Australians: the people, and the people who don't like them

[AndreaL]

Funny how stereotypes and experience of a few shapes perceptions. When we arrived in our new town we got to know one of the Aussie neighbours..................one evening after a few beers he asked where our spa (jacuzzi) was, " I thought all you South Africans had spas for your spa parties".

What spa parties we asked......................seems a couple of local Saffers had spas...................parties and perhaps unusual marriages...................rumours of swaps and unmetionable things going on in the spas.............................such that many of the Australians thought all South Africans did that................

Funny how we base our assumptions about a nation on just a few experiences...............lol...................don't worry, we put our neighbour straight.

[HansaPlease]

Anyone coming to my spa party?

[zetman]

Hi guys,

Can't really add much other than to say I agree with what Hansa and others have said.

I did think I'd share one thing that happened recently. I'm in a mid management role and one of the senior managers in our department (who is also ex South African) has a well known reputation for being a bit of a hot-head (borderline bully in fact). I've had a new team member join my team from another office and in talking through him settling into his new role he raised the topic about this senior manager and his reputation of how he sometimes behaves. The Aussie guy's comment to me was "well it sounds like he's like an Afrikaan (that's how he pronounced it), and I've dealt with a couple of them by now so know how to deal with them..." I didn't comment, but it made me think.

Again, you can't generalise. But I'd say many Aussies most certainly don't have a warm and fuzzy feeling about Saffas and the whole "hard workers" thing is absolute rubbish. Most have come accross enough saffas to have formed a perception of what they think a "typical saffa" is and it's often not the rosy view would-be immigrants would sometimes like to think it is. Irony is not all Saffas are like that, but like Andrea said the behaviours of a few can create a generalised perception.

It does make me wonder in some of these cases where people complain about how they get treated by Aussies - did they're own behaviours actually cause them to be treated that way yet they think everybody else is the problem?

z

Edited February 6, 2014 by zetman

[OubaasDik]

Anyone coming to my spa party?

Cool. Is it just you and me, or are you inviting a few others as well?

Edited February 6, 2014 by OubaasDik

[DanielK]

Nice read - not the Hansa spa invitation though

For me it is more a concern how the Ausie perceive the Saffas than how I will perceive the Ausies. I have read in numerous different forums and newsletters that Saffas are perceived as arrogant, difficult people to work with and racists. Just google it and the concern becomes a CONCERN. What happened with the saffas in Oz, please leave SA behind and start living again and lift up the saffas reputation. I know I will – eventually.

Blessing

[HadEnoughofJuju]

I was told the other day that Saffa's walk around with a sence of being owed something by Australia because of where they came from. We think our problems are bigger than the rest of the world when in fact the are miniscule compared to places like Afghanistan, Indonesia and the DRC.

It saddens me that we have become so bitter that we can't see the wood for the trees.

[Mara]

Hansa, can I sell tickets to that spa party?

[Brad76]

"We think our problems are bigger than the rest of the world when in fact the are miniscule compared to places like Afghanistan, Indonesia and the DRC"....

I don't entirely agree with above statement. For the people living there I wouldn't say the problems are miniscule - there are some very big problems, problems that bring into question whether there is much of a future for South Africa and it's citizens.

That said, I don't see why people should expect special treatment, we made a choice to move countries and the sooner we all adapt and settle the better.......coming here (or going anywhere else) and expecting red carpet treatment would be very silly!

[HadEnoughofJuju]

The only reason I say that is South Africa hasn't been through a civil war and doesn't have boat loads of people fleeing extreme poverty. South Africa definitely has it's issues the problem is that South Africans tend to think they are the only ones who have problems.

Everyone has issues, far be it from us to judge who's are the worst and who's are more important.

[BriD]

Well, having been in Australia only since Tuesday night...perhaps I am not quite qualified to respond on this topic...but here are my early opinions nevertheless...

At this stage I have been blown away by the friendliness and helpfulness of every Aussie I have had the pleasure of dealing with. From people on the aeroplane to shop assistants, to call centre agents, to random people on the street...I don't think I have ever encountered that many friendly people all in one day...

Perhaps I am looking at it from a different perspective to others at the moment...

I know that I will still come to encounter people who are less friendly...they exist all over the world in every community. But in general I have not had a problem. And I only feel gratitude for the incredible opportunity to live and work in this country.

[AndreaL]

See what I started with the spa party story.....................there is no hope for you guys.....................I expect Today Tonight will cover the strange sexual preferences of South African migrants with their spa parties...............fade out to a photo of OBD and Hansa, stubbie in hand, sitting smiling in the bubbly jacuzzi

[OubaasDik]

See what I started with the spa party story.....................there is no hope for you guys.....................I expect Today Tonight will cover the strange sexual preferences of South African migrants with their spa parties...............fade out to a photo of OBD and Hansa, stubbie in hand, sitting smiling in the bubbly jacuzzi

You really should go see a professional about these menopausal fantasies of yours, Andrea.

Good lord, what will the staider denizens of the internet think?

Edited February 7, 2014 by OubaasDik

[HansaPlease]

See what I started with the spa party story.....................there is no hope for you guys.....................I expect Today Tonight will cover the strange sexual preferences of South African migrants with their spa parties...............fade out to a photo of OBD and Hansa, stubbie in hand, sitting smiling in the bubbly jacuzzi

Excuse me? I think you have the wrong picture of me. My spa parties are of the clean variety, and come with tea, crumpets and Victorian literature.

[OubaasDik]

Excuse me? I think you have the wrong picture of me. My spa parties are of the clean variety, and come with tea, crumpets and Victorian literature.

And the limbs, not legs of the tables are covered to prevent lascivious thoughts, too, no doubt.

[AndreaL]

Not my fantasy.......................just a local report on the habits and behaviour of certain people...............................I'm in my prime BTW.

Hansa.....................you haven't read too much Victorian literature then have you? There are some interesting reads and poetry and even early feminist writings Crumpet doesn't just mean the toasted variety..........................but here we are again

I'll just not share my light-hearted tales of modern suburbia anymore...................*sniff*

[Bams]

And so a serious topic goes down the drain....

I love this place and the sense of humour!!

We not there yet (counting our 80 sleeps like an child before Christmas). But what I have learned from this forum and other ex-pats is that you have to come with an open mind, so that is exactly what we are planning to do (just hope the flies don't go and sit on my open mind...)

[AndreaL]

Hey Bams

Far better that it goes down the toilet, or even into the gutter, than 6 paces and a duel at dawn ......................LOL....................but then I'm still sooking because OBD..............AKA reptilian man (after his recent skin shedding experience) referred to me as menopausal.........................mind you, don't menopausal women get acquitted if they commit a crime ?

A sense of humour should be on the check-list for immigration anyway.

[Bams]

I so agree with you Andrea, that is part of why I LOVE this forum, with people like the reptilian man (glad he is back), HEOJJ and HansaPlease anything serious becomes something fun. I think live is tooooooo serious in any way.

PS love how your interests all start with a "c", never noticed it before. Mind you committing and crime also starts with a c.... RUN OBD, RUN for the hills!!!

[AndreaL]

Well spotted, you're the only person that has ever commented! Although conversation and conservation can trip the tongue up...............but continuing in the C vein.....................Culling curmudgeonly, camsteary callants, can't constitute criminal conduct

[Mara]

Andrea cookie, you are so cute with the "c" words!

[HadEnoughofJuju]

Cats have also got to be in there somewhere and yes Bam's you are so right, I have learnt through this process that life is simply to short not to find the lighter side of life.

In our youth we spend far too much time trying to be serious and grown up and we scorned anyone of "age" who dared ack like a child as we would call it. Now that I am fast approaching 40 I wonder why I didn't spend more time playing in the mud and walking in the rain.

I am not knocking the process of immigration or the difficulties people experience on the journey, it is tough and stressful. We just need ro realise that in the end things will work out the way they are meant to and that we can only give our best.

The one thing I love about Saffa's is their ability to find humour in the worst of circumstances.

[magman]

too many posts to read, but I thought I would add my 5c

On the flight from SA, we were sad after saying buy to all our friends, and on the flight I was split from my wife and kids, the two Aussie guys I sat next to on either side of me, were so friendly, they did not stop talking the whole flight, ad all I wanted to do was kip.

In the my work time, I have found the Aussies are very down to earth, friendly and make a really awesome enviroment to work in. I think People need to accept the fact that when they move to a new country, they need to adapt to those ways to fit in, instead of trying to change it to where that person originally came from. I think us immigrants should not just change the way we work, but also traits in our personalities, in SA we strive to be above the rest, making us dominant, where as in Aus it is a more of a team environment.

[ace]

I am a south african of indian heritage and I don't believe that aussies have a problem with saffas in general. I know I might get slated for this but what I have picked up in my time here is that they do have a bit of a problem with afrikaners. I have been with 2 companies and when they find out that you south african a few will pass comments like lucky you not afrikaans. I ask them what they mean by this and they mention that afrikaans people like to tell people how to do they work and override even senior managements ideas. They also mention that they come here and will look for an afrikaans doctor, or afrikaans accountant . The aussies feel as though saffas are coming to aus and undermining them. In one of the companies a where a friend of mine works an afrikaner refused to work under a certain individual because he was from bangladesh. Although I have heard these comments I do believe it is the minority that feel this way but yes that perception is out there. I am just stating what I have come across.

[HadEnoughofJuju]

Ace, I have experienced the same thing, the problem is that the few Saffa's that are acting this way are making it difficult for the rest of us.

[Eva]

I am a south african of indian heritage and I don't believe that aussies have a problem with saffas in general. I know I might get slated for this but what I have picked up in my time here is that they do have a bit of a problem with afrikaners. I have been with 2 companies and when they find out that you south african a few will pass comments like lucky you not afrikaans. I ask them what they mean by this and they mention that afrikaans people like to tell people how to do they work and override even senior managements ideas. They also mention that they come here and will look for an afrikaans doctor, or afrikaans accountant . The aussies feel as though saffas are coming to aus and undermining them. In one of the companies a where a friend of mine works an afrikaner refused to work under a certain individual because he was from bangladesh. Although I have heard these comments I do believe it is the minority that feel this way but yes that perception is out there. I am just stating what I have come across.

ace, I agree with a lot of what you said. Where we live there is a large Afrikaans community, there is an Afrikaans doctors' practice and that is where most South Africans go. Having said that, I know a number of Aussies who rave on about how good the doctors are, how they have a much better bedside manner than Aussie doctors etc etc. So maybe there is a reason for South Africans (and mostly Afrikaners where I live) to go to those doctors. I have also heard a number of negative comments about South Africans who think they are better than everyone else and want to drive fancy cars etc. Aussies (again, a generalisation) don't care what car you drive or even where you live. Those were the measurements of success used in South Africa and they just don't work here. I personally find the Afrikaans people here very clicky and even exclude English speaking South Africans, so how the poor Aussies would ever have a hope of breaking into that inner sanctum I don't know!