Australia

[callan]

Some very interesting comments on this thread. I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one that came back from Oz for good. Loved the place. Lived in Sydney for three years and then Melbourne for three more and finally Perth. Enjoyed the life and found the Aussies easy to get on with as they're pretty much on the same wave length regards humour/culture. Work practices in Oz are similar to the UK/Ireland. Long hours and the usual office politics. Contract rates are not that good and I never felt financially better off in Oz. In the end the remoteness of the place got to me, homesickenss, missing family and friends so I came back. I've been back twice since I left in 2005 and still happy enough with my decision even though I admit I still miss Oz, sometimes.

[callan]

poor and lonely?

[callan]

don't get it zeitghost, please explain

[barely_pointless]

here ya go,

http://epguides.com/Callan/guide.shtml

[Euro-commuter]

The Romans may have felt the cold, but they knew a good thing when they saw it! Fought hard to win Britain for themselves, and invested heavily here and settled, too. I except Scotland from that, though. The Romans knew when they were mining an empty seam.

The way we tell that is that the legions ripped through Europe, took the English in no time, but couldn't beat the Scots (except around Edinburgh where they're a bit soft).

Actually neither is true: they fought in Scotland for security reasons but couldn't practicably hold it because their method of empire-building depended on using locals, and there just weren't enough of them. So they built a security barrier where they stopped (the Antonine Wall between the Forth and Clyde, not the more southerly Hadrian's Wall). This still marks the point where the population really thins out today.

[Euro-commuter]

What's this "English" of which you speak?

There weren't any when the Romans were about.

The population was Celtic.

The Angles, Jutes and Saxons turned up about 500 years later.


HTH.

Quite so, an argument against uncontrolled immigration if ever there was one.

But it's about as accurate as the other side, the "Scotland not worth invading" stuff. I won't take it too seriously if you don't.

[callan]

"...doesn't make friends - and all his enemies are dead!"

In the world of IT that may well one day be true!

[DBNO v5.0]

I am surprised no one has mentioned the fact that Sydney is an Asian city now catering more and more to their tastes! Central Sydney might as well be Shanghai!

No wonder Aussies are racist.

[SomeoneElse]

I am surprised no one has mentioned the fact that Sydney is an Asian city now catering more and more to their tastes! Central Sydney might as well be Shanghai!

No wonder Aussies are racist.

Yes, but the stray dog problem sure has diminished.