A lot of ppl wanting to come home!!!!!
#61
Re: A lot of ppl wanting to come home!!!!!
[QUOTE=Mercedes]Yet even on these boards we see British people slag off the Australian people and put them all into the same box of being uncultured, no class, thick, blah blah blah. That to me is wrong, because it shows ignorance and a blinkered outlook.
QUOTE]
Great post. This is usually when I lose my rag with these folk.
QUOTE]
Great post. This is usually when I lose my rag with these folk.
#62
Re: A lot of ppl wanting to come home!!!!!
Yet even on these boards we see British people slag off the Australian people and put them all into the same box of being uncultured, no class, thick, blah blah blah. That to me is wrong, because it shows ignorance and a blinkered outlook.
I'm married to a Korean, she speaks very good English and obviously Korean. I was married in Korea and the whole ceremony was in Korean including my speech (in fact I was the only westerner there!). They don't speak much English at all there, as their culture goes back 1,000s of years.
Australia is a bit different. It's hard to play the 'intergrate' card when the non-aboriginal culture is so new (and relatively weak).
I enjoy the cross culture here, in fact I get on with the ethnics way better than I get on with the Aussies, because the ethnics are less assuming. (not all I know, and I'm I hope we can keep this on track by not mentioning the M word, )
Why not be amongst your own people, and generate business? Now granted some of that is out of control (Cabramatta springs to mind) but a lot are not. I find the Korean suburb Eastwood most pleasant, although neither my wife or I would live there. I'm always welcomed in the eateries, and well known amongst the shopkeepers.
I do see your point, and I think certain countries have a valid argument with language culture etc (France, Germany etc) but don't see Australia as one of those countries anymore. It's too young and is too diversified.
You can't invite people in the one hand, reap the benefits of their diverse cultures, but then castigate them for having those cultures in the first place. Especially given the blatant abuse most of them received when they arrived (talking, Italian, Greek, Slavs, Chinese, Korean etc. Jury is still out on the Middle East, at least it is for me).
#63
Life is more than a dream
Joined: Oct 2006
Location: Kings Moss, UK - it's a bit like Emmerdale
Posts: 1,389
Re: A lot of ppl wanting to come home!!!!!
Perhaps it's a kind of security blanket - some people tend to surround themselves with others "of the same kind".
Personally, when we came here, we deliberately didn't look for any English/British populated suburbs so that we could mix with anyone at all, but I've noticed from driving around the place that certain suburbs are heavily populated by certain races - it's like their own little country within another.
Personally, when we came here, we deliberately didn't look for any English/British populated suburbs so that we could mix with anyone at all, but I've noticed from driving around the place that certain suburbs are heavily populated by certain races - it's like their own little country within another.
#64
Re: A lot of ppl wanting to come home!!!!!
Originally Posted by LouiseD
Perhaps it's a kind of security blanket - some people tend to surround themselves with others "of the same kind".
Personally, when we came here, we deliberately didn't look for any English/British populated suburbs so that we could mix with anyone at all, but I've noticed from driving around the place that certain suburbs are heavily populated by certain races - it's like their own little country within another.
Personally, when we came here, we deliberately didn't look for any English/British populated suburbs so that we could mix with anyone at all, but I've noticed from driving around the place that certain suburbs are heavily populated by certain races - it's like their own little country within another.
That's true, maybe the issue is that the ones that work well work very well, and the ones that don't tend to give all the others a bad name.
#65
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 936
Re: A lot of ppl wanting to come home!!!!!
Originally Posted by Mercedes
Taking abit of home with you is one thing, expecting the adopted country to change is another. The one thing I like about Australia is the diversity of cultures etc. There are people from over 200 countries in Australia with different cultures and religions who consider themselves also Australians. Yet even on these boards we see British people slag off the Australian people and put them all into the same box of being uncultured, no class, thick, blah blah blah. That to me is wrong, because it shows ignorance and a blinkered outlook.
Ghettos where people only live their own culture/religion/language to me is wrong, regardless whether it is in Spain, Australia, UK etc or whether the people are British, Indian, Chinese, Lebanese, Vietmese etc who do't want to intergrate into their adopted country, leads to problems of prejudice etc. I see here in Spain, British and other Northern Europeans who do live in Ghettos of only going to their nationality pub, etc, won't learn the language, are rude about their hosts and to me it is just plain ignorance. Taking abit of home is fine as long as you also intergrate with the natives and don't expect them to change or adopt your ways. One thing that really pisses me off in history that indigenous people had our ways enforced on them as they were thought to be better. Who is to say their lives weren't better.
Ghettos where people only live their own culture/religion/language to me is wrong, regardless whether it is in Spain, Australia, UK etc or whether the people are British, Indian, Chinese, Lebanese, Vietmese etc who do't want to intergrate into their adopted country, leads to problems of prejudice etc. I see here in Spain, British and other Northern Europeans who do live in Ghettos of only going to their nationality pub, etc, won't learn the language, are rude about their hosts and to me it is just plain ignorance. Taking abit of home is fine as long as you also intergrate with the natives and don't expect them to change or adopt your ways. One thing that really pisses me off in history that indigenous people had our ways enforced on them as they were thought to be better. Who is to say their lives weren't better.
I think a lot of people are left cold by the media-driven attempt to reinforce an artificial identity, hinged around sport, barbecues, mateship, a fair go, barbecues, Anzacs, etc.
I think most people see the elements of the older cultures in a positive light, but find the new culture a bit artificial and often tiresome in some of its manifestations.
#66
Re: A lot of ppl wanting to come home!!!!!
Originally Posted by FPM
I think it's an age thing. When you're younger (or new here) you don't want to be reminded of what you left, and roots mean very little. When you're older you start to hanker for home and the things that identify us, and of course if we can't go home, we start looking at those things close to us that remind us of home. But it happens later in life IMO.
That is exactly my belief and the way I am feeling. And I didn't really start feeling like this until I'd been here for about 15 years, and it's crept up on me closer and closer over the last five years.
#67
Re: A lot of ppl wanting to come home!!!!!
Originally Posted by FPM
I answered this before but it did occur to me that without ppl wanting 'a bit of home', Australia wouldn't have winewakers, vineyards, the nice churches and some of the more attractive city housing, a lot of the ethnic based foods, eateries and markets, temples etc. It's not just the English that like to be reminded of home, but somehow we seem to be the only ones that are maligned for it
And we're also the only ones that have to take tasteless jokes on the chin (the endless one about not washing) and being referred to as Poms, whereas to call Greeks wogs, Chinese Chinks, Japanese Nips, Lebanese Lebos, is just not done because it's overtly racist and politically incorrect and might stir up some riots somewhere by a beach. "Oh but it's not the same, is it?- it's just banter, nobody minds, we've always done it..." errmmm...did anyone ever ASK whether we minded?
#68
Re: A lot of ppl wanting to come home!!!!!
Originally Posted by Exile
I think the unhappy people on this site are generally talking about the characteristics of the dominant culture. That is what remains as the various older cultures (imported and indigenous) become diluted with the passing of generations.
I think a lot of people are left cold by the media-driven attempt to reinforce an artificial identity, hinged around sport, barbecues, mateship, a fair go, barbecues, Anzacs, etc.
I think most people see the elements of the older cultures in a positive light, but find the new culture a bit artificial and often tiresome in some of its manifestations.
I think a lot of people are left cold by the media-driven attempt to reinforce an artificial identity, hinged around sport, barbecues, mateship, a fair go, barbecues, Anzacs, etc.
I think most people see the elements of the older cultures in a positive light, but find the new culture a bit artificial and often tiresome in some of its manifestations.
YESSSS!!!
#69
Re: A lot of ppl wanting to come home!!!!!
Originally Posted by TopCat3
Are we sharing a brain or something, FPM?
And we're also the only ones that have to take tasteless jokes on the chin (the endless one about not washing) and being referred to as Poms, whereas to call Greeks wogs, Chinese Chinks, Japanese Nips, Lebanese Lebos, is just not done because it's overtly racist and politically incorrect and might stir up some riots somewhere by a beach. "Oh but it's not the same, is it?- it's just banter, nobody minds, we've always done it..." errmmm...did anyone ever ASK whether we minded?
And we're also the only ones that have to take tasteless jokes on the chin (the endless one about not washing) and being referred to as Poms, whereas to call Greeks wogs, Chinese Chinks, Japanese Nips, Lebanese Lebos, is just not done because it's overtly racist and politically incorrect and might stir up some riots somewhere by a beach. "Oh but it's not the same, is it?- it's just banter, nobody minds, we've always done it..." errmmm...did anyone ever ASK whether we minded?
#70
Re: A lot of ppl wanting to come home!!!!!
Originally Posted by Mercedes
But isn't British humour also taking the piss out of each other? I've been working with some Welsh and Irish and they were taking the piss out of each left right and centre and I knew it was banter, and they were all good friends. I often thought that the more people take the piss about you the more they liked you. I tend to be overly polite to people I don't like and I'm not Australian.
#71
Re: A lot of ppl wanting to come home!!!!!
Originally Posted by Mercedes
But isn't British humour also taking the piss out of each other?
#72
Re: A lot of ppl wanting to come home!!!!!
Originally Posted by Eric Hitchmo
Tends to be more inventive and not as hateful IMHO. The Aussies just say, "poms smell", like some ten year-old hurling an insult would. Thats not humour. That's just being an arse.
#73
Re: A lot of ppl wanting to come home!!!!!
Originally Posted by Mercedes
I feel left out I never got the pom smells Maybe you guys need to have a sniff over yourselves
#74
Re: A lot of ppl wanting to come home!!!!!
Originally Posted by TopCat3
Are we sharing a brain or something, FPM?
#75
Re: A lot of ppl wanting to come home!!!!!
Originally Posted by FPM
Possibly, do you like cycle racing and play guitar and bass?
So do you look cute in your cycle gear? Lets see some photos