This is the kind of thing that drives me nuts about Aussies...do you feel the same?
Jan 25th 2009, 3:38 am
#33
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Joined: Feb 2008
Location: Kwinana
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Re: This is the kind of thing that drives me nuts about Aussies...do you feel the sam
I guess, to a degree, I can understand your point especially when you move to a new country and you are a minority amongst patriotic Aussies (in most suburbs!
) your allegiance is still with your home country and still will be to some extent for the rest of your life.
Your feelings and thoughts towards Australia are going to be far different to mine for example, in that I was born, raised and have lived here all my life.
On saying that though, some of the patriotism, such as that contained in your post, even I find cringe worthy! But it’s harmless enough.
) your allegiance is still with your home country and still will be to some extent for the rest of your life. Your feelings and thoughts towards Australia are going to be far different to mine for example, in that I was born, raised and have lived here all my life.
On saying that though, some of the patriotism, such as that contained in your post, even I find cringe worthy! But it’s harmless enough.
Jan 25th 2009, 3:39 am
#34
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Location: Acacia Gardens, Sydney
Posts: 156
Re: This is the kind of thing that drives me nuts about Aussies...do you feel the sam
Although I sometimes find some Aussies over-patriotism somewhat cringeworthy, I do think that pride in your own country is something that seems to be lacking a bit in England. Too many people are negative about their own country and culture in England for some reason, and this irritates me more than someone being proud of their own neck of the woods. For some reason, in England we only seem to get patriotic when it comes round to supporting the England football, rugby or cricket teams. Making a big push for having St George's day as a national holiday would be a start, as would England having her own national anthem, as we still have to put up with the British anthem (GSTQ) whilst the Scots and Welsh have their own. Go figure....
Jan 25th 2009, 3:46 am
#35
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Re: This is the kind of thing that drives me nuts about Aussies...do you feel the sam
I was forwarded this email by my Aunt. She's a Brit like me but has lived over here in Melbourne for nearly 35 years, since she was about 30.
Here it is:
"An American decided to write a book about famous churches around the world.
So he bought a plane ticket and took a trip to Orlando , thinking that he would start by working his way across the USA from South to North.
On his first day he was inside a church taking photographs when he noticed a golden telephone mounted on the wall with a sign that read '$10,000 per call'.
The American, being intrigued, asked a priest who was strolling by what the telephone was used for.
The priest replied that it was a direct line to heaven and that for $10,000 you could talk to God.
The American thanked the priest and went along his way.
Next stop was in Atlanta . There, at a very large cathedral, he saw the same looking golden telephone with the same sign under it.
He wondered if this was the same kind of telephone he saw in Orlando and he asked a nearby nun what its purpose was.
She told him that it was a direct line to heaven and that for $10,000 he could talk to God.
'O.K., thank you,' said the American .
He then travelled all across America, Europe, England, Japan, New Zealand.
In every church he saw the same looking golden telephone with the same '$US10,000 per call' sign under it.
The American decided to travel to Australia to see if Australians had the same phone.
He arrived at the Gold Coast, in Australia and again, in the first church he entered, there was the same looking golden telephone, but this time the sign under it read '40 cents per call.'
The American was surprised so he asked the priest about the sign. 'Father, I've travelled all over the world and I've seen this same golden telephone in many churches. I'm told that it is a direct line to Heaven, but in all of them price was $10,000 per call.
Why is it so cheap here?'
The priest smiled and answered, 'You're in Australia now, son this is God's country - it's a local call'.
KEEP SMILING
If you are proud to be an Aussie pass this on!"
This is just an email. I know it is not intended wholly seriously.
But I hear people in Australia echo these sentiments fairly frequently. You know, the whole 'why would you want to live anywhere else' thing.
It drives me nuts.
If housing here were dirt cheap, your groceries cost next to nothing, if there was never any violent crime, if the weather was perfect all year round, if the people were polite and friendly at all times, if your utility bills were negligible, if everything that was available in the UK was available here, if filling up your car didn't mean emptying out your wallet, if every trades-person did their job perfectly first time, if the streets and cities were spotlessly clean without mile upon mile of graffiti.....
......then I MIGHT be able to see where the Aussies who are in love with Australia and think it's better than everywhere on earth are coming from.
But (in my humble opinion at least) it is NO BETTER than most other western countries. It is NOT better than the UK. It has certain advantages over the UK (like GENERALLY better weather, but certainly not radically better if you live in Melbourne or Tasmania) but equally the UK has certain advantages over Australia such as proximity to the immense cultural melting pot and diversity of Europe, beautiful GREEN (as opposed to yellow) countryside and infinitely better television and radio programming and broadcasting. The UK rises and falls whereas in Australia you seem to have this relentless, single-storey flatness.
Anyone take my point?
Here it is:
"An American decided to write a book about famous churches around the world.
So he bought a plane ticket and took a trip to Orlando , thinking that he would start by working his way across the USA from South to North.
On his first day he was inside a church taking photographs when he noticed a golden telephone mounted on the wall with a sign that read '$10,000 per call'.
The American, being intrigued, asked a priest who was strolling by what the telephone was used for.
The priest replied that it was a direct line to heaven and that for $10,000 you could talk to God.
The American thanked the priest and went along his way.
Next stop was in Atlanta . There, at a very large cathedral, he saw the same looking golden telephone with the same sign under it.
He wondered if this was the same kind of telephone he saw in Orlando and he asked a nearby nun what its purpose was.
She told him that it was a direct line to heaven and that for $10,000 he could talk to God.
'O.K., thank you,' said the American .
He then travelled all across America, Europe, England, Japan, New Zealand.
In every church he saw the same looking golden telephone with the same '$US10,000 per call' sign under it.
The American decided to travel to Australia to see if Australians had the same phone.
He arrived at the Gold Coast, in Australia and again, in the first church he entered, there was the same looking golden telephone, but this time the sign under it read '40 cents per call.'
The American was surprised so he asked the priest about the sign. 'Father, I've travelled all over the world and I've seen this same golden telephone in many churches. I'm told that it is a direct line to Heaven, but in all of them price was $10,000 per call.
Why is it so cheap here?'
The priest smiled and answered, 'You're in Australia now, son this is God's country - it's a local call'.
KEEP SMILING
If you are proud to be an Aussie pass this on!"
This is just an email. I know it is not intended wholly seriously.
But I hear people in Australia echo these sentiments fairly frequently. You know, the whole 'why would you want to live anywhere else' thing.
It drives me nuts.
If housing here were dirt cheap, your groceries cost next to nothing, if there was never any violent crime, if the weather was perfect all year round, if the people were polite and friendly at all times, if your utility bills were negligible, if everything that was available in the UK was available here, if filling up your car didn't mean emptying out your wallet, if every trades-person did their job perfectly first time, if the streets and cities were spotlessly clean without mile upon mile of graffiti.....
......then I MIGHT be able to see where the Aussies who are in love with Australia and think it's better than everywhere on earth are coming from.
But (in my humble opinion at least) it is NO BETTER than most other western countries. It is NOT better than the UK. It has certain advantages over the UK (like GENERALLY better weather, but certainly not radically better if you live in Melbourne or Tasmania) but equally the UK has certain advantages over Australia such as proximity to the immense cultural melting pot and diversity of Europe, beautiful GREEN (as opposed to yellow) countryside and infinitely better television and radio programming and broadcasting. The UK rises and falls whereas in Australia you seem to have this relentless, single-storey flatness.
Anyone take my point?
Having moved countries 4 times I often wish that I loved somewhere so exclusively that I would have no desire to go anywhere else.
Jan 25th 2009, 3:49 am
#36
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Re: This is the kind of thing that drives me nuts about Aussies...do you feel the sam
I keep reading this term "God's Own Country" on here, but rarely see it, or hear it, anywhere else. So being curious as I am... I googled it....
Origin of God's Own Country
It's a well known fact that God's own country is England and, contrary to the opinion of a few Yorkshire men who should know better, God's own county is Surrey, which probably accounts for the fact that God actually lives in Godalming Surrey
Yorkshire, God's own country. The natives divide themselves divide the world between Yorkshiremen and the rest. www.great-britain.co.uk/yorkshire.htm (And I am still trying to work out what that means
)
God's Own Country
God’s Own Country, often abbreviated to Godzone or less often Godzown, is a phrase that has been used for more than 120 years by New Zealanders to describe their homeland.
North India
God's Own Country, originally coined by Vipin Gopal, has been widely used in Kerala's tourism promotions and soon became synonymous with the state.
The closest I can find for it being used in Australia, is by Migrants coming here and using the term because they liked it. Maybe they were from Yorkshire, and liked their old saying
But, I am still looking....
Origin of God's Own Country
It's a well known fact that God's own country is England and, contrary to the opinion of a few Yorkshire men who should know better, God's own county is Surrey, which probably accounts for the fact that God actually lives in Godalming Surrey
Yorkshire, God's own country. The natives divide themselves divide the world between Yorkshiremen and the rest. www.great-britain.co.uk/yorkshire.htm (And I am still trying to work out what that means
)God's Own Country
God’s Own Country, often abbreviated to Godzone or less often Godzown, is a phrase that has been used for more than 120 years by New Zealanders to describe their homeland.
North India
God's Own Country, originally coined by Vipin Gopal, has been widely used in Kerala's tourism promotions and soon became synonymous with the state.
The closest I can find for it being used in Australia, is by Migrants coming here and using the term because they liked it. Maybe they were from Yorkshire, and liked their old saying
But, I am still looking....
Jan 25th 2009, 4:36 am
#37
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Joined: Mar 2008
Location: Sydney, NSW
Posts: 7,580
Re: This is the kind of thing that drives me nuts about Aussies...do you feel the sam
Australia isn't all flat!! It has plenty of mountains and since it is so large, has a great variety of environments/habitats. Yes, there are flies at times, dust at times, heat at times etc. but there is also a wonderful diversity. As it is larger than Europe, condemning people who have never been outside Oz is a bit rich- especially as flying from Perth to Sydney is the equivalent of flying from London to Moscow. Australians can't help being in a country that is far, far away, and I find it refreshing not to have the eurocentric approach to everything. It wasn't so long ago that it was different states and territories and even now there are different state laws and regulations.
I emigrated 5 months ago, and I have met more friendly and helpful people in that time than in my 30 years in England. Everyone is different and is entitled to their own opinion about this, but IMHO it is good to have a spirit of national pride and want to explore your own country,as long as it doesn't swing over into jingoism.
p.s. I love the UK too, but never got to Scotland.
I emigrated 5 months ago, and I have met more friendly and helpful people in that time than in my 30 years in England. Everyone is different and is entitled to their own opinion about this, but IMHO it is good to have a spirit of national pride and want to explore your own country,as long as it doesn't swing over into jingoism.
p.s. I love the UK too, but never got to Scotland.
Jan 25th 2009, 4:44 am
#38
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Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 14,188
Re: This is the kind of thing that drives me nuts about Aussies...do you feel the sam
I think an element of that is that the English only feel they are 'allowed' to be patriotic during sporting events. If England start to do even remotely well at any sport, then the flags on cars appear in the tens of thousands.... try flying that flag at any other time and the first thing you are likely to hear is somebody asking if you are a BNP member.
Jan 25th 2009, 5:44 am
#39
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 405
Re: This is the kind of thing that drives me nuts about Aussies...do you feel the sam
I don't really agree with most of these comments about lack of patriotism in the uk. Most people I know (myself included) are very proud of their homeland and don't mind saying so - just don't feel the need to drape themselves in flags and adheree to any insular perspective.
Having a propensity to appreciate a position in the wider world and some healthy cynicism is not the same as blinkered criticism of your country.
On these forums, there's obviously a great deal more criticsm of the UK but that's hardly surprising given it's a group of people either already overseas or looking to move.
I just think there's less insecurity about nationality in England (maybe a function of a long history, maybe just a common product of the humour/attitude). Most are willing to accept that the weather may be better elsewhere, food may excel elsewhere etc etc, but on balance most are happy with where they live and who they are, and if they're not that's likely due to circumstances besides the country they happen to live in.
But I also don't really mind the uber-patriotic Australian attitude, in the same way I don't mind the same attitude that exists in the states, France and others - because I know they're wrong anyway
Having a propensity to appreciate a position in the wider world and some healthy cynicism is not the same as blinkered criticism of your country.
On these forums, there's obviously a great deal more criticsm of the UK but that's hardly surprising given it's a group of people either already overseas or looking to move.
I just think there's less insecurity about nationality in England (maybe a function of a long history, maybe just a common product of the humour/attitude). Most are willing to accept that the weather may be better elsewhere, food may excel elsewhere etc etc, but on balance most are happy with where they live and who they are, and if they're not that's likely due to circumstances besides the country they happen to live in.
But I also don't really mind the uber-patriotic Australian attitude, in the same way I don't mind the same attitude that exists in the states, France and others - because I know they're wrong anyway
Jan 25th 2009, 7:36 am
#40
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Oct 2005
Location: Hill overlooking the SE Melbourne suburbs
Posts: 16,622
Re: This is the kind of thing that drives me nuts about Aussies...do you feel the sam
I don't really agree with most of these comments about lack of patriotism in the uk. Most people I know (myself included) are very proud of their homeland and don't mind saying so - just don't feel the need to drape themselves in flags and adheree to any insular perspective
I keep reading this term "God's Own Country" on here, but rarely see it, or hear it, anywhere else. So being curious as I am... I googled it....
Origin of God's Own Country
It's a well known fact that God's own country is England and, contrary to the opinion of a few Yorkshire men who should know better, God's own county is Surrey, which probably accounts for the fact that God actually lives in Godalming Surrey
Yorkshire, God's own country. The natives divide themselves divide the world between Yorkshiremen and the rest. www.great-britain.co.uk/yorkshire.htm (And I am still trying to work out what that means)
God's Own Country
God’s Own Country, often abbreviated to Godzone or less often Godzown, is a phrase that has been used for more than 120 years by New Zealanders to describe their homeland.
North India
God's Own Country, originally coined by Vipin Gopal, has been widely used in Kerala's tourism promotions and soon became synonymous with the state.
But, I am still looking....
Origin of God's Own Country
It's a well known fact that God's own country is England and, contrary to the opinion of a few Yorkshire men who should know better, God's own county is Surrey, which probably accounts for the fact that God actually lives in Godalming Surrey
Yorkshire, God's own country. The natives divide themselves divide the world between Yorkshiremen and the rest. www.great-britain.co.uk/yorkshire.htm (And I am still trying to work out what that means
)God's Own Country
God’s Own Country, often abbreviated to Godzone or less often Godzown, is a phrase that has been used for more than 120 years by New Zealanders to describe their homeland.
North India
God's Own Country, originally coined by Vipin Gopal, has been widely used in Kerala's tourism promotions and soon became synonymous with the state.
But, I am still looking....
Own Country'. It does seem to be more of a NZ thung.
I've heard plenty of Brits use it!
Last edited by BadgeIsBack; Jan 25th 2009 at 8:09 am.
Jan 25th 2009, 7:36 am
#41
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Joined: Jun 2004
Location: Hills District
Posts: 1,399
Re: This is the kind of thing that drives me nuts about Aussies...do you feel the sam
You know I think that you are all taking Australian patriotism far too seriously! I for one am happy that they feel that way about their country. I think Australia is fantastic. As a Scot I think Scotland is the best place in the World but I don't go about insulting others by calling them ignorant and insular because they don't agree with me.
Jan 25th 2009, 8:38 am
#42
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Joined: Dec 2002
Location: Keep true friends and puppets close, trust no-one else...
Posts: 93,816
Re: This is the kind of thing that drives me nuts about Aussies...do you feel the sam
Kind of. Pride in your country, though commonplace in America and even dare I say it, Scotland and Wales, isn't so common in England. The email's a round-robin modified and sent out to big up various different countries, such as Wales, Canada, India, Scotland, New Zealand, Yorkshire(!) and ermm, Tobago. So, yea, they have pride in their country - which is akin to admitting you're a paedophile if you're English.
Jan 25th 2009, 9:05 am
#44
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Joined: Jan 2009
Location: South Auckland
Posts: 2,228
Re: This is the kind of thing that drives me nuts about Aussies...do you feel the sam
Having been raised in NZ, I thought it was only kiwi's who thought they lived in God's own Country. I now belong to another forum dominated by Yanks and they truly believe that they live in God's own Country. I don't really mind a bit of patriotism. I live in the UK, and while most people are reasonably positive, the media here are incredibly negative and this negativity gets pumped down your throat every day. Someone made a similar comment on another thread here about the British press's negative view of the credit crunch, and I agree. Fortunately I do know Brits who are proud of their country, which is great.
