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A rant regarding Australia

Feb 13, 2002
1,087
17
Seattle, WA
Why is it that Australians totally ignore the BEST holidays:

Halloween) get drunk in a hilarious costume

And are totally into the WORST holidays:

Valentine's Day) makes the lonely feel worse, makes the attached waste money on worthless crap.

WHY? Because Australia is a crap-hole of a shallow, materalist, conformist country. That's why.

Discuss.
 

rcoh

Chimp
Jun 2, 2005
36
0
SirChomps-a-Lot said:
WHY? Because Australia is a crap-hole of a shallow, materalist, conformist country. That's why.

Discuss.

Unless you are a guest of Her Majesty, no one is making you stay in Australia.
 

thaflyinfatman

Turbo Monkey
Jul 20, 2002
1,577
0
Victoria
SirChomps-a-Lot said:
Why is it that Australians totally ignore the BEST holidays:

Halloween) get drunk in a hilarious costume

And are totally into the WORST holidays:

Valentine's Day) makes the lonely feel worse, makes the attached waste money on worthless crap.

WHY? Because Australia is a crap-hole of a shallow, materalist, conformist country. That's why.

Discuss.
Could you say that again? All I could hear was "WAAAAAAAAH!"
 

maxyedor

<b>TOOL PRO</b>
Oct 20, 2005
5,496
3,141
In the bathroom, fighting a battle
Their toilets flush backwards! WTF
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or do ours flush backwarks, and their's realy go the right way? I smell conspiricy.
 

ito

Mr. Schwinn Effing Armstrong
Oct 3, 2003
1,709
0
Avoiding the nine to five


Halloween two years ago in Australia.

I know nothing about Valentines, but they are beginning to pick up Halloween. I talked with a friend of my dad who lived down there and he had been taking his kids trick or treating for two years when I was down there. The adults aren't too into the event it would seem, but the colleges with American students and the kiddies are really getting into it.

The Ito
 

lovebunny

can i lick your balls?
Dec 14, 2003
7,317
245
San Diego, California, United States
ito said:


Halloween two years ago in Australia.

I know nothing about Valentines, but they are beginning to pick up Halloween. I talked with a friend of my dad who lived down there and he had been taking his kids trick or treating for two years when I was down there. The adults aren't too into the event it would seem, but the colleges with American students and the kiddies are really getting into it.

The Ito
that bitch is WASTED
 

SK6

Turbo Monkey
Jul 10, 2001
7,586
0
Shut up and ride...
SirChomps-a-Lot said:
Why is it that Australians totally ignore the BEST holidays:

Halloween) get drunk in a hilarious costume

And are totally into the WORST holidays:

Valentine's Day) makes the lonely feel worse, makes the attached waste money on worthless crap.

WHY? Because Australia is a crap-hole of a shallow, materalist, conformist country. That's why.

Discuss.
Subscribe to a porn strike...:rolleyes:


:p :D
 

bikenweed

Turbo Monkey
Oct 21, 2004
2,432
0
Los Osos
Dude, I agree. Foreign countries with European influences SUCK.

After five, almost six, months in Spain, it's blatantly apparant that image is far more important here than it is in the US. The whole idea of being an individual is a foreign concept. It's not acceptable to drive a pick up truck because, oh no, workers and laborers drive pick ups. You must have nice shoes on at all times, and must wear slippers in the bedroom and shoes in the house AT ALL TIMES. WTF?

No appreciation for classic cars because they don't go as fast as a new M3 and aren't as safe. No appreciation for local live music because poor people play music. Any band that is local automatically isn't very good, even if they are some of the most amazing musicians in the world. To do something by yourself is taboo. To go for a bike ride by yourself means you suddenly hate all the other riders in town. If a kid comes into your shop, looking to find someone to ride with, you tell him that in a few weeks you might organize a ride, rather than let him know about another shop that has a huge group ride once a week. If there is another group that rides you must take sides and ride with only one group. WTF?

Throwing trash in the streets is acceptable, and to be seen cleaning things in public, like your table after eating, means you aren't maintaining your image. America sure isn't perfect, but it has its positive aspects.
 

SkaredShtles

Michael Bolton
Sep 21, 2003
67,815
14,159
In a van.... down by the river
bikenweed said:
Dude, I agree. Foreign countries with European influences SUCK.

After five, almost six, months in Spain, it's blatantly apparant that image is far more important here than it is in the US. The whole idea of being an individual is a foreign concept.
I find this amusing...... :p
t's not acceptable to drive a pick up truck because, oh no, workers and laborers drive pick ups.
I think it's mostly because pickups get a$$ for mileage. :think:

No appreciation for classic cars because they don't go as fast as a new M3 and aren't as safe.
It depends on your idea of "classic" I suppose. Do you mean '69 Camaros? If so, they probably don't because of very limited availability and the fact that those cars get a$$ for mileage. :D
 

valve bouncer

Master Dildoist
Feb 11, 2002
7,843
114
Japan
bikenweed said:
Dude, I agree. Foreign countries with European influences SUCK.

After five, almost six, months in Spain, it's blatantly apparant that image is far more important here than it is in the US. The whole idea of being an individual is a foreign concept. It's not acceptable to drive a pick up truck because, oh no, workers and laborers drive pick ups. You must have nice shoes on at all times, and must wear slippers in the bedroom and shoes in the house AT ALL TIMES. WTF?

No appreciation for classic cars because they don't go as fast as a new M3 and aren't as safe. No appreciation for local live music because poor people play music. Any band that is local automatically isn't very good, even if they are some of the most amazing musicians in the world. To do something by yourself is taboo. To go for a bike ride by yourself means you suddenly hate all the other riders in town. If a kid comes into your shop, looking to find someone to ride with, you tell him that in a few weeks you might organize a ride, rather than let him know about another shop that has a huge group ride once a week. If there is another group that rides you must take sides and ride with only one group. WTF?

Throwing trash in the streets is acceptable, and to be seen cleaning things in public, like your table after eating, means you aren't maintaining your image. America sure isn't perfect, but it has its positive aspects.
That culture shock is a bitch. The good news is that it will go away soon. The bad news is that when it comes back you may feel like killing the locals. Every ex-pat has a love-hate relationship with the host country. Yours and the OP's feelings are completely normal.
 

bikenweed

Turbo Monkey
Oct 21, 2004
2,432
0
Los Osos
valve bouncer said:
That culture shock is a bitch. The good news is that it will go away soon. The bad news is that when it comes back you may feel like killing the locals. Every ex-pat has a love-hate relationship with the host country. Yours and the OP's feelings are completely normal.
Don't even try to pull the culture shock thing. All my good friends complain about image to me without my bringing it up. That is not culture shock. I am trying to find a country I can actually feel comfortable living in, and in doing this it's necessary to analyze each country's positive and negative aspects. Culture shock is when I feel lonely, isolated, and very outsiderish. Noticing and analyzing things is not culture shock, it's called thinking.

No, people don't drive little pick ups not because gas mileage, but because it isn't proper. They would be the only ones around with a truck, and ya know, people would start to talk. Plus, this is coming from cargo van drivers who already get bad mileage as it is. It's not the mileage, it's the image, as they straight tell me.

No, classic cars just don't appeal. It's not the mileage, a Ferrari gets horrid mileage as well. It's because they aren't quite as fast or safe as a modern car, and because they are too American. Buying anything old that isn't wine or anything used that isn't a punk rock band's CD is just not societally acceptable. I find this aspect dissapointing.

Still though, why does one HAVE to wear shoes around the house? Sir Chomps a Lot, I feel your pain. No one here celebrates Halloween either. But, the good news is, there are a ton of other cool holidays.
 

valve bouncer

Master Dildoist
Feb 11, 2002
7,843
114
Japan
You've analysed Spanish culture in 6 months have you? You're funny.Yep, definitely culture shock...and a real bad case too.
 

N8 v2.0

Not the sharpest tool in the shed
Oct 18, 2002
11,003
149
The Cleft of Venus
bikenweed said:
Throwing trash in the streets is acceptable, and to be seen cleaning things in public, like your table after eating, means you aren't maintaining your image. America sure isn't perfect, but it has its positive aspects.
:p!

The cleanest place I've ever been was Japan. After spending time there and returing to Los Angles, I thought LA was a huge trash dump.
 

bikenweed

Turbo Monkey
Oct 21, 2004
2,432
0
Los Osos
Why am I stuck in a state of culture shock? If this is true, I feel it would be tainting my vision of the society. I openly admit I still have plenty to learn. Still haven't seen every town and a couple of the bigger cities, namely Sevilla, Cordoba, and Malaga. Have ridden my bike accross the north on the Camino de Santiago from France to Finisterre above Portugal. This is the way the country is, and even though I live in a very Spanish, social manner, and love many, many postive aspects, there is still a time to vent here and there about certain issues. Doesn't everybody want to change a few little things about where they are living? Overall I'm much happier here than in California, minus the local (not national) cycling scene.
 

ito

Mr. Schwinn Effing Armstrong
Oct 3, 2003
1,709
0
Avoiding the nine to five
lovebunny said:
that bitch is WASTED
you ever tried finding a sober person in Australia? It is difficult to say the least. Damn near impossible after 11am.

:p

The cleanest place I've ever been was Japan. After spending time there and returing to Los Angles, I thought LA was a huge trash dump.
LA IS a huge trash dump.

The Ito
 

RaID

Turbo Monkey
bikenweed said:
No, people don't drive little pick ups not because gas mileage, but because it isn't proper. They would be the only ones around with a truck, and ya know, people would start to talk. Plus, this is coming from cargo van drivers who already get bad mileage as it is. It's not the mileage, it's the image, as they straight tell me.

No, classic cars just don't appeal. It's not the mileage, a Ferrari gets horrid mileage as well. It's because they aren't quite as fast or safe as a modern car, and because they are too American. Buying anything old that isn't wine or anything used that isn't a punk rock band's CD is just not societally acceptable. I find this aspect dissapointing.
No drives huge pickup tracks in europe because the are inpractical, have you seen the width of the average country road (excluding the highways), plus where the hell are you going to park it in a city centre with all the narrow streets there. Plus petrol is much more expensive in europe, hence the popularity of small cars.
Their ideas of cheap sports cars are hot hatchbacks (which sometime are a bit of a joke) but it more practical and more affordable in those areas. Same as in the states your idea of a hot car is a done up F150 or other monstrocities like that.