Smiles
August 9th, 2009, 13:20
Read this very insightful (in my opinion) article in the Globe & Mail this morning by one of their best columnists, Doug Sanders. He's based in London, and has been for some years the Globe's man-In-Europe. Probably the newspaper guy who I read the most on a regular basis.
I've had the unfortunate opportunity to butt up against some of the English gentlemen described in the article in Hua Hin ... in bars all the time, and, even worse, in pool tournaments. At least one experience was so bad, so rude, so appallingly, drunkenly aggressive, that I stopped hanging out in that bar, or playing for that team. (Apparently now the bar has kicked him out of their place, and team, so perhaps I'll try again there).
Now this truly nasty man has obviously found the wherewith all to end up living in Thailand long term ~ he is middle aged, in his early 40's I think ~ so he is not still in the Yobberland economic malaise described in the article, but he is in his character a quintessential example of the young louts in the story below. Easily conceivable that he spent his teenage-hood, early 20's, festering away until later life when he found a way out, at least financially.
This is not an anti-English rant here folks, and certainly not posted to start one. Sanders makes it quite clear that many western countries (as well as places like Japan) have the same problem. In England however it seems simply more noticeable, more in-yer-face, more outside your own living room window.
( AndyinOz & Diec & Bottoms Up will relate I'm sure ... )
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/wor ... le1245359/ (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/how-britain-is-falling-down-on-the-yob/article1245359/)
I've had the unfortunate opportunity to butt up against some of the English gentlemen described in the article in Hua Hin ... in bars all the time, and, even worse, in pool tournaments. At least one experience was so bad, so rude, so appallingly, drunkenly aggressive, that I stopped hanging out in that bar, or playing for that team. (Apparently now the bar has kicked him out of their place, and team, so perhaps I'll try again there).
Now this truly nasty man has obviously found the wherewith all to end up living in Thailand long term ~ he is middle aged, in his early 40's I think ~ so he is not still in the Yobberland economic malaise described in the article, but he is in his character a quintessential example of the young louts in the story below. Easily conceivable that he spent his teenage-hood, early 20's, festering away until later life when he found a way out, at least financially.
This is not an anti-English rant here folks, and certainly not posted to start one. Sanders makes it quite clear that many western countries (as well as places like Japan) have the same problem. In England however it seems simply more noticeable, more in-yer-face, more outside your own living room window.
( AndyinOz & Diec & Bottoms Up will relate I'm sure ... )
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/wor ... le1245359/ (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/how-britain-is-falling-down-on-the-yob/article1245359/)