Guest guest Posted October 4, 2001 Report Share Posted October 4, 2001 Spoke to a friend yesterday (Dutch but married to a Brit and arrived here last year from the UK) - she spotted me with my new copy of " The Weekly Telegraph " and said that she had heard that things were " bad " in the UK at the moment. She had spoken to a close friend who had mentioned how things were getting very depressing in the UK at the moment with all the talk of military conflict etc. Another friend of mine who is a secondary school teacher has mentioned how the boys that she teaches (intelligent lads - it's a grammar school) and who are about to do exams, are asking is it worth bothering to study if they are going to be conscripted. Then I opened the aforementioned Telegraph, to read of smallpox vaccines being sent to hospitals in case of biological attacks, a run on gas masks and protective clothing, and an exodus of people from London to the country. Is it really like that at the moment, or am I just getting one side of the story? My parents who I speak to weekly have not mentioned anything - but then they live in rural Norfolk in splendid retirement, so perhaps don't get the full story. While we, of course, get the low down here on what's going on, and Australia have committed troops and equipment to the US, there is little sense of urgency or panic. People are more concerned about the demise of Ansett - the countries second airline. Enlighten me please? Must say, that at the moment, I feel lucky to be living down-under at the moment. While I'm not being at all complacent, and we are close to mainland Asia - and particularly Indonesia, which is primarily Muslim and has its own problems - I really can't imagine that Perth is on anyone's list of priorities. Debbie Slater Perth, WA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 5, 2001 Report Share Posted October 5, 2001 Wet and cold I don't think it's *so* bad, but I don't spend much time reading or listening to the news and when it does seek me out, I spend even less time believing what I'm hearing, generally! My Dad (ex-army) did ask last weekend if would be going to Afghanistan when the time comes. I just laughed and said we were leaving all that malarkey to him. I have heard that there's been a run on gas masks, and the police do keep saying UK is a prime target, being seen worldwide as the USA's closest ally. I think the former is ridiculous, and I suppose the threat of terrorist attack has risen slightly but I must say (touching wood) that I can't summon the energy to be too worried about that, although that could be an effect of growing up with teh IRA and Baader-Meinhof routines. I don't think things have changed much. The news at ten keeps saying we're at war though our men are in Oman still 'formally on exercise'. I can't see how we're at war, really: we don't have a clearly defined enemy and war hasn't been declared. But perhaps I'm just hopelessly naive. I am awfully grateful, though, that none of my nearest and dearest are currently serving in the forces. I feel dreadfully for Ruth Selby and all the others, who must be going through a horribly worrying time. Vicki Portman http://www.plushpants.co.uk What's it like in the UK? > Spoke to a friend yesterday (Dutch but married to a Brit and arrived here > last year from the UK) - she spotted me with my new copy of " The Weekly > Telegraph " and said that she had heard that things were " bad " in the UK at > the moment. She had spoken to a close friend who had mentioned how things > were getting very depressing in the UK at the moment with all the talk of > military conflict etc. > > Another friend of mine who is a secondary school teacher has mentioned how > the boys that she teaches (intelligent lads - it's a grammar school) and who > are about to do exams, are asking is it worth bothering to study if they are > going to be conscripted. > > Then I opened the aforementioned Telegraph, to read of smallpox vaccines > being sent to hospitals in case of biological attacks, a run on gas masks and > protective clothing, and an exodus of people from London to the country. > > Is it really like that at the moment, or am I just getting one side of the > story? My parents who I speak to weekly have not mentioned anything - but > then they live in rural Norfolk in splendid retirement, so perhaps don't get > the full story. > > While we, of course, get the low down here on what's going on, and Australia > have committed troops and equipment to the US, there is little sense of > urgency or panic. People are more concerned about the demise of Ansett - the > countries second airline. > > Enlighten me please? > > Must say, that at the moment, I feel lucky to be living down-under at the > moment. While I'm not being at all complacent, and we are close to mainland > Asia - and particularly Indonesia, which is primarily Muslim and has its own > problems - I really can't imagine that Perth is on anyone's list of > priorities. > > > Debbie Slater > Perth, WA > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 5, 2001 Report Share Posted October 5, 2001 Vicki wrote: >I don't think things have changed much. The news at ten keeps saying we're >at war though our men are in Oman still 'formally on exercise'. I can't see >how we're at war, really: we don't have a clearly defined enemy and war >hasn't been declared. But perhaps I'm just hopelessly naive. I'm being very 'head in the sand' about it. DH watched CNN pretty much 24/7 for the first few weeks and I got fed up with hearing it. I was having sleepless nights and feeling very tense and shell-shocked. Now I've decided life goes on, I've started looking how much flights cost again and renewed my dream of going Xmas shopping in NYC. The IRA never stopped me getting to work in London and I blowed if I'm going to stay at home worrying about how we might all die in the next six months instead of living my life. After all, I could be hit by a drunken driver anytime I'm out walking or driving. Stopping living is just giving in to them. I'm annoyed at the media who are whipping up a frenzy. And I get so angry hearing the word 'war' bandied about. Also I wonder whether this worldwide war on terrorism is including shutting down the accounts of those Americans who have openly supported various factions in the past. So I try not to watch the news. It's on when I'm at the gym (one of the screens is Sky News) but I tune my headphones into trivia like 'Housecall' or 'Trisha' or 'This Morning'. Or Neighbours or Crossroads in the afternoon! >I am awfully grateful, though, that none of my nearest and dearest are >currently serving in the forces. I feel dreadfully for Ruth Selby and all >the others, who must be going through a horribly worrying time. Ditto. I was talking to a lady yesterday who has a son on HMS Nottingham. She's very concerned and was close to tears even talking about him. My Australian friend who lives in London says she's glad she's here cos if anything big goes off she'd rather be here under it than Australia waiting for the fall-out. -- Sue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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