EU - Will they lose their identities?
Nov 29th 2007, 6:24 pm
#16
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Re: EU - Will they lose their identities?
Some areas of the country now have road signs with translations into Polish beneath the English. Most towns now have special stores selling only Polish foods and other stuff. Some supermarkets have signs in Polish. Not many of us Brits care for pickled cabbage, beetroot soup and dark rye bread though so I reckon we'll give those a miss.
Nov 29th 2007, 8:56 pm
#17
Democracy advocate
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 12,460
Re: EU - Will they lose their identities?
It's started already - some UK Police forces are now organsing courses for their officers to teach them basic phrases and commonly used terms.....in Polish.
Some areas of the country now have road signs with translations into Polish beneath the English. Most towns now have special stores selling only Polish foods and other stuff. Some supermarkets have signs in Polish. Not many of us Brits care for pickled cabbage, beetroot soup and dark rye bread though so I reckon we'll give those a miss.
Some areas of the country now have road signs with translations into Polish beneath the English. Most towns now have special stores selling only Polish foods and other stuff. Some supermarkets have signs in Polish. Not many of us Brits care for pickled cabbage, beetroot soup and dark rye bread though so I reckon we'll give those a miss.
Nov 29th 2007, 8:57 pm
#18
Lapine Member
Joined: Nov 2004
Location: Austin, Texas in my own little world
Posts: 21,691
Re: EU - Will they lose their identities?
Tracy,
Have you ever watched the Eurovision Song Contest?
Have you ever watched the Eurovision Song Contest?
Nov 29th 2007, 9:36 pm
#19
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 88,020
Re: EU - Will they lose their identities?
It's started already - some UK Police forces are now organsing courses for their officers to teach them basic phrases and commonly used terms.....in Polish.
Some areas of the country now have road signs with translations into Polish beneath the English. Most towns now have special stores selling only Polish foods and other stuff. Some supermarkets have signs in Polish. Not many of us Brits care for pickled cabbage, beetroot soup and dark rye bread though so I reckon we'll give those a miss.
Some areas of the country now have road signs with translations into Polish beneath the English. Most towns now have special stores selling only Polish foods and other stuff. Some supermarkets have signs in Polish. Not many of us Brits care for pickled cabbage, beetroot soup and dark rye bread though so I reckon we'll give those a miss.
Nov 29th 2007, 9:58 pm
#20
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Joined: Jul 2007
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Re: EU - Will they lose their identities?
Eurovision Block voting at its best!!!Snowbunny makes a great point Tracy. Sadly there are certain countries (naming no names) that are glued at the hip (metaphorically speaking) and wouldn't dream of co-mingling (or even voting for in a stupid song contest) a country like the UK or France. In so doing they seem to ensure that they remain in compartmentalised societies (and political blocks iMO) and also... that a really crap, crap song wins Eurovision every year, without fail. (Giving Terry Wogan carte-blanche to get some good ole Euro-bashing done at the same time!) (Mind you, given our last song entry, we clearly deserved to finish " avec nil pointe" but even if flippin' Coldplay sung for us, we'd probably only get a sympathy vote from Ireland... and that'd be it!(
The UK's popularity seems to have waned in Europe of late - thanks to our US connections no doubt (blame it all on the Blair and Bush show if ya want) - and because of that we will never be allowed to lose our Britishness... and neither would we want to!
I think Europe will always be a melting pot of different cultures and politics, regardless of currency or trade. Which is exactly how it should be!
Nov 29th 2007, 10:39 pm
#21
Lost in BE Cyberspace
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Joined: Jan 2007
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Re: EU - Will they lose their identities?
Eurovision Block voting at its best!!!Snowbunny makes a great point Tracy. Sadly there are certain countries (naming no names) that are glued at the hip (metaphorically speaking) and wouldn't dream of co-mingling (or even voting for in a stupid song contest) a country like the UK or France. In so doing they seem to ensure that they remain in compartmentalised societies (and political blocks iMO) and also... that a really crap, crap song wins Eurovision every year, without fail. (Giving Terry Wogan carte-blanche to get some good ole Euro-bashing done at the same time!) (Mind you, given our last song entry, we clearly deserved to finish " avec nil pointe" but even if flippin' Coldplay sung for us, we'd probably only get a sympathy vote from Ireland... and that'd be it!(
The UK's popularity seems to have waned in Europe of late - thanks to our US connections no doubt (blame it all on the Blair and Bush show if ya want) - and because of that we will never be allowed to lose our Britishness... and neither would we want to!
I think Europe will always be a melting pot of different cultures and politics, regardless of currency or trade. Which is exactly how it should be!
Wasn't there some scandals about that in Figure Skating at one time? Dim memory....
Personally, I hope all the countries hold on to their unique cultures. I just wondered if those of you closer to the situation than I thought there would be a lot of changes.
Nov 30th 2007, 1:36 am
#23
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Location: Austin, Texas in my own little world
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Re: EU - Will they lose their identities?
Which is worse, the dance contest, or the song contest? 
I don't think that being in the EU will homogenise the European cultures -- America is a far bigger influence. I think that the global movement from the country to the cities and "shrinking world" effect (jet travel, fast telecommunications, etc) are doing more to homogenise cultures (and even eliminate cultures and their customs and languages) than the EU ever could.
The UK bitches more about the EU than any other country I've noticed -- I don't hear the same stuff in the Netherlands which is a net contributor. You need Jeremy Clarkson's "Meet The Neighbours" and his take on Spain!
I don't think that being in the EU will homogenise the European cultures -- America is a far bigger influence. I think that the global movement from the country to the cities and "shrinking world" effect (jet travel, fast telecommunications, etc) are doing more to homogenise cultures (and even eliminate cultures and their customs and languages) than the EU ever could.
The UK bitches more about the EU than any other country I've noticed -- I don't hear the same stuff in the Netherlands which is a net contributor. You need Jeremy Clarkson's "Meet The Neighbours" and his take on Spain!
Nov 30th 2007, 1:54 am
#24
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 6,669
Re: EU - Will they lose their identities?
Will I get stoned for saying I actually miss watching the Eurovision contest? Haven't seen it since I was a teen and we went on vacation to Portugal.....
Nov 30th 2007, 2:10 am
#25
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Re: EU - Will they lose their identities?
Secretly though I have to admit it was kind of addictive. You may not be aware who Terry Wogan is but it was worth watching it just for his commentary alone. Crumbs in recent years people have started having Eurovision parties at their homes whilst watching the bizarrely dressed "singers" perform. ("Singers" being an incredibly kind word to use with regards to some of the acts who entered...)
Nov 30th 2007, 2:31 am
#26
Joined: Jul 2007
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Re: EU - Will they lose their identities?
I listen to a Portuguese based web radio and they have a Eurovision section with national/Eurovision hits that I sometimes put on 
Nov 30th 2007, 10:00 am
#28
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Dec 1st 2007, 7:39 pm
#29
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Re: EU - Will they lose their identities?
I kinda see this happen but not just with the EU this will happen all over the globe i would bet a large sum of cash that there will be some kind of Transatlantic free trade area Between the Nafta Nations and EU some kind a of freedom of movement soon too .
I'm 23 and maybe its cause i grew up watching to much star Trek but i honest believe i will see the day before i die when the world is a unified economy and you can cross any boarder with out a passport maybe even a single currency .
allot of what is happening in the EU will start to happen with more and more regions of the world .
I'm 23 and maybe its cause i grew up watching to much star Trek but i honest believe i will see the day before i die when the world is a unified economy and you can cross any boarder with out a passport maybe even a single currency .
allot of what is happening in the EU will start to happen with more and more regions of the world .
Dec 1st 2007, 10:43 pm
#30
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