A British woman staying in Australia has shared something about the country that she thinks is really ‘wholesome’ but also ‘emotionally draining’.
You can see her take on the matter in the video below.
So, Australia is obviously a very different country to England, and although there are many similarities, there are some things that just aren’t normal to those who live in the UK.
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However, there will be people living in the UK who find this thing perfectly familiar - perhaps it’s just London and the big cities where this isn’t normal.
TikTok user Kat Penkin, a singer who is currently Down Under but lives in London, recently shared a video on her account showing her walking down the street minding her own business.
The thing that she finds weird in Perth – where she is staying for Christmas - is that everyone she passes says hello to her and wishes her a good morning.
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Of course, there will be people in all parts of the UK to whom this will be completely normal.
Anywhere in the countryside you can expect a friendly greeting when you’re walking about.
But if you live in London, you’ll know that speaking to someone you don’t know when out and about is taboo.
In fact, it’s as likely to get you a ‘f*** off’ as a ‘good morning’.
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While Kat obviously loves the gesture from random strangers, she did admit that she finds it ‘very emotionally draining’.
OK, that’s fair enough.
If you don’t want to engage with people, and perhaps aren’t used to it, then it might start to take a toll if you have to smile and greet everyone you meet.
In her video, she said: “I forgot exactly how nice Australians are.
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“Every single person I walk past says ‘Good morning, how are you, good morning’.
“I live in London. If you go ‘Good morning’ to someone, you get a punch in the face.
“It’s really wholesome [in Australia] but it’s also very emotionally draining.”
Since she shared the video, it has been watched over 350,000 times, with many piping up to give their thoughts on the issue.
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One said: “Australian here. If I don’t say hi to the randos I pass, I feel bad the rest of the day.”
Another said: “Today I learnt that this is an Australian thing. I lived my whole life thinking everyone did this.”
She’s not alone in finding it a bit tiring though.
Someone else commented: “It’s emotionally draining for some Australians too lmao I can’t.”
There are other theories, as well.
One person wrote: “It's a morning only thing, I think people who go for morning walks are just happier in general and it's [usually] older people who initiate it.”
Either way, it’s nice to be nice, but we’re unlikely to see it take off in central London.
Tom Wood