How have you found the Aussies?

[Paul1Perth]

And my point is that if they really didn't display their wealth, nobody would know. Yet wealthy people seem to somehow convey their status, seemingly without trying. And people remember and, as you seem to have done, start to rank their friends and acquaintances by wealth.

 

Actually, I find it tends to work in reverse - by excluding those who are "beneath" them. In other words, if you live in the wrong area; if you drive an old or unprestigious car (especially one made in Asia); if you went to the wrong university; if you were not privately educated - or send your kids to the state school; if you wear cheap clothes; if you work in a job that is perceived to be low paying - you will be carefully left out. You might not even notice; you might believe that your wealthier colleagues or neighbours are being friendly when they say hello, but you are not going to be accepted as an equal. I have actually found Australia to be more unequal - and more overtly unequal - than Britain, with status invariably being bound up in wealth and possessions.

 

Jeez we should be shunned then. We both have pretty averagely paid jobs, one of our kids went to state school, the other only went private as he has autism, we buy stuff from K-Mart and somehow we have never felt left out. Have friends who we know are wealthy because we know them. We've had days out on boats where the owners are as down to Earth as can be, take us to rotto and back and wouldn't dream of taking anything for the fuel. Making an offer of 50 bucks would seem a bit petty when it's cost a few hundred for the fuel.:laugh:

 

Sorry if you've had a hard time of it.

[Quinkla]

Just where, exactly, did I state, imply or even vaguely suggest that I "rank...friends and acquaintances by wealth"?

 

Here

 

... the wealthiest people I know ...

[Skani]

He did say that but on the other hand wasn't tempted to move out here.

 

 

No one was talking about migrating. I was responding to Marisawright's comment - which I quoted so it was perfectly obvious :rolleyes::

 

I think a lot depends where you come from in the UK. Australians have no patience with the Hyacinth Bouquets of this world - if something needs saying, they'll say it.

 

The point being that, as a Yorkshireman, he felt more comfortable with the Australian approach than some other English would. Sorry if that was a bit subtle for some.

[Guest]

It's interesting that all Aussies are the same. Shane Warne and Richie Benaud being a good example, both spin bowling Aussies, oh how alike they are.

[Skani]

Here

 

That's not "ranking". I may know their personal circumstances....but you or any other observer would have no clue by the car they drive, what they wear, their house, job, university or kids' school.

[Quinkla]

That's not "ranking".

When you use comparator or superlative terms (i.e. wealthier or wealthiest) then ranking is exactly what it is.

 

Learn to English.

[Paul1Perth]

When you use comparator or superlative terms (i.e. wealthier or wealthiest) then ranking is exactly what it is.

 

Learn to English.

:laugh:

[flag of convenience]

No one was talking about migrating. I was responding to Marisawright's comment - which I quoted so it was perfectly obvious :rolleyes::

 

 

 

The point being that, as a Yorkshireman, he felt more comfortable with the Australian approach than some other English would. Sorry if that was a bit subtle for some.

 

Some say what they think people want to hear. Aussies can't get enough praise and are serious in their acceptance of it. No I spoke of migration. Like Warren Mitchel before him rang the praises of Australia but always returned home. May well have said similar when in Canada for all we know. Now there are other personalities like Spike Milligan.....

[flag of convenience]

It's interesting that all Aussies are the same. Shane Warne and Richie Benaud being a good example, both spin bowling Aussies, oh how alike they are.

 

Besides having heads and the usual parts just how are all Aussies the same? Who suggested they are?

[bristolman]

Aussies are no different to any other nationality, some nice, some not so nice and some to be avoided at all costs.As has already been said they do love praise whereas I have found people here don't really care what you think of them or this country by and large.

[Quinkla]

Sorry if you've had a hard time of it.

 

Actually I haven't. My degrees are well respected, my job is well paid and I dress well. However, I don't want to be part of the cliquey life and petty games I see all around me so I opt out. I am seen as a bit eccentric and this is usually brushed aside as being an English thing.

[MARYROSE02]

Actually I haven't. My degrees are well respected, my job is well paid and I dress well. However, I don't want to be part of the cliquey life and petty games I see all around me so I opt out. I am seen as a bit eccentric and this is usually brushed aside as being an English thing.

 

So, are you an English square peg in an Australian round hole, or just a square peg in a round hole? You could go back to England and get a job with exactly the same 'cliquey life and petty games.'

 

What about other English people in your work place? What about other nationalities? What are their experiences? Do your Aussie work mates see all English people as being like you? My Aussie mates sometimes 'take the Mickey' but when they are picking on my 'traits' they never add 'Pommie' to those traits.

[beach pig]

Actually I haven't. My degrees are well respected, my job is well paid and I dress well. However, I don't want to be part of the cliquey life and petty games I see all around me so I opt out. I am seen as a bit eccentric and this is usually brushed aside as being an English thing.

Eccentric in what way? Is it how you dress, or speak. Why not involve yourself in their ( petty games) basically muck in. Which personally has not been a problem for me. I give as good as I get. Move on laugh at yourself no room for a chip on your shoulder in this country.

[Quinkla]

Move on laugh at yourself no room for a chip on your shoulder in this country.

What a depressing thought!

 

:rolleyes:

[pob]

I personally have found Australian to be very xenophobic.

I am a tradie, my wife is a business lady. My wife has found that people are very patronising towards tradies, They make jokes and have assumptions that are not true. They presume I know nothing about food, literature, etc and all I want to do is drink VB till I can not stand any more and eat meat pies.

Then they see pictures of me and ask if I am a Bikie and in a club.

Some people are even scared of me that have never even met me, just from their own misconceptions.

We have been invited out by people and they have cancelled later on when they found out I was a tradie because they didn't want any "trouble" at their house.

I mean "Trouble" I'm house trained and everything!

 

But I find my fellow tradies to be a friendly bunch. But then again I am white and I fit in pretty good.

If you have some colour to your skin you do see a different side to them though.

So I wonder how many of the people who say Australians aren't racist are white?

We have the Australian argument often though... Someone will talk about immigrants and I will say aren't you an immigrant? They will say no that they are true Australian through and through, they then proudly tell me that they can trace their history right back to the convict ships.

They don't seem to like it when I ask if their great great granddaddy was a sheep thief or a rapist?

I tell then this land belongs to the Aboriginals and every one else is a immigrant.

 

People do comment on other skin tones here.

But it is more out of ignorance than any thing else.

 

I find that Australians have a very ignorant "island" mentality similar to the Americans.

They lack cultural awareness.

Sometimes they say quite hurtful things, but they mainly do this out of ignorance.

[MARYROSE02]

That's the point, its all subjective, innit?

 

just opinions then, not based on fact!

[MARYROSE02]

I personally have found Australian to be very xenophobic.

I am a tradie, my wife is a business lady. My wife has found that people are very patronising towards tradies, They make jokes and have assumptions that are not true. They presume I know nothing about food, literature, etc and all I want to do is drink VB till I can not stand any more and eat meat pies.

Then they see pictures of me and ask if I am a Bikie and in a club.

Some people are even scared of me that have never even met me, just from their own misconceptions.

We have been invited out by people and they have cancelled later on when they found out I was a tradie because they didn't want any "trouble" at their house.

I mean "Trouble" I'm house trained and everything!

 

But I find my fellow tradies to be a friendly bunch. But then again I am white and I fit in pretty good.

If you have some colour to your skin you do see a different side to them though.

So I wonder how many of the people who say Australians aren't racist are white?

We have the Australian argument often though... Someone will talk about immigrants and I will say aren't you an immigrant? They will say no that they are true Australian through and through, they then proudly tell me that they can trace their history right back to the convict ships.

They don't seem to like it when I ask if their great great granddaddy was a sheep thief or a rapist?

I tell then this land belongs to the Aboriginals and every one else is a immigrant.

 

People do comment on other skin tones here.

But it is more out of ignorance than any thing else.

 

I find that Australians have a very ignorant "island" mentality similar to the Americans.

They lack cultural awareness.

Sometimes they say quite hurtful things, but they mainly do this out of ignorance.

 

Again, just an opinion. Find 10,000 other Pommies who agree with you, and prospective 'New Chums' might have something serious to consider if they are thinking about migrating here.

 

And even the Aborigines could be immigrants if they came here from somewhere else. Come to that, there is probably not a single country on Earth for which you could not make that claim.

[pob]

Again, just an opinion. Find 10,000 other Pommies who agree with you, and prospective 'New Chums' might have something serious to consider if they are thinking about migrating here.

 

And even the Aborigines could be immigrants if they came here from somewhere else. Come to that, there is probably not a single country on Earth for which you could not make that claim.

 

I draw their attention to the fact that they are all recent immigrants to this country in a friendly joking way to try and stop them behaving like racist arseholes.

[Guest]

Some say what they think people want to hear. Aussies can't get enough praise and are serious in their acceptance of their acceptance of it. No I spoke of migration. Like Warren Mitchel before him rang the praises of Australia but always returned home. May well have said similar when in Canada for all we know. Now there are other personalities like Spike Milligan.....

 

Uggh!, just had a flash-back to my early years here, the almost weekly invitations from my partner's friends and family to say something nice about Australia. It was usually along the lines of;

Them: "Hey Homesick, bet you couldn't do this in Pommie land eh, eh?!!

Them #2: "Nah, well I've heard it never stops raining long enough...wouldn't go to that sh*thole if you paid me....bet you're glad you're here and not there right?"

Me: "No, it's true. Unless I was actually trapped in a burning building, I don't think that I could experience such extreme heat back home, or see so many insects close up....it's, erm,......definitely an....experience....."

 

Or, on the few occasions that I mistakenly switched on the radio;

DJ: "So what is it about Australia that you love so much, is it the climate, the great beauty of this country or the great Australian people?"

American or British superstar: "Yeah, it's like, all of that, yeah, Australians are just the best man and I'm really grateful to Optus/Motorola/Pepsi etc for paying me sh*tloads to come down here and rock with you guys, coz you guys are the best!"

 

And people wonder why I live a reclusive lifestyle! :wink:

[vickyplum]

Again, just an opinion. Find 10,000 other Pommies who agree with you, and prospective 'New Chums' might have something serious to consider if they are thinking about migrating here [...]

 

@MARYROSE02 - pretty much all of what @pob said was based on his experience of living in Australia, not just opinion. There is no need to try and defend an entire nation, just because you don't agree that Australian people can be racist/hurtful/ignorant etc. I'm sure living in such a large city, you've seen and heard many negative things said from people who are, or claim to be, Australians.

[bristolman]

Uggh!, just had a flash-back to my early years here, the almost weekly invitations from my partner's friends and family to say something nice about Australia. It was usually along the lines of;

Them: "Hey Homesick, bet you couldn't do this in Pommie land eh, eh?!!

Them #2: "Nah, well I've heard it never stops raining long enough...wouldn't go to that sh*thole if you paid me....bet you're glad you're here and not there right?"

Me: "No, it's true. Unless I was actually trapped in a burning building, I don't think that I could experience such extreme heat back home, or see so many insects close up....it's, erm,......definitely an....experience....."

 

Or, on the few occasions that I mistakenly switched on the radio;

DJ: "So what is it about Australia that you love so much, is it the climate, the great beauty of this country or the great Australian people?"

American or British superstar: "Yeah, it's like, all of that, yeah, Australians are just the best man and I'm really grateful to Optus/Motorola/Pepsi etc for paying me sh*tloads to come down here and rock with you guys, coz you guys are the best!"

 

And people wonder why I live a reclusive lifestyle! :wink:

 

Mmm, yes unfortunately it does bring back memories for me too, I could never understand the need for validation. If you love your country why keep asking what others think of it, it's irrelevant. I guess it is the result of being a young country and not being secure in your skin. The media are by far the worst for this, generally I find the Australian media extremely inward looking and xenophobic.

[JockinTas]

^^ I do agree with you about the media - makes me cringe :embarrassed:

[Southchick]

Oh dear.... As valid as all your opinions are, I do hope the OP looks at the bigger picture, that the majority of comments and experiences are positive and informative. Of course everywhere has it's negative points and people... But I do believe a lot of experiences reflect your outlook on life. I hope Australia treats you well and you can make the best of it :-)

[MARYROSE02]

@MARYROSE02 - pretty much all of what @pob said was based on his experience of living in Australia, not just opinion. There is no need to try and defend an entire nation, just because you don't agree that Australian people can be racist/hurtful/ignorant etc. I'm sure living in such a large city, you've seen and heard many negative things said from people who are, or claim to be, Australians.

 

He is not just talking about his own experiences. He is making generalisations based on his prejudices:

 

People do comment on other skin tones here.

But it is more out of ignorance than any thing else.

 

I find that Australians have a very ignorant "island" mentality similar to the Americans.

They lack cultural awareness.

Sometimes they say quite hurtful things, but they mainly do this out of ignorance.

 

I want to see some statistics, not just how three or four unhappy people on PIO feel about Australia. Look at the number of British people who have emigrated to Australia, and then look at the numbers who have returned PERMANENTLY to Britain.

 

I have never suffered any prejudice in remarks or deeds from Aussies. Oh, tell a lie, one did overhear me at the SCG making some comment about the Aussies, and leaned over to remind me just how many Ashes series in a row that the Aussies won.

 

Based on my own experiences, I meet very few Pommies or Irish who are unhappy here, which is perhaps just my opinion, but at least it is backed up by the statistics.

[MARYROSE02]

^^ I do agree with you about the media - makes me cringe :embarrassed:

 

I noticed that too, but I have to say that it has changed over the last few years, perhaps because so many more Aussies are making it on the world stage. News bulletins did used to refer to 'Aussie' actor Mel Gibson, but I never hear that when they are talking about, say, Geoffrey Rush. It never affected my life here anyway.