Acha Septriasa Recalls Culture Shock in Australia After Being Reprimanded for Jumping the Lift Queue

Acha Septriasa has shared her culture shock experience upon initially settling in Australia. For the actress, one of the most striking moments came from a simple habit: lift queue etiquette.

Acha admitted she was surprised by the unwritten rules there. She noted that queueing culture in Australia is strictly upheld, even when using lifts.

“What a massive culture shock that was when I first moved to Australia. Oh yeah, it was the lift manners,” Acha said during an interview in Kedoya, Jakarta, on Tuesday, 26 May 2026.

She explained that lift queueing customs differ between Indonesia and Australia. In Indonesia, those closest to the door typically enter first, whereas in Australia, priority is given to those who have been waiting at the front of the queue.

“In Indonesia, the person nearest the lift can step in straight away. But over there, whoever has been waiting at the front is entitled to enter first,” she clarified.

The experience even led to Acha being reprimanded for unintentionally jumping the queue. Despite the lift being right in front of her, the action was deemed impolite.

“I thought the system worked like in Indonesia. But even though the lift was right there, jumping the queue is still rude. I heard comments like, ‘Oh, that’s not polite’,” she laughed.

Beyond daily habits, living in Australia also gave Acha a new perspective on enjoying life. She observed that Australian society tends to live more simply without flaunting social status through consumption or material luxuries.

According to Acha, both the affluent and middle classes share similar ways of spending time. They are accustomed to enjoying simple pleasures without overt lifestyle distinctions.

“Over there, whether someone is established, extremely wealthy, or middle class, their time-spending habits are the same. They eat the same, drink coffee the same, eat bread the same,” she said.

For Acha, what is considered luxurious in Australia isn’t expensive items but intangible quality of life aspects that can’t be measured in money, such as clean air, tranquillity, safety, and quality time.

“The valuable things are the intangible quality of life. Things like air, scenery, inner peace, safety – those are actually luxuries over there,” she added.

Her experience living in Australia taught Acha that happiness doesn’t always come from luxury but from comfort and good quality of life.