BadgeIsBack

Christ I'm tired. Meant to say that the UK had more colours.

We have a green (leaves etc), yellow (recycle) and smaller green for rubbish.
Most people choose to burn off here, but I like to have the green one on standby because with 2 babies there's often not time to jack up a burn and police it.

I heard an expat (the only family we see on any sort of basis since we got here) refer to the recycling as the ''bottle-bin'' the other day - seemed like a long-lost phrase from the past! In London where we were they did not collect - there was a central collection point.

cheers

jond

I can honestly say that our closest friends are Aussies. We have more in common - but frankly, that's down to the way we choose to live, not nationality at all. For one thing, I find that Brit blokes want to talk about soccer all the time, and compare what they have, in general, and I just don't do that. Little things like that, whereas our Aussie mates have an interest in the land, bushfire, farming, engineering, semi-rural life etc.

*Noone* I know drinks VB, has a ute AND a hat. That would be like your lotto numbers coming up.

At least a hat keeps the sun off your face. A lot of Aussies and Brits wear baseball caps when mowing but I think you can do better that so I use an Akruba for mowing because it makes sense, and my wife would object if I didn't(!)[/QUOTE]






I think a lot of what you say has to do with where you live.

I play golf with a bloke who is in his forties and born and raised on the Mornington Peninsular and he reckons even as a kid the place was always full of poms. I agree about the talking about football as to be honest the AFL bores me and my mates to tears, but I don't know a single person who brags or trys to compare what they have in the way of material possessions

I think that the difference between you and I is that in the UK I lived the rural lifestyle and don't want to do it here. In fact we are thinking of trying to buy a house in Mornington itself so we can walk to the Town rather than drive.

I have loads of mates who are aussies through work, golf, football,SES etc but what I was getting at is at the end of the day the friends who would come to my rescue if really needed would be poms.

On the subject of hats I loath baseball caps and will always wear a wide brimmed hat to keep the sun off.

And I am still baffled by those people who land here and a week later have aussie accents drink VB have a ute etc etc alright they might not have a hat with corks on but that is all they are missing to become an instant just add water aussie. If you don't try too hard you will fit in anyway.

John

kevinbloomfield

Why are you baffled? surely people can do whatever they like and if they want a ute and drink VB that's up to them. Maybe people are baffled about what you wear and drive but it'd be a bit rude to comment wouldn't it?

jond

Not Baffled about what they want to wear, drive or drink,but rather why?

I you had read what I had wrote earlier you would see that I am on about people who try to become instant aussies the minute they get here and as Hutch said I find it a bit embarrassing to be honest.

I know we all want to settle down but just take your time, meet people through work, play etc and you will meet friends. Just casting off your roots and covering yourself in Green and Gold won't do it.

BadgeIsBack

Your point about Greeks and Italians was good - the success of these nmigrants is that they seem as proud to be Australian as they are Greek or Italian.

I still think it is a shame, and sad, that a minority of Brit migrants can be very dimissive of their new country and are very loath to really integrate - but let's face it - that is rare - as rare as someone with a hat, a ute and a VB their first week.

I do know though, that speaking personally, I have a lot in common with the people I know here, in some ways the only way we differ is our places of birth. It's fun! That is why I think it is sad in general that people pay so much attention to where they were born and what they think they should be. I've long recognised I am the sum total of all my experiences, schooling, family, and am receptive to new means and ways.

Brits do seem to agonise about this, strong sense of national identity? and Australia does seem to cop it - people do seem to want to live here yet distance themselves in other ways. People have been going native in their chosen idyllic places for years and they are congratulated. Indeed books are written about it.

Where you live is everything. Contact with this forum makes me realise that the way we live is nothing like most expats - but then, that's why we've been successful.

There are patterns people follow which does not always lead to a recipe for success - quite identifiable.

Vim Fuego

You may well be right, but it has bothered me to a sufficient extent that it has featured in a dream ... can't remember the details but dancing near-naked girls were not involved.

Hmmm, burning bins ... that reminds me of the Reading festival (burning bogs though) ... getting close to 5th November, Jesus, Chatham will be practically alight by now

on a mission

your paranoid ....

what you are saying is when my neighbour invited me around for a bbq who is aussie, I went around to his house, completely british, and wouldnt acknoweldge the lifestlye,,,weather etc, because I just got there, oh and I forget to say, I stood in the shade for threee months refusing to get sun burnt, as I am not worthy enough yet

get a life!

jond

[QUOTE=on a mission;5492090]your paranoid ....




Far from it, anybody who knows me knows that I am the type of person who can and would, well indeed have settled anywere.

What I am trying to get through to you is that if you give it time you will integrate and settle in without trying too hard and making a bit of a fool of yourself in the process.

And by the way I have got a life, a very nice one thank you.

John

jond

That is why I think it is sad in general that people pay so much attention to where they were born and what they think they should be. I've long recognised I am the sum total of all my experiences, schooling, family, and am receptive to new means and ways.




This is so true and like yourself I feel that I am also the result of everything that I have gone through in life both good and bad.

Perhaps this is the reason why I seem to settle quite well where ever I lived, and I have lived on everything from a huge really rough estate to a tiny little picture postcard village.