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we're going home!

we're going home!

Old Oct 8th 2002, 2:58 pm
  #1  
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Unlike herman, I slept well in sydney last night - no 2:30 wakeups. but then I'm an 8 th generation australian, so I am acclimatised.
This english misery was first noticed in the 1960s and debated then. Why could 6 million postwar migrants from places like italy and greece make a go of life in oz, while a sizeable chunk from the uk suffer and fail. There are 2 issues.
The countries are physical opposites. One is small and cool and brims with man made attractions. The other is a vast desert wilderness, raw, elemental and overpowering, with humans clinging around the edges. I found england pretty but predictable. The "real countryside" bored me to tears.
The societies are oil and water. Oz was never an antipodean blighty. It started as a military outpost.then the english and irish settlers rejected great chunks of their respective societies to form a new different culture.
I am fond of the UK, but i found it long on verbiage and dirty, ill disciplined and short on action to resolve real civic problems, not "the real world" that Herman yearns for.
But to each his own.
As for tv, why come to oz and then watch tv at night.
 
Old Oct 8th 2002, 3:06 pm
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Default Re: we're going home!

Thank you Sydney Rose for your perspective. Quite right about the TV- i dont watch it in UK (apart from stuff like outdoors and survival things (((oh yeh and Eastenders- yikes))) and if i dont like the Oz TV (which i dont- it's crap American garbage with adverts every 5 minutes) i will buy SKY.

What we all have to think about is what is important to us as individuals. My idea of happiness is not power dressing and earning a fortune in the 'city' to then burn out at 40. The reasons some dont enjoy it is simple- we all want different things. I just pray that when i get there i never end up so bloody miserabel and whingey as people like PB and Herman and apreciate Australia for what it is- not just a 'potential hot England'.

Cheers
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Old Oct 8th 2002, 11:19 pm
  #3  
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Default Re: we're going home!

Originally posted by sydneyrose:
Unlike herman, I slept well in sydney last night - no 2:30 wakeups. but then I'm an 8 th generation australian, so I am acclimatised.
This english misery was first noticed in the 1960s and debated then. Why could 6 million postwar migrants from places like italy and greece make a go of life in oz, while a sizeable chunk from the uk suffer and fail. There are 2 issues.
The countries are physical opposites. One is small and cool and brims with man made attractions. The other is a vast desert wilderness, raw, elemental and overpowering, with humans clinging around the edges. I found england pretty but predictable. The "real countryside" bored me to tears.
The societies are oil and water. Oz was never an antipodean blighty. It started as a military outpost.then the english and irish settlers rejected great chunks of their respective societies to form a new different culture.
I am fond of the UK, but i found it long on verbiage and dirty, ill disciplined and short on action to resolve real civic problems, not "the real world" that Herman yearns for.
But to each his own.
As for tv, why come to oz and then watch tv at night.
Quite right. By the way, I love living in Sydney and you wont hear me whinging to anyone here - I just wanted to write a message that would rile a few people! I love the weather, the sailing, the surfing, camping at weekend and the relaxed lifestyle. We have a convertable car here, something we would never have in the UK. We play lots of outdoor tennis here. We rent a great apartment with a pool. Life here is great.
But, I just wanted point out some of the good points of England as our life in England was equally as good and should not be downplayed for the sake of glorifying Australia. Balance in all things as they say. I am by no means disappointed with Australia, I came here at the request of my firm, with an open mind intending to enjoy it, and that is what has happened. People who end up in tears are those who fill their heads with dreams and nonsense, like my pommie friends who were in the pub with me on Saturday. Text book examples of how not to 'emigrate'.
The Australian bush bores me to tears, so we are equal and opposite there, taking the theme of your message. Lots of the UK is dirty and things happen slowly, thats because its a big population and democracy gone mad - too much debate, not enough action. Oh and just for factual accuracy - most of Australia is one vast plain of dust and dirt. There's dirt and there's dirt!
My life has been great everywhere I have lived (Bristol, London, Zurich, Prague, Helsinki, Sydney) because I make a point of enjoying it. We have decided that for the next phase of our life England is best. We will have a great life there, as we have everywhere. Life is good, enjoy it everyday and dont live by what it might be in the future.
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Old Oct 8th 2002, 11:42 pm
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Default Re: we're going home!

Originally posted by sydneyrose:
Unlike herman, I slept well in sydney last night - no 2:30 wakeups. but then I'm an 8 th generation australian, so I am acclimatised.
This english misery was first noticed in the 1960s and debated then. Why could 6 million postwar migrants from places like italy and greece make a go of life in oz, while a sizeable chunk from the uk suffer and fail. There are 2 issues.
.
Yet another Aussie with a chip on your shoulder , heard it all before and it was shite the first time.
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Old Oct 9th 2002, 1:38 am
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Default Re: we're going home!

Originally posted by Grub:
some dont enjoy it is simple- we all want different things. I just pray that when i get there i never end up so bloody miserabel and whingey as people like PB and Herman and apreciate Australia for what it is- not just a 'potential hot England'.

Cheers

How about this is this what you want? Is this not the same as your England? From a whinging Perth person not me.

Why is society accepting this?

I AGREE with Carol Moore (Letters, 7/10). It is time to get tough on criminals. Neither a female being abducted (and abandoned some two kilometres down the road) when returning to her vehicle after using the ATM in Thornlie nor someone walking into my home and stealing my handbag from under my nose rates with anything more than "it's just the way things are these days".

Just who is doing the "time" and when did it become so acceptable for "those with a criminal intent" to roam my neighbourhood streets at ease while I bolt and bar myself in my own home? Someone is responsible for allowing our society to sink to this level and someone should be held accountable.

We have so many days marked with wearing badges, buying a particular flower, wearing jeans or shaving our heads. How about a "home invasion or victims' day"? We could all put a ribbon on our letterbox to indicate to our governments just how many in our local communities have been confronted with the reality of the judicial system as it currently operates.

Let's say no more and force our politicians to do something positive about protecting our rights and freedoms rather than protecting and pandering to the bad minority that is making many lives miserable.

The cost, both financially and mentally, is increasing and at the end of the day impacts on each and every one of us.
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Old Oct 9th 2002, 9:16 am
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Default Re: we're going home!

How you have the audacity to talk about chips!!!
You have an entire crop of King Edwards on yours.
LOL

Originally posted by pommie bastard:


Yet another Aussie with a chip on your shoulder , heard it all before and it was shite the first time.
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Old Oct 9th 2002, 9:19 am
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Have you actually watched the UK news recently??
2 schoolgirls were abducted and killed, a two year old tortured to death by her own parents, drugs rife EVERYWHERE, health service terrible, house prices astronomical and still rising, floods, earthquakes.

Wake up PB- what you've found there is not what you are looking for- maybe Beirut (plenty to moan about) could be your next destination.

Originally posted by pommie bastard:



How about this is this what you want? Is this not the same as your England? From a whinging Perth person not me.

Why is society accepting this?

I AGREE with Carol Moore (Letters, 7/10). It is time to get tough on criminals. Neither a female being abducted (and abandoned some two kilometres down the road) when returning to her vehicle after using the ATM in Thornlie nor someone walking into my home and stealing my handbag from under my nose rates with anything more than "it's just the way things are these days".

Just who is doing the "time" and when did it become so acceptable for "those with a criminal intent" to roam my neighbourhood streets at ease while I bolt and bar myself in my own home? Someone is responsible for allowing our society to sink to this level and someone should be held accountable.

We have so many days marked with wearing badges, buying a particular flower, wearing jeans or shaving our heads. How about a "home invasion or victims' day"? We could all put a ribbon on our letterbox to indicate to our governments just how many in our local communities have been confronted with the reality of the judicial system as it currently operates.

Let's say no more and force our politicians to do something positive about protecting our rights and freedoms rather than protecting and pandering to the bad minority that is making many lives miserable.

The cost, both financially and mentally, is increasing and at the end of the day impacts on each and every one of us.
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Old Oct 10th 2002, 3:58 pm
  #8  
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Dear All,

PB, although I don't agree with everything you say, you have some
valid points & I do love the way you wind the Brits up !, & I thought
that they were noted for their sense of humour ....

Although there are many reasons to emigrate from the UK to Australia,
trying to get away from crime is not one of them. The rate of violent
crime & burgleries is much higher in Australia. Yes, the cases of
Holly & Jessica & Milly are terrible but this kind of crime is very
rare in most western countries. I lived in Australia for a year in
1994/5 & the crime rate was definitely higher. When I was living in
Sydney someone was murdering taxi drivers (3 whilst I was there),
several friends were violently mugged, 3 teenagers were killed as they
were hanging out of the doors of a train spraypainting it & the train
went under a bridge .... . A friend of my partner emigrated to
Australia, they were living in Sydney & one day here 2 boys (10 & 7
years old) were out playing on their bikes, the older boy was winding
his younger brother up (as brothers do) by riding ahead of him knowing
that he was not strong enough to catch up. The younger boy was
abducted, raped & murdered. Like I said before, this kind of crime is
rare but can & does happen, anywhere.

Anyway, poms & aussies do not know what real crime is, try going to
South Africa, where i'm from (now in the UK) & see what real crime is
(i'm sure you've heard the stories).

The UK & Australia are both great places, both have their good & bad
points, (for us Australia is ahead, that's why we are going) but don't
use crime as a reason to leave the UK, you will be kidding yourselves.

Tony
 
Old Oct 10th 2002, 4:54 pm
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Default Re: we're going home!

Originally posted by Grub:
Have you actually watched the UK news recently??
2 schoolgirls were abducted and killed, a two year old tortured to death by her own parents, drugs rife EVERYWHERE, health service terrible, house prices astronomical and still rising, floods, earthquakes.

Wake up PB- what you've found there is not what you are looking for- maybe Beirut (plenty to moan about) could be your next destination.

Actually Beruit is now peaceful and nearly back to its pre-civil war status as the Geneva of the Middle East. Just let them all (PB,Dotty et.al)go back to where they came from and let us know in 6 months who were the dreamers. I just wish they'd get a bloody move on and go!
susan
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Old Oct 11th 2002, 8:20 am
  #10  
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Default Re: we're going home!

We could start a kitty for flights. Anyone got 50p?
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