How Long before you realised that Australia was or was not the place that you wanted to spend the rest of your days ?

[Toots 11,752]

47 minutes ago, bug family said:

Beautiful, i could sit at one of them tables in the picture with a cup of tea and a sandwich and happily watch the world go by 

Same town of Kirkcudbright (I'm starting to get a wee bit homesick) in April with the daffodils and May with the bluebells.

 

[MARYROSE02 2,302]

9 hours ago, Toots said:

Same town of Kirkcudbright (I'm starting to get a wee bit homesick) in April with the daffodils and May with the bluebells.

 

The bluebells make me nostalgic  - jacaranda flowers? Both bluebells and jacaranda are the same  -  invisible for 10 or 11 months then they suddenly emerge.

But what I'd really like to see is some frogspawn!

[Amber Snowball 1,342]

1 hour ago, MARYROSE02 said:

The bluebells make me nostalgic  - jacaranda flowers? Both bluebells and jacaranda are the same  -  invisible for 10 or 11 months then they suddenly emerge.

But what I'd really like to see is some frogspawn!

I had a small pond at my last house in Victoria, that had loads of frogs in it. I think I repopulated the hills with frogs, there were loads. Wish I’d taken a picture for you now! Frogspawn bobbing around in the waterfall feature.

[proud preston 171]

On 03/03/2022 at 21:54, bug family said:

Thanks proud Preston, I had an interview with the NHS to go and work as a Paramedic, my plan is to work around the northwest region (Manchester area) and eventually save up a deposit to be able to (hopefully) buy a house back in north wales again at which point I will finally be home 

I certainly will keep you all updated ....I will bore you silly about my journey back home again trust me 

There'll be nothing boring about your posts - I will be looking forward to reading them. Well  done with the NHS interview! The rain here in Brisbane last weekend has really unnerved me. I know it rains in the UK, and yes there are occasional floods, but nothing of this magnitude. I can feel anxiety creeping up just now there has been another heavy shower. I can't live in a country long term with these more frequent floods. I was talking to a lovely woman today in her late 70's- she is finally returning to New Zealand- she loved the flora and fauna of Aus but felt that NZ was a lot more "gentle"- landscape, people and climate. Thought that NZ related very much to the UK whereas (lately) Australia was leaning towards the U.S.

[proud preston 171]

On 05/03/2022 at 11:16, Parley said:

Not sure I would want to be in Europe over the next decade personally.

Hopefully it won't happen but ongoing war in Europe getting worse makes me think nice to be out of the way down in Australia.

Yet Peter Dutton talks of sending weapons to Taiwan if any acts of aggression from China...I don't necessarily think we are safer where we are....global warming will probably be felt worse here too...forest fires and floods

[bug family 587]

20 minutes ago, proud preston said:

Thought that NZ related very much to the UK whereas (lately) Australia was leaning towards the U.S.

I find that Australia is getting very americanised in all aspects of life,  there is a main road with businesses on it in the main town area of where I live, you would swear you are driving through some mexican outlaw town lol 

[Parley 7,392]

19 minutes ago, proud preston said:

Yet Peter Dutton talks of sending weapons to Taiwan if any acts of aggression from China...I don't necessarily think we are safer where we are....global warming will probably be felt worse here too...forest fires and floods

We have always had droughts and flooding rains. That is the essence of Australia.

[Parley 7,392]

21 minutes ago, proud preston said:

Yet Peter Dutton talks of sending weapons to Taiwan if any acts of aggression from China...I don't necessarily think we are safer where we are....global warming will probably be felt worse here too...forest fires and floods

You don't agree with Australia providing support to small countries being attacked by aggressive neighbours like Russia or China?

Just let the bully do what they like?

[bug family 587]

On 04/03/2022 at 06:42, Bulya said:

So why aren’t you living in one of the many areas of Australia where that is the winter norm?

True it is a bit late now though, i will have to settle for the four seasons back home......i cannot wait 

[Blue Flu 1,000]

14 hours ago, bug family said:

I find that Australia is getting very americanised in all aspects of life,  there is a main road with businesses on it in the main town area of where I live, you would swear you are driving through some mexican outlaw town lol 

It long has been. II had to smile to myself with the driving through some Mexican outlaw town. My Perth inner city area is a toss up between the Stepford Wives where all looks well for the most part on the surface but with most everybody in on a secret regarding a certain activity or indeed an Angelised Brazilian suburb where the law is at best 'selective'. 

[Blue Flu 1,000]

15 hours ago, Parley said:

You don't agree with Australia providing support to small countries being attacked by aggressive neighbours like Russia or China?

Just let the bully do what they like?

Australia as other countries refused to recognize Taiwan as anything other than a part of China a very long time ago. You can't have it both ways.

[Blue Flu 1,000]

15 hours ago, Parley said:

We have always had droughts and flooding rains. That is the essence of Australia.

Old timers are saying never experienced so bad though in their memory.

[Parley 7,392]

4 minutes ago, Blue Flu said:

It long has been. II had to smile to myself with the driving through some Mexican outlaw town. My Perth inner city area is a toss up between the Stepford Wives where all looks well for the most part on the surface but with most everybody in on a secret regarding a certain activity or indeed an Angelised Brazilian suburb where the law is at best 'selective'. 

If you aren't Xenophobic it shouldn't worry you too much.

[Blue Flu 1,000]

Just now, Parley said:

If you aren't Xenophobic it shouldn't worry you too much.

What shouldn't worry me? The' goings on' are of a deep concern , although I admit I am in a minority. Still something I only thought would materialize in some South American state like Bolivia.  

[Toots 11,752]

20 hours ago, bug family said:

I find that Australia is getting very americanised in all aspects of life,  there is a main road with businesses on it in the main town area of where I live, you would swear you are driving through some mexican outlaw town lol 

 

AUSTRALIA DON'T BECOME AMERICA   

 

 

[Blue Flu 1,000]

32 minutes ago, Toots said:

 

AUSTRALIA DON'T BECOME AMERICA   

 

 

I think the fellow asking What is Australian Culture ?, addressed the issue very well. 

[MARYROSE02 2,302]

5 hours ago, Toots said:

 

AUSTRALIA DON'T BECOME AMERICA   

 

 

I remember a funny line in a novel,  possibly by the guy - Trevanian? - where he described the Aussies as Americans in training and the Brits as failed Americans  

When I left England I don't remember any Maccas, KFC etc, just Wimpy and burger/hot dog stands.

What's the UK like now? Huge American style malls amidst the "death of the High Street?" Macca, KFC, Hungry Jacks? 

[Blue Flu 1,000]

10 hours ago, MARYROSE02 said:

I remember a funny line in a novel,  possibly by the guy - Trevanian? - where he described the Aussies as Americans in training and the Brits as failed Americans  

When I left England I don't remember any Maccas, KFC etc, just Wimpy and burger/hot dog stands.

What's the UK like now? Huge American style malls amidst the "death of the High Street?" Macca, KFC, Hungry Jacks? 

May just as well say Indian cuisine is the most favoured and isn't Muhammad is the top boys name. (well actually came in at number 5 in latest list, but seem to recall it had a higher rating in the past) I suspect as in all countries 'internationalism' has become part of the landscape. Italian food in the form of Pizza and pasta is at the top as well in numerous western countries.  Especially is larger cities. Americanism is most everywhere but not necessarily as dominant as in countries such as Australia. 

Edited March 7, 2022 by Blue Flu

[Toots 11,752]

11 hours ago, MARYROSE02 said:

I remember a funny line in a novel,  possibly by the guy - Trevanian? - where he described the Aussies as Americans in training and the Brits as failed Americans  

When I left England I don't remember any Maccas, KFC etc, just Wimpy and burger/hot dog stands.

What's the UK like now? Huge American style malls amidst the "death of the High Street?" Macca, KFC, Hungry Jacks? 

I remember Maccas, KFC in London 40 years ago.  Maccas was a bit of a novelty then.  I think KFC had been around longer.

[Toots 11,752]

50 minutes ago, Blue Flu said:

May just as well say Indian cuisine is the most favoured and isn't Muhammad is the top boys name. (well actually came in at number 5 in latest list, but seem to recall it had a higher rating in the past) I suspect as in all countries 'internationalism' has become part of the landscape. Italian food in the form of Pizza and pasta is at the top as well in numerous western countries.  Especially is larger cities. Americanism is most everywhere but not necessarily as dominant as in countries such as Australia. 

Can't say I'm very fond of Indian or Chinese nosh.  Prefer Thai and Malaysian.  They do lovely vegetarian stuff.  

The places where I saw the most American fast food outlets was in those huge shopping malls in Bangkok.  There were some American takeaways there I had never seen or heard of here.  The wealthy Thais who shop in those places are noticeable fatter especially the children.

Edited March 8, 2022 by Toots

[ramot 6,881]

1 hour ago, Toots said:

I remember Maccas, KFC in London 40 years ago.  Maccas was a bit of a novelty then.  I think KFC had been around longer.

Going back further The novelty of going to a Wimpy burgers and squeezing the ketchup out of the large tomato shape sauce dispenser. I think the first Wimpy was in the early 1950’s in London. 

I remember reading an article about how almost everywhere has become so similar with the same chains of hotels, fast food outlets etc. The author walked out of a Hilton Hotel, passes a Macdonalds, plus various other common international outlets, and until he came to the then Berlin Wall, he could have been in almost any major city in the world.

Edited March 8, 2022 by ramot

[Toots 11,752]

1 minute ago, ramot said:

Going back further The novelty of going to a Wimpy burgers and squeezing the ketchup out of the large tomato shape sauce dispenser. I think the first Wimpy was in the early 1950’s in London. 

I shared a cottage in my teens (in the Lake District) with 3 other girls  and our big treat on a Saturday afternoon was to go to the Wimpy in Windermere for a burger, chips and a glass of Coke then we would go home and get all glammed up to go out later that evening to the local disco.  

[MARYROSE02 2,302]

11 hours ago, Blue Flu said:

May just as well say Indian cuisine is the most favoured and isn't Muhammad is the top boys name. (well actually came in at number 5 in latest list, but seem to recall it had a higher rating in the past) I suspect as in all countries 'internationalism' has become part of the landscape. Italian food in the form of Pizza and pasta is at the top as well in numerous western countries.  Especially is larger cities. Americanism is most everywhere but not necessarily as dominant as in countries such as Australia. 

I've not been the the US for 26 years and the UK for 13 years so I've got no reference points. Sitting on the seafront in Surfers Paradise I suppose it's closer to Waikiki than Bournemouth but it could be Benidorm.

Australia seems like a hybrid - American style roads but they drive on the left and the measurements are in metric. Part Westminster, part federal system of government. 

[Marisawright 10,271]

26 minutes ago, MARYROSE02 said:

Australia seems like a hybrid 

They've been talking about Australia turning into America ever since the 1950's, apparently.   My husband (who grew up here) tells me that when he was a lad, all the TV programs, all the films and all the music on the radio was American, and he feels the American influence has lessened a lot since then.  It's funny sometimes to reminisce about some pop hit from the 1960's.  I think Lulu or Gerry & the Pacemakers had the big hit, but he remembers it as sung by an American. 

I don't think Australia has become more Americanised compared to other countries.   The whole world has got more globalised and American influence is in every country.  When I visited the US after I'd been living in Australia for about 10 years,  I found the US alien compared to both Australia and the UK.  And when we were back in the UK in 2015, the shopping malls there looked exactly like the ones in Sydney.  

Edited March 8, 2022 by Marisawright

[Tulip1 4,691]

10 hours ago, Toots said:

I shared a cottage in my teens (in the Lake District) with 3 other girls  and our big treat on a Saturday afternoon was to go to the Wimpy in Windermere for a burger, chips and a glass of Coke then we would go home and get all glammed up to go out later that evening to the local disco.  

I loved going to the Wimpey.  As a 15/16 year old I’d get the Saturday bus into town with my friend and we would spend ages looking through the records in Woolworths, then off to the market to buy some cheap, dangly earnings for the disco later that night.  If we were lucky in money we’d look for a pencil skirt or boob tube to wear too.  Finally onto the Wimpey for burger and chips

Edited March 8, 2022 by Tulip1