What grinds your gears?

Crumble Froo

i can't believe that, in most shops, the choice here is the press or...

the press. id never appreciated the choice back home.

the evening news here, some of hte comments, etc they make after a story, im just going... wtf they can't say that on the news!

BraziliaNZ

sbs news is really good, except for that weird chinesey whatever she is news presenter. I like the age, and there was a good newspaper in NZ called the Dominion Post I used to read. Lack of cocaine down here too, which is good I suppose keeps me clean!

WhiteWashMan

i love it here, but there is a serious lack of sophistication sometimes in people.
apparently we have it good in Melbourne too, so I feel sorry for you poor bastards out there in oz culchie land (like perth!)

i hate the way people always tailgate each other becuase everyone has cruise. just slip it in cruise and slide in behind someone, 3 feet from their rear bumper.

i hate bdouble trucks on the highway. those bastards stop for no one.

i hate the low level of professionalism that appears to permeate all facets of australian business. perhaps everyone is too goddamn relaxed, or i am just used to a very high level of personal and professional service in my business dealings, but it makes me mad!! grrr!

i hate the fact that i cannot get a few bits and pieces food wise
- rollmops done UK style.
- a decent saussie
- a decent rasher of bacon
-

advertisements. everywhere.

jimoin. whatever his wanky name is. diddly di potatoes. if i hear it again, i'll smack someone.

the phrase 'too easy'.

the lack of decent 'football'

BarryCreed

WhiteWashMan wrote: »

i love it here, but there is a serious lack of sophistication sometimes in people.
apparently we have it good in Melbourne too, so I feel sorry for you poor bastards out there in oz culchie land (like perth!)

i hate the way people always tailgate each other becuase everyone has cruise. just slip it in cruise and slide in behind someone, 3 feet from their rear bumper.

i hate bdouble trucks on the highway. those bastards stop for no one.

i hate the low level of professionalism that appears to permeate all facets of australian business. perhaps everyone is too goddamn relaxed, or i am just used to a very high level of personal and professional service in my business dealings, but it makes me mad!! grrr!

i hate the fact that i cannot get a few bits and pieces food wise
- rollmops done UK style.
- a decent saussie
- a decent rasher of bacon
-

advertisements. everywhere.

jimoin. whatever his wanky name is. diddly di potatoes. if i hear it again, i'll smack someone.

the phrase 'too easy'.

the lack of decent 'football'

Interesting...I started a thread along these lines "nice country, but I wouldn't live there". The big one being people giving out about the lack of culture/sophistication in Oz. People I know living there the last 5 years give out all the time about ozzies e.g. racist, arrogant etc. However, these people I know are still living in Oz, so I assume the weather wins out!!

But are we oh so sophisticated in Ireland? is it just a fact that the "old world" and it's old cities (rome, barcelona, paris etc) are just a short hop away?

We are not any more multicultural than the Australians (a lot of whom are irish blood..). Is it a case that Oz is the same as if Kansas became a country tomorrow?

One Cold Hand

Chewing gum.
What the f00k is with having each individual piece in it's own pocket in a plactic tray, then wrapping the whole lot in a bit cardboard sleeve?
Why can't they do it like Ireland and wrap the 10 pieces in foil? Ridiculous. So hard to carry around. Probably the thing I hate most about Australia!

And I'm a guy! The girls and metrosexuals must hate how much room this takes up in their handbags and manbags.

Which lead me seamlessly onto my next topic. What is with manbags? I don't know if this ridiculous carry on only takes place in Australia, but it's certainly the first place I've seen it.
I don't have any particular problem with the ones that have a long strap and hang off your shoulder and down the back, but the ones that have two short handles and is hung off the shoulder and carried under the armpit, that is just plain wrong.

WhiteWashMan

BarryCreed wrote: »

Interesting...I started a thread along these lines "nice country, but I wouldn't live there". The big one being people giving out about the lack of culture/sophistication in Oz. People I know living there the last 5 years give out all the time about ozzies e.g. racist, arrogant etc. However, these people I know are still living in Oz, so I assume the weather wins out!!

oh, every place has its problems and issues, but i want to live in Oz.
its simply a thread about what grinds my gears.

if this was the 'whats great about oz', my post would be 10 times longer

BarryCreed wrote: »

But are we oh so sophisticated in Ireland? is it just a fact that the "old world" and it's old cities (rome, barcelona, paris etc) are just a short hop away?

well, i dont count having history as being sophisticated.
i guess there are just some things that i find are missing in general.

are the irish more sophisticated. i dont know. good point. i was really comparing it with my experiences of living in the UK for several years. now you mention it, i find the english more sophisticaed than the irish

BarryCreed wrote: »

We are not any more multicultural than the Australians (a lot of whom are irish blood..). Is it a case that Oz is the same as if Kansas became a country tomorrow?

actually, much like america, australia is a melting pot of many kinds of different immagrants, all very close to first, second or third generation.

which means, like america, there are very distinct cultures all vying with each other for a place.
in europe, you dont really get this sort of thing, becuase after several thousand years, vast cultural differences get breed out.

i think australia is vastly more multicultural than ireland.


on the other hand, with regards the sophistication thing, i do live out in the sticks, and i do not hang around with the same sort of people that i would have socialised with in the UK.
so, i guess i cant really say with any degree of certainty that my opinion on this regard is correct. but if the general journalism and current affair programs are anything to go by, i think if they are aimed at the lowest common denominator, personally, im in pretty good shape

BarryCreed

Sorry for bringing the thread off topic WhiteWashMan. The fact I'm considering heading out to Oz for a few years or more (well, in theory anyways). I have one side of me going "go!" and the other side of me going "don't go, stay in europe with their fancy dan cities etc.."
I have until the end of April to go...:(

I am finding this thread interesting.

Daithio

My number one gripe is the lack of a decent newspaper here. Genocide or nuclear war needs to happen for there to be more than one page of international news in the Sydney Morning Herald, and the Australian can be disturbingly racist.

Number two is the lack of a decent radio station in Sydney. People have absolutely rubbish taste in music here. Triple J was recommended to me a while ago but it's bollix. If anybody has any recommendations let me know!

The poker scene here is horrendous because of Star City's monopoly on casinos in NSW. It's a tragedy, because the Aussies may as well be allergic to money when it comes to playing poker they're so ****e.

I find the bars and pubs in Sydney on the whole suck compared to Dublin. There are a few good ones peppered around the place, but the majority are just big, bright uncomfortable drinking halls.

Not much else annoys me about the place to be honest, and I kind of moved here to get away from the pubs back home, so can't really complain that they're ****e here! Anyway the weather and coopers pale ale (without a doubt the nicest beer in the world) are good enough reasons for me to stay. Plus, even though they can be a bit ignorant from time to time, the Aussies are pretty friendly and easy going folk on the whole.

WhiteWashMan

BarryCreed wrote: »

Sorry for bringing the thread off topic WhiteWashMan. The fact I'm considering heading out to Oz for a few years or more (well, in theory anyways). I have one side of me going "go!" and the other side of me going "don't go, stay in europe with their fancy dan cities etc.."
I have until the end of April to go...:(

I am finding this thread interesting.

give it a go. at least in the end, you can say you did it and it was an experience.
you will always regret that which you passed up.

besides, i think most people have the same kind of gripe here. but these are not deal breakers for any of us i reckon. im here for the long haul. im not here for 2 or years.
i love it. i love the weather (mostly) i love the fact i can afford to build a house (i seel build form plan by the way, so if anyone wants a house in melbourne, let me know. seriously /shill) i love the relaxed and laid back atmosphere, i love the fact that people are very social.just remember, this is australia. its not england, its not ireland. it wont be the same with better weather.,

it is different and i love it. but you know, there are always going to be a few bits and pieces that annoy. even here in heavan

SquirrelOnCrack

BraziliaNZ wrote: »

Actually there's an irish butchers in Kew (melbs), just down from where I work. Although sausages aren't really on the menu for my current health plan.

Went to that butchers on the weekend, got 2Kg of pork sausages, boiling ham, YR brown sauce and a bottle of Hellmans mayo (the mayo here just isnt mayo). $100 but well worth it. Thanks for the tip.

Jumpy

WhiteWashMan wrote: »

i love it here, but there is a serious lack of sophistication sometimes in people.

Wait...wait.... this is coming from an Irishman about Aussies?

That was the first thing I noticed when arriving in Ireland.

Its very odd how people view sophistication differently.

I also think the sausuages over here are too salty, and too fatty. Which is why I find it surprising that people are complaining about aussie sausages. I think peoples tastes are set in childhood as I still find them poor quality compared to home.

You are DEAD right about the tailgating though. In general the overall driving is better in Australia (Sydney anyway) compared to the rally tracks that are irish roads, but there is an arseload of tailgaters in Australia.

watna

Jumpy wrote: »

Wait...wait.... this is coming from an Irishman about Aussies?

That was the first thing I noticed when arriving in Ireland.

Its very odd how people view sophistication differently.

I think the same thing as whitewashman about a lot of kiwis (not all of them). After living in Ireland for three years my(kiwi) bf fully agrees with me about it. He didn't realise it until he moved back to NZ.

Mahatma coat

I find that some of the more useful things have a higher degree of sophistication, the Roads, the Communications systems, the water system, peoples homes.

then a lot of other sh1t is just taken for granted and not given much thought, boils down to

'She'll be right Mate'

and ten when something absolutley ha to be done about something, all the stops get pulled out.

as for the People, I have found that people are people wherever ya go, and it would be nice if they had read a few more books and stuff over here, but there is a different value system in the Australian culture, and I like that

WindSock

Daithio wrote: »

I find the bars and pubs in Sydney on the whole suck compared to Dublin. There are a few good ones peppered around the place, but the majority are just big, bright uncomfortable drinking halls.

I hated that too. It's the same in NZ, completely unatmospheric.

pucan

Coileach dearg wrote: »

A feed of boxty would be nice too! Feck this I'm goin home

Thankfully the ma taught the sister in law who lives over here how to make boxty, get it nearly every week. Beautiful.

Coileach dearg

pucan wrote: »

Thankfully the ma taught the sister in law who lives over here how to make boxty, get it nearly every week. Beautiful.

tell me where your house is and I'll be over for the dinner

pucan

She is trying to teach me at the moment, its bloody hard to make nice boxty.
Also bowen island bakery in drummoyne do great irish brown bread.
Brown bread, boxty and butter. Delish.

hussey

is anyone else sick to death from the coverage of 'Princess Mary'
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/marys-son-christian-has-a-tantrum--a-hrefhttpwwwsmhcomauphotogallery200809041220121395844htmlbphotosba/2008/09/04/1220121397004.html

she is a princess of Denmark FFS, and the media label her 'Australia's princess'
if ever there was a need for a :rolleyes: it is now.

Coileach dearg

hussey wrote: »

is anyone else sick to death from the coverage of 'Princess Mary'
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/marys-son-christian-has-a-tantrum--a-hrefhttpwwwsmhcomauphotogallery200809041220121395844htmlbphotosba/2008/09/04/1220121397004.html

she is a princess of Denmark FFS, and the media label her 'Australia's princess'
if ever there was a need for a :rolleyes: it is now.

Don't read that paper. They had an artical in it a while pack that misquoted Ardal O'Hanlon as saying "us brits" or something to that affect. I wrote a few letters and rang them a few times demanding them to print a note stating this was a misquote. Feckers never did.

JWAD

What bugs me about Australia?

Backslackers, Queenslanders, Ferals, Cascade, Bulldogs and Rabbitohs supporters, AFL supporters, Backslackers who wouldn't spot a rip if it pulled them out to Vanuatu, the smell of Asian cigarettes, Ferals/Backslackers/Tightarses who camp in the Wreck car park in Byron instead of paying like everyone else, people who say they've travelled all over but have never been to the Top End, Queenslanders again, Nimbin, Queenslanders behind the wheel of a car and last but not least, bloody ferals yet again.

There!

The Sweeper

Who wants to go to the top end? Darwinians are mental.