Jirrupin

I haven't been posting for very long as that was what Chris enjoyed and I more or less left him to it, I enjoyed reading the forum and the differing views. I am sorry I have begun to post now because I find that if you say something about living in OZ that is unfavourable, it brings forth a wealth of attack. I wonder how people like Dotty have done it for so long.

I like to read back people's historical threads it gives you a better sense of where people's viewpoints are coming from, especially because unless you have the time or the inclination to write a detailed post much is lost.

I have browsed at Dottys and remember thinking this woman has been at this a long time with detailed arguments and opinions, many of the ardent protestors she was dealing with are no longer here, so say that they have arrived and it was just as they had imagined.

We now have a new kid on the block, paul99 at least using one of his multiple guises, raking up the history trying to make a point.

Is this really a good use of anyones time.

Posters like Dotty, Mrs. Dagboy can offer detailed insght into many aspects of life in Oz, which I know are relied upon by many.

Other posters that have arrived in recent times like bondipom, owieb, renth, mashiraz,hiddenpaw, jayneray, dianeoz, etc all offer really interesting pieces of information and often lots of good humour.

I have to say renths posting yesterday was classic style and humour

So why people like paul99 trying to get his posting numbers up, would try to attack a helpful poster I just do not know, I think it is this type of beaviour that stops others posting more details.

I have my own little following, I can almost time when they wish to jump on something I have said, its like clockwork. But it does make me feel like I have to justify everything I write, I am not bothered if people agree with me or not, we can't all think the same thing, but when peopl post how great it is being in OZ I don't try to rubbish their opinions.

We have been in OZ almost 3 months still early days, we are still adjusting, there are still efforts to be made, we have not said we are giving up an going home. Not that I actally think that there is anything wrong with that.

Maybe we don't really talk about what is going on behind closed doors, and that when some of us give that peek into everday realism, good and bad, it is not always what others want to hear so as it cannot be challenged by current experience the poster has to be ridiculed and discredited.

HiddenPaw

Some very good points Donna. I've found that forums like this can be bitchy at times. You just have to laugh at those who have to resort to posting under different names, which to me is rather cowardly. Dotty's got the balls to stay with the same username through times of controversy, so what's up with you, eh, Paul99?

And - dragging up posts from the past? - What's that supposed to prove?

Loopy

I often wonder if PB will come back with a new username. After all, this forum is a hard habit to break!

HiddenPaw

and just want to add...don't stop posting Donna!! Your posts make me smile and your views on life in Oz are down-to-earth and honest. I think your experiences of living here are like mine, and we are openly realistic about them.

Most of us who come to Oz can see the bed of roses from afar (and know there will be thorns) - but it's not till you get close up that you realise just how many thorns there are. That doesn't mean it's any worse than the UK - but it's good that people talk about the thorns as well as the roses (now I'm getting carried away with flowers!)

dotty

By posting on here you do put yourself up for critisicm, I know I am real and so do a few people who have met me from this forum.

I am always tempted to start posting digital pics, but I know for a fact there are a couple of real weirdos on here so why give them fodder. Just before we emigrate perhaps, full set of photos of everything just to shut them up.

I hate these multiple personality posters, it puts a nasty edge, (creepy) on a forum that seems to be made up of mostly very real life people. Why not just have the guts to say what you think, it is a forum after all, why slink about under different names.

I never planned to post for a year and a half, we should have left last June, (stayed for financial reasons), now I'm in touch with quite a few people so its hard to give up, where else can you say so honestly the problems that only people who live here can understand.

I just wish more people would post once they arrive, just cause its not always perfect does not matter, people usually appreciate a bit of honesty. Nobody really expects anyone to pop up saying they made a new life in a week, look at Donna and Chris I admire the way they are honest about settling in. Anyway thats what I think, fill up the forum with what happened when you arrived. Then you would not need boring folk like me who have been here a decade :scared:

dotty

I have my own little following, I can almost time when they wish to jump on something I have said, its like clockwork. But it does make me feel like I have to justify everything I write, I am not bothered if people agree with me or not, we can't all think the same thing, but when peopl post how great it is being in OZ I don't try to rubbish their opinions.{QUOTE}



Wait till one tries to track you down!! Fortunately he came up with the slightly off beat info that I live in a double storied Mail Box in a Post Office. Hes been on here under 3 names so far.

HiddenPaw

Actually Dotty, I don't find your posts boring. I actually am grateful that there are other people who will admit that life here is not all beach and BBQs. The way people go on to me about "ooh, you live in Australia, why on earth would you want to go back to the UK hellhole" I have to ask myself "am I missing something about Oz?" And whereas before I could only question why Oz isn't working for me, now, I can accept that Oz isn't working for me. .

Ceri

I doubt if it was PB, if it was he'd be agreeing with dotty and then go on to say how all the Aus schools are cr*p blah and blah, Aus teachers are bad and how the school is the arse end of the planet . It's probably someone in the UK.

About the photo's (dotty) I've actually had someone say to me (because I always cut out my face, hubby's and friends if I do post a photo) That they dislike it when people cut out themselves.

Excuse me!!! ... there are a lot of weirdoes out there. I personally won't tell anyone where I live (except the council area I live in) and I certainly would not post pics of myself, or any friends.. call me paranoid.. but I think it is sensible.

cheers

downunderpom

I agree - of course life here isn't all beaches and BBQs - it can be bloody hard work. But then, so is life in ANY country. All I will say is, that it's my belief that there is far more opportunity in Oz than there is in the UK - if you're prepared to take the rough with the smooth, and work hard.

I worry when I hear people in the UK (and elsewhere) saying 'ahh, but my lifestyle here is such-and-such, and if I go to Australia then my lifestyle won't be exactly the same'. Of course it won't - it's a different country for starters. You won't be taking all the baggage you've accumulatd over the last X number of years that you've been living in the UK (both emotional and physical).

People completely forget that it took them 10 or 20 years of hard graft to get to where they are in the UK.... Tell me what your lifestyle is here after 5 or 10 years of working as hard here as you did in the UK, remembering that you're coming here with a head start in both money and experience - then compare it with where you expect to be if you stay in the UK for the next 5 or 10 years. That would be a much fairer comparison.

I came out here to start over. If I wanted what I had in the UK I would have stayed there. As far as the money / possessions are concerned, I can always replace 'things'. It's my health and happiness that has improved dramatically since we got over the trauma of coming out here. It wasn't all roses from day one - we had to struggle. But we did, and got over it, and now life is smoother. Not perfect - I haven't won the Lotto... yet! - but smoother, and looking far better than the life we would be living if we'd stayed in the UK.

HiddenPaw

Each to his own...people come and go for different reasons.

As I've said befor many times, it works for some and it doesn't for others - and you won't know till you try it. I've seen the arguments from both sides - those who want to stay and those who don't. For me, it's got nothing to do with having a head start financially. Who cares if I have a better house than my best friend in England, or better than the people at my kid's school. I don't. It's about the things that make up my quality of life. These things aren't in Australia.

If you have found opportunities then that's good for you. I too have found plenty of opportunities here. (I have taken up new hobbies, made a whole new bunch of friends and just quit 9 years in the big corporate IT world to become a florist. Not exactly for financial reasons, eh!) There are of course numerous opportunities to be had in the UK ("if you're prepared to take the rough with the smooth, and work hard", that is.)

Conversely, my health has detiorated since I got here - but that's down to the pollution of Melbourne and the amount of outdoor exercise I do. (It's not the asthma capital for nothing is it?)

My point in my previous post was that people's honesty on what they really think about Australia has helped me realise that it is not for me personally and that it is OK to feel like that. Those who tell me I'm mad for going back or question why I want to raise my children in the UK are generally those who have only been here on holiday. Well, having lived here, I could easily question why on earth they would want to raise their children in Australia?

Simone

Hmm, maybe I should be more careful.....with all my pics?
I'm very naive and trusting, even though I know there's wierdos.
Just like locking things. Where we were in Oz we didn't have to lock house/car, and my dad does the same here(though he is a bit mad, at home he sometimes leaves the car unlocked with his mobile in it ) So now I'm also less careful than average, like the backdoor: who's gonna climb up 3 stories to get too our balcony, and there's hardly any crime in our town anyway....!

Anyway.... I hope you all know how I feel about this by now:
Hurrah for the reality posts, even if they are 'negative'.
It's about real life, and sometimes that's just 'negative'.....
I am very grateful for ALL posts from people in Oz, cos that's what this forum is about, for you guys to talk about your experiences.

Larissa

Hi Simone
Don't worry too much about the photos- just don't post your location, or too much about it. Yes, there are nutters in cyber space, but I'm sure we're more at risk from ones down the road. I wouldn't post either about - workplaces, kids schools, where you "hang out" e.g. gym, etc.
Larissa

jandjuk

Hi Donna,

I'm not sure if you're referring to me or not, but as someone who as been disagreeing with you a bit lately , think you may be taking things the wrong way slightly.

I think your realistic posts are extremely important, but I also think that sometimes it's important for others to disagree and challenge what people say. I don't challenge what you (or Dotty) say because I think you're wrong or making it up, I just think there's many sides to every story. Sometimes, you have a tendency to state things as if your experience is global truth about life in Aus - it would only take a few words added to your post to prevent people from 'rubbishing' your experiences (i.e. 'in my experience', or 'your mileage may vary').

It just bugs me that people like Noodle are obviously affected by the reality threads on here (I refuse to call them negative, because they are not, they are one person's reality), but when anyone tries to express that a certain viewpoint may have flaws, or perhaps is not the same for all, you feel as if you are being 'ridiculed and discredited'.

I agree people should not hide under different usernames - that's just pathetic, but by and large I don't think anyone sets out to ridicule or discredit what you say. Disagree yes, but not discredit.

Although, come to think of it, those that called Dotty a liar were a bit out of line!!

tennisoz

Well put j, I probably come from a similar position to you in my postings. I like to see balanced arguments and all points of view. I particularly dislike the 'this is what happened to me and so Australia is this or the UK is this as a result' type of argument. I'm perfectly happy with people giving their own experiences and just leaving it at that. I hope I didn't come across as one 'those that called Dotty a liar' category in my posting as it wasn't my intention!

Keep posting folks

TennisOz

janeyray

What are we suppose to do then, paint a rosy picture for all the 'would be immigrants' who may be slighty put off by our postings?

If Noodle was (or is) that affected by postings on here then they wouldn't last 5 minutes in Oz.

Our advice is good and honest, anyone with any doubts has to see and live the experience themselves or not bother emmigrating.