Just landed

Hi guys,

Well, just landed here a couple of weeks ago, and am finding my feet. Thanks again to all for your help with my endless questions ;P

Anyone interested in meeting up at all? It would be great to get to know some new people here...;>

PM me if you'd like?

Cheers!

Welcome to the madness lady

Welcome!

Servus!

I think events is what you are looking for, see you soon

There's a Toytown meet up party stylee thing on Friday...

dunno how to put links in but if you search for Spring Party at C U Bar you're sure to find it.

cheers.

Or look to the top of the page where it says Party in red letters.

The Curry Night is always a good start. I would post a link to the sign-up page, but I am phenomen really lazy, so use the search in the corner or wait a few minutes until one of the mods has linked the page from here...which I'm sure they will.

It doesn't always have to be a mod

haha.. thanks guys!

I did actually see the Party ad (trying not to miss anything before I post.. I've seen the lurve that gets ). I'm going to try and tear hubbie away from the basketball and make it!

We'll definitely be seeing you guys soon!

I was actually also wondering if anyone had any time in the day during the week, just to meet for coffee or something? This is the first time in my adult life I've not worked and it's taking some getting used to.. So I was thinking of playing hooky from housework and wondered if anyone wanted to to join me?

Hubbie?! Pffft, forget it, we all thought you were single.

Well now she is in liberal Europe...

Bored Housewife = Warm Ankles

hahaha..naughty naughty...

Well.. I would *love* to say that I'm entering Desparate Housewife territory, but nope.. not one sexy garden boy to even ogle yet..lol

So, you've heard of the Albanian President, Alfred Moisiu and his centre-right Democratic Party PM, Sali Berisha, or the Armenian President, Robert Kocharyan and the widespread allegations of ballot-rigging, or maybe Azerbaijan's former communist President, Ilham Aliyev and vice chairman of the state oil company who took over from his former communist leader father as his "political successor" (did somebody mention oil? If they're givin' it to us I retract everything... perfect example of a modern democracy, obviously), or there's Hammer House of Horror extra, President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus, or Croatia's PM, Ivo Sanader, leader of the right-wing Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), or Estonia's Andrus Ansip of the centre-right Reform Party. France's PM Dominique de Villepin liberal? I thunk not. As for his deputy PM and interior minister Nicolas Sarkozy. Then we have Silvio Berlusconi and Forza Italia. Liberals I thunk not. Latvia's PM Aigars Kalvitis and his centre-right People's Party? I don't really know very much about the Lithuanians (must learn more), but I do know that they have the cutely titled party, 'The Social Liberals and Farmers and New Democracy Union' (do you know what you're gettin' with this lot yet?). Malta's Lawrence Gonzi, head of The Nationalists, Vladimir Voronin and the former communists rule the roost in Moldova, Monaco is still a bloody monarchy, PM Jan Peter Balkenende formed the most complicated of centre-right, centrist and right wing coalitions in Holland, conservative Law and Justice Party President Lech Kaczynski, and PM Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz hold sway in Poland with their traditional and religious values... christianity = morality (scary stuff indeed). Russia is partly Europe... would you trust Vladimir Vladimirovich? PM Mikulas Dzurinda heads a centre-right coalition in Slovakia. In Slovenia, PM Janez Jansa is the leader of the centre-right Slovenian Democratic Party. President Janez Drnovsek is the former SDP leader. Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan is leader of the Islamist-based Justice and Development Party (AK). And then there's Tony bLIAR.

Jesus sin lay off the fifth cup of coffee man...

sin, how long did it take you to write that???

Couple of minutes - I'm busy.

Impressive, Sin! You should publish this in next month's "Economist" as an editorial. Could I steal this for an English class- what a way to get the students talking! Wow. Explosive, provocative, timely and unfortunately accurate. Poor Shadowchaser-- she has a lot to learn about liberal Europe and European Democracy...

Which brand of coffee are you drinking? I'd like some of that stuff!

I only drink coffee at breakfast... a quadruple expresso (Lavazza). During the day I am an Earl Grey man.

At least she can leave Azerbaijan out since it's not part of Europe, is it? As for Turkey, the jury is still out...

What do you define as Europe? If we're talking the European Union, then Iceland, Norway and Switzerland are not in Europe. If we are talking geographically, then Azerbaijan are part of Europe. However, if we're talking Eurovision Song Contests... then even Israel make it in.

Good thing too by the looks of it ;>

Welll.. I know a thing or two on Europeon history - I won't even try set myself up by suggesting I test it against sun-by or Sin's though ;>

But.. all politics aside, sometimes you have to see the big picture when it comes to how people see "liberal Europe".

For some, like many South Africans, Europe is seen as pretty darn liberal from view points other than political.. You have to try and put it in context. Not so long ago, most Souf Efrikens here would remember how our "esteemed and moralled" goverment decided that yes, they would grant us the pleasure of adult magazines, but they would modify it. Making it more funny than anything else. Anyone remember the Scope magazine with the stars strategically placed? Add to that , that our viewing was censored - nothing that could corrupt our delicate minds too much. When one of the TV stations came out a little while back with some adult B-grade movies in a late night slot, people were at first gob smacked.

And then.. they could not get enough.

And,so, those who came to Europe and saw the erm.. wide and varied viewing and reading material, and the red light districts .. well you could forgive them for thinking Europe was the world's capitol of liberal thinking ;>

For the most part, the overall feeling of the majority of states that constitute the EU is fairly open, easy-going and liberal. You can add non EU-states like Iceland, Norway and Switzerland to that list too (Norway is just beautiful and very, very forward thinking).

Occasionally you find enclaves of backward thinking. There is an area tucked up against the Czech border in the former East Germany (south-east of Dresden) which is a bit scary, and Passau is known for its ultra-right wing religious nutters as well.

As for censorship. The UK was terrible until the mid-90's. If you were young and just getting off the ferry from Hook van Holland (been there, done that), British Customs would search you as much for pornographic material as they would for drugs. Then the borders really came down (there will always be mental borders with the British) and the internet happened. Very, very difficult to censor the internet. The only way would be to shut it down completely (and there are certain circles that actually advocate this). Even the Chinese are fighting a loosing battle against internet freedoms.

I used to do a bit of... er... photography (he said knowingly) for the Gold brothers in Wardour Street a very long time ago, and we had to abide by the 'leg of Italy' rule then.

@Shadowchaser

Yes, I remember the Scope magazine. Why did you have to remind me!? Anyhow, Europe is Europe is what Europe has always been. They deluded themselves for about 10 years in the 90's that they were liberal and compassionate and allowed shitloads of immigrants in and turned a blind eye because there was lots of money. A little downturn and suddenly everyone has turned from centre-left socialist democrat to centre right. Having said that centre right in Germany could very well be centre left in the UK or France. In anycase, you're absolutely right; it's all super liberal to South Africans. So, don't worry, London, Paris, Berlin and Amsterdam will all still be real eye-openers and you'll have a whale of a time here in Munich since it's the perfect platform for European travel. And Bavaria ain't shabby either.

@Sin

Switzerland is anything but liberal. In Iceland you'll get beaten up if you have to much success with their women and the Swedes are starting to have problems with the influx of non-Europeans too. Just because governments have centre-left governments doesn't mean the countries themselves are liberal. You should know. You're English.

1. In my book EU does not equal Europe. As a matter of fact, it gets on my nerves if people say Europe when they actually mean the European Union (and it often causes me problems in my work, but that's another story).

2. I don't think of Azerbaijan as a European country. (Incidentally, I think Turkey actually has a bigger chunk of territory within Europe than Azerbaijan - but I haven't measured either.)

3. I don't see the Eurovision Song Contest as an indicator of whether or not a country is part of Europe (in other words, I don't think Israel should be among the participants).

4. Good of you to bring up Switzerland - in your first post you forgot to mention Christoph Blocher and his SVP/UDC party.

Ah well. The Swiss are a law unto themselves.

Do you know why there is such a low crime rate in Switzerland?

It is illegal.

Go to Englischer Garten and maybe you will find one there???

Well, not quite yet, but temps are supposed to soar soon. And my bike route goes right along that meadow.

I've been in Passau for quite a while now, and I've yet to see a neonazi. The only thing you've got to be scared of here are the drunken students and the occasional nun on a rampage.

I believe that a few years ago a bunch of right-wing nutters would descend upon Passau annually for a meeting in a town meeting hall here, but there were always protests. The police were obliged by law to clear the path, but were of course sympathetic to the protesters. None of the neonazis actually lived here.

The town hall was torn down before I arrived (~2.5 years ago) and now there's a shopping mall & cinema being built there.

Passau also has ~25% foreigners here, so said my German teacher recently. So, to reiterate: there are no neonazis in Passau