Summarize my true feelings about living in Australia.

Friends at home often ask: How is life in Australia?

I can't sum it up with a "good" or "bad". It's like someone asking you what life is like in China. It's really hard to answer, because different people feel different.

Today, regardless of Australia's politics, economy, culture, entertainment and sports, I will stand on the position of an ordinary citizen and truthfully record the truest feelings of people around me.

Of course, this article mainly talks about Chinese immigrants from China to Australia. As for people born and raised in Australia, their feelings will definitely be different. It is precisely because immigrants know and compare the two sides that they can better understand the differences in life between the two countries.

I will introduce them from both positive and negative aspects, starting with the good ones.

First, positive feedback.

Apart from the relatively good social welfare in Australia, we also have the following personal feelings in our daily life:

1, good natural environment.

This is almost everyone's knowledge. Pure air, transparent blue sky, warm sunshine, clear sea water, clean beaches and vast green areas everywhere can be said to be everyone's impression of Australia, which is really genuine and not adulterated.

Australia is relatively vast and sparsely populated, so it can be said that human beings have already lived in nature. Lizards and spiders often run out of the house. Even once, I didn't know there was a cricket hidden in my bedroom. I will scream at night and sing me a lullaby every day. There is a small golf course called Fox Hill near my home, and I have never thought about why it is called Fox Hill. It was not until one day that we found a dead fox lying upright on the side of the road that we realized that there really was a fox living beside us. They hang out at night, so they are unknown.

As for the trees in front of and behind the house, it is more common that an Australian opossum brays every night. If they get into the roof, it will be quite annoying. I will hear footsteps on the ceiling in the middle of the night, which made my hair stand on end when I first came to Australia. Later, I was not afraid to know what was going on. Just find a professional company to get rid of them.

There is no doubt that Australia is a good place for people who love nature and animals so much. What wakes me up every day is the birds and songs outside the window. Australia has a high proportion of people with all kinds of pets. Cats and dogs can be seen everywhere. The key is that their living environment and treatment are very good. Everyone who loves animals will be happy to see them live so happily.

Of course, this place is also suitable for people like me who like quiet. Because of the low population density and large spacing between households, there is no one outside at ordinary times, so it is difficult to hear voices. Sometimes my cat faces the computer at home for a day. Except for the birds singing outside the window, all I can hear is the tapping of the keyboard. I feel particularly detached during this time. I am a humble room, better than a peach blossom garden.

The picture below shows my daughter and friends, racing with wild kangaroos. You can find wild kangaroos a little far from the city, and you don't have to go to the zoo to see them in the fence.

2, relatively fair, according to the rules.

Although there is no absolute fairness, in Australia, at least on the surface, you won't feel unfairly treated. At least, the whole society regards fairness, justice and respect as virtues. Although there is no guarantee that everyone can really do it, at least the public agrees.

That's why I should be careful to be accused of racial discrimination in Australia. Sometimes I tell my daughter about a black man, and I don't mean to discriminate. I just use the color of my skin to distinguish who I mean. My daughter will quickly interrupt me and remind me not to discriminate. A ten-year-old child is so sensitive to this, which shows that the school attaches great importance to this aspect of education.

As an ordinary wage earner who has nothing to do with politics and doesn't do big business, the most direct feeling is that you don't need to find a trusted person to do things in Australia. Any government agency is business-like and operates in full accordance with regulations. As long as the information is prepared according to the list, it is very simple, and there is no need to please any staff with a smile.

3. Take care of vulnerable groups, and charity work is deeply rooted in people's hearts.

We have done very well in terms of public facilities and humanistic care for children, the elderly and the disabled with mobility difficulties. It's not a slogan, but details, which can be seen everywhere, including their special passages and facilities, which I will introduce in detail in another article.

Two of my friends are serving the disadvantaged groups. They work in government agencies, and one of them specializes in helping new immigrants.

Another friend works in the emergency rescue center for women and children, which specializes in receiving women and children who have nowhere to go when they encounter major difficulties. For example, women who encounter domestic violence will take their children to find them; Women and children who have nowhere to go without legal visas, because their husbands have abandoned them ... The shelter provides them with temporary accommodation free of charge, ensuring their food, clothing, housing and transportation, and will also find lawyers for them and apply for refugee visas.

Labor in Australia is not cheap. Although materials can be obtained from donations, it will cost the government a lot of money to hire so many staff to serve them. Australia's tax revenue is not low, but relatively speaking, a large part has been spent on people.

The emergency center for women and children where my friend works is called Women and Children &; First aid center for girls. The following two photos of officials visiting our center are from our center in official website:

There are many charities in Australia, large and small, which are not for show or image project. Almost every shopping center has their temporary stalls to sell things, and the proceeds are used for charity. Usually, there will be someone at home to publicize and ask you to donate some money. The most common is the second-hand shops set up by charities. Everything in the shop is donated and sold after cleaning and disinfection. Most of the staff inside are volunteers, and the money sold is used for charity. It is said to be a second-hand shop. In fact, many brand-new things are labeled, some are inappropriate gifts, which are given when not in use, and some are given by manufacturers and merchants. I will visit such a store myself and find books for my children. Anyway, the more books, the better. It doesn't matter if it is used second-hand.

4. Manual labor is also respected.

In Australia, it is obvious that there is no distinction between high and low jobs, which is not only superficial, but also deeply rooted in people's hearts. Because the blue-collar income often kills those white-collar workers who look decent and glamorous. Moreover, they are less worried about their work, have less psychological pressure and even have more flexible and free time.

Of course, people who are highly educated, intelligent, professional, skilled and capable will live well in any society. Don't be afraid if you are not so smart, have no education or skills that you are good at. As long as you are willing to work hard and endure hardships, you will certainly earn money.

For example, cleaning is not difficult to learn, is it? It can be said that it is zero entry cost. Our cleaners around the shopping center patrol around with brooms and mops to ensure the cleanliness of their areas. Is it difficult? It is such a job that the salary is not lower than that of an office clerk. And it won't be looked down upon at all. When they come to clean the table in front of you, we will thank them very politely. From their faces, you will see confidence and calmness, and occasionally we will greet you happily.

As we all know, in western countries, doctors and lawyers are well-paid and decent jobs, so it is particularly difficult to take these majors, and the time spent studying in universities is longer than that of ordinary majors. Many immigrants from China want their children to engage in such decent, stable and well-paid jobs. Therefore, children have participated in various cram schools since they were very young, and they have to fight for results. In the traditional thinking of China people, no matter how high the blue-collar salary is, we don't want our children to do it.

But most ordinary local westerners don't really think that children must work as civil servants. The big boy next door, who graduated from high school without the college entrance examination, went to TAFE (a vocational school similar to China) to study automobile maintenance. It is estimated that he likes doing this very much, and he spends all his time at home fiddling with a car that was partially dismantled by him. Being a mechanic is a skill with high income, so you don't have to worry about unemployment. Australia without a car is like having no legs. Every family has at least one car, and vehicle maintenance is a steel demand.

I remember reading reports that the average bricklayer in Australia can earn 20,000 to 30,000 Australian dollars a month. Of course, this is also real hard-earned money, wind and sun, but also a strong body, people should pay back. I pick up the children every day and pass by the nearby construction site. I often see workers talking and laughing while listening to music. I think they are very happy.

If you want to be less tired, you can learn some simple skills, such as being an electrician, plumber, locksmith, tailor, shoemaker and so on. These jobs are relatively easy, the time is flexible and free, and you can still live comfortably.

A friend of mine forgot her key and called someone to help her unlock it. When she arrived, it was finished in less than two minutes and cost 60 Australian dollars. I ran away from home to serve you.

So here, as long as you are willing to work hard, you can't say how rich you are, but it is definitely possible to have enough food and clothing to live in a big villa. The key is not to rely on contacts, simple, refreshing and free. As long as you earn money by working, no one will look down upon it, no matter whether it is mental or physical, no one will laugh.

The average hourly wage shown in the figure below is taken from Daily Mail (Australian version of Daily Mail) 20 17125 October, official website:

In a free and multicultural country, it is easier for new immigrants to integrate.

Australia is an immigrant country, immigrants come from all over the world, and the government also attaches great importance to protecting the traditional cultures of various countries and nations. Every year, there is a multi-cultural festival, which emphasizes this.

Living here feels free and simple. As long as you don't violate laws and regulations and interfere with others, you can live as you want. Comfortable and happy is the most important thing, and you don't need to consider too many other people's eyes, including dressing and behavior. There are so many people from so many different parts of the world that everyone is used to it. No one will judge your life.

For us ordinary people, the greatest convenience is the convenience of life. You can eat and buy delicious food from all over the world. Because we have a stomach in China, we can't live without the traditional food in China. As long as there is a place where Chinese live, we will definitely find Chinese food. Now even local supermarkets in Australia have special Asian food shelves, and I even saw our Haitian soy sauce.

The government also provides many help services for new immigrants, such as free translation hotline and hospital translation service. Even if you can't speak a word of English, you can live well here, which is no exaggeration. Of course, it is best to live in a Chinese-inhabited area, and restaurants and the like are all compatriots, which is very convenient.

Having said so many nice things, is Australia particularly perfect in your mind? Don't worry, everything has two sides, and we should see its imperfect side objectively and fairly.

Second, negative feedback.

Everything has two sides. Similarly, life in Australia has a good side, and it will inevitably be less ideal. The following are many people's complaints. Of course, some things, in the eyes of some people, are shortcomings, but in the eyes of others, they are only advantages or indifferent things. What is said here is what most people think. People with different life pursuits and personalities will definitely have different views.

Speaking of living in a non-native language area, the first difficulty for most people is the language barrier. Even though I have studied English in China for many years, it is still difficult for me to get used to it at once. What's more, I have to use this half-baked language to interview for a job and so on. Even if I am qualified for this job, I may not be able to compete with locals or other immigrants whose English is better than ours, such as Indians. This is also an important reason why overseas Chinese still like to soak in the Chinese circle. After all, communication is completely barrier-free, and it is easier to understand and deepen each other by making friends with people of the same culture.

However, because language problems are not unique to Australia, they will also be encountered when moving to other countries, so I won't list them separately.

1, life is monotonous.

The leisure and entertainment industry in Australia is inferior to that in China. Only some bars open at night, except Thursday, even the shopping malls close early. When I first came here, I was confused. Shopping malls open at work and close after work, including banks. I really don't want to do business. Of course, supermarkets that buy food and daily necessities are open until 9 pm, and a few large supermarkets or convenience stores are open 24 hours a day. Just in a hurry, unlike the bustling commercial street in China, which is brightly lit all night every day.

The entertainment that Australians like is different from that of China people in China. On weekends or holidays, the family will drive to the suburbs, surf on the beach, hike in the jungle, row boats and fish, barbecue and camp ... Most people who soak in bars at night are unmarried young people. Even men in Australia attach great importance to family. They go home as soon as they get off work and enjoy the hot weather of their wives and children.

As soon as it got dark, all the roads in the city center were driven home. There are few people in the streets of residential areas, and I feel a little scared walking alone. If you meet a drunk or a bad guy, it's hard to find someone to help. So you don't usually go out at night, and you have to drive if you have to go out.

Therefore, many people who like excitement and feasting will feel bored when they come to Macao. I always miss the dazzling places of entertainment and leisure in China. And in terms of fashion, Australia is not as good as China's big cities, especially Asians. It seems difficult to buy the right fashion clothes. Maybe there is a difference in figure and aesthetics. Anyway, my friends around me buy a lot every time they go back to China. Therefore, there is such a joke that Australia is called "convex and concave" and people are physically stupid.

The picture below shows a small town in the early morning. China people are playing Tai Ji Chuan, and West Renye Fang is involved:

2. The social level of most new immigrants in Australia is lower than that in China.

For people who pay attention to social class, this really bothers them. In China, most of them are university lecturers, enterprise management, professionals and other senior intellectuals with high social status. After coming to Australia, many people have to give up their original majors and do the jobs they can find. The unemployment rate in Australia is also rising. As an outsider without a foundation, the pressure of survival is here, and you can't be choosy.

There are small businesses such as milk bar, dry cleaner, grocery store, fish and potato shop, and some jobs, such as kindergarten nanny, bookkeeping, selling houses and so on. Although there is no professional discrimination here and there is a lot of money, many people in China are still a little uncomfortable, especially their relatives and friends in China, who feel a little embarrassed when asked.

With the change of occupation, the level of contact circle will inevitably change. In China, I am in the middle and high-level cultural circle, and the people I contact here every day are relatively low-level. It's not that the lower classes are looked down upon. They are also very cultured and polite, but there is indeed a gap in cultural depth.

Therefore, those who enjoy the original superior social status, or who want to get ahead and be superior, are not suitable for living in Australia.

3. Living comfortably is not conducive to young people's struggle.

Australia has good social welfare and a slower pace of life than China. As long as there is a stable job, everyone's life is similar. People are easily lazy and have no desire to struggle. For those who want to do great things, the challenge is not small.

Especially here, the population is small, the flow of people is small and the labor force is expensive. It is not difficult to do small business, but it is difficult to do big business. Australia's market rules are already very sound, and it is difficult to break out. Coupled with language exchange and cultural integration, it is extremely difficult to create the myth of getting rich overnight as easily as in China. Every income here is earned by every bit of labor. There are really not as many peanuts as I thought.

The pace of life in Australia is relatively slow, and the changes outside are not as fast as in China. Living here for a long time, people will really become more and more leisure.

The following photo was taken in a small park near my home. Every weekend, people will come here for a picnic, and flocks of wild ducks are leisurely foraging. The whole atmosphere is very slow.

Everything needs to be done by yourself.

Don't talk about the big ones, just the small ones. In China, you don't even have to get out of the car to refuel, just open the window and pay. In Australia, you have to come down to refuel yourself, and then go into the house to pay at the cashier. You have to inflate the tires yourself or something. When we first came from China, we made a lot of jokes because we couldn't refuel. Some of us mistakenly refueled, and some people sprayed gasoline on themselves, which was embarrassing.

When you buy furniture here, you basically have to go home and install it yourself. For me, this is an impossible challenge. Fortunately, for men, assembling furniture seems like a pleasure. My husband is always in high spirits and pretends to have a special sense of accomplishment. It's good to have fun, but what if my husband is not here? I can't stand not going out for a few days. Pay someone to help install furniture? A little awkward. It is estimated that local people will be surprised that there is such a four-legged monster in the world.

Australian children like to do manual work since childhood, and their super hands-on ability is cultivated from childhood. Some locals are surprisingly convenient. Someone turned the garage into a manual workshop and worked on it on weekends. The tables, chairs and even slides and swings that children play in the backyard may be made by themselves. It looks the same as what you bought, even more unique.

Most people here live in houses with separate front and back yards. It is really a problem for us to take care of the front yard and backyard. It is sunny and rainy in Australia. It won't be long before the grass grows wildly. The yard of the local people is clean and beautiful, and you are embarrassed to indulge your weeds and affect the city appearance. On weekends, lawn mowers roar everywhere. Of course, people who are not short of money can also pay people to do it. But labor in Australia is not cheap. If it's your hard-earned money, I really can't bear to spend it like that. The workers who help you weed are likely to earn more money per hour than you do at work. Think about it and do it yourself. Just exercise.

5. Spending money is not as cool as spending money at home.

There are few Australians, but labor is expensive. Whether it's a haircut, manicure, massage, dry cleaning, changing trouser legs, everything is more expensive than China. Coupled with the exchange rate between Australian dollar and RMB, when I first came, I always couldn't help but convert RMB in my mind. This is more expensive, spending money is really not as cool as it is in China, and it is not so comfortable psychologically.

I envy my friends in China. Even full-time mothers who don't have to go to work will basically ask domestic workers to clean up, and even ask people to help cook and take care of their children. We are not so lucky in Australia. The thought of paying more than 30 Australian dollars, nearly 200 RMB an hour, just to be lazy secretly? I really feel sorry for that. If you want to hire a live-in nanny, it will be more expensive. The salary of a nanny may be higher than that of going out to work.

I am a lazy person. I don't like cooking and housework. I think when I was in China, although I didn't hire a nanny, I often hired an hourly worker to clean up or something. At that time, it was only a dozen dollars, and I didn't feel any burden at all.

China is full of restaurants. If you are too lazy to cook, eating out is cheap and convenient. Now, like I don't live in a Chinese-inhabited area, there are no Chinese restaurants in the town, and the western steak, fish and chips salad is really appetizing. If you want to eat comfortably, you have to drive farther to find a Chinese restaurant. Besides, I dare not go out to eat every day. Labor is expensive, the chef's salary is high, and the price of vegetables is naturally high.

A friend once lamented: "It is not difficult to have a stable income in Australia, but it is really difficult to save money!" Indeed, in Australia, especially in big cities like Sydney and Melbourne, the cost of living is really not low, and prices have been rising, not to mention the fact that house prices have already doubled. Even if the whole family doesn't go to work, the government won't let you starve to death, but if you want to live with a little quality, travel abroad every year and send your children to a better school, you really need to make financial planning. Of course, I am comparing most ordinary people, not including those who have enjoyed life for generations.

In short, Australia is a beautiful and challenging place. Different backgrounds, different personalities and different life pursuits will have different feelings and evaluations. Relatively speaking, those who live a simple life, are content with being dull, indifferent, independent, have strong hands-on ability, and have low requirements for fame and luxury are more likely to adapt to and enjoy life in Australia. Whether it is good or not, let's see it with our own eyes and experience it for ourselves.

I believe that as long as the heart is full of sunshine, any place can be a beautiful home for a happy life!