Any other Ping Pong Paddies out there?

gdawg87

Spent 3 years there. Very hard to avoid the Irish. They make fools of themselves when they're drunk. As for the Aussies, met a lot of nice people but I met so many racist aussies there too. I would have to say that I encountered more openly racist people in Australia in 3 years than I have all my life in Eire. That being said, I miss the weather, the bbqs, the good wages and the women. Aussie women put Irish women to shame as far as attractiveness goes, but Irish gals are better craic.

lufties

jackbhoy wrote: »

I would be interested in hearing a bit more detail on where in Australia people lived/left.

I love living in Melbourne but doubt I would ever want to live in Brissie/Perth/Darwin/Sydney etc, just personal preference, not bagging those places in particular.

I do find it funny when people who spent a few months in some Irish ghetto or red neck town then say they don't like 'Australia', as if that small sample size is completely representative of the entire nation. Even in Melbourne, there is huge variety in type of lifestyle experience you get from suburb to suburb, let alone interstate.

I spent 6 months in Newcastle, met 2 Irish people in that time. Its a nice spot, good surf beaches etc, A bit too rough for my liking though. Always fights going on and didn't find it to be a friendly place, in fact it is quite cliquey there.

Zambia

jackbhoy wrote: »

I would be interested in hearing a bit more detail on where in Australia people lived/left.

I love living in Melbourne but doubt I would ever want to live in Brissie/Perth/Darwin/Sydney etc, just personal preference, not bagging those places in particular.

I do find it funny when people who spent a few months in some Irish ghetto or red neck town then say they don't like 'Australia', as if that small sample size is completely representative of the entire nation. Even in Melbourne, there is huge variety in type of lifestyle experience you get from suburb to suburb, let alone interstate.

There are several suburbs in Melbourne you will never meet another irish person.

Batgurl

Lived in South coast NSW during my regional work and my god it was amazing. Friendly people who treated you like family. People rocking up to the house inviting you for dinner, out fishing, horse riding, the pubs and cafés all knew your name and would chat away to you.

These weren't small 'bogan' areas or out bush either. Think towns like Loughrea, Kells or Roscommon. I honestly think the culture and authenticity people are talking about wanting here can be found out among these folks.

gdawg87

South West WA is beautiful. Margaret River, Dunsborough, Yallingup. Great wineries and some of the best beaches in the country.

lufties

gdawg87 wrote: »

South West WA is beautiful. Margaret River, Dunsborough, Yallingup. Great wineries and some of the best beaches in the country.

and did you leave Oz then?

gdawg87

Yep, 6 months ago

gdawg87

lufties wrote: »

and did you leave Oz then?

yep, 6 months ago

The Aussie

Batgurl wrote: »

Lived in South coast NSW during my regional work and my god it was amazing. Friendly people who treated you like family. People rocking up to the house inviting you for dinner, out fishing, horse riding, the pubs and cafés all knew your name and would chat away to you.

These weren't small 'bogan' areas or out bush either. Think towns like Loughrea, Kells or Roscommon. I honestly think the culture and authenticity people are talking about wanting here can be found out among these folks.

It reminds me of the Irish who I bump into over here in who have done their 2 year WHV who just go over to Northbridge, St Kilda, Bondi or some other micro hub of their home town and all they do is hang around people they knew back home, not making any effort to know anyone other than their own cliquey group, then they come back and profess to know all about Australia :rolleyes: that's all the sort of stuff they missed out on, although a different culture is/was lost on the most of them, no real loss to be honest...

catbear

Perhaps "drinking and working holiday visa" would be more apt!

lufties

The Aussie wrote: »

It reminds me of the Irish who I bump into over here in who have done their 2 year WHV who just go over to Northbridge, St Kilda, Bondi or some other micro hub of their home town and all they do is hang around people they knew back home, not making any effort to know anyone other than their own cliquey group, then they come back and profess to know all about Australia :rolleyes: that's all the sort of stuff they missed out on, although a different culture is/was lost on the most of them, no real loss to be honest...

Yea because you'd never meet an Aussie in the walkabout:rolleyes:, the'd be more refined than that.

I remember a young aussie lad was gonna head westwards to get off the big empty red rock for a year. One of the older lads said 'yeeeeeah, that Kant, he'll be back to work for us once he's done blownin' he's fackin' load all over Europe'. A classy fellow:pac:

g5fd6ow0hseima

I was there for almost two years on a WHV. I was impressed with the country, its infrastructure, governance and so on - really is one of the best run places in the world. Ireland may as well be Mozambique when it comes to comparing out health system to theirs. The only thing I loathed was the constant funeral insurance adverts on the television.

I had a fair knowledge of the country before going there, was a big fan of NRL & AFL, had met plenty of sound Aussies in the past, had imagined them to be fairly brash, humourous and carefree folk. Yet I struggled to find sound Aussies my own age (early 20s), I feel it's down to the fact that young Aussies take themselves ridiculously serious, shaved chests on lads, and so on (and i'm not talking about a nation of Gold Coast heads).

At first - in all my naivety - I thought it might have been something against the Irish as I had envisaged an Australia invaded and torn asunder by Irish pissheads - but then realised that no other WHV holders were making friends with Aussies. I made quiet an effort, lived in Newtown in Sydney, West End in Brisbane, and Northcote in Melbourne, spent my time in local pubs, and found that it was only the older Aussies (30/40+) who I got on with, the only ones you could have a decent chat with.

The younger ones just switched off once they heard an 'overseas' accent. I feel that a lot of it is down to the media, and the lack of exposure to the wider world. Enormous and undue pride is taken in Australian music which is, by the standards of the wider world, ****. If it's not Australian it wont be listened to, 'Aussie Hip-Hop' and all that. Saying all this, I do have massive respect for the such a vibrant homegrown music industry, but for outsiders it's hard to get on board.

The Aussie

lufties wrote: »

Yea because you'd never meet an Aussie in the walkabout:rolleyes:, the'd be more refined than that.

Is the Walkabout a Suburb? :rolleyes::rolleyes:

lufties wrote: »

Yea because you'd never meet an Aussie in the walkabout:rolleyes:, the'd be more refined than that.

I remember a young aussie lad was gonna head westwards to get off the big empty red rock for a year. One of the older lads said 'yeeeeeah, that Kant, he'll be back to work for us once he's done blownin' he's fackin' load all over Europe'. A classy fellow:pac:

Another nothing about nothing story, about the norm though :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

Although it's not lost on me how you don't get a lads joke, the same style of joke told word wide when some young fella goes abroad for a year or two.

lufties

The Aussie wrote: »

Is the Walkabout a Suburb? :rolleyes::rolleyes:



Another nothing about nothing story, about the norm though :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

Although it's not lost on me how you don't get a lads joke, the same style of joke told word wide when some young fella goes abroad for a year or two.

Ah it was supposed to be funny, I must've forgotten to laugh, I cringed instead.

Well I hope he picked up some culture while he was in europe all the same, perhaps even a second language god forbid :eek:

Batgurl

lufties wrote: »

perhaps even a second language god forbid :eek:

Japanese, Mandarin, Spanish, German and French.

A quick scan of my office reveals these are the second languages just a sample of my Australian colleagues speak ... fluently ... that they learned in high school. Highly practical don't you think?

Please don't knock Australians as lacking culture or knowledge based off your limited interaction with a select few.

The same could easily be said of Irish people who can barely do the 'Ta me', 'Ta tu' etc but I certainly don't go around telling people my countrymen are uncultured or unknowledgable.

Nelson Muntz

lufties wrote: »

Ah it was supposed to be funny, I must've forgotten to laugh, I cringed instead.

Well I hope he picked up some culture while he was in europe all the same, perhaps even a second language god forbid :eek:

You seem quite bitter towards Australia. Makes it hard to take any notice of what you have to say.

The Aussie

lufties wrote: »

Ah it was supposed to be funny, I must've forgotten to laugh, I cringed instead.

Was that a joke? Sounded like it was made up If I told jokes like that I would cringe as well.

lufties wrote: »

Well I hope he picked up some culture while he was in europe all the same, perhaps even a second language god forbid :eek:

Don't you mean a different culture?

I can see why you failed in Australia to be honest.

jackbhoy

Jazmine Tight Wolf wrote: »

I made quiet an effort, lived in Newtown in Sydney, West End in Brisbane, and Northcote in Melbourne, spent my time in local pubs, and found that it was only the older Aussies (30/40+) who I got on with, the only ones you could have a decent chat with.

Totally agree with you around older Aussies being more laid back and easy to talk to, have said the same on here before as pretty much all my close Aussie mates are either similar age or older than me.

Having said that, you did live in 3 of Australia's hipster ghettos The try hard, self-consciously cool thing is quite amusing to me at this stage. Everyone is an individual which is why every bloke has a tatt sleeve, black skinny jeans, beard and/or coiffured moustache, wears retro Rayban sunnies and a "vintage" shirt and rides his fixie to his job as a barista or his evening gig as a poet/lead guitarist/video artist etc...these are the spoilt middle class kids that we called Celtic Cubs back home so I often struggle to engage in any sort of interesting conversation with them...

The Aussie

jackbhoy wrote: »

Having said that, you did live in 3 of Australia's hipster ghettos The try hard, self-consciously cool thing is quite amusing to me at this stage. Everyone is an individual which is why every bloke has a tatt sleeve, black skinny jeans, beard and/or coiffured moustache, wears retro Rayban sunnies and a "vintage" shirt and rides his fixie to his job as a barista or his evening gig as a poet/lead guitarist/video artist etc...these are the spoilt middle class kids that we called Celtic Cubs back home so I often struggle to engage in any sort of interesting conversation with them...

You make me want to vist these places so much

g5fd6ow0hseima

jackbhoy wrote: »

Totally agree with you around older Aussies being more laid back and easy to talk to, have said the same on here before as pretty much all my close Aussie mates are either similar age or older than me.

Having said that, you did live in 3 of Australia's hipster ghettos The try hard, self-consciously cool thing is quite amusing to me at this stage. Everyone is an individual which is why every bloke has a tatt sleeve, black skinny jeans, beard and/or coiffured moustache, wears retro Rayban sunnies and a "vintage" shirt and rides his fixie to his job as a barista or his evening gig as a poet/lead guitarist/video artist etc...these are the spoilt middle class kids that we called Celtic Cubs back home so I often struggle to engage in any sort of interesting conversation with them...

Hipster ghettos they are, but they were the only decent areas for nightlife. I thought the Inner West as a whole was a great area in Sydney, liked Glebe too, I regret not getting a room somewhere around there for a few months.....

Northcote wasn't as bad for hipsters, it was a slightly older crowd knocking about there, mainly late 20s and upwards. Some serious vegan vibe going on around there.... plenty of pystrance heads and what not. Take the West End away from Brisbane and you have some serious cultural abyss..... shocking for a city of two million really.

lufties

The Aussie wrote: »

Was that a joke? Sounded like it was made up If I told jokes like that I would cringe as well.



Don't you mean a different culture?

I can see why you failed in Australia to be honest.

Failed? LOL failed at what exactly:pac:, If you don't like living in a place?, jeez by that logic most of the modern world would be deemed as failures.

Well in fairness, you do seem to have a big chip on both shoulders because you have effectively hi-jacked this thread, which was started to learn of other people's experiences with relation to moving to and from Oz.

I don't hate Australia, I don't even dislike it. It just didn't suit my life plans and I decided to leave and see/live in places that I find more interesting. I was annoyed with certain things there like any other place.

If you can't accept that, and keep coming on here bashing Ireland(which has nothing to do it) ,along with you're fury about anyone that has an opinion about Australia, it demonstrates how pathetic and insecure you are, which I'll admit does give me a smile;)

lufties

Jazmine Tight Wolf wrote: »

Hipster ghettos they are, but they were the only decent areas for nightlife. I thought the Inner West as a whole was a great area in Sydney, liked Glebe too, I regret not getting a room somewhere around there for a few months.....

Northcote wasn't as bad for hipsters, it was a slightly older crowd knocking about there, mainly late 20s and upwards. Some serious vegan vibe going on around there.... plenty of pystrance heads and what not. Take the West End away from Brisbane and you have some serious cultural abyss..... shocking for a city of two million really.

Ah i love a bit of psy trance, should have checked out Northcote.

Nelson Muntz

jackbhoy wrote: »

Totally agree with you around older Aussies being more laid back and easy to talk to, have said the same on here before as pretty much all my close Aussie mates are either similar age or older than me.

Having said that, you did live in 3 of Australia's hipster ghettos The try hard, self-consciously cool thing is quite amusing to me at this stage. Everyone is an individual which is why every bloke has a tatt sleeve, black skinny jeans, beard and/or coiffured moustache, wears retro Rayban sunnies and a "vintage" shirt and rides his fixie to his job as a barista or his evening gig as a poet/lead guitarist/video artist etc...these are the spoilt middle class kids that we called Celtic Cubs back home so I often struggle to engage in any sort of interesting conversation with them...

I doubt there has ever been a post that has more accurately hit the nail on the head. I see these types around the place & in the office & I laugh to myself & I have no interest in their self assessed awesomeness.

Nelson Muntz

Jazmine Tight Wolf wrote: »

Hipster ghettos they are, but they were the only decent areas for nightlife. I thought the Inner West as a whole was a great area in Sydney, liked Glebe too, I regret not getting a room somewhere around there for a few months.....

Northcote wasn't as bad for hipsters, it was a slightly older crowd knocking about there, mainly late 20s and upwards. Some serious vegan vibe going on around there.... plenty of pystrance heads and what not. Take the West End away from Brisbane and you have some serious cultural abyss..... shocking for a city of two million really.

So Brisbane is a cultural abyss apart from West End? So your idea of culture is a bunch of pissed up, pilled up twenty somethings in a trendy bar comparing sleeve tattoos and obscure hip hop acts to see who is the most cool?

There is plenty of cultural activity in Brisbane is you take the blinkers off & get off your @rse & look for it.

lufties

jackbhoy wrote: »

Totally agree with you around older Aussies being more laid back and easy to talk to, have said the same on here before as pretty much all my close Aussie mates are either similar age or older than me.

Having said that, you did live in 3 of Australia's hipster ghettos The try hard, self-consciously cool thing is quite amusing to me at this stage. Everyone is an individual which is why every bloke has a tatt sleeve, black skinny jeans, beard and/or coiffured moustache, wears retro Rayban sunnies and a "vintage" shirt and rides his fixie to his job as a barista or his evening gig as a poet/lead guitarist/video artist etc...these are the spoilt middle class kids that we called Celtic Cubs back home so I often struggle to engage in any sort of interesting conversation with them...

Have never seen people of that description in Oz in fairness, but then again I wasn't in many bohemian type areas. I saw plenty of mullets and sleeveless vests though:pac:

Are the celtic cubs you refer to, the ones with skinny jeans, beards, and hang around templebar?

The Thrills?

AngryHippie

Jazmine Tight Wolf wrote: »

Take the West End away from Brisbane and you have some serious cultural abyss..... shocking for a city of two million really.

I'd have to disagree with you there.

The West End is just more accessible because it's cheap.
New Farm has a its own culture, as do Paddington, Bulimba, Eagle Farm, and Hamilton. They might not be your thing, but they are generally a little more focused over here, New Farm is infested with hipsters too, but to be fair to them, they are active, The Powerhouse is never empty, The Parks are always busy, as are the Pools, Cinema's restaraunts, every suburb has its own festival, markets, sports clubs.
Actually to be brutally honest, I would say the West End is one of the sht1ttier places to go for a cultural experience in Brisbane.

Unless your sole concept of a cultural experience is to go to a pub, get scuttered, talk horse**** to total strangers, and get a kebab on the way home. Sure it has a few okay pubs, and a lively young crowd, but if thats your measure of culture, I would suggest you dig deeper before you go lashing the rest of Brisbane because you couldn't have the craic there

The Aussie

lufties wrote: »

Failed? LOL failed at what exactly:pac:, If you don't like living in a place?, jeez by that logic most of the modern world would be deemed as failures.

I know a bloke here in Cork who was only in Australia for 9 months who does not go on about the place as much as you do, he has the ability to move on I suppose (hint ), anyone who goes through the hassle on applying for a second year visa has very little credibility when it comes to criticising.


The posts below sum it up nicely....

Batgurl wrote: »

Please don't knock Australians as lacking culture or knowledge based off your limited interaction with a select few.

Nelson Muntz wrote: »

You seem quite bitter towards Australia. Makes it hard to take any notice of what you have to say.

lufties wrote: »

don't hate Australia, I don't even dislike it. It just didn't suit my life plans and I decided to leave and see/live in places that I find more interesting. I was annoyed with certain things there like any other place.

You don't hide your hatred very well at all at all, so what happened..

lufties

Batgurl wrote: »

Japanese, Mandarin, Spanish, German and French.

A quick scan of my office reveals these are the second languages just a sample of my Australian colleagues speak ... fluently ... that they learned in high school. Highly practical don't you think?

Please don't knock Australians as lacking culture or knowledge based off your limited interaction with a select few.

The same could easily be said of Irish people who can barely do the 'Ta me', 'Ta tu' etc but I certainly don't go around telling people my countrymen are uncultured or unknowledgable.

Sorry batgurl, It is renowned that there is not much culture in Oz,unless perhaps it's putting a piece of pineapple in you're burger and calling it an aussie burger.

Having spent significant time in Cairns, Coolangatta, Newcastle, Brisbane, and Perth, i don't think that it is a limited experience.

I did meet aussies that spoke Spanish in fairness, but they were immigrants from South America.

Batgurl

lufties wrote: »

Sorry batgurl, It is renowned that there is not much culture in Oz, and I've heard it many times.

Having spent significant time in Cairns, Coolangatta, Newcastle, Brisbane, and Perth, i don't think think it is a limited experience.

I did meet aussies that spoke Spanish in fairness, but they were immigrants from South America.

Renowned by who? Your mates down the pub?

Australian tourism is a multi-billion dollar enterprise. I'm fairly certain they are not all coming just for the sunshine.

lufties

Batgurl wrote: »

Renowned by who? Your mates down the pub?

Australian tourism is a multi-billion dollar enterprise. I'm fairly certain they are not all coming just for the sunshine.

I read more than a few articles talking about how overpriced Australian tourism is, when people can holiday in S.E Asia for a fraction of the price. Hell, even Paul Hogan had a go a few years ago, talking about it being a rip off.

And no, not my mates down the pub, people I've met all over the world in fact.