Does Australia Exist?

[Terry B]

Not according to the S & T magazine imaging survey they emailed to me. One of the questions asked what region of the world you live in. South asia and SE asia were options but no oceania. Just another example of the US centric view of some people.
I have emailed them but received no reply yet.

[Rob_K]

Didn't get that far before I bailed out, Terry. It's a product placement survey as far as I could see. And no, Australia doesn't exist, it's a figment of our collective imaginations. Very shrewd of S&T to pick that up. ;)

Cheers -

[Keltik]

Yippee, I don't need to pay taxes now...

[Screwdriverone]

Well, according to Obama's Military invasion (oops I mean training) plan, Australia is simply the 51st US state isnt it?

;)

Cheers

Chris

[casstony]

They know there's an Australia out there somewhere, but they're not sure where it is.

On one of our US trips we hired a big red 4WD. After hearing my mythical aussie accent one person asked us if we drove to America:rolleyes:.

The US public education system and media does not prepare Americans for life outside of US borders.

[bmitchell82]

We own all your bases muhahahaha !

[jjjnettie]

Pinches self....ouch
I exist, I really do.

[sjastro]

They're not all that ignorant.

I remember about 10 years ago exchanging E-mails with the then Associate Editor of S & T Dennis Di Cicco.

Dennis asked where I was from, from my response, he deduced I must live just outside Bacchus Marsh on the road down to Geelong.

Not the response you would expect from your typically geographically challenged American.:eyepop:

Steven

PS I think he knew because he had friends in the area.

[Mliss]

:rofl: wonderful!!

[traveller]

Boy, where do I start?
Most education in the US is from a single (US) perspective. In addition, the States are fiercely anti-Federal anything, so you can get wacko "Intelligent Design" theories be mandated to be taught at state schools.
When they switch on their idiot boxes on, there is nothing but cat up the tree needing firemen to rescue it type of news.
Oh that and Kim Kadashian, now that I can live with ;)
Bo

[ballaratdragons]

I talk to Americans almost every night, and often for long hours, and they admit to knowing practically nothing about Oz.
Some know a few tiny bits only because they met someone who knows someone who came here for a visit 20 years ago.

Many know all about Crocodile Dundee and Steve Irwin (maybe they think we are all like them :lol: )

But generally, they know very little to nothing about us.
There's 2, sometimes 3, of us Aussies talk with them at night and 'set them straight' ;)
Most of it they doubt, some they accept :screwy:

[Mliss]

I lived in Alice Springs growing up I was the only Aussie in my grade 7 class, including the teacher.

I spelt 'sceptical' on a spelling test and was marked wrong and was told it's spelt 'sKeptical' :lol: my Dad went off :rofl:

Even came back to Perth with an American accent :rolleyes: :lol:

in fairness tho, i know there are plenty of Aussies out there who wouldn't know the first thing about the US... and besides, horror stories of drop bears are always fun :D

[strongmanmike]

Considering their last president thought we were Austrians, what do we expect :lol: :rolleyes:

I suspect their current president has a better idea though....:question:

[traveller]

You mean when Obama referred our PM as Gillarrrd???

[ZeroID]

Think thats bad, try telling them about NZ !!
Unless you mention Hobbits .... in which case we are defintely mythical and imaginary. With hairy feet ....

Spent 10 days in Vegas a few years back. Only thing worth watching on the box was the weather channel, 30 mins of weather forecast then 30 mins of weather documentary, rinse & repeat ......
Vegas is a circus ....

[ballaratdragons]

Brent, often when John in New Zealand is Broadcasting on Night Skies Network (or visiting as a viewer in my broadcast) he has to try explain NZ to them. Many think it is part of OZ, some think Africa. Some just simply say "where is New Zealand?"

[ballaratdragons]

. . and how we ride Kangaroos to school with our books in their pouch :lol:

[h0ughy]

i was peeved, but thinking about it now they didnt put it in i think due to AS&T distribution area. slack but i think it might be true

[strongmanmike]

What an engaging orator Obama is, not since JFK have we seen such a man...Bob Hawke came close (in an Aussie way) at his best :thumbsup:

Mike

[supernova1965]

I think that is more an accent thing rather than a ignorance problem

[Mliss]

:lol: i think you might be right

[Rob_K]

Q&A from an Australian Tourism Website, allegedly! But who lets truth get in the way of a good yarn? ;) :lol:

___________________________________ _______________
Q: Does it ever get windy in Australia ? I have never seen it rain on TV, how do the plants grow? ( UK ).

A: We import all plants fully grown and then just sit around watching them die.
___________________________________ _______________

Q: Will I be able to see kangaroos in the street? ( USA )

A: Depends how much you've been drinking.
___________________________________ _______________

Q:I want to walk from Perth to Sydney - can I follow the railroad tracks? ( Sweden )

A: Sure, it's only three thousand miles, take lots of water.
___________________________________ _______________

Q: Are there any ATMs (cash machines) in Australia? Can you send me a list of them in Brisbane, Cairns, Townsville and Hervey Bay ? ( UK )

A: What did your last slave die of?
___________________________________ _______________

Q:Can you give me some information about hippo racing in Australia ? ( USA )

A: A-Fri-ca is the big triangle shaped continent south of Europe.
Aus-tra-lia is that big island in the middle of the Pacific which does not
... Oh forget it. Sure, the hippo racing is every Tuesday night in Kings Cross. Come naked.
___________________________________ _______________

Q:Which direction is North in Australia ? (USA )

A: Face south and then turn 180 degrees. Contact us when you get here and we'll send the rest of the directions.
___________________________________ ______________

Q: Can I bring cutlery into Australia ? ( UK )
A: Why? Just use your fingers like we do...
___________________________________ _______________

Q:Can you send me the Vienna Boys' Choir schedule? ( USA )

A: Aus-tri-a is that quaint little country bordering Ger-man-y, which is
Oh forget it. Sure, the Vienna Boys Choir plays every Tuesday night in Kings Cross, straight after the hippo races. Come naked.
___________________________________ _______________

Q: Can I wear high heels in Australia ? ( UK )
A: You are a British politician, right?
___________________________________ _______________

Q:Are there supermarkets in Sydney and is milk available all year round? ( Germany )

A: No, we are a peaceful civilization of vegan hunter/gatherers.
Milk is illegal.
___________________________________ _______________

Q: Please send a list of all doctors in Australia who can dispense rattlesnake serum. ( USA )

A: Rattlesnakes live in A-meri-ca which is where YOU come from.
All Australian snakes are perfectly harmless, can be safely handled and make good pets.
___________________________________ _______________

Q: I have a question about a famous animal in Australia, but I forget its name. It's a kind of bear and lives in trees. ( USA )

A: It's called a Drop Bear. They are so called because they drop out of Gum trees and eat the brains of anyone walking underneath them.
You can scare them off by spraying yourself with human urine before you go out walking.
___________________________________ _______________

Q: I have developed a new product that is the fountain of youth. Can you tell me where I can sell it in Australia ? ( USA )

A: Anywhere significant numbers of Americans gather.
___________________________________ _______________

Q: Do you celebrate Christmas in Australia ? ( France )

A: Only at Christmas.
___________________________________ _______________

Q: Will I be able to speak English most places I go? ( USA )

A: Yes, but you'll have to learn it first


Cheers -

[Mliss]

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

LOVE IT!!!!!!! i laughed so much!! thanks Rob :2thumbs:

[Ric]

Good value Rob. :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :lol:

I was just thinking, if Australia doesn't exist then a lot of us are going to get wet feet. :P

[ballaratdragons]

Fantastic list Rob :rofl:

[Screwdriverone]

Hey Ken,

You come from Snake Valley, right?

Thats the Valley full of snakes, right?


LOL

Chris

[acropolite]

Excellent Rob, Nearly fell off the couch when i read the Hippo race bit.

[Karls48]

No Australia does not and cannot exist. I know that I live here but I cannot tell that to anybody in Europe. Just before First WW some poor guy was excommunicated from the church because he insisted that he got brother in Australia. They may have changed their views little bit in past hundred years – but I doubt it.

[Terry B]

You can tell that it's raining.:P

[jjjnettie]

I was just thinking the same thing.
We all go a little funny when it's cloudy around new moon.
But prefer this sort of funny to the bickering that usually happens.

[Zaps]

Now that's a funny thing. Ever since I first met Australians all those years ago, it's only been Australians who have claimed that Australia is the 51st State. And it seemed to me than (and still does now) that just about every Australian I have met and know kind of likes the idea.

[h0ughy]

thats OK we are not that paranoid all that often, only with days that end in y.

but in saying that i just got a phone call from india telling me i have a Microsoft windows security problem and that they would fix it for me.

in all seriousness i think we do suffer a slight bit from isolation - does it show that much:question:

[ZeroID]

Us Kiwis and Aussies are down here for a reason. It's the only way the world stays balanced with all that top hamper in the northern realms ...

Personally I like the 'isolation'. Filters out the worst of the blather from above ...

[OICURMT]

52nd dude... Puerto Rico is the 51st... :thumbsup: