Are meet ups with fellow Poms once you arrive a good thing?

[Pinhead]

Are meet ups with fellow Poms once you arrive a good thing?

It seems to me that if you want to move to Oz you should fully embrace the Oz culture and mix with the locals rather than just sticking with the ex pats.

Probably the biggest issue in the UK at the moment is immigration and the 'multi-cultural society'. Hundreds of thousands of people have moved to the UK in the last 10 years but more and more they are living in their own communuties living in the ways of the 'old country' without embracing their new countries.

Don't get me wrong you should be proud of your roots and your heritage but who wants to move from the UK to get away from whatever you're moving from, only to then take it with you?

[calNgary]

I wish i had known some poms when i arrived ,just for pointers,hints and tips.I thought i was pretty prepared with all the research id done but nothing prepares you for reality.I understand what your saying about mixing with aussies but that dosnt mean you cant talk to people from the uk who have done exactly what your doing.A good mix of friends does the world of good and you can always learn something new.
Cal x

[Megss]

Hi there,

I must admit the exact same thoughts have crossed my mind.

However nice it would be to have some people you know out there, i really want to throw myslef into the community and embrace the culture. I sometimes get the impression that the people who return the UK are the people who didn't do that.

On a similar train of thought i have also caught myself wondering if you can get BBC News 24 in oz, and thinking about reading all the online british newspapers... also wondering if i could get certain british TV programmes over there..... but then i think, but surely if i do that then i will only miss home more, and not become involved in local issues, and will therefore not be able to feel at hom in Oz????? If i only took an interest in UK news and not so much Oz news, then i would not find common ground to talk about with the australian people... and therefore would find it hard to make friends??

Its a tough one, and in a way like everything it just requires maintaining a healthy balance of keeping in touch with your roots, and embracing your new home...

I think if you were meeting up with a bunch of people from POI once or twice a year, but made the effort to make friends with australians locally, then its fine.

Meg
xx

[kdal]

Hi, Looking forward to moving to Australia but my friends will be people that I get along with no matter what nationality they are, and if they happen to be English too then so be it!

[Stuju]

I'm lucky so far to have a mix of english, aussie & canadian friends here in Oz which is great (i also know a couple of south africans too) no different to being in the uk really had aussie friends & south african friends there too.(one of my english best mates lives in Yatton & is married to an aussie from woolongong nsw)

Yes I think its a great idea.

We have been to 2 PIO meets since we got here & not only is this site great for advice before you leave meeting up also helps but also to put names too faces once you arrive is even better IMO. You will find it very hard to mix with the locals as you never seen them they are hidding in their back yards. I don't care what nationality anyone is we have meet some fantastic people at the meets & made some real friendships. The more the merrier I say

Janette

[Cellefrouin]

Hi,

Thats a good point actually.....

I live in France and when I moved over here I swore that I would do my best to 'intergrate' with the French people and learn the language.

The English over here by and large stick to the English, don't learn the language, use English tradespeople, read the English newspapers and still buy English products!!! Sometimes I ask myself "what's the point". Surely they came here for a different way of life?

If you are going to make this life-changing decision to move to another country then you really need to intergrate. I'm not saying that you should never speak to English people ever again, that would be crazy because we all need a link to home once in a while, but Australia is not England the same as for me, France is not England. The culture is different in both countries and accepting this is a must if you are going to make your new life successful.

I think seeing and speaking to English people in the first few months is a good idea really as you can pick up some much needed information. But, if you can then distance yourself a little, without appearing rude of course, you will find that your Aussie neighbours will be much more accepting of your attempts to adjust to their way of life. It is their country after all.



Caroline.

I watch BBC news at times. I dont read online papers apart from the local paper from my old area.

Im with the other poster.......friends will be friends whatever nationality!

[Tracey from Braintree]

Originally Posted by kdal

Hi, Looking forward to moving to Australia but my friends will be people that I get along with no matter what nationality they are, and if they happen to be English too then so be it!

I totally agree!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think that if more people thought this way the world would be a more peaceful place.

Tracey.

[mutikonka]

We didn't know any poms when we moved here ten years ago and didn't go out of our way to meet other Brits. At first I made a big effort to make Aussie friends and went along to social events that I would never have attended in Britain - League games etc. Didn't really enjoy it. Then after about three years the penny dropped and I just started doing what I wanted to do, regardless of whether it was "fitting in". Where we live there is a Latvian Club, a Sri Lankan Club and a Chinese Cultural Centre. I don't see any of these other "New Australians" going out of their way to socialise with other 'real' Aussies, so I'm not going to either just for the sake of principle.
We now have a great mix of Aussie mates - although half of these 'Aussies' are recent migrants from places like Cyprus, Canada and Germany!