scrubbedexpat141

See, the mrs and I are deliberately not getting married because she'd lose her housing allowance....even though I know she's desperate to marry me (who wouldn't be?).

Ethos is a lovely chap by all accounts but seems so uninterested in this wedding. I hope he's doing it for the right reasons, I expect he is.

scrubbedexpat141

I'm sorry but you're not.

Mullet - I respect that, the passport I don't.

It's like the 'Canadians' who apply for jobs all the time...graduating from the University of Baghdad/Beirut/Damascus.

Ethos83

Thanks.

I know what I'm doing.

Kim67

No, only met a couple of people from BE while I was in Dubai - I was so polite to one of them that she and her family have come to live here in Australia too.

Seriously though, there are absolute rude a**holes from every country and usually just as many nice, polite ones to balance it out. The problem with somewhere like Dubai, is that a lot of people go there hoping to make a truck load of cash, they get a big villa (having previously lived in a dog box), drive a flashy car (that cost them the same price as their average family sedan at home), they have a maid, go out to pissy brunches every week, put their kids into private schools and all of a sudden they think they're part of the Murdoch clan - they then start behaving as though everyone else is below them and they don't have the social skills to carry it off with grace and dignity.

scrubbedexpat141

Ah yes, the Dubai factor is massive in most personalities here. Same is applicable across all nationalities, Brits very much included.

Thing is, I've met them in the UK, here, Germany, Vietnam etc and genuinely haven't met an Aussie who I didn't find offensive in one way or another. Tolerable - one here that I used to work with, but barely tolerable.

I know I'll get to find out otherwise one day but as it stands I haven't met a single pleasant, friendly, non-arrogant, non-idiot Australian. Unfortunately, that's a fact.

mentalist

Some nationalities don't travel as well as others. From my experience I find many Canadians to be arrogant when overseas but I'm reliably informed that they have hearts of gold and extremely hospitable when back home. Maybe some Aussies are similar.

scrubbedexpat141

You're probably right. I've had the opposite, most Canadians seem quite pleasant.

I particularly like the Germans, they're funnier than they get credit for.

Kim67

Haha, maybe you'll have to get to Australia and away from the Dubai nouveau riche and Contiki tour bunch and meet them in their own environment.

scrubbedexpat141

Yeah, but:

1. It's ****ing miles away.
2. It's full of them, so if they do turn out to be anything higher than 50% knobhead it will be a wasted trip.
3. **** off great big spiders.

Kim67

You forgot the snakes, crocs and sharks.

Kix

You are ****ing kidding me aren't you - you should try living there, hated it, hated it, hated it, sneaky, racist bastards the lot of them.

scrubbedexpat141

Yeah, see. Sod that for a box of badgers.

I think Germans are quite funny and the ones we met at the world cup there were quality. In fact, the ones who let us stay for free and helped get our car fixed on the cheap and then hired us a car in their name so we wouldn't miss the final were amongst the nicest, most generous folk I've ever met.

Kix

They must have been the exception. Believe me they're a lot worse in their own country. Try walking through Munich Train Station with a black girl and enjoy all the monkey chants.

Despise them.

scrubbedexpat141

This was in Germany.

Racism is unacceptable. I'll make a note of that.

mentalist

They are much less racist than many East Europeans and Spanish so don't write them off just from one bad experience. Funnily enough, as a teenage boy, I was shown incredible kindness and hospitality by elderly locals in Normandy. They saved my life, so I always have a soft spot for the French whom most Brits despise.