binbird

I'm not expecting to feel "Australian". Just so long as I can feel "at home" in a comfortable timescale I will be happy. I was born me and I can't change that! (My hubby will be disappointed that I won't be changing into Kylie but that's life!)

Binbird

DagBoy

I was going to say that I started feeling an Australian as soon as I got here, but not only would MrsD give me a slap for being cheeky, but also someone already cracked that joke

I think I agree with Renth et al. At the moment I am a Pom in Australia. When (if) I get citizenship then I will be an English Aussie. I am proud to be English and always will be, but one day I also expect to be proud to be Australian. Unlike some people here, when I take Australian citizenship I will be taking on all that it entails, including voting and abiding by the laws. I expect to make my citizenship ceremony a full family affair and a celebration of my Aussieness. It will also be quite emotional for me for personal reasons.

Thankfully, I could not realy give a toss about the soccer or cricket, so do not have any problems deciding who to support. The only time I show any support to a sporting team is when I support the Maroons during the state of origin (which we will win this year).

Yeah, no, In terms of lifestyle and attitude I think I am already well on the way to feeling Aussie, but, eh?



Cheers,

DagBoy

richie.y

Not there yet but I am sure I will always feel like an English Australian, no young 'uns yet, but they will be brought up to be Australian first, English second.

fraser

I tend to agree. I'll be proud to be an Australian citizen but even prouder to be English. Although I'm sure later on there'll be some conflict with my two boys Henry & Bobby

jonni boy

my wife says that she will see england as home for a long long time and as said by somebody on here,it's what u are and where u came from. now thats fine but i hate england and the only thing i will miss are family and friends.this may sound strange but there has allways been a pull to australia,not just for me but for the wife aswell and it's something that we have been talking about for over 10 years. we don't know why but it just feels so right for us as if it was meant to be........watch it all go tit's up when we do go for good and we end up back here in 6 months. maybe it's the fact that where we live is just full of smack heads and you can see the place getting worse year after year and yes i know australia has it's problems aswell but lets face it,MANCHESTER is a F ing dump

jayr

Then why don't you just move out of Manchester?

sloake

I liked Manchester, a great place (crap football teams though)

never lived there, but was thinking about moving there..

NickyC

I've been here for 25 years now. I live here, it's my home, and very familiar and normal to me. I don't 'feel' as if I'm any different to anyone else who lives here - whether they're Australian or arrived from Timbuktu last week.

I found that after a few years, the feeling of being 'English' and 'different' to the majority wore off. I may still sound like I just stepped off the boat, but to my own ears (and in my own mind) I'm just one of the crowd now. Stopped thinking about England as 'home' when I got permanent residency (came on an early WHV) and just got on with it. Not that it was difficult - I loved it here from Day 1.

The UK now feels like a foreign country to me - a bit like going to the US from England. There's no language problem, but the culture is different and it's not quite the same as home. I've got my first trip back in 9 years in June (not been back sooner as we've been too busy exploring other countries and NOT because it's too expensive on Aussie pay) and I'm looking forward to it enormously. It's always interesting going back, but it's fantastic to come home here afterwards.

As far as sport goes, I'm not the slightest bit sporty but I always support Australia (even against the UK). It's far more satisfying - a greater chance of winning .

Mummy

Hi Guys, long time no speak!

I don't think I'll ever feel "Australian" - I don't think I will ever know what being Australian is anyway. So many of the Australians I have met so far seem to have so many connections with Britain (parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, husbands etc) that I can't really pinpoint what is Australian.

All I know is that I feel 100% settled here and intend to stay for the rest of my life . . . though I may retire in New Zealand in 40 years time!

As for football . . . turn away if of sensitive nature . . . I can't believe that the football crazy world has finally got its grip into Australia - it was one of the reasons why we wanted to come here that they weren't all football mad, but now everywhere I look there are signs saying join up for the soccer team!!! There are other sports to you know . . .

Mummy

G'Day

I don't agree with than last statement at all. I think whether or not you care to acknowledge your previous culture and community depends on where you came from and whether you ever felt like you were actually a part of that community and culture. I for one have no problem totally leaving behind what I had before as I never felt at home in the ignorant, racist, bigoted culture that I was born into, but I feel totally at home in multi-cultural Melbourne. I find it a tad pathetic to meet people who've been in Australia for ten years and who still speak of their former countries as "home".

RichS

I am indeed one of those pathetic people then I fear. I'll always consider England 'home' in an intangible way. It shaped who I am what I am, what 400 years of my ancestors were (thats as much as I know).
I think in my mind I'd feel a little shallow suddenly saying I'm an aussie. I'm clearly not and clearly have little in common with the way the media portray 'aussiness'.

Nope I'm an English person living and enjoying Australia in all it's glory. I may become an Australian citizen and abide by all that entails, but I'm always going to be failing the cricket test.

As for racist/bigoted etc - never lived in a place more so.

ozzieeagle

Rich S, How can you say this following statement and not explain yourself at least briefly ?

As for racist/bigoted etc - never lived in a place more so.

For example, are you mistaking (perhaps because of being a new arrival in this country) and now I will make the mods slightly nervous I guess.

The term "Paki" I realise is a big no no, in the UK, However in Aussie, whenever Australia plays Pakistan in the cricket, This term "paki" is used as an abbreviation by countless australian cricket commentators on TV and Radio, It's just an abbrviation of the word, Hopefully we here never go down the road as to take on board People claiming that this word is derogatory. Paticualy people that ain't Pakistani !


Same as the words poof or queer, Homosexuals call each other that, as do Hetrosexual people to identify or speak about Homosexuals, It's not meant to be bigoted is just "upfront Aussie speak"

CasG

Don't know if and when I'll 'feel' Australian, but what I do know since I arrived here 2 months ago, is that I feel very comfortable and easy here - i think that a lot of it is because of the great attitude of the Australians I have met - can honestly say that I've yet to meet a miserable, arrogant or rude person here yet ( and there were plenty in the UK)

It is refreshing to just walk down the road, and as you pass someone, get a smile or a 'hi', - maybe the sunny weather helps (but then again I live in Melbourne, so it cannot be just that!) - I think it is more like the generous, happy nature of Australians - I'm generalising, but my opinion is derived from my experiences.

As I have been on my own (till my hubby arrives this coming tuesday), I have been blessed with lots of help, tips etc - all unasked for and all gratefully received.

To sum up - I feel very much at home here, and am damn happy

Cas

sloake

Very few gay people call themselves a poof, a number are trying to reclaim the word Queer, back from the hurtfull insult.

a bit like some black people are trying to reclaim the word nigger.

Neither are nice words, and are used mainly to insult

Mummy

Re "Aussie Speak".

There was a programme on yesterday I think about the survival of the English language, and it was focussing on Australia. It states that most of the "Aussie" words used today are in fact (perhaps quite obviously really) words from 18th century criminal London, and many of these words e.g. cobber, swag, dinkum etc can be found in Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist.

Well I was interested anyway!

Mummy.