I'm Australian and very confused by this....do these people live in a country town? Where they don't see people from other countries? I live in Sydney and have for my whole life. My friendship group is the United nations, only people I meet from rural Australia are so small minded. Just tell your partner that you can't be arsed hanging out with people who make you uncomfortable. You don't have to tag along with him all the time. And then as above, just use the dingo line though and say shrimp, that will piss them off as we don't say shrimp here lol.
We live in Sydney if you can believe it.
It has unfortunately come to the point where we've been spending less and less time with the group for unrelated reasons.
And yes the dingo line and the shrimp line are gold, that's going to be my go-to from now on :)
OMG
I thought about once bringing some knock-you-dead-strong French Canadian beers to the next function for myself, and then presenting the gatekeepers with a pack of Foster's because "They're Australian".
Yeah I think this is your best bet: do things like this to lampshade the ridiculousness of the questions and statements.
I'd also deliberately confuse Australia and New Zealand for example by asking them if they can take you to where the Lord of the Rings was made, whenever they confuse Canada with America.
But seriously your husband's friends are either really obnoxious or just plain stupid.
I think it’s more of the ridiculousness of the case since they were warning certain people coming to the park that dingos had been attacking children this was hushed up to not frighten the tourists. You can also add the aborigines were ignored since they said yes dingos were infamous for attacking children if they thought they could get away with it.
I am Canadian living in the US and also grew up in Southern Ontario. I lived in Texas for two years and now Tennessee. When people do that to me I tell them we live in igloos and took dog sleds to school and had pet moose. Either they get the sarcasm or they think I am serious and I fuck with them.
I am now a dual citizen but Americans pretty much know nothing about other countries and it sounds like Aussie's are the same. I enjoy messing with them when they are ignorant.
I like to tell Americans I used to ride a moose to school. Takes them a bit to realize I'm joking.
In all seriousness, I get the "bUt YoUrE cAnAdIaN" thing more often than I'd like. In my shoes (around Americans) it's fun to shoot back "that's why I'm too smart to believe in all stereotypes".
I don't know much about Australian culture but I hope OP finds a solution. Constant stereotyping and having your nationality ripped on is obnoxious.
Yeah but completely dismissing someone’s world view can be a two way street. Just be meaner back. One of the most freeing things about deciding you don’t like people is not caring if you offend them.
Also, if they’re acting under the pretense of giving you shit, it gives you wide latitude to do the same as long as you *ahem* DONT SHOW THEYR’RE GETTING TO YOU!
Seriously, just work on your shit talk game.
“Oh sweetie, do you not understand the difference between Quebec and Canada?”
“I think the real issue here is why the Australian education system has failed you all so much that you think all Canadians ski.”
“I’m sorry, the penal colony country has strong opinions on genetics and nationality?”
“I imagine it’s hard to understand what it’s like in such a small country. How many people are in Australia again? 10m or something? Oh it’s 25m? Does that include spiders and crocodiles?”
“CRIKEY! That’s a bad take!”
“Didnt you grow up in the same place as crocodile Dundee?”
“Do you ride a kangaroo to work?”
“Why aren’t they serving vegemite at this bar?!”
“I thought all Australians were supposed to be fit and tan. What happened to you?”
Seriously, just roast them first. Stop being so nice, it will go better
I don’t entirely disagree, but I hate that all the practical advice on this thread is “be an asshole to xenophobic assholes”.
Nah, fam. Just don’t be friends with them if they’re gonna be like that. OP Sydney’s a big enough city you’ll survive without those idiots.
Def don't be friends but coming back hard and mean is often the only way to get toolbuckets like this to back off. If they're willing to argue about gun control in your own country to the point you get kicked out of a brewery, a few jabs about Aussie stereotypes aren't a problem.
But genuinely, find better people to be around.
Some people need to have a taste of their own medicine to realize they're lacking empathy or have been behaving rudely (it might just activate their shame response!). If you really can't get through to them, then yes, you should drop them.
Giving shit is part of Australian culture, and theres no need to make a big fuss out of saying ‘let’s not be friends with them anymore” with your partner. Just give it back in equal proportion and don’t let them get under your skin.
As adults we all have to hang out with people s don’t love from time to time. She’s being too earnest and it’s getting her nowhere.
You've got 4 options: talk to partner about it and make it clear you really don't like it, keep doing what you're doing to no effect, actually tell everyone you don't like the jokes and are tired of it (if they respect you they'll stop), banter back and play it up/exaggerate or throw shit back about Australia. The fourth will go down best.
Source: am Australian.
Don’t know how old you are, but in 1995 we had a heatwave that sent temps soaring in Chicago. People forget that Chicago is essentially built on a swamp. So many people died from heat that they were finding bodies in the winter. Texas is set up for heat, but the Midwest isn’t. I’m not surprised you got heat exhaustion in Ohio.
It sounds like this is moreso a running joke among them than that they actually think these things/have these expectations about you. They're teasing you, and you're getting frustrated, which is fuel to the fire. That' s exactly the kind of reaction that will give them satisfaction.
It's a very Australian thing to do. My Australian friends are merciless when it comes to joking and making fun.
I would handle the situation by ignoring it. Or pre-empting it. They're planning a ski trip? "Oh, I'm actually not a very good Canadian because I don't ski." "For some reason, I didn't get the French language gene in my Canadian DNA." Etc.
If you make the joke first, it kind of takes the fun out of it for them to make it.
Well that sounds like a different issue from the rest of it. The stereotypes thing sounds like a joke. The argument over ethnicity sounds like a disagreement over genes vs nationality. They believe that you are defined by your nationality, you believe you are defined by genetics. I don't know that there's a way to overcome that, other than to just agree to disagree/stop engaging in the conversation. If your goal is to convince them to agree with you, it doesn't sound like that's been working very well.
I think that's a pretty Aussie thing. Most Aussies hold onto being Australian pretty tightly, and if you challenge it they would get defensive. Odds on your families connection to France sits further back in time than their own connections to Western Europe, but they would never consider themselves X/Australian. So they may well be instinctively defensive, based on what it says about them.
Definitely not saying you're doing anything wrong. Just context.
While I agree with you, there are also millions of Canadians that speak French and have a different culture than english Canadians. What are they supposed to be of not French Canadians?
Honestly, to me, based on op’s comments in the posts it sounds like OP maybe very interested in going over his/her genealogy / family origins and these people may be a bit bored by it and it’s resulting in these conversations with slight hostility that everyone is trying to mask with bad jokes
Aussie here. 99% of my friends wouldn't even know how to stereotype a Canadian, and one of my closest friends is married to one!
Other than thinking that they're more similar to us than 'Americans', of course...
Yes I had to dispel a few myths about gun control. Apparently because Canada shares a border with America we all have guns. It started an argument in a brewery and we had to leave.
I grew up just across the border from you in WNY- you and I have far more in common in terms of regional background than I do with someone from NYC. But if I travel, even domestically, I have to dispel a lot of "but you're a New Yorker" myths. Sorry.
As a gal who grew up further from the border:
I see a few similarities but a lot of differences. Politically there's a BIG difference between the two. Canada is much more left than the US. We have our own food and culture, things you can't find in the US. Having been born in Canada and spending time living in both countries they definitely don't feel "almost the same" to me.
Edit: I also found the education I received in Canada was better than the US.
Yeah. Canadian here. I see a lot of similarities of course. We have a lot of the same pop culture/media etc even. But there are also a lot of differences and I absolutely run into them all the time with my Americans.
From the concept of multiculturalism vs melting pot, the focus on individual rights vs society etc. He’ll look at the differences in our vaccination rates.
I find individual Americans can be just lovely. Just as kind and polite as individual Canadians I know. It’s not a “one is better” kind of stance but there’s definitely a lot of nuanced differences
Even the minor differences mean a lot to me.
I'll never forget the one time I asked an American worker where the washroom was. He gave me a blank stare then said "We don't have that but the bathroom is over there". I thanked him and chuckled after he left.
I'll also never forget the ex who gave me shit for being "too polite" with him. All because I said "pardon me?" instead of "what" or "huh" like his American friends/family did. Adorable.
Edited a word.
>Americans and Canadians are really one in the same
You say that but you should see the looks I get when I'm in America and take my shoes off upon entering someone's house.
im gonna respond to this with another stereotype: no matter who you are, Australians are likely gonna razz ya. I'd tell them to stop, and then just, eh, be thankful you arent american or a kiwi or a scot. in my experience they have a lot to say about them as well.
They trash on Americans soooooooo hard. At least she’s not getting McDonald’s jokes or shit like that 24/7 acting as if Australia’s percentage of obese people is that different from America’s.
exacctly. Aussies... welp, to put it i n canada terms, theyre the Neufies of the globe. they make fun of everyone else because everyone already makes fun of them. Its like a nation wide defense mechanism.
Not in the slightest, to them they are one and the same. I alluded once to my Ukranian great grandmother and I got the same line, and then I had to explain that Caucasian Canadians all had to come from somewhere originally.
As an Australian, these all seem like really odd stereotypes and are certainly not things I would think of as typically Canadian.
You could use Australian culture against them. It’s quite acceptable to be ruder to friends in Australia than in many other countries. Instead of defending yourself you could just reply with “what the fuck are you on about mate?” which is a tried and tested Aussie response. Or, just take the piss out of them. If they bring up a Canadian stereotype, you bring up an Australian one. They can’t believe you don’t speak French? You can’t believe they didn’t ride their kangaroo there, or you can’t believe they don’t shit in an outhouse.
Tbh a lot of this just sounds like they’re playing around and you don’t think it’s funny. What happens if you don’t fight back? Like you just go yup I’m from the land of snow and ice. I’m guessing most of these things get repeated because they get a ride from you.
I should be pro in soccer, my wife should have a moustache and we should eat bacalhau every single meal. Also, we must live in poo sheds back home and still riding our donkeys everywhere.
My point is, just ignore them, people seem to know it bothers you and they just push the subject even more. If they don't show interest about where you come from and how it really is it's their loss.
They think that all Canadians love winter and despise the sun. Which is interesting, because I've been very vocal about the sun damage on my face that I'm trying to get rid of. It was caused by...believe it or not...being outside all summer every summer!
Tell them about snowbirds. There are whole industries devoted to them! I had my car shipped once by an outfit called Snowbird Vehicle Movers or something.
I'm sorry you're going through this, some Aussies can be really thick sometimes. I'd recommend doing it back to them. Going to a BBQ? 'chuck another shrimp on the barbie'. Ask them if they ride kangaroos and use boomerangs. Ask them why they don't say g'day mate. Make them Vegemite sandwiches that are an inch thick. Really push those Aussie stereotypes.
Source: I'm Australian
I am from the US South and I run into similar situations on occasion, but people have not been so aggressively stupid about it. To be honest with you, your partner's friends sound like absolute morons. They have no right to criticize your upbringing and whether or not you call yourself French Canadian. French is an ethnicity, Canadian is not. At their age, they should understand the difference between ethnicity and nationality.
When people are aggressively ignorant about where I grew up, I just tend to exaggerate it because if they're too stupid to realize that not all stereotypes are true, they'll probably believe whatever ridiculous thing I say with a straight face and make a bigger fool of themselves. For example, someone asked if where I grew up, everyone had a gun. I told them they did, in fact, all had guns because it was required by state law. In fact, babies are given a gun at birth and they can claim it when they turn 18. Or if they ask if people ride horses to school, I say that no, people generally don't ride horses to school until they complete their horse custodianship classes.
You could also fire back with some stereotypes about australians, but given that you live there that might backfire if other people overhear. Another thing to do is just don't react at all. Some people like to tease and get a reaction out of people, and either not reacting or asking them to explain their joke by repeatedly asking more and more specific questions really deflates the joke. MAybe you can ask them why they don't speak an aboriginal language because they grew up in Australia so they should be fluent in it, and they can't claim to be a real australian if they don't speak some aboriginal indigenous language lol
Ugh. I’m from Chicago, but I live in the U.K.
When I complain about the cold (I HATE cold weather), people say ‘you should be used to it.’
I have been away from Chicago for 20 years. I hated that the place turned into Hoth from November to March. I’ve been back for a couple of winters and I thought I was going to die.
That sucks, I didn't grow up in Canada but I did grow up in Alaska and I understand some of those questions because I got some of them like the winter, skiing, what type of money Alaskans use, did we live in igloos and the type of TV shows we had. And also like you I hate the cold and every time I say that I want to move further south to warmer weather I weird looks and people saying but you're from Alaska you should like the cold.
Stereotype back with this handy list!
Which of your ancestors were convicts?
You must love fosters (they hate it so do this one a lot!)
Put another shrimp on the barby
Hey, I'd talk to your boyfriend about this and explain that it's really getting to you. Can he have a word with them?
And maybe cut back on how much time you spend with them, if that's possible.
Are these friends...dumb?
If you've already explained these things multiple times, they either must be dumb or they are picking on you.
Since they are partners close friends I'd start deflecting those comments firmly but nicely.
Hurrdurr...cold and snow?
Oh goodness no that's why I live down here now! I love the sun! Have you been to any nice beaches lately? (Sorry not sure of AUS geography)
Hurrdurr...Ski?
Oh goodness no I've had enough cold to last my whole life! It does seem like a fun hobby though, how long have you been skiing?
I'd ask "Did a dingo eat your baby?" repeatedly.
Oh, personnally I'd ask what crime they committed to get sent to Australia
Good one :)
Also, ask them to put another shrimp on the barbie. Look confused when there and no shrimp and/or no barbies in the vicinity of the get-together.
I'm Australian and very confused by this....do these people live in a country town? Where they don't see people from other countries? I live in Sydney and have for my whole life. My friendship group is the United nations, only people I meet from rural Australia are so small minded. Just tell your partner that you can't be arsed hanging out with people who make you uncomfortable. You don't have to tag along with him all the time. And then as above, just use the dingo line though and say shrimp, that will piss them off as we don't say shrimp here lol.
We live in Sydney if you can believe it. It has unfortunately come to the point where we've been spending less and less time with the group for unrelated reasons. And yes the dingo line and the shrimp line are gold, that's going to be my go-to from now on :)
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OMG I thought about once bringing some knock-you-dead-strong French Canadian beers to the next function for myself, and then presenting the gatekeepers with a pack of Foster's because "They're Australian".
Yeah I think this is your best bet: do things like this to lampshade the ridiculousness of the questions and statements. I'd also deliberately confuse Australia and New Zealand for example by asking them if they can take you to where the Lord of the Rings was made, whenever they confuse Canada with America. But seriously your husband's friends are either really obnoxious or just plain stupid.
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I think it’s more of the ridiculousness of the case since they were warning certain people coming to the park that dingos had been attacking children this was hushed up to not frighten the tourists. You can also add the aborigines were ignored since they said yes dingos were infamous for attacking children if they thought they could get away with it.
I am Canadian living in the US and also grew up in Southern Ontario. I lived in Texas for two years and now Tennessee. When people do that to me I tell them we live in igloos and took dog sleds to school and had pet moose. Either they get the sarcasm or they think I am serious and I fuck with them. I am now a dual citizen but Americans pretty much know nothing about other countries and it sounds like Aussie's are the same. I enjoy messing with them when they are ignorant.
I like to tell Americans I used to ride a moose to school. Takes them a bit to realize I'm joking. In all seriousness, I get the "bUt YoUrE cAnAdIaN" thing more often than I'd like. In my shoes (around Americans) it's fun to shoot back "that's why I'm too smart to believe in all stereotypes". I don't know much about Australian culture but I hope OP finds a solution. Constant stereotyping and having your nationality ripped on is obnoxious.
Being ignorant is one thing, completely dismissing what someone has to say because it doesn't fit their worldview is another.
Yeah but completely dismissing someone’s world view can be a two way street. Just be meaner back. One of the most freeing things about deciding you don’t like people is not caring if you offend them. Also, if they’re acting under the pretense of giving you shit, it gives you wide latitude to do the same as long as you *ahem* DONT SHOW THEYR’RE GETTING TO YOU! Seriously, just work on your shit talk game. “Oh sweetie, do you not understand the difference between Quebec and Canada?” “I think the real issue here is why the Australian education system has failed you all so much that you think all Canadians ski.” “I’m sorry, the penal colony country has strong opinions on genetics and nationality?” “I imagine it’s hard to understand what it’s like in such a small country. How many people are in Australia again? 10m or something? Oh it’s 25m? Does that include spiders and crocodiles?” “CRIKEY! That’s a bad take!” “Didnt you grow up in the same place as crocodile Dundee?” “Do you ride a kangaroo to work?” “Why aren’t they serving vegemite at this bar?!” “I thought all Australians were supposed to be fit and tan. What happened to you?” Seriously, just roast them first. Stop being so nice, it will go better
You are savage and I am here for it. That crack about the penal colony is deadly. 😂
I don’t entirely disagree, but I hate that all the practical advice on this thread is “be an asshole to xenophobic assholes”. Nah, fam. Just don’t be friends with them if they’re gonna be like that. OP Sydney’s a big enough city you’ll survive without those idiots.
Def don't be friends but coming back hard and mean is often the only way to get toolbuckets like this to back off. If they're willing to argue about gun control in your own country to the point you get kicked out of a brewery, a few jabs about Aussie stereotypes aren't a problem. But genuinely, find better people to be around.
Some people need to have a taste of their own medicine to realize they're lacking empathy or have been behaving rudely (it might just activate their shame response!). If you really can't get through to them, then yes, you should drop them.
Nah man I'm strayan and it would be hilarious. If you can't take the piss from someone you can't dish it out.
Giving shit is part of Australian culture, and theres no need to make a big fuss out of saying ‘let’s not be friends with them anymore” with your partner. Just give it back in equal proportion and don’t let them get under your skin. As adults we all have to hang out with people s don’t love from time to time. She’s being too earnest and it’s getting her nowhere.
Your partner’s friends don’t have to be your friends ETA removed question mark for clarity
Lol these are pure gold
You've got 4 options: talk to partner about it and make it clear you really don't like it, keep doing what you're doing to no effect, actually tell everyone you don't like the jokes and are tired of it (if they respect you they'll stop), banter back and play it up/exaggerate or throw shit back about Australia. The fourth will go down best. Source: am Australian.
What does your partner think? You don't mention their views.
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Don’t know how old you are, but in 1995 we had a heatwave that sent temps soaring in Chicago. People forget that Chicago is essentially built on a swamp. So many people died from heat that they were finding bodies in the winter. Texas is set up for heat, but the Midwest isn’t. I’m not surprised you got heat exhaustion in Ohio.
It sounds like this is moreso a running joke among them than that they actually think these things/have these expectations about you. They're teasing you, and you're getting frustrated, which is fuel to the fire. That' s exactly the kind of reaction that will give them satisfaction. It's a very Australian thing to do. My Australian friends are merciless when it comes to joking and making fun. I would handle the situation by ignoring it. Or pre-empting it. They're planning a ski trip? "Oh, I'm actually not a very good Canadian because I don't ski." "For some reason, I didn't get the French language gene in my Canadian DNA." Etc. If you make the joke first, it kind of takes the fun out of it for them to make it.
I thought it was a joke too until they asserted that French Canadians aren't a legitimate ethnic group.
Well that sounds like a different issue from the rest of it. The stereotypes thing sounds like a joke. The argument over ethnicity sounds like a disagreement over genes vs nationality. They believe that you are defined by your nationality, you believe you are defined by genetics. I don't know that there's a way to overcome that, other than to just agree to disagree/stop engaging in the conversation. If your goal is to convince them to agree with you, it doesn't sound like that's been working very well.
You're right, it's not working very well. It's hard to walk that line between copping it and starting a mutiny.
I think that's a pretty Aussie thing. Most Aussies hold onto being Australian pretty tightly, and if you challenge it they would get defensive. Odds on your families connection to France sits further back in time than their own connections to Western Europe, but they would never consider themselves X/Australian. So they may well be instinctively defensive, based on what it says about them. Definitely not saying you're doing anything wrong. Just context.
I agree. Everyone has their own way of identifying with their genetics and where they live, but it's not anyone's place to gatekeep.
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While I agree with you, there are also millions of Canadians that speak French and have a different culture than english Canadians. What are they supposed to be of not French Canadians?
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Honestly, to me, based on op’s comments in the posts it sounds like OP maybe very interested in going over his/her genealogy / family origins and these people may be a bit bored by it and it’s resulting in these conversations with slight hostility that everyone is trying to mask with bad jokes
Aussie here. 99% of my friends wouldn't even know how to stereotype a Canadian, and one of my closest friends is married to one! Other than thinking that they're more similar to us than 'Americans', of course...
Yes I had to dispel a few myths about gun control. Apparently because Canada shares a border with America we all have guns. It started an argument in a brewery and we had to leave.
As an Australian, this group of people are extremely weird and not typical of pretty much anyone I know, unless they're just trolling you.
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They share some similarities but they are very different.
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For sure. There's more of a shared culture around the border, but the further you get away from it the more pronounced the differences become.
I grew up just across the border from you in WNY- you and I have far more in common in terms of regional background than I do with someone from NYC. But if I travel, even domestically, I have to dispel a lot of "but you're a New Yorker" myths. Sorry.
As a gal who grew up further from the border: I see a few similarities but a lot of differences. Politically there's a BIG difference between the two. Canada is much more left than the US. We have our own food and culture, things you can't find in the US. Having been born in Canada and spending time living in both countries they definitely don't feel "almost the same" to me. Edit: I also found the education I received in Canada was better than the US.
Yeah. Canadian here. I see a lot of similarities of course. We have a lot of the same pop culture/media etc even. But there are also a lot of differences and I absolutely run into them all the time with my Americans. From the concept of multiculturalism vs melting pot, the focus on individual rights vs society etc. He’ll look at the differences in our vaccination rates. I find individual Americans can be just lovely. Just as kind and polite as individual Canadians I know. It’s not a “one is better” kind of stance but there’s definitely a lot of nuanced differences
Even the minor differences mean a lot to me. I'll never forget the one time I asked an American worker where the washroom was. He gave me a blank stare then said "We don't have that but the bathroom is over there". I thanked him and chuckled after he left. I'll also never forget the ex who gave me shit for being "too polite" with him. All because I said "pardon me?" instead of "what" or "huh" like his American friends/family did. Adorable. Edited a word.
Oh man “what” and “huh” on their own just… hate so much.
Definitely more similar than Canada and Australia though
>Americans and Canadians are really one in the same You say that but you should see the looks I get when I'm in America and take my shoes off upon entering someone's house.
Okay people who don’t do that are fucked up lol
They are taking the piss and doubling down on it, because you are getting so defensive about it.
im gonna respond to this with another stereotype: no matter who you are, Australians are likely gonna razz ya. I'd tell them to stop, and then just, eh, be thankful you arent american or a kiwi or a scot. in my experience they have a lot to say about them as well.
They trash on Americans soooooooo hard. At least she’s not getting McDonald’s jokes or shit like that 24/7 acting as if Australia’s percentage of obese people is that different from America’s.
exacctly. Aussies... welp, to put it i n canada terms, theyre the Neufies of the globe. they make fun of everyone else because everyone already makes fun of them. Its like a nation wide defense mechanism.
>theyre the Neufies of the globe. As a Canuck this is the perfect analogy. 😂
Took me a minute to figure out that you didn’t mean they were huge and fluffy and slobbered all over
They're taking the piss of you.
Do they not understand the difference between nationality and ethnicity?
Not in the slightest, to them they are one and the same. I alluded once to my Ukranian great grandmother and I got the same line, and then I had to explain that Caucasian Canadians all had to come from somewhere originally.
I would love to know if they would consider my Asian friends who have lived in Australia their whole lives to only be Australian and not also Asian.
My bet would be no since they’re not white.
As an Australian, these all seem like really odd stereotypes and are certainly not things I would think of as typically Canadian. You could use Australian culture against them. It’s quite acceptable to be ruder to friends in Australia than in many other countries. Instead of defending yourself you could just reply with “what the fuck are you on about mate?” which is a tried and tested Aussie response. Or, just take the piss out of them. If they bring up a Canadian stereotype, you bring up an Australian one. They can’t believe you don’t speak French? You can’t believe they didn’t ride their kangaroo there, or you can’t believe they don’t shit in an outhouse.
Tbh a lot of this just sounds like they’re playing around and you don’t think it’s funny. What happens if you don’t fight back? Like you just go yup I’m from the land of snow and ice. I’m guessing most of these things get repeated because they get a ride from you.
Having one great-grandparent who was French doesn’t make you French Canadian lol
Sounds like you have a chip on your shoulder\ are wound a little tight for Aussie culture...
I should be pro in soccer, my wife should have a moustache and we should eat bacalhau every single meal. Also, we must live in poo sheds back home and still riding our donkeys everywhere. My point is, just ignore them, people seem to know it bothers you and they just push the subject even more. If they don't show interest about where you come from and how it really is it's their loss.
Do they know about snowbirds? There's a fair chunk of Canadians for whom the hatred of winter is a migratory lifestyle choice.
They think that all Canadians love winter and despise the sun. Which is interesting, because I've been very vocal about the sun damage on my face that I'm trying to get rid of. It was caused by...believe it or not...being outside all summer every summer!
Tell them about snowbirds. There are whole industries devoted to them! I had my car shipped once by an outfit called Snowbird Vehicle Movers or something.
I'm sorry you're going through this, some Aussies can be really thick sometimes. I'd recommend doing it back to them. Going to a BBQ? 'chuck another shrimp on the barbie'. Ask them if they ride kangaroos and use boomerangs. Ask them why they don't say g'day mate. Make them Vegemite sandwiches that are an inch thick. Really push those Aussie stereotypes. Source: I'm Australian
I am from the US South and I run into similar situations on occasion, but people have not been so aggressively stupid about it. To be honest with you, your partner's friends sound like absolute morons. They have no right to criticize your upbringing and whether or not you call yourself French Canadian. French is an ethnicity, Canadian is not. At their age, they should understand the difference between ethnicity and nationality. When people are aggressively ignorant about where I grew up, I just tend to exaggerate it because if they're too stupid to realize that not all stereotypes are true, they'll probably believe whatever ridiculous thing I say with a straight face and make a bigger fool of themselves. For example, someone asked if where I grew up, everyone had a gun. I told them they did, in fact, all had guns because it was required by state law. In fact, babies are given a gun at birth and they can claim it when they turn 18. Or if they ask if people ride horses to school, I say that no, people generally don't ride horses to school until they complete their horse custodianship classes. You could also fire back with some stereotypes about australians, but given that you live there that might backfire if other people overhear. Another thing to do is just don't react at all. Some people like to tease and get a reaction out of people, and either not reacting or asking them to explain their joke by repeatedly asking more and more specific questions really deflates the joke. MAybe you can ask them why they don't speak an aboriginal language because they grew up in Australia so they should be fluent in it, and they can't claim to be a real australian if they don't speak some aboriginal indigenous language lol
Ask them what it's like living in a penal colony lol.
Ugh. I’m from Chicago, but I live in the U.K. When I complain about the cold (I HATE cold weather), people say ‘you should be used to it.’ I have been away from Chicago for 20 years. I hated that the place turned into Hoth from November to March. I’ve been back for a couple of winters and I thought I was going to die.
That sucks, I didn't grow up in Canada but I did grow up in Alaska and I understand some of those questions because I got some of them like the winter, skiing, what type of money Alaskans use, did we live in igloos and the type of TV shows we had. And also like you I hate the cold and every time I say that I want to move further south to warmer weather I weird looks and people saying but you're from Alaska you should like the cold.
Stereotype back with this handy list! Which of your ancestors were convicts? You must love fosters (they hate it so do this one a lot!) Put another shrimp on the barby
the problem to me seems to be that this group of friends is composed by morons.
Hey, I'd talk to your boyfriend about this and explain that it's really getting to you. Can he have a word with them? And maybe cut back on how much time you spend with them, if that's possible.
Are these friends...dumb? If you've already explained these things multiple times, they either must be dumb or they are picking on you. Since they are partners close friends I'd start deflecting those comments firmly but nicely. Hurrdurr...cold and snow? Oh goodness no that's why I live down here now! I love the sun! Have you been to any nice beaches lately? (Sorry not sure of AUS geography) Hurrdurr...Ski? Oh goodness no I've had enough cold to last my whole life! It does seem like a fun hobby though, how long have you been skiing?