The Drinking Culture

Alright, I haven’t wrote some culture blogs in a while, but now I finally got some time on my hands. I been loaded with papers. Maybe, I’ll blog about them later.
The more and more I am immersed in the Australian culture, the more and more I find out about how significant alcohol here is. I am not saying that Australians are a bunch of drunks. I am merely stated that this culture revolves around drinks, much like America revolves around food. Of course, drinking and driving is not tolerated. I’d say even more so than in America. Every Australian I know that had been drinking, whether it is just a few drinks or a lot, is VERY responsible and never goes behind the wheel. They always ended up getting a cab or had a friend come help them. I like to see this happen in America more. I believe the consequences of drinking and driving in Australia are vastly worse too compared to in America. I am not certain though, but I see tons of advertisements about not drinking and driving.
As I said, Australian is a drinking culture. In America, if a guest comes to your house it is normal to offer them a drink (water, soda, beer, etc.) and a snack (not a meal, but more like cookies or chips). In China, a guest is commonly offered just food (like a meal). In Australia, they commonly offer just a drink (beer or spirit). It is also proper to bring the host of a party a bottle of booze and not just booze for yourself. This is proper manners here that you rarely see at home.
When I went to the Outback, I mentioned we stopped at the “Daly Water’s Pub.” At this pub, you could find money from around the world posted on the ceilings and walls. This tradition of taping or nailing stuff to the walls started off because locals would sometimes forget their wallets when going to the bar. There is not much in the Outback so I’d imagine you have to take a pretty far drive to get to the pub after work for a drink. What would happen if you took that long drive and realized you forgot your wallet after making that long drive? Well, what the locals would do is that when they visited they would tape money to the walls of the bar and write their name of the money. That way, if they ever forgot their wallet again then all they have to do is get their money off the wall so they could have their drinks. The tradition evolved to much more than money at the “Daly Water’s Pub.”

SHOUT!!!! This is a common term and thing to do when drinking with “mates” (mates are your friends are called). A shout how many locals drink. Pretty much, it’s where one person in your group buys a round of drinks for everyone in the group. Then it is someone else’s turn to do a “shout.” I like this because your not just buying for yourself, but treating others to a drink to. It’s nicer then making everything 50/50. You buy this time, and I’ll buy the next time sounds better than lets split everything 50/50.

When I went to the horse races, Jon Organ, our guide, told me that the horse races were not really about the gambling on horses. It was more about socializing and drinking champagne, wine, and beer.


(random picture of me jumping off a cliff near Neielson Park)

Australia Day, which is a big holiday here (go figure), is pretty much a day to drink a lot of booze and barbeque. I guess that’s what being the stereotypically Australian is all about?

ANZAC is another reason to go out and drink. ANZAC (Australian New Zealand Army Corps) Day is like the 4th of July except more people go out and drink; mostly the younger generation. It is also a time to play “two-up” which is an old gambling game. This game is otherwise illegal any other day.

There are more examples too. I will write them down as I remember them

Cheers!