Passports

#87

Well J.S.,
if Noah had indeed uttered those words he may well have used them when referring to pigs, as he probably did not care for them too much : However in reference to the animals noted in the famous quote from Animal Farm, pigs had come up in the world somewhat since the time of Noah and had gained the upper hand.....or should I say 'crubbeen'?

Austin

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#90

Well the definitive answer will be found in the Lawyer's small print, there will be a loophole somewhere between the two definitions.

Austin

Noel, it's one and the same. Cheers, Rodney

#91 Pigs! Apart from frolicking around in the mud ,I was told in my earlier years that a pig was a very clean animal as had two stomachs , as regards mud humans are just as likely to frolic in same especially down some of the night clubs down San Pauli in Hamburg. Beauty I suppose is in the eye of the beholder. Cheers JS.

Hi John.
The one thing both me and the wife can't eat is pork. And it's nothing to do with long pig in NZ.
Des

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rodney Mills

Noel, it's one and the same. Cheers, Rodney

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Sad part is Rodney, is that if the Pledge of Allegiance was the one to be taken at naturalization ceromonies I would have become a citizen in a heartbeat.
But the Oath of Allegiance asking for absolutely and entirely renouncing of all allegiance and fidelity to the country of my birth and upbringing is not my cup of tea.

#95

I departed the UK in 1962 on board ship and left behind me a country which was still on its knees after the 2nd world war; Liverpool, the city of my birth still had bomb sites all over the place and although rationing had ended, most domestic luxuries were unavailable. Rationing had finished but another form of rationing had stepped in to take its place, everything was priced out of reach. I remember I would buy one cigarette and two matches from the corner shop, it was called a "loosie". I stepped ashore in New York and was met by my aunt and uncle who took me on the grand tour, I was overwhelmed by the staggering difference between the two countries. It would take me 20 pages of script to even begin to list them but the bottom line was that I could not wait to get to the USA.

Were I to place two bowls in front of me and put a quarter in one bowl for all the advantages and opportunities which I was afforded in the USA and in the other place a shilling for likewise in the UK, the US bowl would be full and the UK bowl empty. The country of my birth, upbringing and supposed loyalties would not even renew my passport (covered in previous posts) and for me, that was the straw which broke the camels back regarding any feeling of association I may have harbored for the UK. For me the choice of loyalty was obvious, I did not hesitate, I swore allegiance as soon as I got my five years in and have never regretted a moment of my time here in my adopted country.

On another topic, does anyone remember the 'Laminated pass'. It was a seaman's identification card issued by the US immigration service to crew members who arrived in New York on a regular basis and was the same size, shape and material as the 'Green Card' except for the wording, which stated 'Alien Crewman Landing Permit' on the back. I used to refer to it as my spaceman landing card. It was similar enough in appearance to the green card that it was used by many who jumped ship to fool would be employers into accepting it as such. I still have mine.

Austin

I had a few of those US shore passes, still got some somewhere.

#96 It is good to see so many made the right choices in life and made their own way to their Shangrila. Most have a seagoing background which in a lot of cases enabled them to make the change without too much discomfort. In 1962 I had 9 years seatime in and about at that time accepted the Cuban crisis as the norm for that period. I stuck with the sea even though at times it was an extremely poor living , but a living at least, and managed to bring up a family as well. I am a bit of a fatalist and believe whatever is going to be is going to be whatever I do, and also believe in Karma. But whatever your outlook on life decisions have to be made and is best to make yourself so can’t at the end of the day blame others. So is always good to read the right decision makers have had that good karma. Cheers JS

#98


I see several posts from people who have settled in the USA and who have good things to say about it and regard the choice they made to have been a good one. I also note that I have not read anything detrimental about Oz from all those who contribute here. It appears Oz was a very good choice to have been made by all concerned. I have a step son who went there and was both successful and very happy with his choice. He chose to swear in at the first opportunity.

Karma.....I have mixed thoughts about it really. In my view it's a subjective topic and ones understanding of it to me, rather depends upon where one is standing at the time of reflection. From where I stand now, at the end of my trail so to speak, I can look back upon it all and reflect that my karma has been good to me.......or is it that I deserve my present state, or karma from past incarnations and positive karma points that I earned on my passage through the great cosmos, or whatever ethereal matter it is through which our souls navigate?
I can think of many places in other, darker continents which I have witnessed and experienced, such that ; should Karma have dealt me the hand that would have had me born there then I would not be reflecting upon karma in such a magnanimous manner as I currently do. I would in other words be reflecting upon my position and state of affairs in the light of "what did I do wrong in the past to deserve this?" I have seen places, and indeed whole countries that it would be generous in fact to refer to them as s**t holes. Some of them are so deep in the s**t that the s**t has not even started yet. Had I been born in one of those places, 100 feet below the low level point whereat the s**t actually starts, I would definitely think of my own personal karma in a much different manner, in other words with a far less philosophical point of view.

Austin

Yes Oz has been good to us.
Having worked hard in Uk with two pubs and a restaurant working hours we never knew existed Oz was like a dream.
Work hard yes but rewards ae good.
Built three houses, something would never even have thought of in UK, made good money from them.
Pension schemes here with Superannuation are something we would never have had, now in a position to enjoy our later years without the need to worry financially as some friends in UK still do.

We have been back numerous times to UK and each time it looks less like the one I grew up in.
That was the days when English was a first language, not sure what it is now, Urdu maybe??