Thieving on Trains

Mickey S · Dec 11th, 2007, 15:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by kristinm

Apologies to our American friends - I'm sure none of them on THIS site are so silly - but Americans are always complementing Australians on our good English...

And, of course, only an American could think that an Australian speaks good English...

kristinm · Dec 11th, 2007, 15:30

Well - exactly...

Even sillier - not only are they surprised we speak English, but they think we speak it well.....

Nick-H · Dec 11th, 2007, 16:11

I didn't know Australians spoke English!

But I do know that Americans don't.

America and England: two nations divided by a common language

Aishah · Dec 11th, 2007, 19:06

I have many times been asked by Indians 'What is your native language?' when I have told them I'm from NZ but lived a long time in Australia. There is huge confusion between Australia and Austria - I'm assumed to be from Switzerland on odd occasions!!

Mickey S · Dec 11th, 2007, 19:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aishah

I have many times been asked by Indians 'What is your native language?' when I have told them I'm from NZ but lived a long time in Australia. There is huge confusion between Australia and Austria - I'm assumed to be from Switzerland on odd occasions!!

In 1990 I was on a train from Seattle to Los Angeles and the high school student sitting next to me asked what language we speak in England. When I told him, he said "The same as us? Cool!". When I told him that I was, in fact, from a country called Wales he asked whether we had movie theatres and cars in Wales... and thought that it might be somewhere off the coast of Brazil. He's probably a senator or something by now...

I've also seen maps on CNN with the whole of the United Kingdom labelled "England"...

shashank.aggarwal · Dec 11th, 2007, 19:30

you mean to say Wales is a different country..

manojb · Dec 11th, 2007, 19:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by shashank.aggarwal

you mean to say Wales is a different country..

More correctly, it is a constituent country of the UK along with England, Scotland & Northern Ireland.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constituent_Countries

Nick-H · Dec 12th, 2007, 00:39

Wales is not a different country at all, although often mistaken for one.

It is, in fact, a mammal.

machadinha · Dec 12th, 2007, 00:46

Er, a mammals?

As that old slogan goes, "Save sex, not whales"

capt_mahajan · Dec 12th, 2007, 01:12

My niece used to think it was the Prince of Wails.

the opoponax · Dec 12th, 2007, 02:07

I used to think it was the Prince of Whales.

edwardseco · Dec 12th, 2007, 02:43

After the divorce it was the prince of wails..

kristinm · Dec 12th, 2007, 03:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aishah

I have many times been asked by Indians 'What is your native language?' when I have told them I'm from NZ but lived a long time in Australia. There is huge confusion between Australia and Austria - I'm assumed to be from Switzerland on odd occasions!!

Well I'm told NZ looks a lot like Switzerland - only cheaper!

karuna · Dec 12th, 2007, 03:52

Wales is a principality. But I have to say that quietly, because I might get beaten up cos I'm English. I just live there. Shh.*

I tried explaining the difference between England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Great Britain and the British Isles to someone in India. Lord knows why. I tried to equate it (broadly, I know) to states in India, using Kashmir to try to explain Northern Ireland and using the British Empire to explain why some people in Wales and Scotland don't like the English because they feel they were "colonised". I thought I did quite well, and then at the end of it all I got asked something about my home "in England".

Quote:

When I told him that I was, in fact, from a country called Wales he asked whether we had movie theatres and cars in Wales... and thought that it might be somewhere off the coast of Brazil.

Patagonia's on the same continent and that's pretty Welsh! Obviously where he meant......

*I won't really. In case anyone thought I was being serious.

the opoponax · Dec 12th, 2007, 04:10

Quote:

I tried to equate it (broadly, I know) to states in India... then at the end of it all I got asked something about my home "in England".

A lot of non-British folks completely equate the terms England and UK, in a Holland/The Netherlands, Istanbul/Constantinople, Mumbai/Bombay, etc. kind of way. Which is wrong, obviously, but it's just sort of the way it is.

Dec 11th, 2007, 16:11	#48
Nick-H Loud-mouthed, Noisy Bird Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 27,792	I didn't know Australians spoke English! But I do know that Americans don't. America and England: two nations divided by a common language __________________ . Just one member of the IndiaMike Mod Team

Dec 11th, 2007, 19:06	#49
Aishah She-who-must-be-obeyed! Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Jaisalmer Posts: 5,489	I have many times been asked by Indians 'What is your native language?' when I have told them I'm from NZ but lived a long time in Australia. There is huge confusion between Australia and Austria - I'm assumed to be from Switzerland on odd occasions!! __________________ "Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards."

Dec 11th, 2007, 19:30	#51
shashank.aggarwal Mr. Badboy :D Join Date: May 2007 Location: ~ Dilli ~ Posts: 5,788	you mean to say Wales is a different country.. __________________ Travelogue - Around India Random Reviews

Dec 12th, 2007, 00:46	#54
machadinha Not Your Guru Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: yörp Posts: 11,153	Er, a mammals? As that old slogan goes, "Save sex, not whales" __________________ Reading tips, all picked up at IndiaMike : INDAX's A Comprehensive Guide To India / Dinoj Surendran's Desi Humor / ITHVC on Culture Shock & Travel Health / JetLag Travel Guides For the Undiscerning Traveller / India Travel Links

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Dec 11th, 2007, 15:30	#47
kristinm Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Beautiful Bondi (not Bundi!) Posts: 1,524	Well - exactly... Even sillier - not only are they surprised we speak English, but they think we speak it well.....

Dec 12th, 2007, 00:39	#53
Nick-H Loud-mouthed, Noisy Bird Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 27,792	Wales is not a different country at all, although often mistaken for one. It is, in fact, a mammal.

Dec 12th, 2007, 01:12	#55
capt_mahajan (in charge of navel affairs) Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: India Posts: 10,597	My niece used to think it was the Prince of Wails.

Dec 12th, 2007, 02:07	#56
the opoponax Maha Guru Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Brooklyn, via New Orleans Posts: 1,052	I used to think it was the Prince of Whales.

Dec 12th, 2007, 02:43	#57
edwardseco Maha Guru Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Land that shakes and bakes. Posts: 4,239	After the divorce it was the prince of wails..

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