Reply to: Australia

[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.

[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.

[callan]

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

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

[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.

[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.

[barely_pointless]

here ya go,

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

[callan]

don't get it zeitghost, please explain

[callan]

poor and lonely?

[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.

[Moscow Mule]

The one in Wooloomoloo bay is awesome.

[Lucy]

hmm, you missed North Sydney (http://www.northsydney.nsw.gov.au/ww...ympic-pool.asp) and Drummoyne (which is closed at the moment ), swam with a bunch of 80 year olds at north sydney last summer, and will again soon if I can swing a contract in the CBD or N Syd soon.

tis true, the Old main Drag (London) needs more pools.

I much prefer the beach pools.

I wouldn't swim in any London water, I certainly don't drink it!

[barely_pointless]

Why I adore Sydney

hmm, you missed North Sydney (http://www.northsydney.nsw.gov.au/ww...ympic-pool.asp) and Drummoyne (which is closed at the moment ), swam with a bunch of 80 year olds at north sydney last summer, and will again soon if I can swing a contract in the CBD or N Syd soon.

tis true, the Old main Drag (London) needs more pools.

[brownie74]

i've bin to cabramatta and seen the viet smack heads out there. its not pretty. but its nothing compared to bethnal green in east london. the quality of the smack heads round there is much higher. whores on the back streets of whitechapel at 8am, scabby faced smack heads lookin for business. and they get it.

[Lucy]

Why I adore Sydney

[rootsnall]

naa, its not like london. its more like cardiff, or leeds. the dirty underbelly that you can easily find in parts of london does not really exist here - small pockets but nothing really

sydney is tame compared to london. its a lot safer.

the pubs are worse here - not much atmosphere. if i was in my 20's (im 33) i would prefer london for the nightlife - its pretty tame here and much more posed

there are no characters in sydney - aussies are generally boring - thats what i miss about the UK - it comes from the years of hangovers/comedowns and the poor weather - its character building

I think Sydney has all the problems you'll find in any big city but it's hidden away in the farway suburbs out west where overseas IT contractors would very rarely venture. Heroin is a big problem in Sydney, more so than anywhere I've seen in the UK. In the UK and other countries the problems are more on show in the city centres and inner city suburbs. Kings Cross and the surrounding suburbs are just about fully gentrified now, the seedy side is getting squeezed out, why run a strip club or brothel anymore when a property developer will pay you a fortune to buy you out.