It's occurred to me that I might be more English than some of you since my Dad's a Pom. However, I was half-decent at cricket so I'm clearly Australian... Plus my Mum is Tasmanian so that pretty much overrides any Pommy in me!
The only time I've enjoyed watching cricket was watching the street kids play in India. They played with a lot more passion (and skill) than either the English or the Australians. I love the fact that Australians are always trying to find ways of denying their roots - not that I blame them :> Being a sun-kissed god, I pity you mere pale faced mortals . :becky:
I suspect that many living overseas are more English than some of the racists who sound off here!!! But how did you spell that cricket? R... U..... G..... I'm sure that everyone wishes England and Louis Hamilton their very best this coming weekend. CTNana
Have just come back from a drink with a couple of friends, one of whome comes from my neck of the woods in London. Seems that the "locals" are starting to whinge about the new Polish residents. I'm really angry about this because it seems that this reaction isn't just confined to some white residents but also amongst some in the Asian and Afro-Caribbean communities too. Absolutely pathetic. Some people can be complete dipsticks, no matter what colour their skin is. :mad2: And the most ironic thing is that this area of London has a large number of Poles who stayed after the war, and so were around a lot earlier than the "newer" Asian & Afro-Caribbean communities. Makes me ashamed. Don't you dare finish that word CTNana! The C word is bad enough without adding another daft sport to the conversation :becky: Good luck Hamilton - hope he remains focussed. It really has become a nail-biter this year.
My Grandmother, a very poor working class girl in service, changed her name after the first World War (or was forced to change it?) to a surname which was not Jewish. I just don't get the sweeping statements generalising about whole races, cultures, creeds etc.. I accept that we all base our opinions on the experiences we've had (or sometimes had related to us) but it is so illogical - except of course when it relates to Germans and sun loungers!!! Seriously does this silly sort of statement reinforce social stereotypes or do the majority of us accept the throw away comments for what they are. I sometimes wonder whether losing the ability to laugh at ourselves makes things worse. My husband was brought up in a very culturally mixed area of London and his Mother would often look out of the window and comment that there were no English people left in the road. It really was just an observation without any malice and mildly amusing because she was in fact Irish. She had some very interesting tales to tell about the Black and Tans too! I used to think that education held the key and that the stupidity of prejudice would be seen for what it was, but it is enough to make you weep isn't it? My very best wishes to all no matter where you are from, what you believe in, whether you are a sun-kissed god like Kyt or pink or green!!!! CTNana
I agree with you 100% CTNana. And there's a big difference between being proud of one's origins and culture(s) and being prejudiced against others. I'm all for the former. However, I have to admit that I do have one prejudice - I do find Australians a real pain in the neck eep: :becky:
The worst of it is they have enjoyed some success in the games we taught them and now look what happens! CTNana
Well, if the two here are anything to go by, then they obviously don't have any work to do, and so have plenty of time to practice. ...and they cheat by living healthy lives in all that lovely sunshine
We have a large influx of polish people into our area and it quite interesting you hear polish being spoken everywhere in this neck of the woods! We even have a polish Deli both here and in saltmarket in Glasgow, but I have not had a change to visit the. Banks and shops have signs up welcoming the poles and in some cases even saying that polish is spoken there. Again because there were so many poles and lithuanians stayed in this area after the war, there is an older generation here as well and they have a polish/lithuanian club in Bellshill. When I get the bus of a sunday morning into Glasgow, it is normally full of families going to the central mosque in Glasgow and it is quite funny because they all know each other and the kids are playing, its more like a day out rather than a mundane bus jorney. The only thing is I cant understand a word they are saying! On the south side of the river in Glasgow there is a great punjabi restraunt, and have to say after eating there, I cannot go back to eating in a normal "indian"! But we have been used to many mationalities staying in this area, it all adds the culture of the area. Some do the decent thing and join pipe bands! One thing I remember was travelling back from London by coach to Norwich and we stopped at a set of traffic lights. There was a block of shops with a delirict one in the middle. On the left hand side was a barber who specialised in "afro" hairstyles on the right hand side was a sari shop. The shop in the middle still had its sign up and it read "Oddessa Bakers". Which just goes to show the various natioanalities who have made their homes in this country and I speak of Great Britian. As for cricket, I used to play it on Ascention Island but we played by the Alvega rules! That is, you had to have a drink as you walked up to the grease and you had a drink for each run you scored! Fancy dress was complusary and you had to wear a cricket box! One lad walked on to the pitch wearing nothing but a box and that was over his mouth and nose!
Bloody hell, he put it over his face?! Must have been nissed as a pewt already to endanger one's health by breathing in the contents of a box. Btw, Morse, great post.
Morse, you HAVE to try the Polish deli. There used to be one in Shepherds Bush (there maybe more now), and their hams were asolutely fantastic. As were their cured sausages. OK, it's 11.46 am, and i am drooling. Teehee, punjabi resteraunt versus "ordinary" ones. Hmmm, no contest - punjabi food is the best in the world (OK, maybe a bit biased here). I love the fact that we have such variety and choices, even just in food. When my father came over in the early 1960s he said the worst thing was the lack of access to the foodstuffs he grew up with. And and we all laugh at the stereotype of the Brit on holiday and wanting egg and chips in Spain. But I can sympathise with that now. The taste of home makes one feel so much better sometimes.
We have people form 200 countries in Australia and surely at least one restaurant representing that country. We have grocers stores specialising in food from every country. We have the Jewish areas in St Kilda, Italian in Lygon St Carlton, Vietnamese in North Richmond, Footscray & Springvale, Indian, (still looking of the "Sikh" one), Spanish in Collingwood and Fitzroy, Chinese, Thai, Cambodian, in Little Bourke St in Melbourne, Burmese, Laotian, Korean, French, Dutch, Swiss, Egyptian, Lebanese, Sudanese, Ghannain, English Fish & Chip shops, Abyssinian, Aegean, 100's of Greek, (Melbourne has the third biggest population of Greeks outside of Athens and Thessalonika, Cypriot, Moroccan, Turkish, Russian................................ Bu**er, I am too tired and now very hungry however you get the point. http://www.letajfineindianfood.com/mainmenu.htm Multiply by .45 to bring it to pounds sterling. (How does this compare?) This is a small list of the Halal restaurants around Melbourne. http://noorevents.com.au/user/halalfood.php
Compares very favourably, Spidge. The mains seem to be on par to takeaway prices over here. And looks like a good, well balanced menu. What's it like to taste and quality? "LE-TAJ WOODLAND MUSHROOM FRESH MUSHROOM MARINATED WITH SPICY YOGHURT, CHAR FLAVOURED IN TANDOOR" That sounds lovely - especially if they use decent fresh mushrooms. As to Sikh/Punjabi food - anything with a thick tomato sauce is based on the region, as is anything cooked in a tandoor. But of course, I have to say this, my mum's is the best Punjabi food
I remember the interview of the Paris correspondent of GMTV as she was preparing to return after three years in Paris. She was asked what she missed most about Britian and her reply was, "A good curry"!
Forgot to mention, in Wishaw, we have a brazilian restrauant opening up in November. And as we have a brazilian married into the family and who stays a few miles away, we have booked a large table for the family on the opening night, just to get her opinion! Tommy, her husband, tells a story about her when she moved across to Scotland. In 1971, Scotland played Brazil at football, and they went to see the match. At the end of the match, Carmel, said that she wanted to go down to the dressing rooms to speak to the Brazilian team. Off she went! 15 mins went by, no sign of her! Half an hour, still nothing! An hour passed and Tommy was getting worried! An hour and a half and he decided to do something about it! he went down to the dressing room and walked in! There was Carmel, standing in the centre of the room with the entire team seated in a circle around her! She turned round and said to Tommy, "They are home sick"!
