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To let you all know that Austria rocks?

68 replies

bestcatintheworld · 05/09/2015 12:08

Expat, lived in the UK for half my life.

So you might have seen in the news what's happening in Austria, but honestly, that's just a fraction of what's going on right now. At the railway station in Vienna, hundreds have turned up to welcome the refugees with applause. They are bringing food, medicines, clothes, and most importantly, skills - doctors, lawyers, translators. The police, the army, the national rail service - everybody has behaved impeccably. My Facebook is full of people actually doing stuff. The relief organisations are being inundated with offers to help and have to turn volunteers away.

We're a small country, with a population of less than that of Greater London. 6,5000 have arrived since last night, and we are expecting 10,000 people by the end of today. Many, many families with children. I realise that most of them will eventually travel on to Germany, but still - they are shown that they are welcome and treated with dignity.

Fingers crossed that it continues like this. All my life, I have felt a mixture of shame and embarrassment for my country. Today, for the first time, I feel pride that I can't put into words.

OP posts:
travellinglighter · 05/09/2015 12:26

Austria does rock.

museumum · 05/09/2015 12:31
Grin
TheMotherOfHellbeasts · 05/09/2015 12:34

I'm an expat too, though South America not Austria, and I was so relieved to give up my UK citizenship, I got out of the UK as soon as I could and never looked back (many years ago now). As you say, always feeling ashamed of your country is horrible. I lived in Austria for a while and found the place and people tok be absolutely wonderful, so caring. Well done Austria.

Iflyaway · 05/09/2015 12:35

Fantastic! Wonderful people!

MagpieCursedTea · 05/09/2015 12:39

Lovely! Well done those people!

Andrewofgg · 05/09/2015 12:58

They've got form. The collapse of the Iron Curtain began when the Hungarian border guards looked the other way when East Germans crossed into Austria to move on to West Germany. The Austrians pulled the stops out then too.

BlackeyedSusan · 05/09/2015 13:23

of course it rocks it is full of bloody great big rock mountains

heard it on the news last night.

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 05/09/2015 13:26

I agree OP - they are setting a great example.

ghostyslovesheep · 05/09/2015 13:27

They do indeed - well done those people

Macadaamia · 05/09/2015 13:28

Such goodwil, but yet safe in the knowledge that these people are just passing through and won't be staying

mollie123 · 05/09/2015 13:31

I'm an expat too, though South America not Austria, and I was so relieved to give up my UK citizenship, I got out of the UK as soon as I could and never looked back (many years ago now). As you say, always feeling ashamed of your country is horrible
why are you ashamed of the United Kingdom - what has it done to you to make you feel that way. Interested in your response.

Whoknewitcouldbeso · 05/09/2015 13:36

And yet if war broke out and the UK became the only safe haven you'd be here like a shot.

Lovely that Austria is welcoming the refugees as they love through the country to Germany. Good stuff.

Whoknewitcouldbeso · 05/09/2015 13:36

*move

mollie123 · 05/09/2015 13:47

motherofhell - my question was directed at you.

Noomflah · 05/09/2015 13:47

They're digging their own graves.

tomatodizzymum · 05/09/2015 13:55

That's fantastic.
It's good to feel proud of your country. I'm a British expat in South America. At the moment they're doing the Britain is Great campaign here to promote tourism in the UK, flippin joke. It doesn't look or feel very great to me.

tomatodizzymum · 05/09/2015 14:12

And yet if war broke out and the UK became the only safe haven you'd be here like a shot. and if lowland UK starts flooding and sea levels rise you'll be praying that other countries give you the chance to settle there. War breaking out in South America is very unlikely, lowland UK flooding and sea levels rising is a very real possibilty and not too far off either.

I cannot answer for anyone else but I have noticed where I am humans are important. People tolerate everyone, welcome strangers, look on the positive, even when the positive is almost impossible to find. When I go to the UK there is a blanket of misery that you can almost taste. People complain about EVERYTHING, people are rude and ungrateful and have such priviledge and yet that seems to not be enough. It's sad, but that's my experience.

Whoknewitcouldbeso · 05/09/2015 14:37

Ha ha said the woman who is complaining!! I'm happy you are happy, delighted. Have a happy life and be sure to give us a wave as we sink.

dodgeballqueen · 05/09/2015 14:53

"A blanket of misery that you can almost taste" Hmm

Oh dear. Sounds awful for you, but it's not my experience of the UK, nor anyone I know.

tomatodizzymum · 05/09/2015 15:00

There is a massive difference between complaining and stating an opinion. Complaing is when things bother you and consume you and you invest time and energy in thinking about it. It doesn't bother me that people are like that, they just are and I have moved so I don't have to notice it.

I will not wave, I will open my doors to anyone who needs them open, my family and friends are in the UK.

That's exactly the lack of compassion attitude I'm talking about.

EvansOvalPiesYumYum · 05/09/2015 15:02

Tomato - that's so lovely of you! How many of these unfortunate families have you personally taken in? Well Done indeed!!

tomatodizzymum · 05/09/2015 15:02

To be fair dodgeballqueen it wasn't my experience of the UK when I lived there. I just saw the UK with fresh eyes and it sealed my desire never to return. It's my desire, one of my children loves the UK and wants to go back at some point. Everyone is different. But someone asked why and as I said I cannot speak for anyone else that is just my personal experience and it might be someone elses.

Moopsboopsmum · 05/09/2015 15:08

Makes a change from 70 years ago.

EvansOvalPiesYumYum · 05/09/2015 15:09

Tomat - People complain about EVERYTHING, people are rude and ungrateful and have such priviledge and yet that seems to not be enough. It's sad, but that's my experience
it wasn't my experience of the UK when I lived there
that is just my personal experience

Hmm - now I'm very confused. Was it your experience, or not? Confused

tomatodizzymum · 05/09/2015 15:11

How many destitute UK families have I taken in? Well funnily enough, none, given that I was giving a scenario that is probably 50 years away.

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