[SeaGypsy]

I can do a fake American accent at least as well as Mel Gibson; but like him I would have to fake it. I grew up with Huckleberry Finn, and a thoroughly Pennsylvania Dutch/ North Carolia Redneck father.
I can instantly distinguish at least 7 USA accents and about 5 Australian ones. My parents met in Germany, Dad in the USA Army as a Sargent MP and Mum hitching around Europe. I went around the world 4 times before I was 18, and another 2 times since. I know Australia like the back of my hand; or better. You could drop me off blind folded anywhere in mainaln Australia and I would figure out where I am in a few minutes at most.

The thing I never liked about the USA is the artificiality of the social construct; evidenced by such wonderfull traits as/ accepting successfull coke dealers into the upper echelons of society/ social migration by $10kpa bounds/ people changing their phone numbers and dissing old friends because they went from pushing a broom on 20k to managing 5 broom pushers on 30k. Sorry, too fake, too absurd.

[SeaGypsy]

Recently a young American friend from Wisconsin; winding up an 18 month post-grad working holiday around the world, told me this:

"I just wound up a 6 month engineering contract in Wyndham Western Australia; planning to go home and settle. I phoned Mum and she told me "Don't come home. Your uncle and 2 of your brothers are living in their cars. Homeless and unemployed. If you have opportunities there please don't come home!" My how things change!

[Pretorian]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('SeaGypsy', 'R')ecently a young American friend from Wisconsin; winding up an 18 month post-grad working holiday around the world, told me this:

"I just wound up a 6 month engineering contract in Wyndham Western Australia; planning to go home and settle. I phoned Mum and she told me "Don't come home. Your uncle and 2 of your brothers are living in their cars. Homeless and unemployed. If you have opportunities there please don't come home!" My how things change!

[Sixstrings]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('SeaGypsy', 'R')ecently a young American friend from Wisconsin; winding up an 18 month post-grad working holiday around the world, told me this:

"I just wound up a 6 month engineering contract in Wyndham Western Australia; planning to go home and settle. I phoned Mum and she told me "Don't come home. Your uncle and 2 of your brothers are living in their cars. Homeless and unemployed. If you have opportunities there please don't come home!" My how things change!

[Pretorian]

Well, whatever u mean by future, certainly not good wages with a minimum of head scratching

[Sixstrings]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Pretorian', 'W')ell, whatever u mean by future, certainly not good wages with a minimum of head scratching

[Pretorian]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Sixstrings', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Pretorian', 'W')ell, whatever u mean by future, certainly not good wages with a minimum of head scratching

[alokin]

In Australia people don't complain. They don't complain to pay taxes to finance medicare, for example. Public housing has a very high standard, the even have houses not only units.
(And Aussies speak an understandable English as well.

It's a very integrative society. Our suburb is very mixed. There are housing commission houses as well as high salary earners. I have no statistic,but here it is very racially mixed,lots of Chinese,Indian and African people.

[SeaGypsy]

Aussies don't complain? Are you 12? Compared to the rest of Asia, Aussies are the biggest whiners by a hell of a long way. With one of the highest standards of living in the world, prod an Aussie on the subjects/ Wages/ Taxes/ Medical system/ 3 tiers of Government/ Building regulations/ Immigration standards. If you don't get an almighty great whinge on any of these you have met an Assie Saint and you had better call the Vatican because even Mary MacKillop is only halfway!!!

On the wages/ costs issue.

I just went and bought a few celebratory condiments:

1 bottle schnapps.
3 bottles beer.
2 red bull.
Pack of Marlboro.

Total 163 pesos a (about $3.40 US or $4.00 AUD)

The same package in Australia:about $45.00 or more than 10 times the price. The average worker in the Phlippines earns 250 peso a day the average Aussie about 40 times this amount. i.e. even with the extreme taxation in Australia I can buy the same order 4 or 5 times for a day's wages where the Filipino can do it once with spare change for food/ bills.
In this example we see that when I complain about the high costs in Oz I am not factoring in the quality issues or my real earning capacity.

Obviously the way I have stacked the equation in my favour is to continue earning in $AUD whilst spending in Peso.

[alokin]

I don't compare to the rest of Asia. But to Europe. Really i often hear Aussies telling how fortunate they are living in this country. In Germany everyone always complained. Taxes here are comparable to what I was used in Europe, but you don't have to pay health insurance.

[SeaGypsy]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('alokin', 'I') don't compare to the rest of Asia. But to Europe. Really i often hear Aussies telling how fortunate they are living in this country. In Germany everyone always complained. Taxes here are comparable to what I was used in Europe, but you don't have to pay health insurance.