To be a little more Aussie ... *dreamy sigh*

[imaginary pi]

Alright. I've read through most of the pages and I am intreged to ask questions of my own but I'm not sure what to ask? I surrently live in the states but have wanted to move to Australia for years. I suppose my first question is, what really annoys you about Americans that come to Australia. I would really like to do my best to make friends when I move there and I'm afraid I'm going to say the wrong thing or something, hense why I've pretty much read this whole thread looking for hints. mrgreen  

[JewelsSparkle]

Asylus

Alright. I've read through most of the pages and I am intreged to ask questions of my own but I'm not sure what to ask? I surrently live in the states but have wanted to move to Australia for years. I suppose my first question is, what really annoys you about Americans that come to Australia. I would really like to do my best to make friends when I move there and I'm afraid I'm going to say the wrong thing or something, hense why I've pretty much read this whole thread looking for hints. mrgreen

My tip: don't do what these people did...

JewelsSparkle

EmWah

One girl had the nerve to PM me on gaia and ask me how I knew how to speak english so well. I mean, WTF. Give us a break. Just because our national image is based on Crocodile Dundee, doesn't mean we're actually like that. Plus, Mick Dundee wasn't stupid either xp Just a bit uncultured.

eek gonk

Oh dear lord...

Although my favourite was when I was a kid & at a park with my family & some friends & these BIG (like HUGE) American girls came up & started asking us some really weird questions "Do yew yews the werd NERD heyar?" & other random stuff...
All was well & good until they started harrassing my little brother Johnny (who was only about 4 at the time)... at one point saying "Hay JAAANNY, Ye'wanna come beck to Ahmerucuh with eers?"
Johnny's terrified response: " eek crying No!"

Otherwise, you should be alright. As long as you aren't deliberately rude or ignorant, you'll be fine! biggrin  

[imaginary pi]

JewelsSparkle

Asylus

Alright. I've read through most of the pages and I am intreged to ask questions of my own but I'm not sure what to ask? I certently live in the states but have wanted to move to Australia for years. I suppose my first question is, what really annoys you about Americans that come to Australia. I would really like to do my best to make friends when I move there and I'm afraid I'm going to say the wrong thing or something, hense why I've pretty much read this whole thread looking for hints. mrgreen

My tip: don't do what these people did...

JewelsSparkle

EmWah

One girl had the nerve to PM me on gaia and ask me how I knew how to speak english so well. I mean, WTF. Give us a break. Just because our national image is based on Crocodile Dundee, doesn't mean we're actually like that. Plus, Mick Dundee wasn't stupid either xp Just a bit uncultured.

eek gonk

Oh dear lord...

Although my favourite was when I was a kid & at a park with my family & some friends & these BIG (like HUGE) American girls came up & started asking us some really weird questions "Do yew yews the werd NERD heyar?" & other random stuff...
All was well & good until they started harrassing my little brother Johnny (who was only about 4 at the time)... at one point saying "Hay JAAANNY, Ye'wanna come beck to Ahmerucuh with eers?"
Johnny's terrified response: " eek crying No!"

Otherwise, you should be alright. As long as you aren't deliberately rude or ignorant, you'll be fine! biggrin

Alright, sounds good.
If I don't talk for the first year I'm there, maybe no one will know that I'm American though. No, I wouldn't do that, I couldn't meet people that way and meeting people is fun. ^_^  

[BeMuled MissBeth]

You could always lie and claim to be Canadian. *giggles*

Another example of what not to be like:

A mate o' mine down under works for travel/tourism. He takes tourists around in buses and tells them about stuff in Sydney and surrounding. Well, he always has these wonderfully colourful stories to tell me about the stupid questions he gets asked. This one day he happened to have a Canuck (go, Canadia!) on the tour - without knowing it - and this is what happened ....

My mate was pointing something out along a main street and talking about it ... an American *cough* interjected *cough* and suddenly asked, "Will I see any kangaroos hoppin' down the main street?"

Just as my mate was about to answer, the Canuck at the back of the bus yelled out a response of, "Depends how much you drink!"

My mate was about dumbstruck, and could only smile and laugh at the unfaltering wit.

So ... don't be the American who asks about the roos ... be the 'Canuck' who hands him a stubby. *giggles*  

[JewelsSparkle]

Also, read through one of the many varients of the List Of Dumb Questions supposedly asked by tourists prior to the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.

It has never been proven or disproven if they're real or not (www.snopes.com don't know either). There have been a few varients (South Africa circa 2003 & Canada most recently), but it definately originated as an Australian list (as the Aus list was published in newspapers prior to the Olympic games in 2000 & as stated before, the other versions came out a few years later).

I remember reading the list in a newspaper first, but have never been able to find proof either that it's real or a joke. Either way, make sure you don't ask questions like these....

* I hear that all Australian women are beautiful. Is that true and
if so, can you send me pictures of the available ones? (Italy)
(Sure, there's only 8 million of them)

* I want to go swimming at Bondi Beach on October 20th. Will I turn
blue? (Germany)
(More likely brown, considering the effluent...)

* Does it ever get windy in Australia? I have never seen it rain on
TV, so how do the plants grow? (UK)
(Upwards, out of the ground, like the person who asked this question,
who themselves will need watering if their IQ drops any lower...)

* Will I be able to see kangaroos in the street? (USA)
(Depends on how much beer you've consumed...)

* I plan to take some day trips during the Olympics. Which
direction should I drive - Perth to Darwin or Darwin to Perth - to
avoid driving with the sun in my eyes? (Germany)
(Excellent question, considering that the Olympics are being held
in Sydney.)

* I want to walk from Perth to Sydney for the Olympics - can I follow
the railroad tracks? (Sweden)
(Sure, it's only seven thousand miles, so you'll need to have started
about a year and a half ago to get there in time for the Games...)

* Is it safe to run around in the bushes in Australia? (Sweden)
(And accomplish what?)

* It is imperative that I find the names and addresses of places to
contact for a stuffed porpoise. (Italy)
(I'm not touching this one...)

* My client wants to take a steel pooper-scooper into Australia.
Will you let her in? (South Africa)
(Why? We do have toilet paper here...)

* Are there any ATMs in Australia? Can you send me a list of them in
Brisbane, Cairns, Townsville and Hervey Bay? (UK)
(No, and we use shells for money too)

* Where can I learn underwater welding in Australia? (Portugal)
(Under water?)

* Do the camels in Australia have one hump or two? (UK)
(Depends if you get an ugly one or not...)

* Can I bring cutlery into Australia? (UK)
(Why bother? Use your fingers like the rest of us...)

* Do you have perfume in Australia? (France)
(No. Everybody stinks.)

* Do tents exist in Australia? (Germany)
(Yes, but only in sporting goods stores, peoples' garages, and
most national parks...)

* Do you celebrate Christmas in Australia? (France)
(Yes. At Christmas.)

* Can I drive to the Great Barrier Reef? (Germany)
(Sure, if your vehicle is amphibious.)

* Are there killer bees in Australia? (Germany)
(Not yet, but we'll see what we can do when you get here.)

* Can you give me some information about hippo racing in
Australia? (USA)
(What's this guy smoking, and where do I get some?)

* Are there supermarkets in Sydney and is milk available all year
round? (Germany)
(A blonde?)

* Please send a list of all doctors in Australia who can dispense
rattlesnake serum. (USA)
(Rattlesnakes? There is only serum for the Funnel Web and Red-Back
Spiders. You will need to contend with White-Tail Spiders, Brown,
Tiger and Red-Belly Black snakes, sharks, Red Kangaroos, Blue-ringed
Octopuses and the 3am pub closing time/taxi change-over)

* Which direction is North in Australia? (USA)
(Face North and you should be about right)

* Can you send me the Vienna Boys' Choir schedule? (USA)
(Americans have long had considerable trouble distinguishing
between Austria and Australia.)

* I have a question about a famous animal in Australia, but I
forget its name. It's a kind of bear and lives in trees. (USA)
(Another blonde?)

* I have developed a new product that is the fountain of youth. Can
you tell me where I can sell it in Australia? (USA)
(From Liz Taylor, perhaps?)

* Are there places in Australia where you can make love outdoors?
(Italy)
(Yes. Outdoors.)

* I was in Australia in 1969 on R+R, and I want to contact the girl I
dated while I was staying in Kings Cross. Can you help? (USA)
(...)

* Will I be able to speak English most places I go? (USA)
(Yes, except in America.)  

[BeMuled MissBeth]

*blinks* Um ... usually when someone provides a link to a website that means they're not going to copy/paste the entire document.  

[Wolfeona The Wise]

I feel embarrassed to be an American at the moment.  

[Lenre Li]

I would be too... -_-;; Don't worry...  

[WellzY]

I don't think a lot of those would be very serious. I mean, honestly.  

[BeMuled MissBeth]

Well ... there are some pretty ignorant people in the world. I've met enough of them myself from all parts. I know people like ribbing on Americans a lot, but seriously, they're not the only ones who do silly things like that. I know enough Canadians who almost make me feel ashamed to be from this country. sweatdrop  

[WellzY]

And don't worry, there are Australians who make me feel ashamed to be an Australian.  

[Wolfeona The Wise]

Thanks guys I feel a little better, I guess the world would be boring if we didn’t have some one to laugh at. Maybe it’s all the fast food we eat that makes us stupid. Mmmm. Cheese burger.  

[imaginary pi]

It suprizes me at how stupid some questions can be and sometimes you have to stop and wonder if they're serious or not. I always hope not though.  

[Wolfeona The Wise]

i really think some people are that stupid. although i must admit that i do have my moments. its that we just don’t think properly before we speak.  

[Beautiful Grotesque]

rofl Some of those questions are stupid. But then I keep hitting the y when I really want the t. confused So annoying. stare