My name is Paw Pa Say and I come from Thailand and Burma border. I lived in a refugee camp for many years. I didn’t have the opportunity to go outside when I was in the refugee camp. I had never been to a city before so when I arrived in Melbourne it was the first time I visited the city so every thing gave me a culture shock. First of all there were many differences between my country and Australia such as the buildings, means of transportation and the living standards. I felt every things made me feel strange.
My biggest culture shock in Australia was transportation because I had never seen the bus or train when I was in the Refugee camp. The first time I got on the bus I didn’t know how to use the ticket machine. After I got help to buy a ticket, I showed my ticket to the driver who told me to put it in the machine. This gave me a shock because I had never done so in my life.
In Australia the ticketing system was very strange for me because in my country I had to pay money for the transportation in a different way. I made a big mistake when I caught the train for the first time because I didn’t know how to open the door. I thought that if I was standing near the door may be the door would open automatically but when I was standing close to the door nothing happened. This made me shocked again. It was very embarrassing for me when I traveled for the first time.
When I saw the buildings in the city in Melbourne, it was very surprising for me because I had never seen such buildings in my life.
In the refugee camp I never used electricity. I used only cander and a lamp. I didn’t have enough house hole material like here so when I arrived here I didn't know how to use the house hole material. It was every things made me a shock and I afraid to used the material in my house.
Later I asked my neighbor and they taught me every things so it was my first experience to use such things in the house.
People in Australia are very friendly but some of them are very serious. Relationships in Australia are very different from my country because when you meet a friend in the street they hug and kiss you. It made me very shy because I had never seen this in my life. Most teenagers are very stupid because they wear earrings on their mouth and some of them put earrings on their noses. This is very strange for me and I also feel scared of them too. Every things made me feel strange and shocked in Australia.
My biggest culture shock in Australia was transportation because I had never seen the bus or train when I was in the Refugee camp. The first time I got on the bus I didn’t know how to use the ticket machine. After I got help to buy a ticket, I showed my ticket to the driver who told me to put it in the machine. This gave me a shock because I had never done so in my life.
In Australia the ticketing system was very strange for me because in my country I had to pay money for the transportation in a different way. I made a big mistake when I caught the train for the first time because I didn’t know how to open the door. I thought that if I was standing near the door may be the door would open automatically but when I was standing close to the door nothing happened. This made me shocked again. It was very embarrassing for me when I traveled for the first time.
When I saw the buildings in the city in Melbourne, it was very surprising for me because I had never seen such buildings in my life.
In the refugee camp I never used electricity. I used only cander and a lamp. I didn’t have enough house hole material like here so when I arrived here I didn't know how to use the house hole material. It was every things made me a shock and I afraid to used the material in my house.
Later I asked my neighbor and they taught me every things so it was my first experience to use such things in the house.
People in Australia are very friendly but some of them are very serious. Relationships in Australia are very different from my country because when you meet a friend in the street they hug and kiss you. It made me very shy because I had never seen this in my life. Most teenagers are very stupid because they wear earrings on their mouth and some of them put earrings on their noses. This is very strange for me and I also feel scared of them too. Every things made me feel strange and shocked in Australia.
Text by Paw Pa Say from Burma
