'Straya - Love it or leave it.

[mightyrooster]

Well the glass seems half empty here cats, let's fill it up. Open your eyes a little.

Australia is an amazing country for one so young, the strides its made and opportunities provided are unmatched anywhere in the world.

We are a beautiful mix of indigenous peoples, colonial voyagers and post war migrants. And the generations that follow on, all three broad groups are equally important and crucial to the benefits we all enjoy today. Respect and honour them all. Look at that amazing speech and proud colours worn by Dai Lee and what it demonstrated...a true independent not fake, so appreciative and so positive. So proud of her country and her people, and her Vietnamese heritage.

The migrants who came here would have been far, far worse in probably any other country. And their hard work and appreciation of our blended culture is a huge part of Australia today.

Have a drink and be thankful....out of that glass, it's half full remember.

Yes, we have certainly come a long way from where we were in the last century. I am so grateful to have been born here and I hope we continue to move forward and keep growing and learning on the way.

[Andrew Walker]

Well the glass seems half empty here cats, let's fill it up. Open your eyes a little.

Australia is an amazing country for one so young, the strides its made and opportunities provided are unmatched anywhere in the world.

We are a beautiful mix of indigenous peoples, colonial voyagers and post war migrants. And the generations that follow on, all three broad groups are equally important and crucial to the benefits we all enjoy today. Respect and honour them all. Look at that amazing speech and proud colours worn by Dai Lee and what it demonstrated...a true independent not fake, so appreciative and so positive. So proud of her country and her people, and her Vietnamese heritage.

The migrants who came here would have been far, far worse in probably any other country. And their hard work and appreciation of our blended culture is a huge part of Australia today.

Have a drink and be thankful....out of that glass, it's half full remember.

Fair call ftom a wasp perspective. Australia is the best place my Polish family could have landed in My Grsndmother always said as much. But from the migrant perspective at the time and the way many locals made them feel, Anna has nailed it Dare I say to this day this is why many ethnic minorities here do not assimilate and only mix with their own.

[Paddo Colt 61]

[QUOTE=mightyrooster
Yes I am, on purpose. Its meant to be a joke Zac. Maybe I should not do jokes. Seems like I'm failing miserably.

Don't sweat that one MR it's difficult to convey tone in a text unless one employs those ridiculous emojis. Why, I had to explain my "fcuk off" further yesterday.

[Johnny Brass]

A thought provoking topic Paddo but is Australia any different than any other countries in how they look on foreigners.
I think people are tribal in nature and sticking together is built in our DNA as a survival mechanism.
I'm sure if one could go back in time to our ancestors in Africa there was one mob who would look down upon the neighbours and say those people have no teeth and eat rabbits. The other tribe would sneer back at the group who lived on top of the mountain and had roosters for pets.
No doubt there are certain racist elements in the community but that can be said for anywhere, we don't have a dual pricing system for foreigners like some countries which is blatant racism as far as I'm concerned.
Most immigrants will stick together when landing in a new country and form their own little communities as they have common interests, food and culture particularly for 1st and 2nd generations but i find 3rd generation and onwards tend to assimilate more into open society as some of the cultural ties are weakened .
We have become a melting pot of nationalities in our biggest cities and if anyone is willing to have a go and work hard can become successful and reap the benefits.
Sure we have our faults as a nation as all do but i think for most we are blessed to have been born in the lucky country that hasn't been ravaged by famine or wars.

[Paddo Colt 61]

[QUOTE=Johnny Brass; Sure we have our faults as a nation as all do but i think for most we are blessed to have been born in the lucky country that hasn't been ravaged by famine or wars.

True enough to that extent but I think that the poem is more abut our superficiality and cultural immaturity than anything else. We are not a thoughtful, analytical group by nature - "can't imagine. Follow the leader". We are more a conformist, frightened but smug place.

[eddie]

Man , that's gotta be the worst example of supposed "poetry" I've ever read.................and that's saying something. I wish I didn't waste my time reading it.

[mightyrooster]

I like this part...

> When I came this woman gave me a box of biscuits.

> You try to be friendly but you’re not very friendly.

I think I like 'You burly burly'. Having a dig at the Aussie male macho stereotype. Maybe it stands out to me because I'm female, I don't know. Personally I like and get on better with non macho males. I also like the 'always asking me where I'm from'. This is pretty typical of the older generation and I don't think it's as prevelant with young people these days as Australia has grown a lot over the past 20-30 years in particular.

[zac]

Do you have Polish roots Zac?

no but i do like polski ogorki pickles

[Paddo Colt 61]

[QUOTE=eddie; Man , that's gotta be the worst example of supposed "poetry" I've ever read.................and that's saying something. I wish I didn't waste my time reading it.

A little surprised that you could read it Edwin. So you're a poetry reader? Interesting? What? The Man from Snowy River? The Boy Stood on the Burning Deck?

As an old educator (have I ever mentioned that?) looking at comments and musing about potential essay opinions, I would have to mark MR down for her opening comment where, again, emotion seems to have got in the way and "balance", of course is irrelevant. She is thoughtfully revising the text however and recent posts show glimpses of insight. My comment, "Could do better".

Zac on the other hand did very well pointing to the poem's honesty and the "stream of consciousness" technique that it employs. I can see those ideas forming the basis of an effective Introduction or Conclusion. My comment: More work to do but promising at this stage.

Hey, have we missed the point here? We're a nation of gormless Wallys down here at the arse end of the planet looking for trouble. We are politically at the mercy of those who appear in the poem - depressing.

[A Country Member]

no but i do like polski ogorki pickles

Man, have you tried the Eskal brand, pickles in a can?

[A Country Member]

We are more a conformist, frightened but smug place.

Is this a result of our penal colony past, where we kowtow to the oppressor? The smugness could only come from the relative vastness and lack of competition via a smaller population.

[zac]

Man, have you tried the Eskal brand, pickles in a can?

it's got to be polski ogorki - straight dill doesn't do it for me

[zac]

As an old educator (have I ever mentioned that?) looking at comments and musing about potential essay opinions, I would have to mark MR down for her opening comment where, again, emotion seems to have got in the way and "balance", of course is irrelevant. She is thoughtfully revising the text however and recent posts show glimpses of insight. My comment, "Could do better".

Zac on the other hand did very well pointing to the poem's honesty and the "stream of consciousness" technique that it employs. I can see those ideas forming the basis of an effective Introduction or Conclusion. My comment: More work to do but promising at this stage.

Hey, have we missed the point here? We're a nation of gormless Wallys down here at the arse end of the planet looking for trouble. We are politically at the mercy of those who appear in the poem - depressing.

what's it like being the smartest guy in the room? you're the intellectual variation of 'the working class can kiss my arse ...'.

but as to your last point, your main point, i think oridnary aussies are pretty adaptable - it's our leaders who have been second rate. look at the big uptake of vaccinations against covid - as good as anywhere in the world. compare that to america. ah america, the best and worst of everything - smart enough to develop ground-breaking vaccines, dumb enough that only 2/3 of people take them.

[mightyrooster]

what's it like being the smartest guy in the room? you're the intellectual variation of 'the working class can kiss my arse ...'.

but as to your last point, your main point, i think oridnary aussies are pretty adaptable - it's our leaders who have been second rate. look at the big uptake of vaccinations against covid - as good as anywhere in the world. compare that to america. ah america, the best and worst of everything - smart enough to develop ground-breaking vaccines, dumb enough that only 2/3 of people take them.

Lol..and now you see why my first response to a new Paddo thread is to respond with tongue in cheek humour / sarcasm. At least you’re top of the class so far..

[A Country Member]

it's got to be polski ogorki - straight dill doesn't do it for me

The Polish are too sweet. Israeli style is more provoking