Leave Time for Some Leisure

One thing that has been very different- and slightly difficult for me to comprehend- is the complete relaxation about time and speed here in Australia. In the picture above, this is the only sign on the store regarding hours, and as you can see, there isn't even a closing time listed. This is something we have discussed in class, but I wanted to expand on it and add my personal input. I am an incredibly busy, energetic, and mobile person. I always have to go, go, go, and if I am left waiting somewhere then I get way too antsy. Coming here is making me rethink the way I react to situations, as I often find myself thinking, “Dear lord, what is taking so long?” or “When are we moving on?” I have to remember that here, people do things much differently, and that I have to relax and learn to slow down.

I have seen multiple examples of this “phenomenon” the past few days we’ve been here. In restaurants, waiters and waitresses are in no hurry to come and serve you. It takes longer for them to first visit your table and take your orders, and they certainly do not come back every few minutes to check on how far along you are with your meal. No one is in a hurry to push you out of the door or to make you get up and leave, and are perfectly willing to stay and talk with you whenever. Another example can be found in the businesses themselves. On Saturday, a few of us went walking along the street behind the hotel to find some lunch. It was about 11:15 or 11:30, most definitely a normal lunch time for us. However, very few places were open at all; out of eight or ten places we peeked into, only two were open. Even then, these places did not have all of their food set up or even all of their machines turned on. In America, lunch starts at 10:00 or 10:30 on the dot, and if the food wasn’t ready, people would throw a fit! Walking down the street, people are very relaxed in their gait, not going anywhere too fast. In restaurants people will sit at a table for hours after having finished eating, simply people watching and drinking. There is no feeling of urgency to the things they do, and don’t mind taking extra time to enjoy others’ company or a beautiful day.

In a certain light, this attitude may seem as though Australians don’t care about others’ time or doing things in a timely manner. I don’t think at all that this demonstrates a disregard for punctuality at all; not one of the buses or trains have been late so far, and when asked for help people attempt to aid you in the quickest way possible. However, it’s just one of the most fascinating things to me about the culture in this country. In America, we all are focused on time, because time is money, right? We never slow down for any reason, and this is part of the reason that we are viewed as so hectic compared to the rest of the world. It’s not necessarily a good thing, and leads to problems from stretched nerves to stress-induced heart attacks. People have a much more relaxed, easy going, and enjoyable demeanor here. Australians are very well-known for their “No worries, mate,” and it almost seems like a stereotype for them. But, there’s always a grain of truth wherever a stereotype began.

I think that in general, this sense of blitheness stems from being more accepting and friendly in day to day life. Another generality that we have of Australians is how kind they are to everyone; these temperaments are linked in my opinion. Other cultures have an automatic tendency to judge others, to snap at them or to attack them. In Australia, there is an unspoken rule of etiquette that arguing with or yelling at someone (especially wait staff) in public is in incredibly bad taste, and being friendly with everyone you meet is the norm. In most cases, when something happens to alter a schedule or timeline, it is the fault of someone, not something. When one has learned to be more at ease and jovial with the people around them, one can learn to accept whatever happens in life and just roll with it. I think it is one of the hardest things to learn and change about oneself, and is another example of how no matter how long one lives somewhere foreign, one can never completely assimilate.

Now of course, this is most likely a generalization, and certainly not everyone is like this. But, overall, it seems that the lifestyle led here is one of enjoyment and levity. I am not exactly sure why this is the way that it is, merely speculating, but I am hoping to figure that out as I stay here longer and talk to more people. In any case, it is a valuable life lesson for anyone of any culture to learn.