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Post by noddy on Nov 7, 2004 20:44:57 GMT 1
Look, I know most of what you said. And yes, it's true. And it's horrible. But what really, really hurts me is when regular doctors demand money for regular procedures to be done. I've always known it's been done, but the extent of it has become terrifying.
I didn't understand the comment about the food, swimming pool and ski. But I suppose it's not really important.
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Post by alsdoubles on Nov 7, 2004 22:59:27 GMT 1
Hey what, all you Hitch Hiker fans. I walked down Sibenik today, on a grey day, with the levant, a small burra blowing. It was fresh. Easier on the lungs. The heads on the cathedral had no-one to talk about...No fat stupid tourists, manhandling the 11th century lions genitals, for fertility. The square was deserted. And the quay. No mega-money yachts. No foreign flags. And the sun was setting in a red mustard line of clouds blown up from the north. Crazy mad colours. Beautiful colours. Van Gough colours. Drive you crazy! It was relaxing. Chilly....Cool (Uggh, an Americanism (spit)) If at any time Croatia is, it is now......Between now and next March. Now aint that just effin poetic or what. I ate a Croatian special home cooked pizza today. It was...okay...bland. Okay. But, it was quite a good day. Was it? An invitation to go olive picking was also offered. 6 am. Sutra. Sod that for a game of soldiers!
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Post by elsanddee on Nov 7, 2004 23:23:12 GMT 1
Alsdoubles, when will you publish your autobiography, " A life less ordinary living in Croatia". I would buy it and not only me, many other daily mail readers curious about an Englishman abroad.
On the medical note, my father in law has just had a quadrupal by pass operation in Zagreb. After the operation he was told he would have not survived a few months let alone a six month waiting list. No money was exchanged to bring the op forward, but it was performed on the surgeons day off after he had reveiwed my father in laws test results.
So there you go, no bribary, under had payment, Just Human decency in Croatia! PLease take note.
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Post by noddy on Nov 8, 2004 8:03:43 GMT 1
elsanddee, I know most of the doctors are still honest, hard working and I'm really glad your father had a good and quick treatment - but, still, what I said is true.
Als.... I love your posts (probably it's too pathetic for you, but I really do).
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Post by Poppet on Nov 8, 2004 15:05:37 GMT 1
As much as all of what you wrote hurts me a little, being croatian that is, I agree that most of it is true. I have been back after living in UK for 7 years, thinking it would be great experience, and it has certainly been an experience, but I have had enough and can not wait to move.
Its nice to hear not everyone thinks this country is dogs bollocks!
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Post by English man in Zagreb on Nov 8, 2004 21:27:00 GMT 1
Ty Poppet an honest person who wishes her/his homeland was like it said on the tin.
I had an inter4esting evening, so I go and look for a nice rug, I find one, and like everything else in Croatia it is very expensive.
So I go with my Croatian-speaking friend, and find a rug I like so I say this one lets buy it, suddenly a young Croat couple see the rug and decide they will buy it too. The guy runs to the sales man and says he wants the rug, they were only interested in the rug because I was quiet vocal in my delight, in finally finding a rug.
I didn’t know any of this at the time, as my Croatian is basic, anyway to cut a long story short, there was one rug and two customers, I was clearly their first, but they tried to gazump me.
So there they are ready to pay weekly for the next 50 years and I walk up the sales man and say I will give you an extra 300kn and pay cash.
I must say the rug looks lovely, another occasion of Croat’s trying to screw Johhny foreigner.
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Post by noddy on Nov 8, 2004 21:39:52 GMT 1
Where do you meet all those people? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? It MUST be something in you
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Post by alsdoubles on Nov 8, 2004 23:12:40 GMT 1
As much as all of what you wrote hurts me a little, being croatian that is, I agree that most of it is true. I have been back after living in UK for 7 years, thinking it would be great experience, and it has certainly been an experience, but I have had enough and can not wait to move. Its nice to hear not everyone thinks this country is dogs bollocks! Poppet, by name and by nature, so they say. Such dreams are made, eh. My wife has been in the UK for 33 years. Imagine it. Her SHOCK!!! Whereas, I have only been here for eight months (Croatia) and, despite all the ills, I could live with it. Sadist that I am. Am I ? Today on coastal Croatia there is a 'burra' blowing. Possibly not full on yet. That means, all the streets are empty'ish......People walk with grimaces. Jaws frozen in the wind. Petrified even. The younger ones emerge, still garbing themselves in their designer gear. They look painful. Midriffs still brazen.....(GRoan). But the sun glasses are still on. And mobile phone now possibly frozen to the ear. Piles of cut trees lie in the road...Rain forrest of trees. Heating materials. Makes you worry a bit. Especially when you live in a concrete bunker with NO HEATING! But...hey what. Yes the nose is running, but........ One quarter of a bottle of Latvian brandy tonight warmed me up something shocking.... I feel for all the stray cats...I have seven eating and ting in the back garden....And meowing half the night away. It's a cat's life Croatia. Incidentally my book is called, when it hits the press, if ever..."Bash me drago in Croatia"...It may...may. If I can be assed. This message in praise of the 'Russian' cleaning ladies. Who walk the streets in their blue/green dust coats...with their hand drawn/pushed dustbin carts.....Cleaning (an gardening) as best they can. All over 50. Amazing people. They should be on ten quid an hour!
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Post by bheywood on Nov 9, 2004 13:51:40 GMT 1
Good grief! You ranters are all utterly, utterly nuts! Where do you find the time to go on like this?
I've said it before and I'll say it again - if you're a Daily Mail reader and you move abroad without making any effort to speak the local language, you deserve everything you get. I bet this berk would have enjoyed his time much more if he had bothered to integrate.
That said, thanks to all for these seven pages or so. I haven't read such entertaining cr*p since I last picked up a Ben Elton novel!
Ben
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Post by English man in Zagreb on Nov 9, 2004 14:22:54 GMT 1
Ben; I find the time easily, there is nothing to do in Zagreb.
Secondly stereotyping all daily mail readers? Typical actions of a proletariat who has designs on becoming bourgeoisie.
I was educated at one of the best university’s in England, therefore my credentials are not in question.
You seem to have been struck by the Croatian bug, it cannot be Croatia, it cannot be Croatian people; it must be everybody and everything else.
The fact that you read Ben Elton’s novels sums you up.
Now ben if you have anything relevant to add; please feel free otherwise go back to your volvo and elbow patched suits quietly.
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Post by bheywood on Nov 9, 2004 15:23:39 GMT 1
Teehee.
Clearly this excellent university - from whence you gained your "credentials" - failed to improve your use of the apostrophe, or teach you that "proletariat" is a group noun and cannot be used in the singular form. The word you're after is either "proletarian", or, if this is too difficult to spell, "prole". Likewise, "bourgeoisie" is also a group noun, so I would have designs on becoming bourgeois (add an "e" if the person with such designs is female).
I take it you didn't study English or French? Or any other languages, clearly!
Sorry about the Daily Mail comment, though; I would never dare to stereotype Daily Mail readers. They are simply ignorant right wing little englanders who think Dubya is on the right track and that all foreigners are stupid and should be just like us, that's all.
Did you know, the Germans call our tourists "Inselaffen" (island monkeys)? I rather like that one.
Croatia can be a great place, and the people have been vrlo friendly to my wife and I. I can't imagine a Croat with 5 weeks of English lessons would have been so warmly received in Cornwall, say. I don't drive a Volvo, but wouldn't mind if I did (they're much improved these days and if they're good enough for Jeremy Clarkson they're good enough to swap for a rusting Peugeot 205 and a Vespa), and my elbow patches remain sadly unadorned with patches as I am a publisher, and have no designs on being a Geography teacher.
And the fact that I think Ben Elton's novels are entertaining cr*p does indeed sum me up. I much prefer Carl Hiaasen or Christopher Brookmyre, both of which might be found in your local bookstore (search out the word "Knjiga" or derivations). These will help you while away those lonely hours in boring Zagreb where you will remain a billy-no-mates until your social and language skills improve.
I recommend "The Sacred Art of Stealing" first. You'll like the first chapter.
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Post by elaine on Nov 9, 2004 16:59:47 GMT 1
BlueMouse - you are stereotyping Daily Mail readers. Right wing I may be, but I'm certainly not English!!! Come to think of it though, it's probably easier for Scots to pronounce Croatian words than it is for English people (who can't say 'loch' or roll their rrrrrrrrrrrs.)
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Post by elsanddee on Nov 9, 2004 21:14:44 GMT 1
mmm Elaine, I have many Scottish, French, Italian and German colleagues, but i can't remember picking them up on their English?
In fact at a recent wedding in Glasgow, my wife along with my French colleagues realised they have confused the expression " Cant be arsed " with "cant be asked". A bit embarassing for my Croatian wife confusing this for the later.
I must add that the majority of young native Croats have a wonderfull understanding and spoken vocabulary of English, even though English may be their third language.
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Post by alsdoubles on Nov 9, 2004 22:11:22 GMT 1
mmm Elaine, I have many Scottish, French, Italian and German colleagues, but i can't remember picking them up on their English? In fact at a recent wedding in Glasgow, my wife along with my French colleagues realised they have confused the expression " Cant be arsed " with "cant be asked". A bit embarassing for my Croatian wife confusing this for the later. I must add that the majority of young native Croats have a wonderfull understanding and spoken vocabulary of English, even though English may be their third language. Let me get this straight....And I have violin music on in the background...You went to a wedding in Scotland..och aye th'noo...with French colleagues? Question...why? Did they allow them to leave? Were they not turned over to the ravaging haggis? I am WELL connected with Scotalnd, believe me. Let me tell you, at a recent funereal in by BACK GARDEN, we sang dirges from outer Mongolia with my Japanese and Tibetan colleagues performing solemn rites. It was stirring. Wonderful. My neighbour Croats came out to watch......I threw stones at them..... They love me...these neighbours...Love me. I promised NOT to run a village idiot contest. I bought them all off with a 1 kuna ticket on the STATE RUN national lottery. Generous or what? And...AND, few of them have any knowledge of English. Virtually none! You are in cloud cuckoo land Elsan....Cloud Cuckoo land. It just aint that way. Tell it like it is,eh.
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Post by elsanddee on Nov 9, 2004 22:35:54 GMT 1
alsdoubles the point i'm making!
Why do so many people on this site sink to the depths of slagging off other people on the basis of their nationalities, why are these threads becoming so childish!!!!!!! A little more tolerance, will go a long way.
(to the point? short enough? Alsdoubles, i accept you have embraced life in Croatia full on and are part of the community, but others on this site continually sink to lowly depths)
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