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Post by Maolsheachlann on Nov 22, 2017 16:34:07 GMT
"Upskill."
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Post by Maolsheachlann on Nov 26, 2017 19:43:21 GMT
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Post by kj on Dec 29, 2017 23:56:40 GMT
Ok, I apologise in advance as this is going to be an extremely uncharitable post, but hey, it's the rants and raves section.
I'm in Australia for a few weeks, as my girlfriend is from here. I was here once five years ago.
Well, they just don't do Christmas. It's a public holiday in the middle of their summer and that's about it. It feels about as Christmasy as the June bank holiday weekend at home. It's really depressing. I yearn for a roaring fire, the tree, the cold outside, the mince pies, the cosiness and all the rest of it.
On a broader note, the place seems even more materialistic than I recall it being five years ago. Nothing but restaurants and eateries. The amount of bookshops has diminished. Everyone seems to talk about nothing but money and property (sounds familiar, eh?).
(My apologies to Seamus, whom I think is either Aussie or an Irishman living in Oz. Naturally, as a member of this forum you are exempt from all of my anathemas.)
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Post by Séamus on Dec 30, 2017 0:30:57 GMT
Ok, I apologise in advance as this is going to be an extremely uncharitable post, but hey, it's the rants and raves section. I'm in Australia for a few weeks, as my girlfriend is from here. I was here once five years ago. Well, they just don't do Christmas. It's a public holiday in the middle of their summer and that's about it. It feels about as Christmasy as the June bank holiday weekend at home. It's really depressing. I yearn for a roaring fire, the tree, the cold outside, the mince pies, the cosiness and all the rest of it. On a broader note, the place seems even more materialistic than I recall it being five years ago. Nothing but restaurants and eateries. The amount of bookshops has diminished. Everyone seems to talk about nothing but money and property (sounds familiar, eh?). (My apologies to Seamus, whom I think is either Aussie or an Irishman living in Oz. Naturally, as a member of this forum you are exempt from all of my anathemas.) Christmas in Australia does take a lot of adapting to, but really, it can get so warm that the European things just don't work. That's once reason I'm unhappy that you hear a lot of WINTER WONDERLAND and FROSTY THE SNOWMAN but not the more appropriate (and ethereal) carols of Kevin James and John Wheeler, like CAROL OF THE BIRDS. You might have heard the news story of an Irish lass being arrested for assaulting a police officer at an out of control Christmas beach party in Melbourne. So they certainly get into the swing of things. A bit more seriously: An Irishman in Perth had his support turned off a day or two after the 25th- he'd been hit in a street fight a week before and another Irish born teenager was killed by a street gang a few weeks earlier, in Perth also. rip.
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Post by kj on Dec 30, 2017 3:07:34 GMT
Yes, I saw those stories. Dreadful.
I've been struck by the strident PC culture here: every ad and so on has a panoply of races and cultures that would do Hilary Clinton's website proud.
I was dragged to a variety performance show in the Sydney Opera House hosted by a gay New Yorker who didn't let a single opportunity go by without trashing Trump supporters, people who read the Bible, and those who voted against the gay marriage referendum here. It was getting on my nerves at the end.
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Post by Séamus on Dec 30, 2017 3:35:16 GMT
Yes, I saw those stories. Dreadful. I've been struck by the strident PC culture here: every ad and so on has a panoply of races and cultures that would do Hilary Clinton's website proud. I was dragged to a variety performance show in the Sydney Opera House hosted by a gay New Yorker who didn't let a single opportunity go by without trashing Trump supporters, people who read the Bible, and those who voted against the gay marriage referendum here. It was getting on my nerves at the end. Australia, is materialistic, but I've never really expected anything else. Yes, there had been a strong family orientation, but this could hardly be expected to survive any more than it has in other Western countries. The biggest NO vote in the referendum in Australia was from the Parramatta /Western Sydney area which has a huge Islamic population.
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Post by Séamus on Dec 30, 2017 3:38:21 GMT
Yes, I saw those stories. Dreadful. I've been struck by the strident PC culture here: every ad and so on has a panoply of races and cultures that would do Hilary Clinton's website proud. I was dragged to a variety performance show in the Sydney Opera House hosted by a gay New Yorker who didn't let a single opportunity go by without trashing Trump supporters, people who read the Bible, and those who voted against the gay marriage referendum here. It was getting on my nerves at the end. PS Sydney's IRISH ECHO paper is usually quite left wing also.
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Post by Séamus on Dec 30, 2017 4:06:29 GMT
Ok, I apologise in advance as this is going to be an extremely uncharitable post, but hey, it's the rants and raves section. I'm in Australia for a few weeks, as my girlfriend is from here. I was here once five years ago. Well, they just don't do Christmas. It's a public holiday in the middle of their summer and that's about it. It feels about as Christmasy as the June bank holiday weekend at home. It's really depressing. I yearn for a roaring fire, the tree, the cold outside, the mince pies, the cosiness and all the rest of it. On a broader note, the place seems even more materialistic than I recall it being five years ago. Nothing but restaurants and eateries. The amount of bookshops has diminished. Everyone seems to talk about nothing but money and property (sounds familiar, eh?). (My apologies to Seamus, whom I think is either Aussie or an Irishman living in Oz. Naturally, as a member of this forum you are exempt from all of my anathemas.) Another thing that takes from Christmas, I'm not sure if it's uniquely Australian, is starting the big sales on the 26th. Why would anyone want to pay full price for anything on Christmas eve when they can pay quarter the price two days later? True,Epiphany was traditionally the gift-giving day, but Christmas is more ingrained now.... And there is greater symbolism in a way-the magi had expensive gifts, the shepherds on Christmas morn gave of their poverty..... but now a lot of people will refrain from visiting and gift-giving to relatives until after Christmas for completely non-liturgical reasons.
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Post by kj on Dec 30, 2017 5:17:58 GMT
I think that's pretty much the norm across the western world now. It's demoralising to see huge ads for Boxing Day sales on tv on Christmas Day.
Oh well, I found some mince pies at 50% off the normal price at the back of a supermarket. That'll have to do me.
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Post by Stephen on Jan 4, 2018 11:59:33 GMT
I'm looking to find a Catholic Au Pair and was wondering does anyone know were I could look?I was thinking about bringing it up on a traditional Catholic forum that is international, any suggestions?
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Post by irishconfederate on Jan 14, 2018 21:39:10 GMT
I know Opus Dei do a kind of informal service where they get mainly Catholic Spanish Au Pairs for English speaking Catholic families. I know a family who did this and I could get the contact details if interested.
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Post by Stephen on Jan 16, 2018 15:32:56 GMT
I know Opus Dei do a kind of informal service where they get mainly Catholic Spanish Au Pairs for English speaking Catholic families. I know a family who did this and I could get the contact details if interested. That would be very helpful.
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Post by irishconfederate on Jan 17, 2018 14:02:39 GMT
I know Opus Dei do a kind of informal service where they get mainly Catholic Spanish Au Pairs for English speaking Catholic families. I know a family who did this and I could get the contact details if interested. That would be very helpful. Have already contacted friend to get contact. Will send private message when have it.
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Post by irishconfederate on Jan 17, 2018 14:04:03 GMT
A rant -
The fact that the Republic of Ireland converted to kilometers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Drives me mad. What happened to the Irish mile?
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Post by Maolsheachlann on Jan 17, 2018 14:07:23 GMT
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