millavi

It's certainly a nice part of the UK to come back to...I came across the most perfect English pub in Surrey by a river (a river which the kids can wade into), on a cricket green, where you can sup a pint to the sound of leather on willow etc.etc. And there's a lovely circular walk nearby too. We went there last weekend with my Mum, and it was exactly the kind of place you always dream of with roseytinted specs when you're away. So of course I waxed on about that for a while...but the kids still want to go back to Abu Dhabi...hey ho, what can you do.

MikeStanton

Your post made me laugh. As always, amusing and accurate.

Now, I shouldn't be here, 'cos I promised the previous post was to be my final post. But, what the heck, it's the weekend.

I felt I should introduce you to the intellectual midgets with whom you may do battle.


Mr Mover - winner of the Excess Punctuation of the Century award. He can't string a coherent argument together, has a grumbling semi-colon and believes commas only occur in groups of 50.


Badge - the kindergarten philosopher. His posts usually include a comment like 'must be because I'm fit' or 'look at the size of the stones in my rucksack'. See his previous 5,000 posts. He is the Gareth of the site and has an unhealthy addiction to ball games.


ABC Diamond - he claims that he provides useful, unbiased statistics - deviation is his middle name. Usually includes a comment like 'went to Sydney, returned to England and then went back to Queensland': that last action alone suggests his sanity is questionable.


Wombat42 - believes that Adelaide and the known universe are the same thing. The result of an evolutionary cul-de-sac, Wombat42 can be slightly annoying and is best ignored.


Megalania - last and least. His posts exhibit all the depth and rigour for which Australians are rightly renowned the world over.


Enjoy.

mr mover

You pommie B******D , You could of let him find out for him self ..... mm

wildmark

Your right, I left when everyone started to put their car keys in a friut bowl in the middle of the coffee table :scared:

arkon

Thanks MikeStanton, I'm beginning to get the lay of the land on here, your list is pretty accurate, and most of the above have already had a pop at me. I have plenty of time on my hands at the moment and don't mind battling a few immature idiots if I've got something to say that I think might help someone thinking of moving here or already here and having a hard time of it like my wife and myself. So if anyone wants to know about being pregnant, starting a business or dealing with shops, services and government officials out here then I’m your man.

mr mover

Ha "son of mike" bring it on "sunshine" oh i hope yer not gone a get all hormonal on us , ,,,,,,,,, keep in touch mm

Kath

Keep posting Arkon, your posts are very funny and accurate. I'm back in the UK after 2.5 years in Perth, just getting used to the pace of life back here (didn't realise how much I'd slowed up!), feeling alive again and more contented. There are things I miss about Australia, mainly the space and lack of congestion, but we'll be back for holidays and maybe retirement.

Australia needs people like you to grow the country but I think if you've made a success of your career and/or business back in UK it's hard to adjust to the Aussie work environment, attitudes. We came back mainly because we felt our children would have a head start with a UK education and work ethic.

Good luck to you - oh by the way PMSL is Pi**ed My Self Laughing!

Megalania

To lengthen the time between relapses, suggest how the unadaptable, inept and out-of-place can follow your much postponed example quicker.

millavi

Please, what is friut bowl?? :

wildmark

Round container that people put fruit in

hevs

If you stopped being quite so aggressive you might actually find that people will help you in the lifestyle and culture forum, and be supportive too. My first year was not good, but now things are feeling better. There is support and sympathy a plenty to be had. Unfortunately if you blare in as an unknown all guns blazing people will shoot back, its human nature

ABCDiamond

Being serious here for a moment, what is your advice on dealing with government departments like the RTA for example ?

Merlot

As I imagined this thread has desending into immature mud slinging.

Wonderful to see the cup of human kindess flowing at such a tragic time in London. Spare a thought to those going through pain and suffering down there.

Two words to say "GROW UP"!

M

arkon

Aggressive? Should I use more smiley’s ? I admit to being mildly aggressive to people who just seem to have a pop at you for expressing yourself rather than entering into a debate on the subject posted about. But if you mean aggressive to people in my everyday life hear in Australia then nothing could be farther from the truth. Exasperated maybe but never aggressive. I’ve posted a few things so far to critique my new found home and got totally lambasted for it from a minority, but most of the replies are sympathetic.

I’ve been here 8 months now and finding it very hard to adjust, I did plenty of research before I came and thought I could handle the changes well, after all if you can run a company, employing people, designing and creating new products, dealing with the government and legislators on a regular basis and having to deal with all the nonsense that UK tax and employment law brings then Australia as a supposed 1st world country should be a walk in the park. Oh how wrong I was. It seems trying to do the simples thing like trying to buy waterproof grout, sandblasting grit or a new battery for my mp3 player is like trying to climb Everest! And I’ll totally agree with what other people have said, the Aussies are very friendly and helpful, but seldom give the right answer or advice. It’s like they guess at the answer and are very chuffed with themselves at the answer they gave and so then smile inanely at you and enter into some chat on sport or other.

My experiences in more than one hospital with my wife have left me dumbfounded on more than one occasion, its like you have to go on a course to do almost any job out here, but the pass criteria must be that you managed to turn up for it and spell your name correctly, Oh and pay the fee of course. Ok so I now all this is me being negative but I think people back home should know what there in for. And yes I am probably generalizing but so far 2 out of 2 hospitals & 1 scanning specialist has messed up or told us the wrong info. I’ve lost count of the number of scans and diabetes tests my wife has so far been sent on and If they managed not to lose things and add things up correctly then most of them would have been unnecessary.

It’s a good thing I’m not Steve wrights Mr Angry. But even a saint can have only so much patience.

arkon

With the RTA, which in 8 months I've been to now no less than 6 times. 3 times with the RTA number and our fornames problem, once for the caravan, once for the trailer and boat, and once to pay a fine. The Fine was me being stupid in Sydney going throught the tunnel and thinking 'E' meant east Sydney! not Electronic or other such electronic payment method.

After the 1st 3 occasions I adopted what they were expecting me to be, Slow, a bit fumbling, please can you help me I'm new hear, Let them take the rip out of my accent, let them make a jibe about us being bad at sport and NOT retort with yes but we beat you in the rugby. Let them patronise me and lap it up. Pay the fee and don't question it.