Cliodhna Posted September 22, 2004 Share Posted September 22, 2004 Ever hear of the expression - whinging pom? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephenlemmon Posted September 22, 2004 Share Posted September 22, 2004 Yeah, I heard that a lot in Aus a lot - I think it originated from there. My aussie ex used to call me that a lot Stephen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hewitts Posted September 25, 2004 Share Posted September 25, 2004 Yes it is an Australian expression referring to English/UK migrants who seem to moan a lot, but then having just returned from the UK I think it just refers to the general population of UK who seem to moan a lot and not smile very much!However I did have a fabulous trip, fell in love with the countryside all over again, but you can't eat it can you and the cost of living is enough to make anyone into a whingeing pom.I am a pom, but don't whinge anymore maybe because I am lucky enough to be able to visit and then come home to Sydney.I have a theory all of my own and I think that everyone is so miserable most of the time because no one has any personal space anymore. The Country is overpopulated, time to introduce the Chinese population control measures, everyone living cheek by jowl in the cities at least, tail backs every day of the week on the motorways (13 hours on National Express from Bangor North Wales to Lewisham SE London). Good job I had a book and my personal CD player. Silly me it was the Friday of the Bank Holiday!It is all so sad, it is such a beautiful Country , I love it , I love seeing my friends, but I couldn't live there anymore, no one smiles, that was the thing I noticed most. I can't even complain about the weather, I only had 3 days of rain and that was in Birmingham!! It was even sunny in Wales for the first time in the last 3 visits!!!I must compliment National Express, their service is fantastic, I went up and down the Country to and fro, the buses are clean, the terminals are clean, the staff helpful. Someone has been doing their homework as the last time I was visiting I found the exact opposite.Trains, buses and tubes in London have also improved on cleanliness in the past two years. However, a certain bus conductress needs some help with customer service if London gets the Olympic bid for 2012, she screamed, literally at me and friends because we didn't know which bit of the ticket to tear off and hand to her. I have never experienced such rudeness from anyone in my life, she really did yell at us! My friend took her number and wrote a letter. A big improvement in attitude needs to take place if the bid is successful but where do you start I don't know, maybe at schools teaching kids how to smile, when to smile, might be a start. I think everyone has forgotten!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cjb Posted September 25, 2004 Share Posted September 25, 2004 No point starting in the schools. If the teachers aren't smiling it might prove a little tricky for the kids!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joh Posted September 25, 2004 Share Posted September 25, 2004 Bit perplexed with original post as I have to ask myself,,,, what the heck has this got to do with France Or am I being over cynical? Or do the Brit's whinge just as much in France?Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patf Posted September 25, 2004 Share Posted September 25, 2004 Terry - I think this is a continuation of Nathalie's topic a few days ago about people complaining about things in France. Cliodhna made this comment implying that Brits are all moaners. Fullstop. I don't agree, it's too much of a generalisation. But I agree with what Hewitts said about the overcrowding in the south east of England - just like battery chickens. France is 4 times the size of uk ( or is it England?) and has about the same population. Pat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaligoBay Posted September 25, 2004 Share Posted September 25, 2004 Well, any self-respecting French person will tell you unashamedly that "les Français ralent, tout le temps"!As my neighbour's Titeuf t-shirt says....Je râle par principe........... on ne sait jamais! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teamedup Posted September 26, 2004 Share Posted September 26, 2004 Excellant SB, if I see a tee shirt like that, I really will buy one for one of my friends, she will love it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cjb Posted September 26, 2004 Share Posted September 26, 2004 Do they see fit to post all of their whinges on the Internet? I don't know, maybe it's just me, but I feel that their are more important things to do than gossip about something that I saw a french person do that has "shocked" me! What do we hope to gain from it. "Awww it'd never happen back home.""Awww I know, I could hardly believe my eyes.""Aww it happens here in 40.""Awww, I know, it's the same here in 51!"What are we, amateur anthropologists? I'm glad they're different, that's why I moved here!! I wonder if a similar site exists for French "expats" living in England?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaligoBay Posted September 26, 2004 Share Posted September 26, 2004 CJD, you're trolling again!It's a French forum, remember, so what country do you expect us to talk about, Azerbaijan? You seem to have lost your critical faculties on the way over (or under) the Channel. I'm sure a talented person like yourself could knit some more.Real Life happens, my sweet, and normal human beings react to it. If you have no views on the maltreatment of children, or domestic violence, or any other issues, then keep off those threads.Maybe this forum isn't the place for you, there must be a forum somewhere for people with their heads up their own arses? If not, I'm sure you're clever enough to start one, full of suitably intellectual subjects that will bore the pants off anyone who accidentally visits it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teamedup Posted September 26, 2004 Share Posted September 26, 2004 cjb, the life is wonderful all the time and every single french person is incredibly polite and there are no souci in their lives and they only speak about nice things and never râle is just not the reality of living here, as I suppose you very well know. And if I spoke about France like that, I suspect that my french friends would either think I was simple, OR worse may believe that I thought that they were simple.It is nauseating to read threads about all the nicetys as if there aren't any problems here, hence some of us just post about life here. Has it got it's place on here. Well if it hasn't then that would make this place a very odd place. And I've seen this board when it was all 'rosey'.......... for someone who knew different it was shocking and I was told, for my sins, when I first started posting that I shouldn't say anything bad about France and it was implied that I was a flamer. I'm not a flamer and will talk about this place, as just the country it is, the good, the bad and the ugly. TUWho wouldn't have her french friends other than they are, I don't class them as whingers, they don't whinge, they discuss the fullness of life and I like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cjb Posted September 26, 2004 Share Posted September 26, 2004 It's just that it gets a bit tiresome when a thread reads something like this:I saw a French person fall over in the street, today. Is this typical in France?Oh yes, it happens here in 76.Oh and here in 14!The french don't take enough care of their roads or elderly people!All my neighbours agree that this is true!4 times more French people fall over in the street than in England etc........................What is this? Online therapy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaligoBay Posted September 26, 2004 Share Posted September 26, 2004 Chris, I think you're getting a bit confused up there in your ivory tower.There's a thing called "France" and there's a thing called "Real Life". And although it seems unbelievable to those who wear rose-tinted spectacles, sometimes the two things overlap.And what's wrong with a bit of "online therapy"? Whatever YOU think you are, the rest of us are only human! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miki Posted September 26, 2004 Share Posted September 26, 2004 Living Azerbaijan.............You don't want to go there SB, if people thing Living France has whingers, then brother (or sister of course) you ain't read nothing yet.Moan, moan, moan, that's all the Azerbaijanis do, posts of where to buy goat curry, someone's always got a problem with their fosse, health carte Azerbaijan Vitale not arrived, price of sheds going up all the time, etc etc.That is why I came back to LF and discuss like TU said, the fuller picture, as many of us see it here.One thing I have noticed, in the time I have been on this forum, is just how many peoples attitudes change somewhat after being here in France and on the forum for a while. No real need to mention any names as it happens to so many, absolutely nothing wrong with a changing attitude and it is good to see those people also offer serious advice on living in France from their actual experience.Is it ironic when a whinge comes on about the "whingers" ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russethouse Posted September 26, 2004 Share Posted September 26, 2004 Cjb - given that this is a forum aimed at people who are Francophiles, some thinking of, or already owning second home, others thinking of retiring to France and yet more younger people thinking of moving there to raise their family, what, (bearing in mind the assorted levels of their language skills, and that not all of them are married to French nationals)exactly would you want or expect to find discussed here ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaligoBay Posted September 26, 2004 Share Posted September 26, 2004 You may mock, Miki, but I have the last laugh, because I do in fact live in Azerbaijan.Never been to France in my life. I hear it's nice, isn't it the place with the world's lowest taxes, highest salaries, everyone's really nice to each other in a homely peasantish cabbage-sharing sort of way, and death by car accident or suicide is completely unknown?And if you lived here, instead of just coming on holiday, you would realise that the price of toga curry is no laughing matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cjb Posted September 26, 2004 Share Posted September 26, 2004 Hey, it wasn't just me that said that there was a lot of whinging going on!Most irritating posts. Those from people that seem to believe they own the forum due to the wisdonm that they've acquired by posting so many times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaligoBay Posted September 26, 2004 Share Posted September 26, 2004 Your (recently value-free) posts are going up in number too, JCB. Maybe you're very proud that most of them are only comments on how pathetic other posters are!And you haven't said yet what we should all be discussing, if not life in France. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deby Posted September 26, 2004 Share Posted September 26, 2004 >>>Maybe this forum isn't the place for you, there must be a forum somewhere for people with their heads up their own arses? <<<LOLIt's great when people have a difference of opinion as usually it's opens the mind! But when people choose to be antagonistic it shows how closed their minds actually are. CJB did I see that you were/are a lecturer/teacher - how on earth did you manage to become one of those with such shallow views?deby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russethouse Posted September 26, 2004 Share Posted September 26, 2004 >>CJB did I see that you were/are a lecturer/teacher - how on earth did you manage to become one of those with such shallow views?<<<Oh I don't think Cjb has shallow views, he's just YOUNG.....enjoy the journey Chris!My life has been a tapestry of rich and royal hueAn everlasting vision of the everchanging viewA wondrous woven magic in bits of blue and goldA tapestry to feel and see, impossible to hold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexis Posted September 26, 2004 Share Posted September 26, 2004 Wonderfull. Carole King. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deby Posted September 26, 2004 Share Posted September 26, 2004 Gay,Beautifully said.Deby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pantouflard Posted September 26, 2004 Share Posted September 26, 2004 If no one (over) reacted to these posts we'd only have to wade through one & not dozens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boghound Posted September 27, 2004 Share Posted September 27, 2004 [quote]You may mock, Miki, but I have the last laugh, because I do in fact live in Azerbaijan. Never been to France in my life. I hear it's nice, isn't it the place with the world's lowest taxes, highest s...[/quote]Ah. This explains a lot. Don't those Kerds, whoops, curds, just stick to the roof of your mouth. And as far as "dunking" goes. Don't take me there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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