Is There A General Distain For Americans In Australia?

[Bribie G]

Yeah, the homogenised version of the already homogenised Hong Kong Cantonese food we get here is not a lot like what you'll see in China. But the food changes a lot from one part of the country to another so you could probably say something similar within the country itself.

The thing that ***** me about Chinese restaurants here isn't the lack of authenticity - they're just complete ****. Look through the average menu - all you're doing is picking a meat then picking a sauce - everything is pretty much identical. AND DON'T FORGET TO PAD IT OUT WITH ****-TONNES OF CARROT!

Yes, yes. Flower Drum, etc. Who the hell goes to Flower Drum anyway?

Worst Pizza I ever had was in Genoa, worst spaghetti in Rome and definitely the worst Doner Kebab was in Istanbul. Most delicious thing I've ever eaten in Europe was a sort of deep fried paratha stuffed with goat cheese that I bought of an old peasant lady with a basket, at a train stop in Serbia (before t'troubles). It was still piping hot and about as big as a tablecloth as well. :icon_drool2:

 

[Florian]

and definitely the worst Doner Kebab was in Istanbul.

That's because it was invented in Berlin in the early seventies by Mahmut Aygun who moved from Turkey to Berlin at the age of 16. No one ever bothered to bring this 'recipe' back to Turkey, or so it seems.

I can say with confidence that you will find the best and also the cheapest Dner Kebab in Berlin.

 

[Bribie G]

Bugger the Doner Kebab, I'm craving for Currywurst

:icon_drool2:

 

[Fatgodzilla]

I find Canadians very easy to pick, particularly the ones who are oat and a-boat the place B)

One thing I do admire about the Yanks is their pride in their own country, for example they quite happily sing about San Francisco, Moonlight in Vermont, 24 Hours from Tulsa. I think you could count on one hand the number of Aussie songs that actually refer to the place - not counting John Williams the country singer who sounds like a lawnmower in need of an oil change -

Road to Gundagai
Last train from Sydney
Sweet Sorrento (Mornington Peninsula) Moon......... can't think of too many others.

I mean it would sound weird:

Pardon me boy is this the Port Macquarie Choo Choo?
.....
Dinner in the diner
Nothing could be finer
Than to eat your ham and eggs near Molendinar

Actually Bribie I won't let a 10 pound Pom like you get away with that slur on us colonials. We don't find a need to sing a boring plethora of songs about every Australian place, like our American brothers, we put all the towns in cities and just a small number of songs. Such as this one ...

Well, I was humpin' my bluey on the dusty Oodnadatta road,
When along came a semi with a high and canvas-covered load.
Spoken "If you're goin' to Oodnadatta, mate, um, with me you can ride."
So I climbed in the cabin and I settled down inside.
He asked me if I'd seen a road with so much dust and sand, I said
"Listen, mate, I've travelled ev'ry road in this here land."

Chorus:
Cos "I've been everywhere, man,
I've been everywhere, man.
'Cross the deserts bare, man;
I've breathed the mountain air, man.
Of travel I've had my share, man.
I've been ev'rywhere.

Been to:
Tullamore, Seymour, Lismore, Mooloolaba,
Nambour, Maroochydore, Kilmore, Murwillumbah,
Birdsville, Emmaville, Wallaville, Cunnamulla,
Condamine, Strathpine, Proserpine, Ulladulla,
Darwin, Gin Gin, Millaquin, Muckadilla,
Wallumbilla, Boggabilla, Kumbarilla,
I'm a killer.

Chorus

Spoken "Yeah but listen here, mate, have you been to..."

I've been to Moree, Taree, Jerilderie, Bambaroo,
Toowoomba, Gunnedah, Caringbah, Woolloomooloo,
Dalveen, Tamborine, Engadine, Jindabyne,
Lithgow, Casino, Brigalow and Narromine,
Morella, Augathella, Brindabella, I'm the feller.

Chorus
Spoken "Yeah, I know that, but have you been to..."

I've been to Wollongong, Geelong, Kurrajong, Mullumbimby,
Mittagong, Molong, Grong Grong, Goondiwindi,
Yarra Yarra, Boroondara, Wallangarra, Turramurra,
Boggabri, Gundagai, Narrabri, Tibooburra,
Gulgong, Adelong, Billabong, Cabramatta,
Parramatta, Wangaratta*, Coolangatta, what's it matter?

Chorus

Spoken "Yeah, look that's fine, but how about..."

I've been to Ettalong, Dandenong, Woodenbong, Ballarat,
Canberra, Milperra, Unanderra, Captain's Flat,
Cloncurry, River Murray, Kurri Kurri, Girraween,
Terrigal, Fingal, Stockinbingal, Collaroy and Narrabeen,
Bendigo, Dorrigo, Bangalow, Indooroopilly,
Kirribilli, Yeerongpilly, Wollondilly, don't be silly.

Chorus

I've been here, there, ev'rywhere, I've been ev'rywhere.

Spoken "Okay, mate, you've been ev'ry place except one,
and ya don't need my help t'get there."

I say proudly, there is only a few on the above list I have not seen. I may not have seen Dallas from a DC-9, but I've seen much of this wide brown land.

 

[Florian]

Bugger the Doner Kebab, I'm craving for Currywurst

:icon_drool2:

I can say with confidence that you will find the best and also the cheapest Dner Kebab Currywurst in Berlin.

Same applies, just head for Konnopke's.

 

[Bribie G]

Are you coming to BABBs in a couple of weeks? Might bring a small batch for your opinion

 

[DJR]

My mom cooks with beets quite a bit, but only two dishes: borscht and pickled beets. Russians/Ukrainians (at least the ones related to me and living in Canada) eat them.

We have a gourmet burger chain that makes an Aussie burger: slice of beet, pineapple (if I remember correctly) and a fried egg on a beef burger. Tried one not too long ago and loved it.

Good beef, grated beetroot, mustard, mayo, cheddar cheese, egg, bacon and some baby spinach, on a toasted damper bun, that's the way....

 

[brad81]

Refuse to go metric.

Require your own spelling because it has gotten so bad.

"Look at me, I'm American" when away from home country.

Other than that, most of you are pretty cool. And I don't know who owns this crown, whoever created buffalo wings, I could lick their face (in appreciation).

 

[Liam_snorkel]

Oh man, buffalo wings are the best. I bought a 1 gallon bottle of franks hot sauce not that long ago just to make them.

 

[Bribie G]

Brad, "gotten" is not Australian English. You are drifting to the dark side, mate.. B)

Actually American spelling is descended from English Elizabethan type spelling "Honor, color, colonize " etc and and these later changed in the UK itself when spelling became standardised in Victorian times, by that stage the USA had become sundered from its motherland and retained its own spelling. There was a movement in the 19th century to further standardise the USA spelling which resulted in some strange things like "thru" to make it easier for migrants, but that only had limited success.

The excellent series "The Adventure of English" goes into all that, I've got the DVD set and never tire of watching it despite the presenter's awful pink shirt and brown sports jacket combination. :angry:

I can't begin to imagine how many billions of dollars a year the USA loses in exports and manufacturing by not going metric. I was listening to a report the other day that manufacturing could be coming back there over the next decade as wages and costs of production spiral in China, Korea and Thailand - some big factories now re-opening there - but if they are stuck in Imperial they aren't helping themselves.

 

[bconnery]

I find Canadians very easy to pick, particularly the ones who are oat and a-boat the place B)

One thing I do admire about the Yanks is their pride in their own country, for example they quite happily sing about San Francisco, Moonlight in Vermont, 24 Hours from Tulsa. I think you could count on one hand the number of Aussie songs that actually refer to the place - not counting John Williams the country singer who sounds like a lawnmower in need of an oil change -

Road to Gundagai
Last train from Sydney
Sweet Sorrento (Mornington Peninsula) Moon......... can't think of too many others.

I mean it would sound weird:

Pardon me boy is this the Port Macquarie Choo Choo?
.....
Dinner in the diner
Nothing could be finer
Than to eat your ham and eggs near Molendinar

I don't know what Australian songs you've been listening to Bribie but there are loads that reference Aussie places...
From St Kilda to Kings Cross
Bound for Botany Bay
Augathella Station
sleep on the St Kilda sands
Fitzroy Crossing
Moreton Bay

That's just a few that spring to my mind straight up without even thinking too hard about it. I could get heaps more if I spent some time on it...

 

[Liam_snorkel]

and let's not forget this timeless classic:
http://www.lyricstime.com/blood-duster-thr...ohh-lyrics.html

 

[Fatgodzilla]

and let's not forget this timeless classic:
http://www.lyricstime.com/blood-duster-thr...ohh-lyrics.html

You are a sick one Liam :lol:

 

[WarmBeer]

and let's not forget this timeless classic:
http://www.lyricstime.com/blood-duster-thr...ohh-lyrics.html

If we're going classics, don't forget the best Melbourne band to come out of the 80's:

http://lyrics.wikia.com/TISM:The_Mordalloc_Rd_Duplicator

 

[freezkat]

There was a movement in the 19th century to further standardise the USA spelling which resulted in some strange things like "thru" to make it easier for migrants, but that only had limited success.



I can't begin to imagine how many billions of dollars a year the USA loses in exports and manufacturing by not going metric. I was listening to a report the other day that manufacturing could be coming back there over the next decade as wages and costs of production spiral in China, Korea and Thailand - some big factories now re-opening there - but if they are stuck in Imperial they aren't helping themselves.

We mostly use "thru" when connected to other words like drive-thru, see-thru.

Maybe not as much metric here but we are tops at fractions.

If we were better at the metric system maybe our World Cup teams would run all the way to the goal instead of stopping 39 feet early and kicking. Our girls seem to have it figured out.

 

[Bribie G]

Classic Canadian accent, here we learn aboot the as served in Canada

 

[Karhunkynsi]

It seems that due to that advent of the internet gaming machine that allows microphone interaction between people from foreign countries, a lot of the anti americanism has died down. It's definitely nowhere near as prominent as it was in the years before the internet, but then again, neither are the attitudes from either side.

About 20 years ago, a lot of americans used to travel aus, and be recognised as being the loud, obnoxious pricks who would sit there boldly declaring how **** this country was, and how much better it is in america. This is where the anti american mentality came from. On the flip side of the coin, the americans weren't too fond of australians either. I once spoke to a bloke who toured america and got the "We don't take too kindly to foreigners here" quite a bit around their local pubs. On one occasion the incident resulted in a pub brawl, where the aussies absolutely CLEANED UP the americans, then the police got involved, the americans admitted to starting the brawl, and the aussies got carried away to the lockup.

Now however, the americans love australians (thanks to a bit of outback spin from a little movie called croc dundee), and the tourists seem to be fascinated by what little "australian" culture we have left, (if you can even call it that), and are generally more widely accepted (as are other previously less accepted foreigners). There is of course still an underlying anti americanism, due to the iraq war, and the media driven imaging of the flag waving redneck leading people to believe that the yanks are a bunch of self important hicks, but it seems to be this duality of hating "americans" while having the redneck american stereotype image ingrained in their heads, but when they meet a genuine american, there is no hostility whatsoever.

The internet trolls who love to bag people out for being yanks play no part in this.

 

[bum]

At least Americans don't post in burgundy.

 

[Karhunkynsi]

Old habit from another forum long ago.

 

[bconnery]

At least Americans don't post in burgundy.

That's only because they don't travel outside of America...