and Customs. Whether you are a foreign student or a teacher of Australian English in a high school, a skilled worker employed on a mine or in … Continue reading
Podcast on the ‘Australian’ Psyche
Conversations is a daily one hour radio conversation hosted by Richard Fidler where he converses with someone of someone well-known or, perhaps, unknown who has seen and done amazing things. … Continue reading
Welcome to Australia
New humans in Australia – powerful and inspiring stories of new Australians
Straya (our way of saying Australia)
This is a nice lighthearted video with the usual Australian self-mockery – we love a bit of that. How many of the people and places can you identify? Kudos to … Continue reading
Australia – arms around you
The ABC, or ‘Aunty’ as we like to call her, is Australia’s independent government-funded broadcaster. This beautiful promotional video shows some of the best sides of Us, this multicultural country. … Continue reading
sorta dunno nothin
I have a 14 year old. Now some Australian 14 year olds can be pretty uncommunicative. How about in your country? There are a number of Aussie cultural references in … Continue reading
Xavier Toby asks ‘What is Australian Culture?’
One Australian’s view of Aussie culture from online news site, WA Today Xavier Toby asks ‘What is Australian Culture?’.
Is Australia corrupt?
Complete the poll and see how you go. Go here for the accepted Australian view
Minister called on to resign
Recently an Australian member of parliament was called on to resign for calling a government agency to get his son special treatment. The general Australian public does not like to … Continue reading
Iranian refugee firefighter giving back to a sunburnt country
With both political parties insisting on calling asylum seekers who arrive on boats here without visas, ‘illegals’ in spite of international law, it is great to see the news reporting … Continue reading
Losing our religion?
Are Australians religious? If not, why are our leaders promoting their religions in their policy making? Tom Burns’s writes about recent research that shows 22% of Australians indicated that they … Continue reading
It’s Aussie Football League grand finals time!
For the first time since the club’s inception 19 years ago, the Fremantle Dockers has reached the grand finals of the Australian Football League (AFL). The AFL began as the … Continue reading
Business Handshakes
A handshake says a lot about you. Take the whole hand firmly but not tightly and shake just once or twice then let go. Not too hard and not like … Continue reading
We have a new government
The people have spoken, we have a new government. Yesterday the Australian people voted for a change of government from the Australian Labor Party to the Australian Liberal/National coalition. It … Continue reading
Is Australia a secular society or not?
Today The Hoopla blog posted an article commenting on the reaction of people to our first Muslim member of parliament using the Koran to swear his commitment to (his) god, … Continue reading
A request…
Hello and a warm welcome to all my readers. I have now been running this blog for about six months and it’s going pretty well so far with people from … Continue reading
What, no cheating?!
Australians were astonished and surprised last week to hear that some Chinese families had actually locked in and threatened teachers for not allowing their children to cheat in exams. What? Of course … Continue reading
Australia is going to Rio 2014!
Woo hoooo! The Australian Socceroos soccer (or ‘football’ if you must) team just beat Iraq 1-0 to qualify for the Soccer World Cup in Brazil next year. I can’t wait … Continue reading
Former Yothu Yindi frontman M Yunupingu dies aged 56 – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Internationally acclaimed musician, political activist and leader, and educator, M Yunupingu has died at home on 2 June 2013, in the Northern Territory. Yet another Aboriginal man claimed by kidney … Continue reading
Are we really that racist?
By The Hoopla May 30, 2013 “Sometimes, whether it’s offhand, whether it’s deliberate, or in this case whether it’s a complete mistake, the hurt still is there…” Mistakes, brain fails, blunders, … Continue reading
Australia Is An Example Of Effective Gun Control. America Is An Example Of Ignoring Australia.
View this satirical video that has now gone viral comparing Australia’s view of America’s gun laws with American lobbyists and politicians’ views. We Australians just don’t get it. Related articles … Continue reading
Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2013
Did you know that many Australians LOVE Indian films? Check out the Indian Film Festival Melbourne which includes Bollywood and arthouse Indian film as well as a short film competition … Continue reading
Ita Buttrose, the mother of Australian style and business
Ita Buttrose has been an inspiration to generations of Australian women playing a leading role in the Packer media empire as the creator and first female editor of major women’s … Continue reading
Swimming in the right (left) lane
The swimming pool, leisure centre, aquatic centre – the local pool. Australians love swimming. Have you noticed our Olympic performances over the years in the pool (very impressive)? Did I … Continue reading
positive new survey of Indian students in Australia
“75 per cent of Indians believe Australia is a stand-out destination for education…” Report in the Sydney Morning Herald by Daniel Filton about positive changes in Indian students’ attitudes to studying in … Continue reading
Boston Bombings 15 April 2013
Australians thinking of everyone over in Boston. Peace. Go to the Hoopla for Australians’ comments on these events.
Australians don’t know how lucky they are | Paola Totaro | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk
Is Australia still the “lucky country” or is life here getting harder and harder? Read this article from the British newspaper, the Guardian, and see what it British journalist Paola … Continue reading
Australia, centre of the world!
Australia – centre of the world – at least on our maps!
Australia’s Angry Summer
Australia links ‘angry summer’ to climate change – at last | Jessica Aldred | Environment | guardian.co.uk.
Commentary from the Australian newspaper on the Second Australia India Youth Dialogue conference and its implications for both India and Australia. Youth holds key to vibrant Australia-India relations Related articles Beyond Commonwealth, … Continue reading
Prime Minister, we need to talk about race
REBLOG from The Hoopla The Hoopla’s political reporter, Chinese Australian GABRIELLE CHAN, writes a very personal piece about race and politics in Australia, and issues a warning to then Australian … Continue reading
rules, rules, rules…
Australia is a country full of rules and regulations. Many people call Western Australia, for example (my home), the ‘nanny state’ because you have no legal choice to decide what … Continue reading
Why we don’t need Michael Palin’s ‘Brazil’
This Australian article, Why we don’t need Michael Palin’s ‘Brazil’, explores British presenter, Michael Palin’s* series on Brazil which draws on all the old stereotypes and fails to look at the … Continue reading
please, thank you, excuse me, sorry
“please, thank you, excuse me, sorry! please, thank you, excuse me, sorry! please, thank you, excuse me, sorry! please, thank you, excuse me, sorry! please, thank you, excuse me, sorry! … Continue reading
Success story of a refugee
The inspiring story of John Gulzari, a Hazarra from Afghanistan, who talks about his life in Afghanistan, his beliefs, interests and struggles and how made a home for his family … Continue reading
Less stress in Australia than China
A Chinese woman talks about how she finds life less stressful in Australia
Is spaghetti Australia’s national dish?
I’ve often wondered what dish really defines Australian cuisine. Oh, and by the way, when I say dish, I am not talking about a plate, I’m talking about a meal. … Continue reading
Australia-Indonesia Youth Dialogue
Official Australian government media release from the Australian embassy in Indonesia. Australia-Indonesia Youth Dialogue Launched – Australian Embassy.
Creepy white guys
Read this article in the Daily Post about some Australian men’s attitude to dating Asian women online at Creepy white guys. Please realize that not all Aussie men are like this! I’m just trying to … Continue reading
Are we ashamed of Australian culture?
Read the article in Daily Life, my latest blog find on Australian Life – Are we ashamed of Australian culture?. It’s all about what we call the ‘cultural cringe’ where (anglo) … Continue reading
Look me in the eye! Eye contact
In many cultures it is very rude to look someone directly in the eyes if they are older or have a higher status than you. In Australia (except in some … Continue reading
Malaysia deports Senator Nick Xenophon, deeming him enemy of the state | News.com.au
Malaysia deports Senator Nick Xenophon, deeming him enemy of the state | News.com.au.
Malaysia set to deport Australian senator – Al Jazeera English
Malaysia set to deport Australian senator Nick Xenophon, who planned to meet opposition officials, detained at Kuala Lumpur airport, prompting Australian concern. Last Modified: 16 Feb 2013 15:31 Xenophon was … Continue reading
Map of indigenous languages of Australia
David R Horton, creator, © Aboriginal Studies Press, AIATSIS and Auslig/Sinclair, Knight, Merz, 1996. Check out this link for a high-resolution, magnifiable version of the map Please note that this … Continue reading
Korean media: attacks in Australia are racist – Al Jazeera Blogs
Two views from Koreans on assaults in Australia written by Andrew Thomas for Aljazeera Read the article here Related articles Australia Day in Seoul, South Korea (thomassherlock.com) Nuclear test puts … Continue reading
The many meanings of ‘mate’
The ubiquitous Australian word has many meanings depending on the context. See if this hilarious series of videos featuring a very stereotypic Aussie helps you understand some of them!
Valentines’ Day in Australia – 14th of February
The day of love originates from the European saint, Valentine. It began as a Christian tradition which is gradually being taken up around the world, largely, I might suggest, because it … Continue reading
Jakarta Post on Australian multiculturalism
Your letters: Multiculturalism in Asia | The Jakarta Post. Unless Australia is included as an Asian country, there is no legally or government supported multiculturalism in Asia…
australian culture and customs 