Are you alright?

The first WISW (while it's still weird) thing I noticed since arriving in the UK is how people greet each other. Even now, 6 weeks later (as I blog in retrospect), it still takes me off guard everytime someone greets me. Unfortunately the way this happens cannot be communicated accurately enough via a blog posting, so I'll give you a scenario to increase the impact of the weirdness.

Imagine you're in a supermarket and walk past a young girl of 6 or 7 who is clearly distressed because she's lost her mother. Or imagine you see an old lady in the Coles carpark, struggling to manage both her shopping bags and walking stick. Or perhaps you're at work, and a stranger wanders into your office as if they're in the wrong place.

Imagine you ask them "are you alright?" Now keep that tone of voice. That's how the English greet each other.

In the hospital corridors at work, or meeting new people in social situations, every person I've met asks me (remember the tone of voice) "are you alright?" My immediate response is still to say "Yes, why? Do I look like there's something wrong?"

From observation, the right response is to say, "yes thanks, are you alright?". I'm still learning this.

I suppose if foreigners came to Australia and we bade them farewell with an offhand "see ya later" when we clearly would not, they would find that weird too.

Still. It makes me think I walk around with a sour or confused look on my face everytime someone approaches me with "are you alright?".