General Chat

We had an inch of rain during the night - it poured down all night. Everything was soaked, and I spent the morning tidying up things in the garden that had got battered. I'm not complaining, we really needed that rain. More heavy rain forcast for Friday apparently.
I will arrange for some to get to you CC, but doubt I can send it as far as Pam in Qld. I hope you get your hose fixed up Pam, hauling water about is no joke, especially as you have a painful shoulder.

CC...........My uncle never did get into trouble for taking pot-shots at the neighbours. When I took the air gun from him I stamped on it over the back doorstep, effectively making it useless. He wasn't really a nasty man, he never married, but looked after his mother, my grandmother, until she died, aged 94 yrs. He was upset because most of the houses in his road had been bought up by immigrant families. He showed me a stack of letters that had been put through his letterbox from Asian people, and Asian property developers offering to buy his house, and at a good price, but he didn't want to move, and felt he was too old. He loved his garden, but would no longer go out there because he didn't like the music he could hear, and exotic cooking smells wafting around.
I did my best to explain that we now lived in a multicultural society, and that things change, but I think he was too old to accept change, too set in his ways. Sadly he died within a few months of my visit. His house was sold the day it went on the market.

Tec.

Hello Dorothy,
Good to see you back on the thread.
Are you back in the UK to stay? Yes, Hampshire is a lovely county. We live in North Wales, it's nice here too, but a bit rugged in the winter, especially last winter. I see they are having some rather cool weather in Oz at the moment.

Tec.

Hi CC,
why would anyone lie about their age?
I was brave this morning. I went to work without a coat!

Hi Dorothy,
My sister lives near Portsmouth!

CC,
I'm in the UK but most of the summer I've been wearing my kaguole! i've got a little brolley in my rucksack just in case it rains!

I feel the cold! I was wearing a coat and beret until the middle of April. i don't remember May! My sister and brother in law despair with me sometimes!

Hello everyone - no baby yet? I'm disappointed:-(

Hello Dorothy - welcome back.

Tec we are having some cold weather where we are at the moment. 4 degrees at the moment which is very chilly for June.

CC - my mother is very rascist and doesn't try to hide it. Actually we had words yesterday because she had a phone call from one of my cousins in the UK and by the sounds of it she was quite rude. She said she didn't really want to talk to her because she is odd. When I asked why she said she's gay (which I knew) and she's only partly our blood. I asked how she could be only partly our blood when she is the daughter of my mother’s sister. She told me her father was Pakistani but not quite in those words. I was so annoyed that I had to get off the phone but she told my brother later in the day that she knows that I was annoyed but not why – my brother told her why:-)) She still couldn’t understand. She told my brother that she hoped our cousin wouldn’t ring her again so my brother told her to give our cousin his number.

I guess you can’t change the way people are. My father was quite rascist but as time went on he tried very hard and would speak happily with people of all cultures and backgrounds. My mother won’t try.

Sue xx

Hi CC. My mother has always been a little embarrassed because my sister in law is Maltese. My mum truly doesn't believe she is being rude. I can't change the way she thinks as this is her way of thinking but to not want anything to do with her niece because of her bigotry is very annoying.

Sue xx

Good Evening CC, and Pat,
Good Morning Sue,

That is a bit cold Sue - winter drawers on I would say :)))

I think a lot of racism is a generational thing. People of our parents generation were usually not accustomed to mixing with people of other colours and cultures, so they find it harder to accept it as the norm.

Todays children attend multi-cultural schools and integrate naturally. They just accept each other and colour or culture becomes less of an issue. The language barrier of older immigrants has been a problem, but as their children are educated in English speaking schools, this will also be less of an issue. I think there will be less ignorance because the children will learn and understand more about other cultures.

Tec

Hello Tec:-))

My parents travelled a great deal to many countries before my father passed away. It gave my father a wider view of the world but not so my mother. Part of my annoyance is that we have so little contact with UK relatives on my side of the family. They don't write or email just the odd phone call so we get very little news filtering through. So to snub a niece when she rings up is soooo annoying to me.

I'm sorry - I've woken up in a grumpy mood today:-(

Sue xx

hello all, whatever time of the day it is for you.

Hello again Dorothy. In your original post you mentioned that you had a picture of the Karri Forests in WA. Did you live in WA.

I'm only being nosey as I am an ex Pom now living South of Perth near Bunbury, and often go for drives to the various State Forests.

A perons ethnic backgound has never bothered me as I was at Primary School when the first wave of immigrants came into the UK in the early fifties to help ease the manpower shortage created by the War. We lived adjacent to Moss Side which then, as now became a sort of enclave.

There was one Indian Girl in my class at Primary School and I remember her wearing Sari's

One particular Sari weas very beautiful with all dangly material around the neck and shoulders.

It was definitely a Sari with a fring on the top!

Pam I don't mind people taking the mickey out of me:0))

My shou;ders are broad enough to cope, and besides, whilst I am the butt of their humour, it means that they are leaving another poor soul alone :0))

~~~~~~~ to Pat.

Any news on Linda's granddaughter yet?

Allan

Good morning, Grumpy!

Allan

Hi Allan:-( I know you mean me!!

Sue xx

lol, you got that one spot on, Sue :0))

Allan

Sue, You mustn't be grumpy - it will put lines on your face, so look in the mirror, smile sweetly, and tweek your OHs nose when he least expects it. His reaction will make you laugh, and you will feel better about things .

Good Morning Allan,

You must accept that like me, you are but a mere male, part of our role is to withstand ridicule and the butt of the Sisterhood jokes.

Tec

Good evening CC and Tec.

I was trying to explain to my OH about the Sisterhood on this thread and did not get a very sympathetic reaction ;0((

There must be a certain gene common to all females throughout the world!

Allan

CC......You could never torment me.....I know you're barking:)))
Tec.

Yes, Tec, but is it up the wrong tree? :0))

Allan

Allan, When did you ever get sympathy from a female?
Tec.

Little wonder your lovely OH is unsympathetic Allan - she is one of us after all:-))

Tec - I just tweeked OH's nose and he said "where's the fly swatter - there's a pest flying around biting noses". It did make me laugh especially when he got the swatter out of the cupboard. Son just looked at us and shook his head:-))

Sue xx