I meant by the Aussie coach, of course, not by calm_kiwi. 
I can’t say if it’s a misconception or not, but I’ve heard a couple times now that, well, I maybe better quote my source: “I heard Americans treat women alot better then us Aussies do…” which was posted by somebody I don’t know very well on another message board. A guy I worked with who used to be in the US Navy claimed he had a lot of romantic success in Sydney because Australian women preferred foreign men but he claimed a lot in general.
jjimm’s story made me feel really guilty about my 'roo dinner the other day. I hear by solemnly swear that from this day forward I will never eat Skippy again.
So, is it true that gravity works backwards down there?
Why’n hell do you think I’m in love with an American? 
About the 'roo meat - availability depends a lot on where you live. When I was in South Australia, it was available at the supermarket. Now I’m in Victoria, I don’t buy it nearly so much, since it’s next door to impossible to get it here.
It’s pretty good, actually - very low in fat & cholesterol, nice gamey sort of flavour. Being so low in fat, you do have to be careful cooking it, though, otherwise you wind up with something with the texture of leather.
Old joke: Aussie’s idea of foreplay - “Are you ready, Sheila?”
No, no, no.
It’s “Are you awake?”
And if you’re a Tasmanian, it’s “Are you awake, mum?”
They’re so gay
Yeah, i’ve heard this often enough to suggest that, whether the accusation is true or not, plenty of people believe that it is.
As an Australian man who has lived at least two years of his adult life in each of England, Canada, and the United States, i really can’t say that Australian men seem any more or less respectful of women than the men from these other countries. Sure, some Aussie men are assholes and treat women like shit, but this is far from a peculiarly Australian phenomenon.
It also depends on how you define “treat better.” For some people (men and women), treating a woman well involves buying her lots of gifts, making good money, and carting her around like a trophy. For others, it means respecting her intellectually and treating her as an equal, rather than as an appendage who cooks your meals and cleans your house. And there are plenty of positions in between. Just depends who you talk to, i guess.
From what I’ve seen of Australian men – which is a fair bit, although I haven’t actually dated any – I’m inclined to agree with mhendo. If anything, they seem more egalitarian-minded than American guys, many of whom still operate under the assumption that women need to be “protected.” (I have never, for instance, met an Australian who thought it was anything other than perfectly normal for a young woman to be traveling alone in foreign parts, whereas many Americans react with a mixture of amazement and concern.)
Of course, I haven’t been there (yet), so I’m probably looking at a skewed sample of Australians, namely the ones who were traveling themselves.
During WW2 the young Aussie chicks would hang-out at the ports waiting for the boatloads of American servicemen to come in for some R and R. My mum tells lots of stories about how lovely and polite they were, but I think it had more to do with the sailors bringing stockings and chocolates to woo the Aussie sheilas. They were better paid than our fellas.
And of course, the Aussie blokes absolutely hated them with a vengeance.
What’s that old saying? Yanks are bastards because they’re overpaid, oversexed and over HERE.
Re kambuckta’s last post, the Americans on this board might not be familiar with a particular historical low-point between our two nations: The Battle of Brisbane.
Bear in mind the site linked is a bit one-eyed, but it’s historically interesting that Australian and US troops opened fire on each other in WWII.
Yeah…that. Never saw it spelled out, so was taking a stab at it.
Yeah, just listening to this little gem on the radio at the moment.
We ROCK…17% of us are gay. Whoooooo-hooooooo.
Any bloody wonder I can’t find a straight bloke.
kambuckta, is calling dinner “tea” a Melbourne thing? In Sydney and Canberra you wouldn’t catch anybody under 60 saying that.
And kangaroo is good eating. It’s often cheaper than lamb. But not so easy to find; it does seem to vary by state. I’ve eaten a fair bit on and off, and it’s certainly ecologically a good thing. Much easier on the land than sheep. And excellent with black bean sauce or in a red curry. mmm, getting hungry.
I’m also surpised at “even my dog won’t eat vegemite”. Our cats adore it; they make a concerted effort to steal our brekfast vegemite toast. It’s the salt, I assume.
And the one that annoys me - the British idea that Australia is a country of lager louts; poor-cousin colonials with no manners or sophistication or education. So names like “Australian Ballet” and “Australian Opera” are enough to cause incredulous laughter. The way Australia is presented in the British tabloid press is just amazing - you have to laugh. Or cry, if you take it too seriously.
Yeah, you might want to have a word with Rupert Murdoch about that.
I seldom hear anyone say “tea” over here in the west, either.
Also, with the exception of a faw restaurants, kangaroo meat is sold only as pet food here.
**
**Okay, this caught me a little by surprise.
Well, i’m 33, and it was always “tea” when I was growing up in New South Wales. I’ve succumbed to the “dinner” thing now though.
Although it get’s a bad rap, vegemite is actually pretty tasty in the right quantities. So far every foreigner I’ve seen who has tried vegemite spreads thick layers of it onto their toast or sandwich then wonder why their head implodes after taking a huge bite.
Vegemite on toast is my 2nd favourite breakfast food.
It’s shocking, absolutely shocking!
Doh!