Australia, the lucky country

I know I know, once again I'm behind on my blog posts - so much for my resolution to post more regularly and not let WEEKS go by in between.

Today's post is not actually about life in KL but about my home country. Yesterday I was down in the little convenience store below our condo and as I was paying, the shop owner asked where I am from. When I said Australia, he let out a little sigh and with a smile, said,

"Ah, Australia. The good country."

I'm writing about this because it's not the first time it's happened since I've been here. Taxi drivers, people sitting next to me in cafes, hotel valet staff - pretty much every Malaysian person I have encountered has had this same positive reaction to Australia - it's good, lucky, happy, great. 

Australia has it all in their view, it's safe, people have good jobs, locals are friendly, there's a real sense of freedom and it's all packaged up in a nice climate that is seasonal but still mostly warm and sunny.

And yet, reading the Australian news every day, you'd think people had real problems back home. Not a day goes by when the media (and the general public) is not lamenting how hard life is, how they don't have enough money, how groceries are too expensive, how the streets of Sydney are too dangerous, how kids are not educated enough, how Cityrail sucks...etc. 

Sure, it's all a matter of perception and relativity and grass is always greener and all that, but let's stop for a moment for a reality check. Australia is really a lucky country in so many ways, not least because most days you see real blue sky, not the polluted haze that's been hanging over KL of late.

I've been as guilty as the next person when it comes to whingeing about the price of coffee in Sydney or its public transport woes. But I hope that having lived abroad now and heard how positively Australia and Australians are spoken of, that when we eventually return I will be a bit more appreciative of just how good we have it.