KIU online magazine
[August '03]Guide to Planet Earth.

Planet Earth
Guide to Planet Earth

By Amanda (Been There!) Hallay


Okay. I haven’t been everywhere.  But how wonderful to have the Ultimate Guide to the places where I have been (or at least have an opinion about.)  So, to mark our KIU Goes International Issue, I present to you my guide to Planet Earth.


EnglandENGLAND


Where is it?

Part of an island off the coast of Western Europe.

Language

Used to be English, now a sort of ‘youff televison sort a’ fing, wots WICKED!’

National Dress

Shell suits and trainers (North), trainers and baggy jeans (South.)

National Dish

Kebab and chips (Common People), Celebrity Chef-inspired Tuscan dishes with olive oil so virgin that it’s hymen is still intact (Middle Class) and  (I would guess) pheasant (Royal Family.)

National Beverage

Becks, Fosters, vodka-based bottled fruit drinks enjoyed by teenagers and/or slags.

Main Industries

Daytime television, signing-on.

KIU Rating

Relatively low.

Anything good to say about it?

London’s got good shopping, great museums, nice restaurants.


U.S.AU.S.A


Where is it?

Large land mass in between the Atlantic and Pacific with Latin America joined on at the bottom (and the unfortunate Canada joined onto the top.)

Language

A form of English.

National Dress

Not good.

National Dish

Hamburgers and/or Nouvelle Cuisine sold in overpriced Boston bistros.

National Beverage

Massive coffee-based drinks from Starbucks with dome-like plastic lids filled with whipped cream.

Main Industries

Action films, hamburgers, palaeontology, Elvis.

KIU Rating

We love it! (That's not sarcasm - we really love it, esp. NYC).

Anything good to say about it?

Well, yes!  We like Americans cuz they’re big tippers, are usually friendly, and say things like; ‘Gee….So, you’re BRIDISH, right?’


FranceFRANCE


Where is it?

Western edge of Europa.

Language

Incomprehensible series of sounds and snot-like gurgles known to the locals as ‘French’.

National Dress

Rather good, I’m afraid; shi-shi suits on ladies and rather nice suits on men.

National Dish

Le MACDO!

National Beverage

Any form of booze whatsoever; as long as it gets ya pissed, the French love it.

Main Industries

Snail farming.

KIU Rating

Well, we hate France - but we love it, too.  It’s all a bit confusing, really…

Anything good to say about it?

Mais OUI!!!!  Cafes, Art… and the Cote d’Azur.


The WalesWALES


Where is it?

Attached to England (bigger, better country.)

Language

Ridiculous noise accompanied by overuse of the letters ‘y’ and ‘p’.

National Dress

Fleeces, cheap jeans.

Nationa Dish

Leeks / Burger King.

National  Beverage

Tea, boyo.

Main industries

Sheep farming, leeks, tourism (YES! BELIEVE IT OR NOT, PEOPLE ACTUALLY GO THERE?!)

KIU Rating

North Wales is fantastic, and the Welsh are cute.

Anything good to say about it?

No, not really.


JamaicaJAMAICA


Where is it?

It be in da Caribbean, mon.

Language

English, mon.

National Dress

Bob Marley tee-shirts and shorts, mon.

National Dish

Pork with rice n’ peas, mon.

National Drink

Red Stripe, mon.

Main Industries

Taxi driving and ganja, mon.

KIU Rating

UPTOON, TOP RANKIN’, mon.

Anything good to say about it?

Ya, mon.


ItalyITALY


Where is it?

Dangles off Europe.

Language

Italian. (Durr.)

National Dress

Overpriced, over-tailored suits and shoes which cost a zillion lira.

National Dish

Spaghetti.

National Drink

Chianti.

Main Industries

Arty Cinema, glove making, Catholicism.

KIU Rating

Molta bella; we like Italy.

Anything good to say about it?

See above.


TunisiaTUNISIA


Where is it?

North Africa.

Language

Utterly incomprehensible gobbledegook  (ie; French) and Arabic.

National Dress

Oversized tee-shirts and jeans.

National Dish

Cous-cous.

National Drink

This fig stuff (can’t remember what it’s called, but it gets ya pissed without a hangover.)

Main Industries

Haggling  / Camels / Taxi Driving (all combined).


SwedenSWEDEN


Where is it?

North bit of Europe.

Language

English with odd accent.

National Dress

Red trousers and Crowded House tee-shirts.

National Dish

Herring.

National Drink

I take a beer in the louder part of town and sometimes I’m a little bit crazy’.

Main Industries

Abba.

KIU Rating

Never been, but it seems nice enough.

Anything good to say about it?

Can you hear the drums, Fernando…’


IrelandIRELAND


Where is it?

Off the West coast of the proper Britain.

Language

Odd sounding English.

National Dress

Black leather jackets a la Bono and/or badly knitted jumpers with holes.

National Dish

The Potato.

National Drink

Anything that contains alcohol.

Main Industries

Eurovision Song Contest and Terrorism.

KIU RATING

Too scared to say anything in case I get blown up with Centex.

Anything good to say about it

I heard Dublin’s okay.


AustraliaAUSTRALIA


Where is it?

A million miles away from anything good.

Language

Mutated English.

National Dress

Bermuda shirts and massive stomachs.

National Dish

Kangaroo. (It’s TRUE; they EAT ‘em.)

National Drink

Fosters.

Main Industries

Soap opera production  /  Rolf Harris.

KIU Rating

Sorry….

Anything good to say about it?

We like actress Toni  Colette, but…well….No.


SwitzerlandSWITZERLAND


Where is it?

Far from any war zone.

Language

French, German, Italian, English, Portuguese, Welsh, Senegalese, etc.

National Dress

Techno gear and/or lederhosen.

National Dish

Fondue.

National Drink

Schnapps.

Main Industries

Skiing, clocks, hiding Art stolen by Nazis, distribution of secret bank accounts.

KIU Rating

The Swiss are mental.

Anything good to say about it?

The Swiss are mental.


CanadaCANADA


Where is it?

Top of America.

Language

Weird English and weirder French.

National Dress

Lumberjack shirts and/or Pat Benatar-inspired ‘80s dancewear.

National Dish

Moose.

National Drink

Melted snow.

Main  Industries

Brian Adams, convincing people that Toronto is as good as a proper city, ice-hockey.

KIU Rating

4/10.

Anything good to say about it?

Canadians are alright.  A bit like Americans but without the crime and charisma.


NorwayNORWAY


Where is it?

Oh, you know... up there, near Sweden.

Language

English.

National Dress

Woolly jumpers and drainpipe trousers.

National Dish

Morten Harkett (boom boom).

National Drink

I don’t do too much of the drinking, man.  Makes me act a little bit crazy’.

Main Industries

A-ha.

KIU Rating

7/10 on the strength of The Sun Always Shines On T.V.

Anything good to say about it?

I think we’ve already said too much.


BelguimBELGIUM


Where is it?

Nobody’s really sure.

Language

   Medieval dialect known as Flemish.  Also the ever unpopular French.

National Dress

Not sure, really.

National Dish

Chips with mayonnaise and  Pizza Hut.

National Drink

Dunno what it is, but it comes in a very small glass and is like drinking fire.

Main Industries

Being the butt of French jokes.

KIU Rating

9/10! (Went to Bruges and thought it was FAB!)

Anything good to say about it?

Sure is! Belgium is CUTE.  Everything’s tiny - from the cute little houses to the cute little drinks.  It’s all small and cosy, as are the people, who have a very offbeat sense of humour and buy strangers tiny drinks that taste of fire and get you legless.  ALL GOOD STUFF.