| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
JZer
Joined: 16 Jan 2005
Posts: 3898
Location: Pittsburgh
|
 Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 3:56 pm Post subject: |
 |
|
| Quote: |
| everyone else everywhere are living hand to mouth and spend thier lives dreaming about coming |
I think that the majority of Americans are basically living hand to mouth or that might be in modern terms, pay check to credit card and then maybe one will have enough left over to eat!!! |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
mlomker
Joined: 24 Mar 2005
Posts: 378
|
| Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 3:57 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Jizzo T. Clown wrote: |
| Speaking of less-than-educated Americans, watch this. Makes me ashamed to be from the States. |
I think if you picked a subject you could find someone that is ignorant in that subject in any country. I think some people in this conversation are assuming that a liberal arts education, i.e. geography, equates to being 'educated.' I would disagree with that. Some of the more educated people in specific areas (engineering, computer science, many others) don't have a reason to spend their time studying geography (and don't have photographic memories that allow them to recall facts from grade school).
One of the most popular new TV shows is "Are you smarter than a 5th grader?" I couldn't answer most of the questions that these 5th graders could answer. In my adult life I've never needed to know what month Columbus Day is in or the names of the ships that the pilgrims used to come to America. I doubt that any of these kids could handle the 'simple' problems in my line of work. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
shuize
Joined: 04 Sep 2004
Posts: 1270
|
| Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 6:14 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| mlomker wrote: |
| Jizzo T. Clown wrote: |
| Speaking of less-than-educated Americans, watch this. Makes me ashamed to be from the States. |
I think if you picked a subject you could find someone that is ignorant in that subject in any country. I think some people in this conversation are assuming that a liberal arts education, i.e. geography, equates to being 'educated.' I would disagree with that. Some of the more educated people in specific areas (engineering, computer science, many others) don't have a reason to spend their time studying geography (and don't have photographic memories that allow them to recall facts from grade school).
One of the most popular new TV shows is "Are you smarter than a 5th grader?" I couldn't answer most of the questions that these 5th graders could answer. In my adult life I've never needed to know what month Columbus Day is in or the names of the ships that the pilgrims used to come to America. I doubt that any of these kids could handle the 'simple' problems in my line of work. |
To follow up on this idea, some of the most intelligent people I've met, in terms of being able to do things that keep the world running, such as mechanics, plumbers, electricians and even computer technicians, do not hold college degrees. But I've sure met pently of people in this profession who think their liberal arts diploma and CELTA certificate somehow vaults them into the ranks of the "educated elite" yet still couldn't change a flat tire if their lives depended on it. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Stephen Jones
Joined: 21 Feb 2003
Posts: 4124
|
| Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 6:59 pm Post subject: |
|
|
My sister-in-law used to take in language school students as lodgers. One month she had a Bahraini. The conversation at the dinner table the first day went like this.
S-in-l: "Do you have any taxes in Bahrain?"
B: "Of course we do. Do you think we go everywhere by camel!?" |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Yorkshire Ian
Joined: 07 Nov 2006
Posts: 22
|
| Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 7:46 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Yorkshire - Being dour and opinionated and always complaining as well as tight . Its simply not true at all. We just tell it like it is......
Poland (Where I live, more accuratly Warsaw) - You step off the plane and there is a hareem of stunning women willing to take care of your every need.
Its not true. Its more difficult than Barnsley or Leeds! I was TOTALLY surprised, people are not so open as you expect. I was expecting the above scenario and now looking into other options.
Vilnius (I lived there before) There are bears on the street. Its not true. I told my friend I was going to Riga (Whats that?) I said its a city in Latvia (Is it in Europe) Do they have bears? (Yes, In zoos) |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Justin Trullinger
Joined: 28 Jan 2005
Posts: 3110
Location: Seoul, South Korea and Myanmar for a bit
|
| Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2007 1:04 am Post subject: |
|
|
THat because we're on the Ecuator, the whole country must be HOT. Here in Quito, you see a fair few surprised tourists, shivering in their shorts, tank tops, and sandals.
Quito is in the mountains, at 9000 feet...it tempers the heat pretty nicely. It's hailing out as I write this.
Best,
Justin |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
gaijinalways
Joined: 29 Nov 2005
Posts: 2279
|
| Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2007 2:44 am Post subject: |
|
|
Ali posted
| Quote: |
| Barfly: (Astonished) "Really, they speak English in England? I thought they spoke French." |
Was the barfly an American  ? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
furiousmilksheikali
Joined: 31 Jul 2006
Posts: 1660
Location: In a coffee shop, splitting a 30,000 yen tab with Sekiguchi.
|
| Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2007 4:46 am Post subject: |
|
|
| gaijinalways wrote: |
Ali posted
| Quote: |
| Barfly: (Astonished) "Really, they speak English in England? I thought they spoke French." |
Was the barfly an American ? |
Actually, he was Japanese. It was still a surprise: "You don't know the English speak English? But... but... you're not even American!" |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
gaijinalways
Joined: 29 Nov 2005
Posts: 2279
|
| Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2007 10:09 am Post subject: |
|
|
Heh, heh. Good one Ali! It's more often they seem to forget about Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and S. Africa.  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
furiousmilksheikali
Joined: 31 Jul 2006
Posts: 1660
Location: In a coffee shop, splitting a 30,000 yen tab with Sekiguchi.
|
| Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2007 3:09 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| gaijinalways wrote: |
| It's more often they seem to forget about Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and S. Africa. |
Forget about where? Are you making these countries up? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
gaijinalways
Joined: 29 Nov 2005
Posts: 2279
|
| Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2007 4:49 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Well, I know that 'Oz' place was where Dorothy and Toto visited, but the rest escape me at the moment. Where's that map I had....  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
jonniboy
Joined: 18 Jun 2006
Posts: 751
Location: Panama City, Panama
|
| Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2007 8:47 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Yorkshire Ian wrote: |
| I told my friend I was going to Riga (Whats that?) I said its a city in Latvia (Is it in Europe) Do they have bears? (Yes, In zoos) |
Yep see above up the thread for misconceptions about Latvia.
Reverse prejudice... well I visited the Baltics for the first time in 2002 - Vilnius. Virtually every local asked me which hotel I was staying in, the Hilton or The <insert other 200 dollar a night hotel> ? The rationale seeming to be that I was from the West and everyone from the West is fantastically rich with lots of disposable income aren't they? (If only!)  Unless they were tall beautiful and female I gently broke it to them that I was actually staying in the 5 euro a night youth hostel.
I think there are still lingering effects of this thought process despite the fact that EU membership, the removal of visa restrictions and cheap flights from the UK have happened since then. When I was first looking for flats here they automatically showed me the 'foreigner flats' (ie 750 euro a month plus) I could rent a house in the UK for 600 euro a month and have a much higher salary to cover it too.
Also when my friend came I couldn't find any non-hostel accommodation in Riga for less than 45 euro a night. Even in Dublin, one of the most expensive cities in Europe, it's possible to find a B and B for 40 euro a night. Because the tourists who come are Westerners and Westerners are filthy rich aren't they? Sigh.... |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
