The Kulcher of difference

I recently moved from a capital city to a small country town and some things I have adapted to and some things I find very alien. I've had no trouble with the fashion change, now I live in jeans, a flanelette shirt and 'lastic side boots and drive a ute. But the big difference I just can't get my head around is the difference in relationship between the different sexes.

In capital cities men and women mix freely, most men and women that I know have both men and women friends that they hang out with socially and while there are subtle differences in the way opposite sex friends are treated basically there is very little sex discrimination.

I remember the first country party I went to. The men were in the back yard standing around a 44 gallon drum set alight talking about guns, hunting, utes and their fourbees (4x4 vehicles) and all the women were inside talking. Being new I stood around the 44 warming my arse and listening to the men talk which very quickly became very boring so I wandered inside to have a chat with the ladies. The girls didn't seem to mind and I was enjoying myself with a bit of chatter about nothing important learning about my new friends families and the type of life they lead. Very shortly a slow trickle of men starting coming inside to claim their "possessions". Taking their women outside and away from this perceived threat. Now don't get me wrong, if there was a single, attractive. Interesting woman there I would have swooped in with the best of them but they were all married middle aged women and we were just passing the time of day and as I said I was more interested in listening about them then hitting on them.

This was my first introduction to country culture, Since then I have realised that their is a major difference in thinking with regard to relationships in the country. It's like a step back into the 50's. I have never heard the expression "breadwinner" as much as I have here. The man is the breadwinner and the wife is there to make his life easier. Simple as that. The power ratio is very heavily weighted in the mans favour. He is definitely incharge of the family. He makes the decisions and in most cases he has all the creature comforts like very expensive guns and sporting gear and all the accessories that go with it, a shed that is equipped with more tools then Bunnings and in a two car family he has the new 4 wheel drive ute and the wife and kids travel in the 1980 commodore.

The women seem to accept this situation as normal. I know of one family where the husband works away for a week and then is home for a week. During the week that he is away the wife is not ALLOWED to leave the house. Not even to shop. And he rings 4 or 5 times a day to make sure.

Am I weird or do I just live in a weird place?