Job Discussion Forums

[Steiner]

[SweetOne]

I was a bit confused yesterday. As it turns out, I DO realize that there is a world outside of the US. How did I discover this little bit of information, you ask. Well, it was when I got of the computer and realized I WAS IN TURKEY!!! hOLy hot dang... I am here!! I have arrived. And I loVE IT!!!!

yEP, THE KEYBOARD is driving me crazy.....

There were several posters here that made some generalizations about Americans, and these need to be addressed. However, I will not go further than to say this: Americans and the American government (current regime) ARE NOT THE SAME THING. I did not vote that lying thief into office. Most of the other people in the US did not vote the ignorant one in, either. He stole the white house and is doing these deeds without the support of the majority of those who call America home.

But, on to more important things. I am in Bursa and loving it, so far!!!
CAPERGIRL... WHYYYYY

[Capergirl]

[Lynn]

[Lynn]

The thread is "Stupid Questions" orginated by Lucy Snow. It's very similar to this thread. I guess that happenes after a while. Topics get recycled. Soon we'll be talking about student-teacher dating, again.

[nomadder]

Why is it that Americans who know nothing about the outside world(how about those 52 states some of them seem to have) like to date their teachers &/or students and what do they miss about home if they ever leave it and where would they go for the best jobs and how much would they make and should they get the visa before leaving home and actually how would they ever leave if they know nothing about the outside world except the truth is you can find a little or huge piece of America virtually anywhere so I guess they never leave home.....dammmmnnnnn that second cup of coffee.

[Roger]

And here is another angle: It is only Americans who ask why the world thinks of them as backward and under-educated!
For many outside the USA, this is simply a fact of life tested and tried untold times although the conclusion that ALL Americans must be dumb certainly is unfair.
But the fact that so many TEFLers have so many, err: really dumb questions, and then it is to be found out that they all hail from the USA doesn't help their reputation!

[johnslat]

Dear Roger,
You wrote:

" But the fact that so many TEFLers have so many, err: really dumb questions, and then it is to be found out that they all hail from the USA doesn't help their reputation! "

Hmm, I'm a little confused about this statement ( but then, seeing as I'm from the USA, my being confused is only to be expected ). So, it doesn't help " their " reputation when it's found that those TEFLers who ask dumb questions come from the USA. I would have thought that might not help the reputation of the USA instead. But perhaps, if someone has a general animus towards USAers to begin with, then the statement becomes more understandable.
Regards,
John.

[richard ame]

Hi Forum
Interesting thread so far, I wonder why there is so much animosity towards Americans generally ? Well before 9/11 there were rumblings of discontent aimed towards them primarally because of the world perception of that countries wealth,power and general lack of knowledge about the rest of the world ,most Americans have little idea about what is outside their own country ,however,they are not unique in that respect,even in the U.K which same may think is a more enlightened society people in London have little idea what the people or life is like in general in the North of England and vice versa . Having said that the U.S.A is an easy target because they do tend to dominate world affairs even when they really have no business doing that I bet there are a few red faces in Washington now wondering how many more of their boys are going home in body bags before the war in Iraq is finallly over .
Now on the subject of American ignorance lets focus on motor cycles for a short spell (cos I like em ,see) why oh why do they only make one a pile of expensive junk with the letters H.D and every bone head who rides one looks like a moron with a bandana and has never heard of Honda or Yamaha ,Ducati,Bmw,Triumph,Suzuki, Laverda, etc,etc, . Any comments on that one Euro and Anglophiles hmmm hmmm ???*!!!

[richard ame]

Hi Forum
Interesting thread so far, I wonder why there is so much animosity towards Americans generally ? Well before 9/11 there were rumblings of discontent aimed towards them primarally because of the world perception of that countries wealth,power and general lack of knowledge about the rest of the world ,most Americans have little idea about what is outside their own country ,however,they are not unique in that respect,even in the U.K which same may think is a more enlightened society people in London have little idea what the people or life is like in general in the North of England and vice versa . Having said that the U.S.A is an easy target because they do tend to dominate world affairs even when they really have no business doing that I bet there are a few red faces in Washington now wondering how many more of their boys are going home in body bags before the war in Iraq is finallly over .
Now on the subject of American ignorance lets focus on motor cycles for a short spell (cos I like em ,see) why oh why do they only make one a pile of expensive junk with the letters H.D and every bone head who rides one looks like a moron with a bandana and has never heard of Honda or Yamaha ,Ducati,Bmw,Triumph,Suzuki, Laverda, etc,etc, . Any comments on that one Euro and Anglophiles hmmm hmmm ???*!!!

[biffinbridge]

Americans, (like British football fans) draw flack whenever they venture abroad.Why?Well, the reasons are diverse but often understandable when viewed from other foreigners' perspectives.Let me make my point by way of anecdote.Here in Poznan NATO has been holding military air exercises,which has meant that the town has been flooded with GIs looking to get a bit of Rand R. Every bar in town has been filled with Americans flashing money around, talking up America and generally behaving like a bunch whooaa (k)nobs. While the locals,especially the whores have enjoyed the recent cash injection, the general feeling is that the sooner these people get out of town,the better.Why?They dominate the space in every bar and restaurant,even when there are just a couple of them and act like bunch of arrogant shitesters. Heroes they may be but loud,flash,ignorant and generally patronizing they also are....

[richard ame]

Hi Biff
Taking that response a little further, do you think that because a fairly large number of the American armed forces may be at various locations in the world at any one time and these are the types of people that the local populace generally come across they would tend to look at America with a less than friendly eye . I'm basing this viewpoint on your anecdote in the previous post . Is it fair to say that the average G.İ is not the most well educated person on the planet and reallly does not give a fig or a fart about local customs faiths or religions and is basically there to kill maim and cause general disorder and mayhem thats what soldiers are trained to do after all, this is what people in a few countries since the end of W.W.2 have experienced just because they are big and powerful does it make them right too ? İt is of no surprise that Americans are generally reviled and hated all over the world their ignorance of other peoples cultures and lifestyles is only I think a small part of that mindset .

[lajzar]

hey Richard,

You got the basis of this thread wrong. The original question, or one of them anyway, was an American who wanted to get an "EU passport", on the basis that his grandfather was from Switzerland. Never mind the fact that there is no such thing as an EU passport, never mind that he couldn't qualify for a Swiss passport on that basis anyway, this guy apparently had no idea that Switzerland was not part of the EU.

Now, fair enough, most people have no reason to need to know that. But for someone intent on gaining citizenship, this is a non-trivial piece of information. This is the basis of the stupid Americans thread.

[Gordon]

lajzar,
What does Switzerland have to do with anything?
You're on the wrong thread man.

[richard ame]

Hi
Thanks Gorden I knew that Laz bloke was just pulling my plonker he's not one of those by any chance ???