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Thread: Make friends with people in the UK

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    Registered User stewart38's Avatar
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    Make friends with people in the UK

    I though this article was very thought provoking. It’s aimed at Polish people living/working in Devon

    Polish immigrants told: 'Make friends with the British by complaining about the weather' | Mail Online

    Any truth in it ?


    I particularly liked this one

    ----------------
    It goes on: ' "How are you?" is not really a question, but part of the greeting. Don't respond with the details of your health. Better to answer with a brief "OK fine, thank you", or at the worst, "so-so".
    ----------------


    Pretty true I guess you don’t really want to know how someone is

    Bit like when you get to work and ask How was you weekend , you expect ‘fine thanks’ rather then let me tell you about how I squeezed by boil on Sunday after noon etc

    Ps Cumber sandwich any one ?

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    Re: Make friends with people in the UK

    Quote Originally Posted by stewart38 View Post
    ----------------
    It goes on: ' "How are you?" is not really a question, but part of the greeting. Don't respond with the details of your health. Better to answer with a brief "OK fine, thank you", or at the worst, "so-so".
    ----------------
    A Slovakian friend living in London was really annoyed by this when she would begin to answer and they wouldn't even stick around to hear it. She found English people incredibly rude

    Of course the correct answer is "oh awful. I'd complain but no one listens you may as well not bother..." ...annnd...continue for 10 mins, shouting if necessary to reach the rapidly departing questioner

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    Re: Make friends with people in the UK

    Quote Originally Posted by stewart38 View Post
    I though this article was very thought provoking. It’s aimed at Polish people living/working in Devon

    Polish immigrants told: 'Make friends with the British by complaining about the weather' | Mail Online

    Any truth in it ?


    I particularly liked this one

    ----------------
    It goes on: ' "How are you?" is not really a question, but part of the greeting. Don't respond with the details of your health. Better to answer with a brief "OK fine, thank you", or at the worst, "so-so".
    ----------------


    Pretty true I guess you don’t really want to know how someone is

    Bit like when you get to work and ask How was you weekend , you expect ‘fine thanks’ rather then let me tell you about how I squeezed by boil on Sunday after noon etc

    Ps Cumber sandwich any one ?
    And (kinda) vice versa.

    If you are in Poland and ask someone how they are (I pronounce it Yak shey mash - but it's spelt quite differently) - or even if you do it in England) it jars with them a bit - because it means you are asking about their health. Better just to say "Czesc" (or Gin Dobray(sp)) - and then (at work) shake hands with them every morning like you've just met for the first time (that was slightly weird).

    PS What do cumber sandwiches taste like?

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    Re: Make friends with people in the UK

    Quote Originally Posted by JiveLad View Post
    PS What do cumber sandwiches taste like?
    Very little flavour, but at least you don't have to queue for them.

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    Re: Make friends with people in the UK

    Quote Originally Posted by straycat View Post
    Very little flavour, but at least you don't have to queue for them.
    I think how times and changed . In the good old days a man in his 60s could marry a Polish lady (they needed a visa) now of course they don’t

    Gone are the days a man in his 80s could marry a Russian bride (Its better over there now)

    What’s the world coming to

    Like the story man asks a guy in Russia, what is he in the queue for. Response don’t know just joined it etc …

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    Re: Make friends with people in the UK

    Quote Originally Posted by straycat View Post
    Very little flavour, but at least you don't have to queue for them.
    And they are probably better than camber sandwiches from what I've heard.

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    Re: Make friends with people in the UK

    Quote Originally Posted by JiveLad View Post
    And they are probably better than camber sandwiches from what I've heard.
    They're the slightly arched ones, yes?

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    Re: Make friends with people in the UK

    Quote Originally Posted by straycat View Post
    They're the slightly arched ones, yes?
    Yes, these - from our friends at McDonalds:
    Arch Deluxe - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



    I can see how the top of the bun kind of 'cleaves' - as if to almost present a.......cleavage.

    They spent $100 million on advertising this 'sophisticated adult burger'. I wonder why it never took off........it goes into the dustbin of great flops like New Coke and the Edsel.
    Last edited by JiveLad; 21st-July-2008 at 07:36 PM.

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    Re: Make friends with people in the UK

    Quote Originally Posted by Dreadful Scathe View Post
    A Slovakian friend living in London was really annoyed by this when she would begin to answer and they wouldn't even stick around to hear it. She found English people incredibly rude
    Something that tripped me up was being greeted with "Alriighht?". Whenever I said "I'm fine thank you" in response I'd get funny looks.

    I'm still running on the assumption it wasn't supposed to be some cockney corruption of the sentence "Are you alright?". The couple of times I asked about it nobody seemed to understand my question

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    Registered User Lynn's Avatar
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    Re: Make friends with people in the UK

    Quote Originally Posted by Dreadful Scathe View Post
    A Slovakian friend living in London was really annoyed by this when she would begin to answer and they wouldn't even stick around to hear it. She found English people incredibly rude
    I've heard the same thing from other European friends when they first came to live in the UK.

    Quote Originally Posted by NZ Monkey View Post
    Something that tripped me up was being greeted with "Alriighht?". Whenever I said "I'm fine thank you" in response I'd get funny looks.

    I'm still running on the assumption it wasn't supposed to be some cockney corruption of the sentence "Are you alright?". The couple of times I asked about it nobody seemed to understand my question
    Over here in Norn Iron its 'Bout ye?!'

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    Senior Member rubyred's Avatar
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    Re: Make friends with people in the UK

    also from Ireland...

    Hawaryea.... how are you ?

    Mind yourself...take care!

    gudbuy....goodbye [Dublin accent]!
    if you love the life you live then you'll get a lot more done

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    Re: Make friends with people in the UK

    Quote Originally Posted by Lynn View Post
    Over here in Norn Iron its 'Bout ye?!'
    Here its mostly "Awright?" to which the correct response is usually "Aye, yirsel?" to finally end with "No bad".

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    Re: Make friends with people in the UK

    It does seem funny when people ask you how you are... but really do not want to know.

    I prefer "hey, great to see you" or " hi, good to see you" or "Hello stranger" or "hi there" (dependant on level of friendship or lack of) - Which I see as much more honest, as most of the time, I am not interested.


    Quote Originally Posted by stewart38 View Post

    Gone are the days a man in his 80s could marry a Russian bride (Its better over there now)
    this is based on what?

    Personal experience, or just fly in the sky thinking?

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    Re: Make friends with people in the UK

    try, "Stewart38 is making stuff up again"

    Perhaps we should mix it up a bit, and instead of "hi, how are you?" try "what the HELL have you done to your hair?", or "that axe-killer on Crimewatch last night looked really REALLY like you", it takes them out of their normal mundane greeting comfort zone.

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    Senior Member rubyred's Avatar
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    Re: Make friends with people in the UK

    I had to interview someone from Thailand with an interpreter last week, and as usual my greeting was to offer a handshake and introduce who I was. At the end of the interview the two people from Thailand turned to each other, both joined their hands and bowed to each other. It just seemed really nice and respectful.
    if you love the life you live then you'll get a lot more done

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    Re: Make friends with people in the UK

    Quote Originally Posted by Dreadful Scathe View Post
    try, "Stewart38 is making stuff up again"

    Perhaps we should mix it up a bit, and instead of "hi, how are you?" try "what the HELL have you done to your hair?", or "that axe-killer on Crimewatch last night looked really REALLY like you", it takes them out of their normal mundane greeting comfort zone.
    Good one, have to pass my rep around I am told...

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    Re: Make friends with people in the UK

    Quote Originally Posted by Dreadful Scathe View Post
    try, "Stewart38 is making stuff up again"
    Which ones ?

    Russian brides or bread queues in Russia 20/30 years ago

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    Re: Make friends with people in the UK

    Quote Originally Posted by rubyred View Post
    also from Ireland...

    Hawaryea.... how are you ?

    Mind yourself...take care!

    gudbuy....goodbye [Dublin accent]!
    My favourite -
    Tis nothing but a step....(a 15 minute walk)

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    Re: Make friends with people in the UK

    Quote Originally Posted by Astro View Post
    My favourite -
    Tis nothing but a step....(a 15 minute walk)
    And there's more..

    'sure it's only out the road'.....10miles later

    This has been said to me, truely when asking for directions, now there are two roads that will get you there, the road that's taken on a Sunday for Mass or the one for the rest of the week....

    When on holiday with the family in Cork some years ago, a signpost directing me one way to Cork 20 miles to the right, whilst the other signpost left to Cork,was 21miles, I love my country, we have a great sense of humour, need it at times.
    if you love the life you live then you'll get a lot more done

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    Re: Make friends with people in the UK

    Quote Originally Posted by rubyred View Post
    And there's more..

    'sure it's only out the road'.....10miles later

    This has been said to me, truely when asking for directions, now there are two roads that will get you there, the road that's taken on a Sunday for Mass or the one for the rest of the week....

    When on holiday with the family in Cork some years ago, a signpost directing me one way to Cork 20 miles to the right, whilst the other signpost left to Cork,was 21miles, I love my country, we have a great sense of humour, need it at times.
    When I used to work at Murphy's Brewery in Cork (what a wonderful project that was - great memories!) - one of the more unusual phrases was:

    "Work away".......which might be said for example, if I was going to breakfast or lunch (always boiled bacon and cabbage on Thursdays) - and the boss was following 5 mins later.

    I worked out that it meant something like"you go ahead....". The first time he said it, I thought that I was meant to get my head down and work some more.......

    By the end of my 12 months phrases like "thanks a mill" and "work away" would easily trip off my tongue....and I was adopted as 'Daithi'.

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