Teresa

think you must be a bit mislead by us all with children having fab big houses!!! we have a 2 bed which was purchased 5 yrs ago, which we are rapidly outgrowing with a 2 yr old son

I bought my first house in Nottingham some 9 years back now and struggled in the beginning, took in a lodger and used patio furniture and bean bags til I could afford furniture (without hefty debt), I moved back to Southampton, bought another 2 bed again as the difference in price of areas only afforded me to do so. got bored with just plodding on and done the career bit so went travelling at grand age of 29

thats when I met Graham in Sydney 5 yrs ago, he is from uk but was on working visa, came back and had ideas of travelling again when Oliver popped along so we stuck tight for a bit with the idea still at the back of our minds to go back to oz one day which we did in feb with Oliver who loved it and still remembers and talks about Australia.

anyway what I'm saying is we both are non materialistic but want to have room to "swing a cat", feel that life experiences are best for us and O - and this opinion is the same as when we were childless, we have moved on from friends who try to keep up with the jones as can't stand that mentality!!! have single friends who are desparate to buy a house and have no chance in this country either.

so we are off with a bit if cash to help buy a house but what the hell we will put in it who knows.............just want to be back in oz and give it a damn good go

Understand exactly want you mean and you posts are pretty spot on, G (who has spent alot of time in Oz like yourself) shares your opinions too..................and the love of vb - which we still can't find in our area!!!

Teresa

PeteY

As long as its not inflatable and you can guarantee against it sinking.... I'd rather fly though to be honest

When are you heading off for good then, out of interest?

Badge

Bundy I was going to take the missus out to New England to show her that area. Looks like we'll be looking at Nundle now as well.

Soon as we're done in VIC!!

badge

Herman

People can debate about Aussies being friendly and sporty, country people being kinder than city people etc etc, but I personally am not remotely convinced.
I've experienced quite a few cultures around the world as more than a tourist. I grew up in a small country village in South Gloucestershire, have lived in Bristol, Southampton, Zurich, Prague, the Gold Coast and Sydney. I am married to an Eastern European who grew up in a poor family in a small communist oppressed town. My inlaws dont speak a word of english and come from the group of people you describe as 'glad to have a roof over their heads'.
I have done long work projects in the US, France, Germany, Italy, Czech Republic, Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Finland and Slovakia working and getting to know locals very well on each occasion. I now have good friends in each of these countries.
I dont know, maybe its me, but once I get to know people in each country and get used to their traditions, I forget what nationality they are. All of my prejudices and ill informed beliefs about other nationalities came crashing down when I got to know my wife's family. Hence, I dont see Aussies as anything special or anything different. I think the putting of Australians on some kind of pedestal is reverse racism, not so different to making sweeping generalisations about certain other nationalities. I dont buy it.

PeteY

Personally....i was talking with a view to comparing rural people with city people.

In any case, how you interpret another nations people is dependant not only on what you think of them, but how well they interact with you. If you don't like em, they won't like you back kind of thing (im not talking about you Herman, just to be clear, I am talking in general).

Its all sterotypical in any case, everyone is different, but as a general rule I did find the australian people more genuine and friendly. In exactly the same way I find Swedish (i have family there) more confident, talkative and friendly.

Zebra4

We've come from rural UK, and there was always a badge (not Badgers) and a pecking order there.

Came to Perth and found all the good things that we craved from the country before it was urbanized. Only just realised it by reading this post.

Herman's coming from this from a Sydneysider point of view which I think is probably an urbanized view. In my experience, it's very relaxed, and people are genuinely interested in you regardless of whether you have a 120cm revolving, vibrating entertainment centre. We've just had English friends staying with us here, and they were asking about how old a car was ( you can't tell by the rego here), how much a property was worth, comparing designer clothes etc.

I just think for those that are reading this thread, you are on the right track of exchanging UK for Oz.

lynnj

I grew up in aberdeenshire and was never really aware of any great class sytem untill we moved south 3 years ago, i had never experienced the fact that people wouldnt talk to you because you lived in a rented house, or avoided you at the school gate because you didnt drive a flash enough car, having left an area where housing prices were tiny compared to where we now live we had no chance of buying a property so had no option but to rent, since we have lived in this particular village (almost 1 year) my children have had several school friends back to play and for tea but never once have they been invited to anyone elses, we are a normal nice family from a working class background, my children are mild mannered and polite, we work hard for what we have yet we feel we will never be accepted in this village just because we cant say "look how fab we are because we have a massive great house"

I hope that in moving my family to perth we will be able to find a suburb to settle in where we can live alongside people who will not judge us on how big our house is or how new our car is, only on us as people, if that happens then we hope to find many good friend with whom we can be ourselves.

Lynn

Larissa

Well said Herman
Larissa (ill and incoherent so won't write anymore)

Larissa

Just thought that I'd add that maybe we shouldn't be so quick to judge people we don't know, for their actions and opinions. I know, I do it all the time too - perhaps in doing this I am missing out on knowing someone who could be a great mate. Still, I will try to start tomorrow with a less judgemental attitude (let's hope it lasts longer than 10 minutes) and will try to remember to take the plank out of my own eye before I criticise the person with a splinter in theirs.
Larissa

Badge

yup.
Herman is of course quite right. He is taking the broad brush apporach and analysing from a great height. I guess I am saying that I happen to like Aussie culture, which I am entitled to, and saying there are things about UK culture which I don't like, which I am entitled to. You can analyse anything to any x degree from any y angle.

I could also say that Herman is a clever, lucky old bugger that earns stacks of money so to an extent is immune from some of life's little dramas.

lol.

Planks and splinters I like I like it.

If I continue to sit on the fence I'll get some splinters, that's for sure. lol.

internet forums eh. Who needs academia and universities?

badge

steandleigh

Too true - there will never be such a thing as a classless society - someone has to run a business and someone else has to clean the office which the latter runs his business from. High and low - it'll always be there. No-one can live in a world where everyone is high flying, rich and " at the top ". What class is about is peoples perceptions of " betterness ".

WBB

just because you run an office it does not make you any higher among your peers than the cleaner, it is just perception.

personally i judge people on merit rather than the position they hold in society and would prefer to be judged that way myself.


on a lighter note here is a pb style cut n paste


One day, a teacher, a garbage collector, and a lawyer all died and went to Heaven. St. Peter was having a bad day since heaven was getting crowded. When they got to the gate, St. Peter informed them that there would be a test to get into Heaven and each will have to answer a single question.

To the teacher, he said, "What was the name of the ship that crashed into the Iceberg and sunk with all its passengers?"

The teacher thought for a second, and replied:" That would have been the Titanic, right?". And St. Peter let him through the gate.

St. Peter turned to the Garbage man, and, figuring that Heaven didn't REALLY need all the stink that this guy would bring into heaven, uncharitably decided to make the question a little harder: "How many people died on the ship?"

The garbage man guessed. "1228".

"That happens to be correct, go ahead."

St. Peter turned to the Lawyer: "Name them."

chris hogan

I agree with you on this Larissa.I have been quite judgemental on one or two posts here just lately,yes inverted snobbery

As for the U.K./Aus class system I'm sure most family must have one who says our jack/jill has got big house in posh area!where do you live again.Where do you shop blah blah blah
This is the kind of distinction that I hate,not having thought about it before I think the move to Aus is like starting with a clean slate
we have nobody to make those comparisons.No Jone's to keep up with,take me for what I am or not at all.

arlene

class and sobbery is alive and well, we have lived in this beautiful village for five years, very middle class, we have made many efforts to get to know the locals with no effect, we lived in a city before and had a great social life, lots of neighbourhood parties and the like,

the people who think that they are better than us are in my opinion sad old gits who have no life


arlene

bondipom

Eastern Suburbs Sydney can be as Snobby as Surrey. It all depends on where you live.

An Aussie angle on it is the 2 department store staff in Kath and Kim.

On the Housing front Sydney is now more unnaffordable than Surrey. $30,000 will cover your fixed costs and then you need your deposit on top of that.