Being an Australian, and being curious, was wondering if anyone here (and I know you’re all mostly Americans) has ever been to Australia or knows someone who has or whether or not you have ever had any Aussie friends.
Was also curious as to what the general perception of Australia(ns) is over in the U.S. Is it ever mentioned? Do you know much about it? What misconceptions do you think you have about Australia in general (ie do you think we’re all like Steve Irwin and we live in the outback and wrestle crocs and ride kangaroos to work).
just kidding. I know a few other gents online from Australia, but I’ve not yet made it down there. Keep in mind, we don’t learn shit about any foreign lands in our education. Except a bit about England (Revolutionary War only) and we focus a bit on Germany thanks to WWI/II.
My perception is slightly colored from reading detective novels by Peter Temple. As far as I can tell you’re prolly an old duffer who sits in a pub drinking and watching football.
And I’m old enough to remember Paul Hogan. At least Irwin wasn’t just a stereotype actor.
One of my buddies has been there twice… he really likres it there. I think the overall perception is that you have a better handle on democracy than we do (although repubs won’t admit that! ra ra U.S.) however when your government FAILS IT FAILS miserably… LIKE that president that got elected under the banner of exterminating the abirginees (spelling?) and then was booted out after continuing on that platform of exterminating the abirginees… 10 years ago maybe?? apparently the racism was really bad for a while… other than that, Australia has it going on! but you gotta also think too that in order for some kinda area to make our news it’s gotta be really fucked up!! so seeing as how Australia hasn’t been in the news you guys are pretty good! I think the only other time Australia has been in the news was when that supermodel was sentnced to life in a middle east prison for smuggling drugs!
Late,
grmpysmrf
Never been there but I have known a few Aussies through the years. Invariably sound and good fun. Had a thing with an Aussie chick on a Greek island a few years ago, she was a cracker. Though there probably is, I have never met an ugly Aussie bird. Peligro, as an Aussie what do you think of Aussie chicks? Most Irish girls are, unfortunately, a tad fugly so I always welcome other nationalities.
Most places ive been to (U.S., Germany, France, UK, Spain, Greece) its been tough to find people who are heavyweights when its comes to drinkin and keeping it going from the night through to the next day. The only other nationality who ive known to be really up for it are Aussies, some of them are just nuts.
Know a bit about Aus history from Irish emmigration stories (Macquarie Harbour being a tough place to be stuck in) and reports by John Pilger regarding the aboriginal peoples and basically how big a cunt Howard was.
On the subject of stereotypes, tell me how accurately does Mad Max reflect Aussie culture? Bloody love that film.
It’s my goal to move there within the next 5 years.
It seems to be a beautiful country, which, nature wise, has a very similiar makeup to America (forests, deserts, lakes, mountain ranges) , and an interesting history of indiginous peoples (something I’m into over here)
My take on the people of Australia is that it’s as diverse as it is over here: various ethnicities, languages, religions,etc.
I’m a basketball fanatic, and I know that it’s becomming more popular over there in time as well.
So, I’m saying it’s probably a cleaner, happier, and at the moment, a better economic version of America.
I want to visit there in 2 years, and that’s when I will make my descision.
Of course, all that ain’t cheap.
…I have never met an ugly Aussie bird. Peligro, as an Aussie what do you think of Aussie chicks?
Some of them are ok. And yes, there are plenty of ‘fugly’ ones I’m afraid. Some of them can also be very nasty.
The best looking girls in the world are Londoners. Hands down. I lived there for a year so I speak from experience. Unbelievably hot - however many of them are the rudest, most selfish, most stuck up bitches on the face of the planet.
Most places ive been to (U.S., Germany, France, UK, Spain, Greece) its been tough to find people who are heavyweights when its comes to drinkin and keeping it going from the night through to the next day. The only other nationality who ive known to be really up for it are Aussies, some of them are just nuts.
Hmmmm…yeah. Perhaps yr right. I wouldn’t know as I don’t even drink.
Know a bit about Aus history from Irish emmigration stories (Macquarie Harbour being a tough place to be stuck in)
There’s the stereotype that we’re all so friendly and so laid back. That’s not really true. Not if you live here anyway as opposed to just visiting for a few days. It can’t be quite a dangerous place. Sydney is dangerous. VERY dangerous if you end up in the wrong part of town. The drivers here are feral. People drive at you like they want to kill you. Believe me when I say they can be ferocious.
Sadly we aren’t all as ‘fair dinkum’ as you’d like to think. We too have our fair share of ‘cunts’.
Did you know that a young Irish guy was murdered in Melbourne a few weeks ago? His body was found floating in the Yarra River after he was reported missing.
On the subject of stereotypes, tell me how accurately does Mad Max reflect Aussie culture? Bloody love that film.
Mad Max is a great film. Mad Max 2 is even better. However it’s a fantasy film and shouldn’t be taken seriously. Also, Mel Gibson is a prick.
I think the only other time Australia has been in the news was when that supermodel was sentnced to life in a middle east prison for smuggling drugs!
Late,
grmpysmrf
Michelle Leslie or whoever that dumbass was? She adopted muslim mannerisms and got fuck all in prison over there because of it. There’s still some Aussies over there awaiting death due to drug charges however or serving very long sentences, not lucky enough to be supermodels I guess.
LIKE that president that got elected under the banner of exterminating the abirginees (spelling?) and then was booted out after continuing on that platform of exterminating the abirginees… 10 years ago maybe?? apparently the racism was really bad for a while…
We don’t have Presidents, we have Prime Ministers. If you google White Australia policy, or the Stolen Generation you should learn some more. It was back in the late 19th century through till the 60s (Aboriginals were classed as flora and fauna until the late 60s or so) when the Australian Government tried to assimilate Aboiginals by ‘breeding out’ the characteristics and because out of all the dark skinned races in the world Aboriginals are the only race that don’t produce what’s called ‘throwbacks’ this actually worked pretty well. Currently Aboriginals make up about 2% of the Australian poulation. If you’re really interested there’s a great movie about this practice called ‘Rabbit Proof Fence’.
Strewth I’m married to an Aboriginal woman, better looking than any Lodoner I say [;)]
I’m off to work in my Kangaroo pouch now to wrestle crocodiles, bloody oath it’s hard yakka.
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Did you know that a young Irish guy was murdered in Melbourne a few weeks ago? His body was found floating in the Yarra River after he was reported missing.
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Shiiiiiit, ive a cousin living near Melbourne, got his citizenship a few months ago.
been to australia once, with ministry.
there was a guide who took everybody around, who was so badass, and then he’d say,“Let’s go the beach!” and we did. yeah, bunch of stinkin’ criminals.
anyway, went to adelaide, gold coast and perth, and it was interesting to see so many aborigines.i felt quite welcome amonst a group of hairey dudes.
Australia is full of racist rednecked inbred banjo playing closet homosexuals. That’s why we moved from New Zealand to live there for a while.
Seriously though Australia is a pretty amazing country. I lived in Sydney for 10yrs before moving back to NZ, then I lived in Cairns for a few years before moving here to Scotland. I loved Sydney… as far as big cities go it was great. Cairns was fucking amazing. The actual town is pretty crap but the rainforest mountains and Great Barrier Reef that surrounds it is the most beautiful place on earth as far as i’m concerned. My brother built a house in Kuranda in the middle of the rainforest and it was awesome. So cool having no neighbours for miles. The wildlife was something else there too.
Everyone needs to get up to Far North Queensland at least once in their life…the further north you go from Cairns the more amazing it gets.
As regards good genes and beautiful women I think its great that different races interbreed. Half white/half black women are sumptuous.
And that’s exactly what she is [laugh]
For the most part, people were fairly friendly. All of the Australians that I have socialized with have been serious beer drinkers.
Most of the Americans I know have a tendency to discuss U.K., French, Chinese, North Korean, South American, Israeli, and Iran/Iraq/Saudi Arabian politics over Australian politics.
Americans apparently love AC/DC - all of their shows on the current U.S. tour are sold out.
Most Americans don’t realize that Australia is approximately as large as the U.S. in land area.
I was also under the impression that, much like the U.S., sports are more important than education.
i’m here right now! I have been in brizzy pretty much my entire life, sadly enough. i guess its a nice place. Just wanted to add something on indigenous/non-indigenous relations here.
When i was in primary school ('90-'97) we were still learning that this country was founded by whites who found a big empty land with a small nomadic native population, a population who were relative new comers to the land anyway. This is the myth of ‘terra-nullius’.
In reality there were many tribal groups, all of which were tied to a certain part of the country, and each of which had their own language. There were also tens of thousands more people than had been mis-represented in the early literature. This had been known for decades when i went through school, but we were still taught this ancient pro-conquest revisionist propaganda
After primary school we don’t learn about such things, and my private school that i attended for a few years was a breeding ground for racist sentiment, due to the large population of borders, white rich kids from the country with tightly closed minds.
It wasn’t until i went to university and was exposed to a real aboriginal perspective that i began to seriously reconsider what i had been taught. We had 2 guest lecturers, aboriginal activists, and their anger was palpable. They felt and expressed the injustice that had been doled out ever since whites came to the country. This clarified the struggle to me. It felt real, and the story of blacks in Australia finally felt like something i could have an opinion on. Our history is fucked, and not nearly as ancient-historical as most white Aussies would like to pretend.
Roommate is australian. Nice guy. Pretty quick witted and he digs jazz. Admittedly the stereotypes were on the brain but I’m from the south, what can I say? Anyone not black or white is just not common. He’s good with laughing about stupid shit.
i’m here right now! I have been in brizzy pretty much my entire life, sadly enough. i guess its a nice place. Just wanted to add something on indigenous/non-indigenous relations here.
When i was in primary school ('90-'97) we were still learning that this country was founded by whites who found a big empty land with a small nomadic native population, a population who were relative new comers to the land anyway. This is the myth of ‘terra-nullius’.
In reality there were many tribal groups, all of which were tied to a certain part of the country, and each of which had their own language. There were also tens of thousands more people than had been mis-represented in the early literature. This had been known for decades when i went through school, but we were still taught this ancient pro-conquest revisionist propaganda
After primary school we don’t learn about such things, and my private school that i attended for a few years was a breeding ground for racist sentiment, due to the large population of borders, white rich kids from the country with tightly closed minds.
It wasn’t until i went to university and was exposed to a real aboriginal perspective that i began to seriously reconsider what i had been taught. We had 2 guest lecturers, aboriginal activists, and their anger was palpable. They felt and expressed the injustice that had been doled out ever since whites came to the country. This clarified the struggle to me. It felt real, and the story of blacks in Australia finally felt like something i could have an opinion on. Our history is fucked, and not nearly as ancient-historical as most white Aussies would like to pretend.
thats all
Yeah growing up in New Zealand we were taught all about the Maori culture, myths etc etc…we were also taught how to count in Maori and basic Maori words. We were taught about the Honky/Maori wars that went down when the honkys arrived and how it was all sorted and treaty’s signed. When I was 10-11yrs old we moved to Sydney and at primary school and high school there I wasn’t really taught jackshit about the Koori/Murri etc culture and history? That was one thing that really stuck with me with regards to the differences between NZ and Oz. I guess the Maori culture got more respect from the honkys due to really putting the fight to them and having treatys signed where as the natives of Oz were wanderers and nomads as opposed to pretty brutal warriors…not to say they didn’t fight because they did. It was the honky cold/flu that really fucked them up…not to mention the booze. Hopefully their culture will survive.
