[ELESIS]

cool cheers guys, coz i love America never bin like i like your shows like friends (joey funny) but i like we have star trek like Patrick Stuart, but in America (and this is only the info of the net) but i love California really really nice place (the o.c), and we have bullet for my valentine and you have my chemical romance.

i will get the chance to go to America 1 day (i hope)

[TheZookie007]

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Hiram said:PS, if you were to pin me down as to where I'd live - probably Australia.  Good old working class English culture, but with space.

Yeah, but the reason why there's so much space is that the British came and declared it terra nullis, which, translated roughly from the Latin, means "Well, nobody lives here -- and if we see any Aborigines, we'll massacre 'em and again say that nobody lives here"

That said, I looooove Australia. If you are an American who is fed up with America and you don't want to move to Canada, Oz is a great second choice.

[Hiram]

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TheZookie007 said:
and if we see any Aborigines, we'll massacre 'em and again say that nobody lives here"

Yeah, sorry about that lads...  what were we thinking!

I've just been emailing a mate down-under on the subject of Aussie humour and whether Americans would get it or not.  I await his reply.

To be honest, and Aussies may disagree with me on this - I think your average Americans would take a while to acclimatise to Aussie culture.

I'm a POM, but I also understand Cricket, I instantly have conversation.

Not only that, the Aussies are only happy to take the piss out of the POMs - it's symbiosis.

[Hiram]

Quote:
ELESIS said:
i will get the chance to go to America 1 day (i hope)

Do it soon while the exchange rate make us feel rich!

[BillN]

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BarnacleBill said:
Everyone I know wishes they could leave America and move to England.
 

Nothing against the Brits but you need to get out and meet more people.  

[pedonbio]

Quote:
Hiram said:
To be honest, and Aussies may disagree with me on this - I think your average Americans would take a while to acclimatise to Aussie culture.

I don't know. I had a niece who went there as an exchange student in the 1980s. Got laid the first week she was there, and found Aussie men totally acceptable. They seem to have liked her, too.

See, I come from a whole clan of sluts. We talk about it at family gatherings.

[Mad_Matt]

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Zealot said:(you MUST try the Yorkie)

Just thought I'd chuck in the fact that I live in the same city that brought you the Yorkie (So called after the city, York).

See also the Aero, Kit Kats and anything else made by Nestlé /Rowntrees.

And up until a year or so ago, we also had Terrys who made the Chocolate Orange.
I now boycott chocolate oranges as the factory has outsourced to some loser country and caused a lot of job-cuts here.
Same thing happening with Nestlé.

[PregNut]

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MunchWolf said:

I don't know if I'd want to live there.  I like living here.  I just like their tv shows

I don't know, Munch, you'd probably like it there. Similar climate, but without earthquakes or volcanoes, although you would have to get used to driving on the wrong side of the road.

[Zealot]

Unfortunately there isn't as much open space over there.Unless you have some classy manor on a big estate.
Lots of room here for everyone.

[The Post Modern Prometheus]

"England = persecuted the Irish (I mean... c'mon, they obviously deserved a lot of that)"

Oh really?

Would you be so kind as to elaborate on that BarnacleBill?

[gOOber]

 The Daily Mail  

Quote:
 Customs officers have seized hundreds of headless rats which were being smuggled to London So African diners could crunch into their bones and flesh.

Hundreds of rat corpses - which had been smoked to improve their flavour - were found at Tilbury Docks, in London.

The grisly discovery was made by customs officials as they made a routine inspection of a shipment of synthetic hair at the docks.

Closer investigation revealed boxes containing the carcases of 340 kilos of headless rats.
 

British cuisine may not be the best but lawd have mercy.

[MasterDragonfly]

Quote:
Hiram said:
One thing I would say for the English, is their worldliness - because of the British Empire, there is a knowledge of the outside world that I think is lacking in the US.

Two comments:

1. This isn't just an English thing.  Canada pays a lot more attention to global politics than Americans do.  At least if watching American news is any indicator.  Sure, you can go seek out obscure news sources, but in Canada it's just the regular news.  And cherri has told me the same deal applies to Aussie (ie, paying attention to the world).  American news doesn't seem to pay attention to anything outside its borders, unless there are obvious American interests involved.

2. The "no ch!ld left behind" education strategy.  What little I know about this, I suspect isn't helping the next generation with world awareness.

Quote:
To be honest, and Aussies may disagree with me on this - I think your average Americans would take a while to acclimatise to Aussie culture.

An interesting observation.

As a Canadian, I think I would dovetail reasonably well into Aussie culture.  Arguably more easily than I've blended in with US culture.

For one thing, the Canadian and Aussie political systems... well, Commonwealth nations.  'Nuff said.    And from what I've been able to glean, ditto for the tax system, legal system, etc.  And the letter 'Z'.    I'm already up to speed on the metric system, given that we Canucks made the switch in the 70's as well.

I already say 'eh'.  Years of training on that one.  Mind you, I've kinda sorta gotten used to saying 'huh' here.

I'll have to re-acclimatize myself with saying "thank you" instead of the more common American "uh-huh".

The sports will throw me for a loop, except that I'm not a sports fan now.  (Much.  With cherri's encouragement I'm starting to enjoy the Mavs. )  So the biggest curveball will simply be the fact that sports down under permeates the culture there more passionately and more completely that it does here.  (Based on input from cherri.)

Obviously driving on the left will take a bit of getting used to.  But I'll manage.

Hybrid cars are apparently a novelty and under research scrutiny here in the US.  They've had them down under for something like 10+ years already.

I'll also have to get used to recycling again.  Developed those habits in Canada.  Had to get used to just chucking everything in the garbage here.

As a Canadian growing up within a couple hours' drive of the US border, I always figured that aside from linguistic quirks, the countries were largely the same.  The reality has been something I still puzzle over from time to time.


Oh, quick comment regarding England.  I have a friend whose family came to Canada when he was 7.  On one of his family trips back over there (I seem to recall some mention of the White Cliffs of Dover), he indicated that the heating system where they were staying was some fiddly system which required starting the heat during the off hours, then opening some quirky flap to get the heat when they needed it.  The way he described it, it was the most incredibly arcane and involved heating contraption he'd ever come across.  Not a simple on/off, more of a pat head/rub tummy/stand on one foot while hopping backwards sort of thing.

Give me a ground source heat pump anytime.  

[Hiram]

Quote:
MasterDragonfly said:
1. This isn't just an English thing.  Canada pays a lot more attention to global politics than Americans do.

Yeah, I think you're probably right on that.

Quote:
As a Canadian, I think I would dovetail reasonably well into Aussie culture.  Arguably more easily than I've blended in with US culture.

Yes, better than the Americans.  I still reckon Canadians (I know its a generalization) are too polite, compared to your average Aussie that is.

Quote:
I'll have to re-acclimatize myself with saying "thank you" instead of the more common American "uh-huh".

Or probably better, 'cheers mate' (depending on situation)

Quote:
Obviously driving on the left will take a bit of getting used to.  But I'll manage.

If you're right handed, you'll find driving on the left better.  

Quote:
Oh, quick comment regarding England.  he indicated that the heating system where they were staying was some fiddly system

Could have been an old house with a legacy heating system.

90% of English houses are made of brick - heating systems are normally heated water.

[BarnacleBill]

@BillN
Oh wait... I do know some people who would rather stay in America.  One of my rich friends would hate to move to England because he's a greedy bastard who would rather die than pay higher taxes.  He is the classic "southern gentleman" who benefited from growing up rich and connected in the South and went to best schools, was groomed for upper level management at young age... he knows nothing of culture, politics, history or literature.  

I know some other people who have the same kneejerk patriotism in American that you do.  A patriotism that may once have been deserved, but that is now misplaced, as America has changed so fundamentally for the worse (i.e. controlled by Big Business and turned into a predatory capitalistic oligarchy where billionaires all get together and metaphorically drink the blood of the workers) that the America of today is NOT the America of even 25 years ago.

@ThePMP
Nothing personal.

@pedonbio
I just cannot get on the Mexican bandwagon with you, Charlie.  The only Mexicans I know are either packs of 10 or more dirty adult men, who obviously travel in packs like hyenas, rudely staring at my girlfriend as we shop in Walmart late at night, or else they are building/repairing houses in my neighborhood... obviously underpaid illegals taking jobs/income away from legal Americans.  I just cannot stomach how all politicians are OWNED in America by Big Business and won't take a stand to truly shut down the migration from Mexico.  Lou Dobbs for President 2008!!


@Blax12
England = Duran Duran  
American = Metallica   (Metallica helped close down Napster, the greedy sons of bitches.  I hate Metallica)
Also, even with America's problems, I'd still probably live here than Italy.  Nothing against Italy... I can't speak Italian, and also, I don't think Italian women would like me... they seem to like the suave, thrilling macho men... not dour, sarcastic cynics like me.

@Hiram
If you haven't seen Sicko, you need to.  It tells the true story of American healthcare.  Briefly, it shows how (1) even if you have healthcare, if you get sick, the healthcare company will scour over your records to find any reason to NOT pay out, (2) many Americans have to choose between paying for medicine or having a decent place to live, food, clothing, etc. (3) even though Americans could get cheaper medicine from Canada, the Federal gov't has forbidden that...obviously, once again, the Feds listen closer to the health company lobbyists than to the people and/or common sense, (4) if you're not insured and you get sick... you are seriously fucked.  A week stay in the hospital could literally be $25,000.00 or more.

[Hiram]

Quote:
If you haven't seen Sicko

I haven't seen it, but I have a rough idea what its about.

I prefer our free system, but its does cost more on taxes, a lot more.  We pay $9 a gallon for gas here, most of it tax.

Personally I'd like to see a hybrid system here.  Some pay and some free treatment.  The thing about a completely free system like we have is, people abuse it.  

I get subsidized dentistry, but I still have to pay  a small amount for my treatment.  I think that's the way heath care should be run - if you are working you should have to pay a nominal sum for each treatment.  If you are poor, then you should get it free.