steve`o

what do you mean IF you meet some nutter
most of the people in the BE bar are certifiable

Wendy

Don't you mean ALL the people in the BE bar

steve`o

i excluded the barman for obvious reasons

geordie mandy

Theres nutters and there are mad psyhco type of nutters.
I of course realise those that frequent the BE bar are just nutters of the harmless variety
Mandy

onepearlyb

When I was working in Oz in 2002 I bought myself a computer and on a day off looked into the UK Friends Reunited. I noticed a guys name and although I didn't know him,just felt I should look at what he'd written about himself.I liked his dry sense of humour and was amazed to see that I was a year above him at school, had worked in the same pub while at college, knew the same group of friends AND while growing up had lived 2 mins away from each other. We started a 9 month friendship via email and phone and grew close. He looked into getting a job transfer out to Melbourne to be with me,but couldn't get one. So, I returned to the UK because I felt we should be together and I just knew it would be ok. I moved in with him about 3 weeks after returning to the Uk. It just felt right. We'd emailed and phoned each other for 9 months while I was out in Oz and felt we knew each other well before we embarked on anything more serious.

Almost a year to the day of my return to the Uk I was diagnosed with breast cancer. We helped each other through that horrific time and although we felt heartbroken by the diagnosis we managed to get through 2 lots of major surgery, 4 months of chemotherapy, 5 weeks of daily readiotherapy and got married at the end of that year!!
We've been married for a year and a half now and I feel more well than ever with no signs of a reocurrance. As you can see, we've applied for Ozzy Residence. We want to have our life back in Melbourne that we almost had before I came back. Before the shit hit the fan so to speak. It's like a new start for us. Whatever happens in the future we'll be together, hopefully in Melbourne enjoying everything about that place that we love.

So, without the internet we wouldn't have met each other. We both took a risk by getting together after meeting on the internet and took lots of slagging at the time from our mates but no-one says anything to us now. We've proved them all wrong, and we're happier than ever and planning for a future in Oz even after the emotional and physical battering, literally.
I say don't be put off by meeting people through the "net". It's the "pen-pals" of yesteryear, and hopefully sites like this create new, safe and well grounded supportive friendships.
Keep well and happy everyone.

*pearly*

geordie mandy

i think you are right it is like having pen friends. hope all goes well with you.
Although i met my hubby on a blind date, with being in the army we wrote more than we saw each other. We have been together 19 years now.(married for 16 of those)
Good luck with your new life in oz.
Mandy

CasG

I have met some fantastic people from here

Poppett44

I met my husband on the internet 7 years ago I was a divorced mother of 2 at the time so getting out socially was very difficult.
The great thing about the internet is that you can "talk" to people with the same interests as yourself, so if it develops into a real life friendship you know you have things in common!
I have also built up a great network of on-line friends through a craft forum,,,and most of them are kinder and more caring than many real life friends!!
The world is constantly changing and all the internet is doing is making the world a smaller place,,

sj oldfield

I met a group of friends, through this site over two years ago. Some of them have fell along the wayside, but I must say in general most have gone on to become my best friends!!!

thebears

The net is just another means of communication. If your open to meeting new people you can do it anyway. As long as you are comfortable with it.

How else can you meet up with fellow travellers ready for such a long flight? Does your friend think that putting an ad in the paper would have a reasonable response? "flying to Perth on XXX with XXX any one else fancy a catch up?"

Whats sad about wanting to share in the excitement and nerves?

Kiwi

Mrs JFW

All of the peeps I have met from BE have been great! And so are the majority of ones I haven't yet met but hope to one day in the future! I think as long as you are sensible, you can't really go wrong.

I'm off to two weddings in September, both couples met each other through the internet! I think thats bloody cool!

Jackie x

annqldau

Don't worry Mandy if you meet some nutter sure your hubby is trained to dispense of them. Think expats is like real off line life you meet and chat to lots of people, some of whom you click/connect with and others who just pass by. But as most people tend to make friends quicker with people they have something in common with at least the fact that we are all expats puts at least at a slight advantage over cold calling Australians saying fancy a chat with a complete stranger. Like Pollyanna says meet in public in a group and there is no law that says once you've met you ever have to meet again...take Pollyanna for instance she's always meeting men in strange trousers.

geordie mandy

Im sure he would LOL
Mandy

Pollyana

I thought it was the men that were strange not the trousers

jon and alex

I reckon it matters not how you meet people, all that matters is that you do meet people. I think the image of the use of the net for meeting people is of seedy dating sites and bought brides and stuff! Also the obvious sex pest sites too (not that I'd know about them)!!
Alex and I used the net to meet some people when we went travelling a couple of years ago - we spoke online and then met up when we got to Kathmandu. It was cool to meet up with someone and have a ready made conversation.