NickyC

But Flea - under a different persona I can distinctly remember you saying

"I find them far more laid back and willing to have a chat and pass the time of day than people in London (and i lived there all my life till i was 38!!)
I have always found that if you have a warm and friendly smile and look like you want to be approached, then you will be. If you walk around looking and behaving like a miserable git, you will be treated like one and given a wide berth by most people regardless of where you are!!"

And you were talking about Australians at the time

I can post the link if you'd like ....

Fleaflyfloflum

Absolutely. I probably did, and meant it too!! But because i felt something to be a certain way several years ago does not mean i have to continue to believe it if, after several years, I have discovered it to be the opposite? Do you still feel the same way about some things as you did 10yrs ago? I doubt it. There are umpteen people posting on this forum feeling a whole lot different after living down there for a few years than they did when they first got there. Geez, do you have me on a file somewhere?? lol!
Some people probably wont believe this because of my reputation on here, but i tend to make friends very easily. The insinuation that i got treated badly by shop staff because theres something wrong with me is ridiculous!
If that were the case I'd be having trouble here which i dont on the whole. I still meet the odd airhead just like everywhere. My quote from several years ago as you have pointed out, was referring to London, I am not in London anymore, although I do admit since coming home London doesnt seem that bad the few times i have been down there.

I am also a woman, which means i have the perogitive to change my mind dont i!!?

nephilim

OMG the shopping expierence,I am a naturally a chatty person so I do tend to chat alot,a recent job of mine was working in a local supermarket I was the only english person who worked there and found I was a noverty maybe even refreshing the customers seemed to always come in to have a chat with me,and did comment how miserble alot of the staff were,to be honest I think most thought I was completely bonkers,as I would always go that little extra for the customer.One day I dressed up as scooby doo for the children and gave out sweets,another time I suggested maybe I could do an instore cooking day,which turned into me cooking once a week in store,I really enjoyed it and so did the customers,but as I said before there were alot of fed up people who are just going through the motions,and especially with the down turn they were replacing staff with school kids who are tired anyway from studying all day.Oz customer service really needs a kick up the backside,it really is hardwork.

shabee

I know exactly what you are saying. I was lying out on my grass a couple of days ago and thought to myself " no way would I have done this in OZ"
Could you imagine all the things crawling over you, especially the biting ants lol.
x

pinkkristen

I am living in canada so don't know anything about Aus, but the canadians are nothing but friendly and helpful. The village i came from in the uk were as friendly but still liked a typical british moan - not that i minded as you could take the p**s a bit more which the canadians don't really get!

finks

Hey Flea
Good to hear you made it over safe and sound and you are settled.
How was the trip?

Where has that time gone for us both!

Well are settled into our own place finally.
Unfortunately( or fortunately) for us we have realised the UK is not going to be home for us and we have decided we are going back `home to NZ` i guess we needed to come though to know for sure.
It is funny within days of arriving we just knew.I am going to enjoy the time we are here with my family and we are looking at going back before my hubbies visa expires in 2011.
I have learnt that NZ is definately home for me now.It has been a really hard 3 months esp beaucracy wise but we are getting there.

I guess at the end of the day you have to look on the positive side and think we are lucky to have the oppurtunity to live in both countries.I am just so glad i took JAJ`s advice and got my ciitizenship.

Keep us posted on how you are doing and i have glad you are settled and happy being with your family

Margaret3

[QUOTE=Fleaflyfloflum;7719716]We have been back just over 3mths now. I g.

Striking up fun and pleasant conversations with people at the shops. I had to go to the bank on Monday. There was a bit of a queue. Within a minute or so, myself and 3 other women were chatting, laughing and discussing issues of the day like we'd known each other for years. What a lovely change to shopping in Aus. If you started chatting to most people over there you'd often get a blank stare and that uneasiness when someone thinks you are mentally deranged


That was one of the major things i noticed being back in feb, it was a pleasure to wait in a queue, you never knew who you would end up talking to, once in a queue for something to eat in tesco, i ended up talking to this lady and i was laughing so much i was crying. at her patter.

brits1

Flea,I am glad I did not know about expats when I first arrived....if I head my threads would of been along the lines of "The clear blues skies for months on end"....."The easy way you can get drive from A to B"......"The Beaches"....etc, etc....now after 12 years they could go like this "Too much sun....it's a killer on the skin"...."Driving here in W.A.....well just hardly any road curtesy driving on the Freeways...well...can be a white knuckle ride"......"The beaches can be nice but offer no shade and after 12 years just not enough to keep you here"...

So lol yes you certainly can change your mind.....but the only thing I can say is that I could say that I have never slagged the U.K off...why...well we had a good life their worts and all....just did not know it at the time..

And yes at times we have been very bored here in Perth...maybe even so bored that I would try and "ruffle a few feathers" to exit my day if you know what I mean.....nope....could not stoop so low.....lol.....

You don't have to justify yourself here Flea...along with Quoll and others I could mention.....your threads really do help others here....me included...so thank you......

Margaret3

Abour previous posts, i sometimes read some of mine from the past and cringe, what the hell was i thinking at times, everyone changes with time, as well as their thoughts and feelings, i truly wish i could feel as enthusiatic about oz as i was while sitting infront of my p.c in scotland

SilvMary

Goodness! Reading all the comments is making my decision even more difficult! I've been living in Southern Italy for ten years and lots of things are good here for me....but I miss parks, gardens, country pubs, genuine friends, good old "evening classes" amongst other things. I've been thinking or returning home, but I'm worried about the high cost of living and increasing crime. Has anyone regretted returning to the UK?

macadian

I would respectfully suggest we all wear the 'tint' of the (or our own respective) moment relative to the spectacles we wear, however, the rose tinted ones tend to wear out quickest........for those who have found the 'tint' that suits them...good luck to you.....

dunroving

Yes. Do a search for ping-pong and you'll find some of them.

Cheetah7

At least you tried it Mags, you did it because you thought you were doing the best for your family, you put them first - nothing wrong in that at all.

Margaret3

i also look at previous posts and think what the hell was pp and i up to

Fleaflyfloflum

Thanx peeps

There seems to be a little band of people (usually barbie lizards ) who see honesty and a change of heart as some kind of flaw in your character!!
It takes far more balls to come on here and admit you were wrong rather than live behind a lie does it not?
No doubt their gossip club has been dining out on my change of heart for a while now ... (amongst other things)
Ahhhh well, as i always say, when someone is running YOU down, at least they are leaving some other poor soul alone