Gil a écrit :
J’ai bien apprécié votre réponse : mon mari m’a dit que j’allais me faire incendié mais, dans mon expérience, les français sont plus raisonnables que ça !
Salut Donna, no, I'm sure there won't be an incendie - somebody from 'our' side has to put the 'cat among the pigeons' de temps en temps, n'est ce pas?
I was very interested to read your story, and it's great to have another Aussie viewpoint.
I could have contributed to this forum weeks ago, but like you, I was also feeling somewhat outraged, for a time at least...., and these days in situations like this, rather than argue (what I feel is uselessly) or feel unhappy, I disappear until things become more moderate again.
I guess feeling a bit bad is just the natural reaction when one is patriotic about one's country, not liking to see too much unkind stuff written about it, though viewpoints are usually only somebody's opinions, nothing more.
Interestingly though, this time I was slightly outraged not by the answers, but more by the questions being asked, questions which to my way of thinking seemed to invite all others taking part to jump in feet first and add their criticisms of Australia to the pile (and sure, there is a pile to be made if one tries, like anywhere)....but I was very proud to see this didn't happen, but instead moderate and balanced viewpoints were the general order of things.
I realize though that sometimes to get answers you have to ask a FEW leading questions....
And another good reason why I don't take part till now: with some people, no matter how you try to explain, or how many facts you present, they just don't get it, or can't, without experiencing and FEELING it firsthand for themselves over time - a good deal of time (which maybe makes asking some of the questions a bit wasted).
On a much brighter note, j'ai aime de lire les histoires, reponses et temoinages sur ce form tres beaucoup, and believe from this that some of you could well be prouder future Aussies than some I've seen here who were born Aussies but take some of the best parts of life here for granted, because they know no other life outside Australia to compare with, or because that's just what they do and how they are, for example cynical.
Similar to you, Donna, my circle of friends (in my home town at least) is made up of a french ex-pat, a russian, a dutch one, and the rest Aussie members of Alliance francaise, which also gives me a very nice contrast to the - shall we say - 'Aussie ocker' way of life I often observe around me, especially in pubs.
See you around
Kate