The cultural value of mateship was prevalent throughout my time in Australia. This value is based on a sense of unity and companionship among Australian people. I saw it to be reflected by personal relationships as well as by community interactions. I noticed this in many public spaces, such as restaurants and shops, as servers were more engaged and people were more open to small talk and friendly gestures. At first, the friendliness I witnessed made me suspicious, as I was not accustomed to its social implications. It would be rather unusual if someone was so friendly during a social interaction in America. It seemed that strangers cared more about each other in Australia, showing interest in each others lives and wellbeing. A cashier at the local bottle shop asked about my day every time I saw her, and I always caught up with one of the bartenders at my favorite bar. This connection was genuine and improved my living experience and sense of community throughout my time abroad. Another example of mateship that I experienced was when I attended my first college party. It was at a bowling club where I saw all types of students having fun together. There were no fraternities of sororities at the University of Newcastle, like most others in the country. The lack of exclusivity brought by Greek life seemed to reflect the sense of unity present in mateship, as everyone did things together rather than with their respective groups. This was extremely refreshing, as I am use to the many frats and sororities of Rollins college. People are isolated by their membership and certain pressures emerge surrounding their resulting social status. Without this, there seemed to be more positive social interactions and a stronger sense of community at the University. Someone from Australia may not recognize the presence of mateship here, as they may view it as normal. For example, my boyfriend who is from Sydney never noticed how friendly people were in Australia until he landed in the Orlando airport. He noticed that servers at restaurants were passive and other people were reserved. The value of mate ship was his normal, so it took a different experience to help him realize it could be different. Similarly, my roommates had never been to a school with Greek life and were surprised to hear of the social impacts. Overall, Australians are accustomed to this culture, just as I am accustomed to a culture that is less interactive. That is why I responded to the Australian culture with skepticism. I did not understand the social norms and was thus apprehensive when I first experienced it. After realizing this, I started being more social with others. I approached social interactions with more understanding about social norms and expectations, which allowed me to embrace others’ openness to more in-depth connections. I spoke more to cashiers and others at bars and stores, and participated in more social gatherings with University students. This consideration is extremely important when experiencing different cultures. I am able to understand my own biases and why I may feel uncomfortable in a new cultural environment. This understanding prepares me to confront and embrace new cultures in the future.
