One night I went out to dinner with a new British friend and a new American friend to at curry at Brick Lane. British people perceive Americans as loud and a bit too upfront and funnily enough, I've had several experiences here where I've felt the same thing! This dinner was funny as everyone was so stereotypically British or American. I don't think I reflect the perceived stereotypical Australian (it would be someone like Steve Irwin) but the night went somehow like this...
Danny (British): (Turns politely to me) Do you fancy a spicy dish or something somewhat milder?
Don (American): (Exclaims loudly) Dude! Oh my God they've got Tikka Masala!! (Some heads turn in this quiet restaurant)
We order our meals and the waitor comes back with our drinks. Don has ordered a lemonade.
Don the American: (Takes a sip and nearly spits it out) Dude!! Jeez they gave me Sprite! Excuse me!!! (hails waitor). I ordered lemonade but you gave me Sprite!
Me the Australian: Mate! That IS lemonade! (Hehe I didn't say that but just want to chuck in something 'Australian')
Don the American: No it's Sprite! Lemonade is freshly squeezed lemon with sugar and soda
Danny and I explain that in Australia and England it is different. The food then comes
Danny the Brit: This curry is well good.
Don the American: Has a bite and his eyes open wide. He excitedly slaps the waitor near us and says DUDE! This curry is AWESOME! I thought I had good curry in Singapore but oh man! This curry rocks!!
The Indian waitor nods somewhat nervously, a bit overwhelmed with all the expression. More heads begin to turn around and look at us.
Don the American: You know what? I LOVE Indian people! Indian people are always so nice! Where abouts in India are you from?
He then makes some mistake about where the waitor is from, getting confused between India and a different country.
Me the Australian: CRIKEY Don! (Ok I did not say that again hehe but just wanted to chuck another 'Australian' thing in)
We then had a beer, gutter style, in Brick Lane (its cool to dress fashionably and drink beer sitting on the gutter looking like hobos). There were similar reactions from the bartenders when Don the American ordered drinks.
Here are some pics of us pretending to be hobos in Brick Lane!
Brick Lane is meant to be quite a cool place.... we were embarassing ourselves (actually the American was) by pretending to be hobos and lying on the street. I actually didn't drink any alcohol that night- I just picked up empty bottles and pretended to be a hobo drinking on the gutter!
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Ah Mel, you know you better watch out, apparently Aussies are becoming the new Yanks (if a blog is to be believed!) http://blogs.smh.com.au/travel/archives/2007/03/new_yanks_and_jafas_why_no_one.html
I can just imagine you yelling aussie aussie aussie at random larger louts in a pub.
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