• 🇳🇿 🇲🇲 🇯🇵 🇨🇳 🇦🇺 🇦🇶 🇮🇳
    Australian & Asian
    Drug Discussion

    Welcome Guest!
    Posting Rules Bluelight Rules
  • AADD Moderators: Tronica

attention aussies

donkeyPUNCH

donkeyPUNCH

Bluelight Crew
Joined
Oct 6, 2004
Messages
16,890
Location
OoE General
So I have this assignment in school where we all pick a country and we have to give a little speech on the non-verbal communication "rules" of that country, for example: "In Britan, the "victory" (V made with index and middle finger) sign, can mean "up yours".

also, I need examples of all this crap: appearance and dress, greetings, gestures, eye contact (weather it's important or not), proxemics, touch, gender interaction and facial expressions.

so what do you Aussie folk do differently than Americans? let me tell your story. (to a random community college in Baltimore, MD)
 
I searched for 10 minutes but couldn't find a picture of it... Some time in the last decade or so George Bush Sr visited Australia and did the 'V for Victory' symbol and I thought it was hilarious. It mustn't have had much media coverage, maybe someone else could have a search.


For me, when meeting or greeting a fellow bloke.. there is handshake etiquette. A nice firm handshake, well positioned, eye contact and 3 or 4 firm shakes. It doesn't really change my overall opinion of somebody, but it's important for me, especially when meeting someone. I don't know how different that would be in the states though...

:)
 
It is really hard to explain without pics but I will try.

I'm a big fan of the "wanker sign" as a means of calling someone a fuckwit (I guess that might be a Aussie insult as well).
NSFW:
Fingers_and_thumb_in_circle_downward_motion.jpg


wanker_blairboth.jpg


Calling some one a cunt is often a sign of endearment. You won't get too offended if someone calls you a "fat cunt" or a "sick cunt" (but it might curl a few oldies hairs in the wrong company).

There is also the courtesy wave when you are driving to acknowledge someone letting you into a lane. You do not wave like a retard on a bus, instead you just lift one or two fingers off the steering wheel. This is also performed when passing a worker holding a stop/slow sign at road works or a police officer direction traffic or even passing a lone car on an empty country road. It is often performed with a slight head nod in their direction.


If you want to offer someone a bong you can often just give the hand signal and raise an eyebrow. You don't have to go so far as to pretend to place your lips on your thumb and pretend to light your little finger for people to understand what you mean.
100px-Gesture_raised_fist_with_thumb_and_pinky_lifted.jpg
 
donkeyPUNCH said:
So I have this assignment in school where we all pick a country and we have to give a little speech on the non-verbal communication "rules" of that country, for example: "In Britan, the "victory" (V made with index and middle finger) sign, can mean "up yours".

also, I need examples of all this crap: appearance and dress, greetings, gestures, eye contact (weather it's important or not), proxemics, touch, gender interaction and facial expressions.

so what do you Aussie folk do differently than Americans? let me tell your story. (to a random community college in Baltimore, MD)
Click to expand...

Just watch the Simpsons episode Bart vs. Australia.........its all you need to know
 
We tend to think before we speak, that's something different. Put that in your report.
 
Busty St Clare said:
If you want to offer someone a bong you can often just give the hand signal and raise an eyebrow. You don't have to go so far as to pretend to place your lips on your thumb and pretend to light your little finger for people to understand what you mean.
100px-Gesture_raised_fist_with_thumb_and_pinky_lifted.jpg
Click to expand...

I love this one, because in Hawaiian this means shaka or hang loose, and is a hand gesture used to mean all good, cool, smooth or as a greeting amongst surfers. Fitting, really.
 
I do that wanker sign all the time though no one else seems to any more. I can't control myself. Good to see there's at least one person still doing it.
 
what is that?

and yeah C0TB I got them, thanks! a few people actually sent me PM's, I've gotten most of the information from them...
 
vanth said:
I do that wanker sign all the time though no one else seems to any more. I can't control myself. Good to see there's at least one person still doing it.
Click to expand...

Oh, I have been a serious wanker from way back. I particularly enjoy throwing a tongue into the side of my cheek just to mix it up.

djokovic.jpg


This made me giggle...

tumblr_kwax172Je31qz8zw1o1_500.jpg
 
Non verbal communication is the main way we communicate to each other. From memory of my Psych training, quantitatively verbal is about 10% of total with visual being the main way communication takes place. I guess that's why this sort of research is important when you're studying Ethnography and Anthropology.


Probably would be good to mention Aboriginal culture, they have been here much longer than we have. One thing would be, like in many Asian cultures.. eye contact is considered rude. I notice that a fair bit with some Aboriginal people I know.

The main thing I have been thinking about in regards to this thread is that Australia is glamorized by the stockman and the bushman. You know, Acubra hats and Blundstone boots. But really, most of the population is coastal and highly urbanized. Sure those people exist, and there are lots of massive farms in the outback but it's not something I identify with that much.
 
well I'm probably just focusing on the majority of the population, so the urban group is probably where I'll focus. but you guys pretty much do the same as Americans from what I can tell. shake hands as a greeting with a firm grip, keep eye contact while talking. you don't have an issue with the bottoms of feet or the left hand like a lot of cultures do...
 
how about your driving rules? do you guys give a wave if someone lets you in? is it rude not to?

do you flash your headlights at other drivers if they don't have their headlights on at night? how about if you pass a speed trap? do you flash the oncoming traffic to let them know?
 
^Yes we do all of the above. And it is classed as rude if someone let's you in on the road and you don't give them a wave, though there is the odd wanker that doesn't wave but ya get that. But generally speaking, yeah we try to enforce common courtesy on the road.

And you're right, us Aussies are very similar to American's in a lot of way's, as we are with the English, Scotts and Irish too. Just different accent's and different traditions, but our mannerisms can be very similar, with the odd different quirk here and there to tell us apart.
 
I've heard (don't know if it's true) that American's don't order a white or black coffee as us Aussies do. American's call it coffee with or without cream.
 
donkeyPUNCH said:
how about your driving rules? do you guys give a wave if someone lets you in? is it rude not to?
Click to expand...

Sometimes when I let people in a give them the finger after they wave. It can lead to a confusing and humorous situation
 
What, road rage? I give people the finger if they don't wave when I let them in and sometimes beep if I'm in a really shit mood.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top