Full Version: Australia : what do you know about it
From: Linda (LINDAG) [#7]
24 Aug 2005
To: Peter [#4] 24 Aug 2005
By the way, we did stop in Adelaide for an afternoon. Went to a winery and the beach. I collect sand so we had to stop at the beach. Took the ferry to Kangaroo Island.
I sure hope to get back - after I make my first million! Is your shop downtown?
From: Dixie2 [#8]
24 Aug 2005
To: Peter [#4] 24 Aug 2005
Peter..
Maybe your Autstrailian friend misunderstood the New Yorker.. maybe "down under" and "Near Colorado" sounded the same?
I live in Arkansas.. and I can't understand anyone from New York... j/k.
Of course, there are some people in the U.S. that don't know where Arkansas is... and they can't understand a word I say, either...
This is all I know about Australia:
It seems to be beautiful country
There are a lot of good looking men that come out of there (Can you bring me one to Vegas?)
And my son wants to visit after watching the movie "Kangaroo Jack" (I've tried explaining to him that kangaroo's generally don't dance or talk.. he wants to find out for himself)
Hope to visit your wonderful country some day!!
Dixie :-)
From: RALLYGUY (RALLYGUY1) [#9]
24 Aug 2005
To: Peter [#1] 24 Aug 2005
My take on Austrailia's typical culture or their "majority" would be something like a cross between England and America.
My guess is that the people of Austrailia are not much different from those in the US. The country looks to be quite beautiful (It's really 1 of the only countries that I have a strong interest in seeing someday).
I envision a diverse landscape with plenty of wide open spaces, and cultural diversity.....at least that's what the movies seem to portray.
How'd I do?
Brian G.
From: Harvey only (HARVEY-ONLY) [#10]
24 Aug 2005
To: Peter [#5] 24 Aug 2005
My impressions from the Australians I have met are:
They speak a far better variety of English than we do.
They are friendlier than the average US citizen. (Exclude US professionals, at least we know a few things.)
They are more laid back in a good way. In other words, solve the problem, do not argue it to death.
(In the big cities in the US you can find the most uninformed and poorest educated people. You can also find the most brilliant people. It is the dumb ones that seem to stick out.)
From: Doug (JDOUG5170) [#11]
24 Aug 2005
To: Peter [#4] 24 Aug 2005
Peter...I do know where Austrailia is. :-)
Little true story. In the 60's, My family moved from Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada to Seattle, Washington. I started 7th grade in Seattle and was somewhat taken back by how few of my fellow students knew where Canada was (150 miles north) let alone Vancouver Island. Part of this I found to be the geography text books we were using. They showed the entire continent of No. America with a large print, United States of America, written across the entire continent!
World history, geography and such was pretty much not taught until high school years and unfortunately, how much we learned was pretty much up to us...it was much easier to "skip" classes with little punishment.
I also remember discussion in our home about moving to Australia but that it took a great deal of money to do so. I seem to remember that at the time, it was required by the country that the family had a, at the time, sizable amount of money. Guess they did not want poor people immigrating.
Would love to visit, but that would be one heck of a drive! :-)
Doug
From: joyce (JLADY) [#12]
24 Aug 2005
To: Doug (JDOUG5170) [#11] 24 Aug 2005
I have a friend from Australia that moved here about 1 year ago (I didn't know her prior).
She is very much like most of the americans I know except I have to admit I don't understand what she is saying a lot because of her accent (also I don't hear well, so that might have alot to do with it).
I am surprised to hear that your experiences show that most americans don't even know where Australia is.....but I have found that a lot of americans are not "worldly", they live in there own small world, here is an example.....
LONG TIME AGO........I had a friend from New York (where I grew up) and when I moved to Phoenix, John Lennon had died and she wrote me a letter and said, I don't know if you get the news there but John Lennon died.
Joyce
From: lindalee [#13]
24 Aug 2005
To: Peter [#4] 24 Aug 2005
Peter,
I've had people ask where I'm from, when I reply "Vermont", they want to know what state it's in!! And they were born in the US, some folks only know or care about the place they're in, kinda scary isn't it.
Linda T
From: Peter [#14]
24 Aug 2005
To: RALLYGUY (RALLYGUY1) [#9] 24 Aug 2005
Basically, almost, virtually, closely, descriptively, guessinglly.....
Correct..Here your bunch of carrots ! :-)
Regards
Peter
From: Peter [#15]
24 Aug 2005
To: Harvey only (HARVEY-ONLY) [#10] 25 Aug 2005
From: Peter [#16]
24 Aug 2005
To: joyce (JLADY) [#12] 29 Aug 2005
From: Peter [#17]
24 Aug 2005
To: lindalee [#13] 25 Aug 2005
Ya see ...thats what Im talkin about....
Regards
Peter
From: Peter [#18]
24 Aug 2005
To: JHayes55 [#3] 25 Aug 2005
They overun farming land, they eat all the young green shoots..
We have regular culls of Kangaroos here, but its like swatting flies in a sewerage works...
And as a result the TV crews from Japan and the USA descend on the outback to "Show the truth" on how we mindlessly slay thousands of , pretty, beautiful wonderful Kangaroos......!
Darn Varmints!..
Since White man came to Australia and created an agricultural feast, the kangaroo population has gone from tens of millions to basically hundreds of millions in the outback.
The problem is they love farm lands, being such a dry continent, they hang around "Stations" ( Ranches) and get fat...
Joe, I dont type in American, I type in Australian...is there some kind of decoder on your end or something ?
;-)
Regards
Peter
From: gt350ed [#19]
24 Aug 2005
To: Peter [#18] 24 Aug 2005
First of all, Peter, we're still trying to figure what language Joe types in. Having spent countless hours attempting to decypher his posts, we finally gave up. He mainly just communicates (sic) with "Aloha Boy" anyway.
But back to Australia....
My interest goes back at least to 1968 while serving in Vietnam. I have never forgiven myself for passing on an opportunity of a free "R&R" trip to your country. I opted, instead, to meet my wife, mid-tour, in Hawaii. Little did I realize that she and I would part company just a few years later. Subsequently, I re-married and Sharon and I are approaching our 25th wedding anniversary.
In any event, over the years I have been somewhat of a sponge regarding reading about your country and crossing paths with Aussies who have ventured here. Several years ago, while serving as President of my Rotary club (Apple Valley, the club that included among its members Roy Rogers and Dale Evans), we were honored to have a Group Study Exchange team from Australia visit us. A GSE team generally has six (6) members, only one of which is a Rotarian. The others are selected from different fields of endeavor. Their visit was, and remains, one of the highlights of my presidency.
I truly believe that Americans and Australians are the closest of "friends" among nations. We have a long history of being on the same side of things and our founding histories are not all that dissimilar. Both nation's peoples are fiercly independent and the list goes on.
My dream trip of anywhere in the world is to visit Australia and New Zealand, in that order. And I plan to definitely get there one day....when I'm again in Colorado.
From: UncleSteve [#20]
25 Aug 2005
To: Peter [#18] 25 Aug 2005
I can't fathom all the dis-information being spread about your motherland.
It is simple!
1. You are all decendants of the worst criminals the UK had to offer!
2. You all chase snakes and crocs and carry a large knife on your hip!
3. You don't know that "prawns" are really shrimp!
4. Foster's is the adult beverage of choice!
See? SOME of us know about Australia! (devil)
From: Bob (ALLSPORT) [#21]
28 Aug 2005
To: ALL
From: MIKEY (JADEPUTTERS) [#22]
24 Sep 2005
To: Peter [#1] 24 Sep 2005
Peter,
We are planning a 3 week trip next June. My impression is that the people and standard of living is much like the US, I believe both are liberated British colonies. I assume the coast is the most populated, semi tropical while the interior is more like an arid desert. And the country is big.
From: Peter [#23]
24 Sep 2005
To: MIKEY (JADEPUTTERS) [#22] 25 Sep 2005
Hi Mikey,
Youll be suprised at how dry the country is. The east coast is quite green and the North semi tropical, youll love it.
regards
Peter
From: Ed (EMANA) [#24]
25 Sep 2005
To: ALL
Everyone outside of NY talks funny! :)
I believe most other countries teach better geography than the US....
Just my $.02.....
Ed
P.S. I was born and raised in NY.
From: LaZerDude (C_BURKE) [#25]
2 Oct 2005
To: joyce (JLADY) [#12] Unread
John Lennon did NOT die. He was brutally murdered in cold blood by an insane fan on the cold streets of new york.
Interstingly enough, in an early interview when the Beatles still existed, John Lennon was asked how he thought he would die. His response? " I will probably be killed by a crazed fan".........
From: LaZerDude (C_BURKE) [#26]
2 Oct 2005
To: gt350ed [#19] 4 Oct 2005
Ed, I KNEW there was something I liked about you besides Sharon.
I didn't know you were in Rotary!!! Way cool. So am I!!