First update.

[Guest chris955]

Thank you Susie, I appreciate it.

 

Pleased you are enjoying your trip back Chris, it's so important to find happiness and direction in this world, so just enjoy! Susie

[Guest siamsusie]

Suze, I think you're shooting the wrong messenger. Pabs (saracastic) posts appear to be in response to those of Charlie666 on the first page of the thread.. :hug:

 

Thank you for the wee cuddle, no Peach I went back and edited it for Pabs, he knows better than to mess with me:laugh: he is only a meer Brickie, no trouble sorting out that wee Scouser:hug:

[Guest chris955]

Yes I couldn't agree more and this one was nothing like that thank goodness, it was great as you could see into the kitchen and watch it being cooked. My tongue was dead for about 30 minutes afterwards which is always a good sign with a decent curry. :laugh:

 

 

Nothing like an industrially produced and microwared/boil in the bag curry to lift the spirits, especially when chosen from a photograph on the menu of a chain/identikit pub (Wetherspoons typically) and identical all over the country. Yum :biggrin:

[Guest chris955]

OK, day 6 and I'm still enjoying myself, it doesn't seem right somehow as I was truly expecting to encounter a generally rude, miserable and unhelpful population but I'm genuinely not seeing it. Met up with another old friend today and she didn't question my state of mind when I mentioned our plans to return. I'm almost disappointed, I kind of expected less positivity.

I had a relaxing day today so not much to report really, I still haven't found anything to put me off.

[Peach]

As they say: Ignorance is bliss. :biggrin:

[Guest chris955]

Yes, apparently it is.

 

As they say: Ignorance is bliss. :biggrin:

[Peach]

I like what you did there :biggrin:

[Guest chris955]

:wink:

[Guest valleylass]

Can't be compared to Aus though.

 

As I said horses for courses, one city cannot compare to a whole continent/country to be fair. I'm glad you liked Sheff and equally glad that you like Perth/Oz

[pablo]

I tell you what, some people must be on the "happy juice" writing such divel! (not referring to your post btw Pabs xx)

My darling man , dare I say it Pabs.... a Tradie no less! worked rural! for 25 years, in the desert up the mines.Brought up his two lads single handedly sending them to a state school, saw them both through University, both qualified as a Doctor and a Chemical enginner, may I reiterate he is a Tradie! nope he didnt stop for a tinnie at 3.30pm, 12 hrs shifts prevailed but in many instances in cyclonic season anything upto 16 hrs on occasions.

I am exceptionally proud of my husband and his and his children's achievements, it doesnt matter what corner of the world we come from the opportunity is there if you want it to be!

 

Now time for a Voddie and Tonic me thinks!:hug: thank you Pabs love Susie x

 

Hiya susie

 

Couldnt keep schtum any longer,im sick of some of these pompous bas7ards on PIO,looking down their nose at peoples jobs,where they come from etc etc.

"oz must be like utopia if your from one of the cities in the north ,but for us it just doesnt stimulate us enuf":rolleyes:etc etc etc,they dont even realise how ridiculous they sound ffs!

"OOoooooeer the aussies reckon tradesmen(everyone in fact)are just as valuable to oz as the PROFESSIONALS are,its really bad form,wheres the pecking order here":cry::biglaugh:

Its no wonder half the world has us down as one of the most arrogant nations on earth.

I give up,cba getting wound up by them anymore,anyway they paint a bad enuf image of themselves without me getting involved,"intelligentsia ":biglaugh::rolleyes:

Im off to go and beat me partner up because she overcooked the spam fritters and forgot to take the american pit bulls for a walk:wink:,catch yer soon susie:wubclub:

[Guest guest37336]

Hiya susie

 

Couldnt keep schtum any longer,im sick of some of these pompous bas7ards on PIO,looking down their nose at peoples jobs,where they come from etc etc.

"oz must be like utopia if your from one of the cities in the north ,but for us it just doesnt stimulate us enuf":rolleyes:etc etc etc,they dont even realise how ridiculous they sound ffs!

"OOoooooeer the aussies reckon tradesmen(everyone in fact)are just as valuable to oz as the PROFESSIONALS are,its really bad form,wheres the pecking order here":cry::biglaugh:

Its no wonder half the world has us down as one of the most arrogant nations on earth.

I give up,cba getting wound up by them anymore,anyway they themselves paint a bad enuf image of themselves without me getting involved,"intelligentsia ":biglaugh::rolleyes:

Im off to go and beat me partner up because she overcooked the spam fritters and forgot to take the american pit bulls for a walk:wink:,catch yer soon susie:wubclub:

 

Its not often I disagree with you Pablo, BUT.

 

Your statement is wrong. We ARE the most arrogant nation on earth mate. Bloody hell we could beat the Aussies, Americans, hands down.

 

Long gone are the days of colonialism, imperialism, etc. But we still look down our noses that those that are 'lesser' in our opinion.

 

We will never change mate, because this myth that the UK can rely on it's so called proud history is repeated over and over again.

 

Don't get me wrong, we have achieved a great deal, but at some times in our history we should be ashamed of what went on in the name of education, teaching, compassion, and 'showing the locals how things should be done'.

 

Arrogance in the extreme mate, I see it EVERY day, and I am truly sick to the back teeth of it.

 

Cheers Tony.

[pablo]

100% agree mate:notworthy:

[tracy123]

Hiya susie

 

Couldnt keep schtum any longer,im sick of some of these pompous bas7ards on PIO,looking down their nose at peoples jobs,where they come from etc etc.

"oz must be like utopia if your from one of the cities in the north ,but for us it just doesnt stimulate us enuf":rolleyes:etc etc etc,they dont even realise how ridiculous they sound ffs!

"OOoooooeer the aussies reckon tradesmen(everyone in fact)are just as valuable to oz as the PROFESSIONALS are,its really bad form,wheres the pecking order here":cry::biglaugh:

Its no wonder half the world has us down as one of the most arrogant nations on earth.

I give up,cba getting wound up by them anymore,anyway they themselves paint a bad enuf image of themselves without me getting involved,"intelligentsia ":biglaugh::rolleyes:

Im off to go and beat me partner up because she overcooked the spam fritters and forgot to take the american pit bulls for a walk:wink:,catch yer soon susie

 

do you not find the dogs attack your pit ponies?

 

As for spam they sell that in Australia, so you'll deffo be happy there :jiggy:

[bunbury61]

Well, why don't we examine that last claim?

Poverty is measured in different ways but some class 22% of the UK population as being 'low income'. That figure has been rising for the past five years, and is worse than it was in the early 80s. UK: numbers in low income - The Poverty Site Other measures say it's not as bad, but still around 15%.

 

In 2009 14.3% of the US population lived below the poverty line.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/17/us/17poverty.html?src=mv

 

This article puts the australian figure at 9.9%.

Two million Australians below poverty line - National - theage.com.au

 

I accept these figures are a few years out of date and they may have changed since the GFC. But they won't have reversed.

 

Please, we're all entitled to opinions - based on fact. Not one-eyed parochialism.

 

When i said POVERTY ,i meant real poverty .

The real disparity between rich and poor .

The people that arent mentioned on here , such as the Aboriginals in Australia ,and large populations of non white Americans in the U.S

Would they seperate blacks and whites , if we had a New Orleans style situation occur in the U.K ? .........I VERY MUCH DOUBT IT .

We dont have people driving along the beach front in Maseratis and Ferraris , whilst ten yards away ,people are living under cardboard , which i saw on a recent visit to the worlds only super power

[Guest guest36762]

Hiya susie

 

Couldnt keep schtum any longer,im sick of some of these pompous bas7ards on PIO,looking down their nose at peoples jobs,where they come from etc etc.

"oz must be like utopia if your from one of the cities in the north ,but for us it just doesnt stimulate us enuf":rolleyes:etc etc etc,they dont even realise how ridiculous they sound ffs!

"OOoooooeer the aussies reckon tradesmen(everyone in fact)are just as valuable to oz as the PROFESSIONALS are,its really bad form,wheres the pecking order here":cry::biglaugh:

Its no wonder half the world has us down as one of the most arrogant nations on earth.

I give up,cba getting wound up by them anymore,anyway they paint a bad enuf image of themselves without me getting involved,"intelligentsia ":biglaugh::rolleyes:Im off to go and beat me partner up because she overcooked the spam fritters and forgot to take the american pit bulls for a walk:wink:,catch yer soon susie:wubclub:

 

hi pabs

I'm guilty of the snobbery you mentioned, and I'm sorry if my comments have caused offence. I'll say this. You admit you're working class, I'm middle class. People will probably attack me for the above statement....

Who are your mates? What do they do? Maybe I'm pigeon holing again but I'll hazard a guess that they're also working class. My best mates are also middle class blokes. That's life: people crave the company of others with a similar background, on the whole. Obviously there are exceptions.

With the above classist bigoted ignorant statement of the truth in mind, those who come to oz will naturally seek people who are similar to them:shocked:.

I've said before that australia is a country proud of it's working class society.

Enough said

dom

[Guest girlwizz99]

I have to say I don't know why it's more acceptable to say you're working class than to 'admit' you are middle class. If you have been to Uni, read books, enjoy political debate, art and culture why is it unacceptable to say you want to live and move in these communities? You can see the difference in the posts on this thread. I don't know yet of any culture that values illiteracy - the spelling, lack of vocab , crap 'jokes' and the way some people seem to think it is acceptable to be blatantly rude to others with things like 'pompous bas7ards' - and then stick an emoticon on the end to diffuse that rudeness! A bit sad in my opinion, I don't think the original posters meant any rudeness it was probably just so inflammatory as some people have such massive chips on their shoulders... Just because this is a website doesn't mean people who would avoid each other in normal life should find any commonality on here....

[Guest KG1978]

So you don't mean the trafficked eastern european women I've met in tower hamlets, London? (Because they aren't British?) Or the kids my husband teaches in inner London who are fed by the school because their parents can't/won't and who have police escorts to classes?

 

Ok, must be lovely living in that rose coloured England you know. I'd love to visit.

 

Poverty is a gradient, sure. And I'd agree there are fewer at the very lower end of that gradient in the UK than there are in the US, sure, but the UK does have a higher percentage of people living in what is classed in poverty. That is just a fact, I'm sorry!

 

I won't apologise for the state of the Aboriginal population, I agree, many of my family (my grandmother's Aboriginal) live in horrific conditions, the result of generations of systemic poverty, abuse, disease, etc. Then again, many of us don't.

[Guest KG1978]

And ps - you English have a class system that's been around for thousands of years and is woven into the fabric of your society, from queen to government down - no wonder you struggle to not define yourselves by it! Hehe. :wink:

[Guest guest36762]

And ps - you English have a class system that's been around for thousands of years and is woven into the fabric of your society, from queen to government down - no wonder you struggle to not define yourselves by it! Hehe. :wink:

 

Sorry to dis your country mate, but there's a class system here too. It's human nature. It's a fact of life. Get over it. He he

[Guest KG1978]

Sorry to dis your country mate, but there's a class system here too. It's human nature. It's a fact of life. Get over it. He he

 

Of course there is, but do we have special rules for Lords and Baronesses, allowing them to sit in parliament just for the fact they were born into a title? No. and that's just the start of it.

 

Come on, you can't seriously argue that class is as entrenched in australia as it is in the UK.

 

Dis all you like, I'm not sensitive, I just want the dissing to be fair and reasonable. Then I'll join you.

[Guest guest36762]

Of course there is, but do we have special rules for Lords and Baronesses, allowing them to sit in parliament just for the fact they were born into a title? No. and that's just the start of it.

 

Come on, you can't seriously argue that class is as entrenched in australia as it is in the UK.

 

Dis all you like, I'm not sensitive, I just want the dissing to be fair and reasonable. Then I'll join you.

 

The class system in Australia is not as entrenched as in the old world, obviously, and I never said it was. No, but it's there alright, but I'd say there's a surprising division between those that live in affluent suburbs and those that live in poorer suburbs:shocked:

I didn't say this was a good thing either

so what's an Aussie doing on pio then?

[Guest KG1978]

The class system in Australia is not as entrenched as in the old world, obviously, and I never said it was. No, but it's there alright, but I'd say there's a surprising division between those that live in affluent suburbs and those that live in poorer suburbs:shocked:

I didn't say this was a good thing either

so what's an Aussie doing on pio then?

 

Yeah, and I never said we didn't have one!!:cool: I think it's easier to move up/down/all around though, here.

 

I've lived in the UK for four years, but i'm in Oz now. I joined PIO to have a whinge about getting the UK spouse visa with other aussies married to Brits and I'm flying back to home number two on Tuesday and couldn't be happier!

[Guest girlwizz99]

The class system in Australia is not as entrenched as in the old world, obviously, and I never said it was. No, but it's there alright, but I'd say there's a surprising division between those that live in affluent suburbs and those that live in poorer suburbs:shocked:

I didn't say this was a good thing either

so what's an Aussie doing on pio then?

 

I don't think it is always a case of those living in affluent areas and poorer areas. I have friends who live in crappy areas but are 'classy' - they are educated, don't slap factory farmed meat on the bbq without thinking about where it comes from, have a wide understanding of race debates, don't drink beer all day and make sexist jibes and breed endlessly without any thought of the overpopulation crisis and/or paying for these kids. I am sure there are plenty of other traits that contribute to lack of class but here are a few starters...

[Skani]

Hi

This is a country built on working class values, where the working man is king. That has good and bad elements: pretentiousness tends to be cut down very quickly, unless you're in Tourak; the flip side however is a crassness to the culture which is celebrated and encouraged. Even men with so called 'white collar' jobs try to get in on the macho act, with their utes and their chainsaws....it's all a bit pathetic really.

Dom

 

It's not pathetic at all. It's the natural - and obvious - consequence of being a pioneer society. It's especially not pathetic if you understand the history of the country.

 

Consider how much physical and social infrastructure existed in Britain in 1788.

Then compare that with what existed when the British colonised this land in 1788. Zero -buildings, roads, wharves, agriculture, no brickworks, no coal mines.

 

So you had to have the practical skills to build your own dwelling, fence your land, look after your livestock and transport, grow your own food, provide your own cooking and heating fuel - all in an environment which was completely alien geographically, climatically, in soil types and seasons, in native animals which could destroy your crops completely, and very hostile compared to the "park like" British countryside.

 

It didn't matter how intellectual you were or what social pretensions you had - if you didn't have the practical skills to survive you died. Simple as that.

 

In generational terms it is not that long ago. There could still be Australians living today whose great grandparents were part of that original British colonisation.

 

And it continued into the 1940s and 50s. Most post WW2 European migrants came here with absolutely nothing and had to start from scratch. There wasn't enough housing, there weren't enough tradesmen, building materials were rationed, they had very little money, so you either learned to build your house yourself with whatever was available or you went without.

[Guest guest36762]

So you don't mean the trafficked eastern european women I've met in tower hamlets, London? (Because they aren't British?) Or the kids my husband teaches in inner London who are fed by the school because their parents can't/won't and who have police escorts to classes?

don't.

 

I'm not sure what the point is, but surely you can't be saying that there aren't social problems of a similar nature in oz?