x in pattaya
June 23rd, 2007, 15:48
Over my life I have lived in 5 different countries, 4 of them by deliberate personal choice.
In each of these countries, significant numbers of people held reasonably strong views on certain things, beliefs which were either enforced or else abetted/permitted by government.
A few examples:
тАв People should not consume alcohol or pork,
тАв ill-luck especially in matters of health was caused by witchcraft,
тАв the spirits of ancestors influenced events in oneтАЩs life,
тАв an emaciated hotel chain heiress was somehow interesting,
тАв God resides in that very large tree over there,
тАв virtually everyone is entitled to view almost any kind of porn,
тАв absolutely no one should view any kind of porn,
тАв devastating hurricanes were caused by homosexuals & Liberals,
тАв tsunamis were caused by decadent westerners,
тАв pink plastic flamingoes & garden gnomes bestowed good luck on their owners,
тАв etc.
Some I agree with, some I donтАЩt. Some I find irritating, some interesting.
But, in the four countries in which I chose to live, there was always a vocal element in the expat community who seemed inspired by some irrepressible messianic urge to refute those beliefs and disparage the local population who held them, even if the beliefs were in no way affecting the expatsтАЩ lives.
If someone chooses to move to the country of Lala Land (proclaiming how much he loves the people, the climate, the freedom there) and then discovers that almost all the indigenous population genuinely believes that:
тАв itтАЩs a cardinal sin to eat glazed donuts,
тАв that three-legged dogs are sacred, and
тАв that God resides in that very large tree over there
тАж why do some of those expats become consumed with railing against those things? Why do they feel obliged to write books extolling the nutritional value of glazed donuts? Why do they roam the streets at nights secretly snuffing three-legged dogs? Why, after getting good & drunk, are they irresistibly compelled to spray paint that large tree over thereтАж knowing full well that most of the people in this country which they found so attractive (and whose lives are at best pretty unpleasant) find harmless comfort in those beliefs?
In each of these countries, significant numbers of people held reasonably strong views on certain things, beliefs which were either enforced or else abetted/permitted by government.
A few examples:
тАв People should not consume alcohol or pork,
тАв ill-luck especially in matters of health was caused by witchcraft,
тАв the spirits of ancestors influenced events in oneтАЩs life,
тАв an emaciated hotel chain heiress was somehow interesting,
тАв God resides in that very large tree over there,
тАв virtually everyone is entitled to view almost any kind of porn,
тАв absolutely no one should view any kind of porn,
тАв devastating hurricanes were caused by homosexuals & Liberals,
тАв tsunamis were caused by decadent westerners,
тАв pink plastic flamingoes & garden gnomes bestowed good luck on their owners,
тАв etc.
Some I agree with, some I donтАЩt. Some I find irritating, some interesting.
But, in the four countries in which I chose to live, there was always a vocal element in the expat community who seemed inspired by some irrepressible messianic urge to refute those beliefs and disparage the local population who held them, even if the beliefs were in no way affecting the expatsтАЩ lives.
If someone chooses to move to the country of Lala Land (proclaiming how much he loves the people, the climate, the freedom there) and then discovers that almost all the indigenous population genuinely believes that:
тАв itтАЩs a cardinal sin to eat glazed donuts,
тАв that three-legged dogs are sacred, and
тАв that God resides in that very large tree over there
тАж why do some of those expats become consumed with railing against those things? Why do they feel obliged to write books extolling the nutritional value of glazed donuts? Why do they roam the streets at nights secretly snuffing three-legged dogs? Why, after getting good & drunk, are they irresistibly compelled to spray paint that large tree over thereтАж knowing full well that most of the people in this country which they found so attractive (and whose lives are at best pretty unpleasant) find harmless comfort in those beliefs?