Taking an Australian Flag with Us on Holiday
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (339930)
Rockingham, Australia
May 23, 2017 4:26am CST
Hanni Harel (@Hannihar) has just posted a discussion about a flag she has bought to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the liberation of Jerusalem. I’ll put the link below. We are taking two small Australian flags with us when we go overseas.
We were told that, when we went to France, we should take pains to show we were Australian rather than British as the French have a bit of a ‘thing’ about the British. It probably works both ways. And I hope I’m not going to offend our British members here. Just to balance the arguments I’ve been told that Australians are regarded as really bad at tipping.
Anyway we’re going to tape our flag to our motor-home and hopefully people will forgive my deplorable French. We have a flag-pole in our front garden and often fly the flag when we’re home. When Herc passes on, we’ll fly it at half-mast.
The figures are shaped as the 50th and one of the shapes is a lion which represents Jerusalem. The writing says that it was liberated 50 years ago and that...
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20 responses
@JudyEv (339930)
• Rockingham, Australia
23 May 17
The Springbok shirt would be instantly recognisable. I need to buy a T-shirt with a kangaroo on it. I have one with a koala on it but it has definitely seen better days. Once when I was wearing it, a friend asked me if I should be 'bear/bare chested' which I thought was pretty clever.
2 people like this
@Inlemay (17713)
• South Africa
23 May 17
@JudyEv ha ha ha - that is a great pun intended! Well thanks to my hubbys sharp thinking, it was his idea. And I must tell you we were NEVER shunned, on the contrary, we made more friends and in Luxembourg a senior choir from Amsterdam were travelling on the same little train as us and decided to SING our National Anthem to the PUBLIC in the square - Now thats a warm welcome for anyone travelling in Europe especially the South African than have been so ousted for so long!
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@JudyEv (339930)
• Rockingham, Australia
23 May 17
@Inlemay Isn't that great? Wow, what a lovely thing to do. We had an Austrian couple stay as couch-surfers - they were backpackers. We had an Austrian flag and Vince learnt their national anthem and played it on the piano. It made the girl cry. We will be seeing her and her little 5-year-old probably in September. We are foster grand-parents for little Annie. She has a new partner now but that's the way of the world I guess.
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@garymarsh6 (23404)
• United Kingdom
23 May 17
I hope you get a better reception from the French than many British people do. They generally try to con the Brits when we go there but are quite shocked when you respond in French to them and tell them off. They change their attitudes a bit when they know you can speak French. I used to like France but it has gone way down in my places I like. Italy is now near the top!
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@garymarsh6 (23404)
• United Kingdom
30 Jun 17
@MALUSE The French can be as awkward or as helpful as they seem fit at the time. You are certainly right about English people being too lazy to learn a foreign language. I have sewn the seeds with my Grandchildren. Even the three year old has picked up quite a few words now. The 7 year old is a bit lazy she walks around with her head in the clouds thinking about hair and dolls but the 3 year old is quite enthusiastic. Both can count to 20 and can say the usual greetings etc.
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@JudyEv (339930)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Jul 17
@garymarsh6 I think you are right about some not even wanting to be helpful. Others have gone out of their way to help but I always start off with French so perhaps that helps. I have tried hard to use good pronunciation (listening to YouTube tutorials, etc) but I think that sometimes causes them to think you know more than you do. 'Lentement, s'il vous plait'' has become a standard phrase for me now. 
@LadyDuck (471497)
• Switzerland
23 May 17
You are right French have a bit of "thing" about the British, but it is mutual. When we met British during our US travels and we said we lived in Monte-Carlo, we rushed to specify that we were not French, but Italian. Italian were appreciated in France because they are known to leave very good tips.
Italian were appreciated in France because they are known to leave very good tips.2 people like this
. If ever they bothered us, we'd just remind them who saved their *sses during the war.
@JohnRoberts (109846)
• Los Angeles, California
23 May 17
There is a mutual dislike between Brits and the French that goes back centuries from conflicts.
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@responsiveme (22926)
• India
23 May 17
Hope the half mast will be a long time in the future.
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@JudyEv (339930)
• Rockingham, Australia
24 May 17
We have to work out how to attach it to the motor-home so it doesn't blow off.
@RasmaSandra (79833)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
23 May 17
Sounds like an interesting idea. Sometimes when we are supposed to put out the Latvian flag I would much rather put up an American flag and tell people that I cannot remember all of the Latvian holidays.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (79833)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
24 May 17
@JudyEv the story behind the Latvian flag is that during war time a soldier who was injured bled out but the sheet stayed white in the middle so in honor of all soldiers red white red became the official flag.
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@JudyEv (339930)
• Rockingham, Australia
25 May 17
@RasmaSandra That's nice. I like these stories or traditions.
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@moffittjc (121581)
• Gainesville, Florida
24 May 17
Hmmm...maybe I should travel with an Australian flag too and see if I get better treatment! Do you think they would suspect I wasn't Australian?
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@moffittjc (121581)
• Gainesville, Florida
1 Jun 17
@JudyEv I can speak softly and say 'mate' in every sentence. I used to watch Crocodile Hunter religiously, and Steve Irwin was a hero of mine, so I think I can throw in a few 'crikeys' as well for emphasis. Do you think it will work mate? Crikeys, I better practice my accent!
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Speak slowly, call people 'mate', throw in a few 'crikeys' and 'humdingers' and they'll think you're Bazza McKenzie. 
@JudyEv (339930)
• Rockingham, Australia
10 Jun 17
@moffittjc Poor Steve Irwin took a long time to be fully accepted in his own country. We all thought he was a bit of a joke for a long time which was a bit sad.
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@andriaperry (116936)
• Anniston, Alabama
23 May 17
Very interesting, I have never hear of such.
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@JudyEv (339930)
• Rockingham, Australia
24 May 17
Do you mean people having their own flag-pole? Or the French and the English antagonism?
@veganbliss (3895)
• Adelaide, Australia
25 Jul 17
I've never been to Europe & am not good at any of their languages. When I go visit China, the locals call me out as an American on the streets! Throughout our short history, as you can easily see on our French Embassy website here, our two countries have been very close, especially throughout WW1. Recently, France was one of just three countries chosen initially to build our submarines. I know this as I did the original public survey on this. If the French dislike the Union Jack, then just take our Boxing Kangaroo Flag instead. Or you can just wear your Dri-as-a-bone outfit, sit around playing Two-Up (illegal here, but not in France!) or saying "G'Day Luv" in a laid-back manner to anyone passing by.
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@JudyEv (339930)
• Rockingham, Australia
25 Jul 17
We have lapel pins of kangaroos which serve us a quite well. A boxing kangaroo would have been a good touch.
@JudyEv (339930)
• Rockingham, Australia
24 May 17
Thank you. The flag is more interesting than just stripes of different colours. I like the US flag and especially the Canadian flag.
@teamfreak16 (43418)
• Denver, Colorado
23 May 17
That's a good idea. Be proud of where you're from!
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@JudyEv (339930)
• Rockingham, Australia
24 May 17
I hope some recognise our flag. Maybe we should add a boxing kangaroo. These were popular when we won the America's Cup - from the Americans, if my memory serves me right! 
@FayeHazel (40243)
• United States
23 May 17
Wow. I didn't know that the French had a thing about the British
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@JudyEv (339930)
• Rockingham, Australia
24 May 17
It's been ongoing for years apparently. And works both ways.
@JudyEv (339930)
• Rockingham, Australia
24 May 17
Hopefully people will be a bit interested and/or intrigued.
