Where Do You Come From?

[nickspoon]

Officially there are seven continents: Europe, Asia, North America, South America, Africa, Oceania, Antarctica.

Then, there are seven major tectonic plates, which don't quite match the continents as we think of them: Eurasian, North American, South American, African, Australian, Antarctic, Pacific (oceanic plate). Between them are many minor plates, like the Indian and Arabian.

So the geological and common ideas of continents differ.

 

[satanic virus]

@ Unfathomable Depths - Sorry I didn't understand that. I don't know gaellic. Probably should have learnt it but there is no need for me to use it where I am. The only dialects I have to put up with are Fife ones and as a scotsman who doesn't sound Scottish (largely due to the fact my father is english and I've attend private schools virtually all my life), it's a pain in the arse trying to understand what some people say.

'tiocfaidh ár lá' is Irish which translates to 'our day will come'.

It's basically a pro-republican slogan from the days of The Troubles in Northern Ireland essentially meaning there will be a United Ireland again in the future (for those unaware, there are 32 Counties in Ireland, 6 are part of Northern Ireland. Irish Republicans wish for all 32 Counties under Irish control, and for zero British control.

** End of history lesson ** - just explaining what the expression means - whilst being Irish myself I am not going to start a polictical debate over this .... !

 

[Tashi]

Officially there are seven continents: Europe, Asia, North America, South America, Africa, Oceania, Antarctica.

Not in Switzerland!
Only the britain people here tell me that Oceania ist one of the 7 continents. Maybe its related to the school systems

 

[lizard808uk]

I'm from the UK but live in NZ these days.. there's way too many chavs back in Blighty. I reckon sub tac nukes from orbit.. its the only way

 

[jmetal88]

Am I the only one who thinks it's odd that the OP split North America into USA and Canada, but left out Mexico?

 

[trooper]

I'm from the UK but live in NZ these days.. there's way too many chavs back in Blighty. I reckon sub tac nukes from orbit.. its the only way

Yeah, And the sooner the better.

Trooper

<------- I am here.

 

[TaG]

Officially there are seven continents: Europe, Asia, North America, South America, Africa, Oceania, Antarctica.

Not in Switzerland!
Only the britain people here tell me that Oceania ist one of the 7 continents. Maybe its related to the school systems
When I was at school they called it Australasia, probably just so it wasn't the same as the country.

Interesting the need to say "Switzerland, Europe" in OP.

 

[Klepto]

Haha, i bet lots of Britons are now annoyed for being thrown into the same bag as the rest of Europe.

As a Scot I'm kind of annoyed at often being thrown into the same bag as the rest of Britain. I feel that the Scots have at least as much in common with the Scandinavians and the low countries as they do with England.

I know politics are frowned upon here, but Ganepark32's remarks in relation to Scottish independence require some kind of rebuttal. It is not my intention to offend or even to start a debate, simply to respond to a comment which offended me.

I'm from Scotland. You know that small country north of England that every American claims to have a great great grandfather that used to live there and is currently run by idiotic nationalists wanting to give the country independance from the rest of the UK. Pfft... SNP. Just so we are clear, I don't follow any political party as I firmly believe that they are all made up of shite. It's just the SNP used a hell of a lot of lies to get into Holyrood along with the Independance thing which, hopefully, will never happen.

@ Unfathomable Depths - Sorry I didn't understand that. I don't know gaellic. Probably should have learnt it but there is no need for me to use it where I am. The only dialects I have to put up with are Fife ones and as a scotsman who doesn't sound Scottish (largely due to the fact my father is english and I've attend private schools virtually all my life), it's a pain in the arse trying to understand what some people say.

[snip stuff about continents]

You assert that you are from Scotland, however it is pretty obvious that you do not consider yourself a Scot. Given that at least half of your blood is English and the nature of your education this is hardly surprising. In fact only around a third of the current Scottish population is made up of ethnic Scots such as myself, with most of the rest being the descendants of Irish and English incomers. It may annoy you that you find the Fife accent difficult, but imagine how the Fifers feel when they can't make themselves understood in their own homeland.

I suggest that your views on Scottish separatism (I dislike the word nationalism as it means a lot more that independence) are highly coloured by your upbringing. The fact you vehemently claim the SNP are idiotic without offering any supporting argument indicates that you are young, do not understand the issues involved, and/or are parroting rhetoric that you have heard elsewhere (your father?).

You go on to talk about your disrespect of all political parties and show disdain for their spinmongering half-truths, a feeling I and many others share. I also have no respect for the current political establishment, this is one of the main reasons that I am a lifelong SNP voter. I dislike their leader and many of their policies (although they do seem the best of a bad bunch to me), however their goal if independence would result in a major decentralisation of power. As an anarchist (not the reactionary window-breaking kind) the break-up of the UK coincides with my own credo. It seems that someone who has such disdain for our glorious leaders as yourself would support such a move as it would reduce their power.

The stuff about the USian fascination with Scotland is quite funny, and I have found it to be true. As for Gaelic, people in my part of the country never spoke that language. Gaelic is not the long-lost language of the Scots although it is the language of the Gaels, one of three native Scottish ethnic groups.

 

[Tashi]

Am I the only one who thinks it's odd that the OP split North America into USA and Canada, but left out Mexico?

ooh I forgot mexico!

Interesting the need to say "Switzerland, Europe" in OP.

Its because I`m not shure everybody knows Switzerland, and where it is. It`s a very small country
As example. Many People from the USA mixing up Switzerland with Sweden. Because this I always describe the location from Switzerland a bit more particular.

 

[chad78]

Its because I`m not shure everybody knows Switzerland, and where it is. It`s a very small country
As example. Many People from the USA mixing up Switzerland with Sweden. Because this I always describe the location from Switzerland a bit more particular.
(USAian here) But aren't Sweden and Switzerland both in Europe? So how does adding "Europe" help distinguish the two? That'd be like saying people always get me and my twin brother Brad confused, so I started going by Chad Smith. We'd both be named Smith. (I don't have a twin, btw - or a brother for that matter, just an example, all Chad-haters can rest easy, there's not two of me.)

I'm not attacking, I just don't get how that helps. I'm confused. :unsure:

independence would result in a major decentralisation of power. As an anarchist (not the reactionary window-breaking kind) the break-up of the UK coincides with my own credo. It seems that someone who has such disdain for our glorious leaders as yourself would support such a move as it would reduce their power.
That's really interesting. The majority of the leadership of Europe is trying to make the EU one big country, (an oversimplication, I'm sure), and part of the UK wants to be it's own country. That'd be like North America trying for decades to become one country and Quebec deciding to split off from Canada - (or maybe more like Rhode Island deciding to become its own country). (And, yes, I'm aware some Quebec citizens do want to do just that.)

 

[Tashi]

(USAian here) But aren't Sweden and Switzerland both in Europe? So how does adding "Europe" help distinguish the two? That'd be like saying people always get me and my twin brother Brad confused, so I started going by Chad Smith. We'd both be named Smith. (I don't have a twin, btw - or a brother for that matter, just an example, all Chad-haters can rest easy, there's not two of me.)

Yes yes.. Sweden and Switzerland are in Europe, shure. I wrote the example with Sweden only because some people don`t know where Switzerland is. Not to distinguish the two and not to explain why I add Europe. I add Europe only that people can better localize Switzerland.
My English can confuse a bit. Because I have not that much practice. But hey.. here is a nice place to learn that! Sometimes a bit painful for the readers

 

[Unfathomable Depths]

[deleted - a long rant about Scottish politics]

As a great Scottish Prophet once said 'Don't vote for them - It only encourages them. The very fact that you want to rule should bar you for life'

And don't fly in planes either....

 

[crogp2x]

I'm from Croatia... I guess people who are doing the best PR for our country is our football team (you know, we beat England two times in the EURO 2008 quals and prevented them from qualifying, also beat Germany in the group stage at the EURO, but ran out of luck and were eliminated by Turkey in the quarter-finals, damn, I don't want to remember that game ).

If you don't follow football and sports, maybe you know about Dubrovnik and other beautiful seaside cities and resorts along the cost of the Adriatic sea (across the sea is Italy).

It's interesting to read about Scotland and the independence issues there.

 

[chad78]

[deleted - a long rant about Scottish politics]

As a great Scottish Prophet once said 'Don't vote for them - It only encourages them. The very fact that you want to rule should bar you for life'

And don't fly in planes either....

I'm glad I got to read your Scottish politics rant before you deleted it - I learned something. And is Billy Connolly the "prophet" you were talking about? I have liked him since Head of the Class. He's the one reason I want to go see X-Files.

 

[Unfathomable Depths]

[deleted - a long rant about Scottish politics]

As a great Scottish Prophet once said 'Don't vote for them - It only encourages them. The very fact that you want to rule should bar you for life'

And don't fly in planes either....

I'm glad I got to read your Scottish politics rant - I learned something. And Billy Connolly is a Prophet? Good to know. I have liked him since Head of the Class. He's the one reason I want to go see X-Files.


I'm glad you seen self-moderation in action. A time and a place and all that...

You bought a GP2X yet?