annalooby

OK, I feel the need to have a rant - If I offend anyone then I apologise but this just has to be said:

Living in small minded country-Australia is doing my head in. Why is it OK for people who have never even been to the east coast of their own country, let alone England, to constantly slag me and my home country off basically for no other reason than I'm not local?? Frankly I call it racism. I have shared houses with French, Spanish, German and Aussie people who were all living together without (many) problems and even in small country England never experienced anywhere near the amount of pettiness and ignorant crap that goes on here.

Even at work - in a supposedly professional environment - it is still acceptable to poke fun at the pom and treat me like a second class citizen. Praps I was naively expecting this, being a developed country with high level education systems , to accommodate reasonable educated persons - rather than rednecks.

I know this is a generalised sweeping statement and I by no means assume that all Australians have this mentality but what I find unacceptable is the 'turning a blind eye' to the bullying and racism that takes place on a daily basis. How about having an opinion and standing up to people like this rather than just putting up with it?

downunderpom

That's the one and only way you'll get the respect you deserve.

Go get 'em!

Megalania

But do you deserve respect or is your serve suspect?

WheelsOfSteel

Australians were always the more 'basic' of the Australasian countries. They do 'race cows' after all, so don't be suprised by there behavior.

If England loose on Sat, batten down the hatches because your in for a rough ride!!!

Ceri

Grow a thick skin, and give as good back as you get.. and better.

To be honest with you, I do not see much racism towards "poms" (English people), I only see it within the media. It is just a ribbing - fight back.. you pommie g*t! - the aussies are easy to get one over. If they see you are upset by their "ribbing" .. they'll do it even more. fight fire with fire.

From a Taff... that little country that England thinks it's owns.
Grow a thick skin and fight them with fire


cheers

bondipom

If they win do the same as the English will be boring, cheating whinging, arrogant bad losers.

WheelsOfSteel

Maybe you should take Monday off?

Ceri

I've already said to one "bragging" aussie here in the office, when they won over the Kiwi's .. he wouldn't shut up.. brag, brag, brag. "For gawds sake you only had one try against them., try 4 . what are you England??" lol

oops ..lol

As a taff I find this highly amusing all the ribbing between Aus and England... b*gger it, I'm going fishing on saturday.. lol

RichS

Apparently until 1980 something Aborigines were classed in the Constitution as 'Flora and Fauna', so things have come on somewhat since then...but not a great deal clearly.

I've lived here 2 years and for the most part have enjoyed it. However I'm now starting to question whether I want my 2 little boys to be brought up with the same frankly racist values about other nations and their people.

Sporting banter may be one thing - racism is another. I feel the line has been crossed this past week.

Ceri

There's racism everywhere in the world. Are you out of your comfort zone? Try working on site in England as a welsh person - I've had racist comments from you English... ie taking your jobs etc, taffy b*stard, heard them all. it doesn't matter it's a site job and won the contract..

Grow a thick skin.

Isn't you who lived in Sing? Come on don't tell me you never received any type of racism there? I won't believe you, having come across it myself over there on quite a few occasions myself.

cheers

annalooby

Just for the record - my skins pretty thick already! I was bullied badly at school and I came to a point where I wasn't going to let it happen anymore.

I have no problem with sporting banter but I totally agree with RichS that racism is a totally different kettle of fish. Of course there's racism everywhere in the world but does that make it right??

Btw - Who cares if England are boring - so long as they win fairly. If the wallabies play a boring game on sat and win will they hand back the trophy? - I DONT THINK SO!!

dotty

The Pommie bashing in the press does get on your nerves, I cant count the amount of times I drone at idiot comments about english sport, english weather, english people being so fuc**** lucky to be here, despite the fact most have never been out of the State.

Ignorant comments about English being dirty and not washing ( I love that one, usually by some dirty bare footed pig) But that is all it is ignorance, speak to most aussies who have actually been to UK and they have great respect for the place.

Dont let it get to you, just smirk

jah4reds

Good response dotty.

Or, although I rarely get the ribbing other expats seem to get here, on the few occasions I have a usually come back with some put-down.

Eg, when someone goes on about 'Poms not washing', I respond with 'Well, if all Australians wash - some of them use the strangest deodarants - like those delightful smells 'dingoes droppings', 'possum p*ss' and kangaroo kr*p' that one can smell wafting about the train carriage during summer.

Remember, when provoked always give as good as you get.

AndyH.

P.S. Try to be kind to them - mostly (except for sport) they are suffering from a cultural cringe.

RichS

Ceri,

I totally concur with what you're saying, and in person I am well able to cope. I've also witnessed anti-Welsh sentiment in the UK, and agree its a pretty poorshot. Again I'm sure in person you managed to stand up to it pretty well.

Yes I got it in Singapore, and again in personal form I can stand my ground and fight my corner no worries.

What has been getting me is the media.

Maybe I've just come over all soft and wobbly, but I have really been truly taken aback by the sheer volume of vitriol in the written media, and also on talk radio shows (and I'm talking about shows I normally associated with higher journalistic standards).

lynnj

If you dont want to be slagged for being english, live in england.

Racism is alive and well wherever you go, try being a kosovan in england, or anything other than english in england.

Racism is bred from fear of the unknown, what does it matter where anyone was born or raised.

Lynn