The Australian Dictionary of Invisible Culture for Teachers
introducing myself
norm: when it is like this, it is good to do some things (see more)
It can be like this in Australia:
At some times I am in a place with people I don’t know. These people don’t know me.
It can be good if I say something to some of these people. It can be good if I say something like “Hello, my name is...”
It is not bad to say this to someone I don’t know. It is not bad to say this to someone above me. It is not bad to say this to someone below me.
It is not bad if someone else doesn’t say this about me some time before.
At the same time, it can be good if I shake hands (=touch this other persons hand with my hand in one way, not for a long time, not for a very short time.).
After this, it is good if I say something like this “I want to know your name. I want you to say some things about you.”
Note
While shaking hands is not appropriate in all situations in Australia (notice 'it CAN be good if...'), it is the most generally appropriate. Depending on situations, people can shake hands, hug, kiss on the cheek, fist bump, or simply wave."Hi, I'm Jenny. I'm a friend of Claudia's. What's your name?' 'Hi Jenny, I'm Rachel.' 'Nice to meet you Rachel. Were you the person who brought the cookies?"
"G'day mate, I'm George' 'Good to meet you George, I'm Sam.' 'We were just talking about going fishing. Do you like fishing Sam?"
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