8.26.2008

We're up to our neck in foreign soil.

One of the most glorious things about this move so far has been having yet another way to make people immensely uncomfortable during political debates.

Something I often hear during these sorts of conversations is that I'm not fair because I use myself as an example and make everything personal. I guess they've never heard that old chestnut about the personal being political? A common example thus far would be:

"Blah blah blah people on welfare blah blah blah."

Me: "I was on welfare growing up."

Everyone else: "..... Oh. Well I didn't mean.... ahem."

Now the new version is:

"Blah blah blah immigrants, don't speak the language, taking our jobs, blah blah blah."

Well, you can imagine. And it's fucking great. Of course, as in the first case, the most common response is, "Well, that's different."

No. It's not.

The only difference is that I'm going to be paid immensely well -- better than my Korean counterparts -- for coming in and blundering around their country, not speaking the language and sending all of my money back home.

I think immigration is fantastic. In my version of a perfect world, you would be fucking required to live outside of your home country for a year. Especially the Americans.

10 comments:

Gary said...
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Gary said...
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I'm no Picasso said...

Hmm. Put it back. It's a good article.

Gary said...

http://tinyurl.com/6dwqlc

Gotta cut and paste it.

I'm no Picasso said...

Wankery.

Blogger needs to get it sorted out. The comment abilities are sorely lacking.

MikejGrey said...

I was reading an ex-pat message board where someone was asking for directions to a bar and the directions where something like: "go past the starbucks and make a left at the baskin robbins."

I've also read that there is a dairy queen in the cambodia airport.

God bless america.

Asian countries seem to love american culture, but I don't think they'll exactly want us there. They're also taking advantage of the student loan crisis as going to teach english to korea or china or japan or tawain or hello kitty land is more and more common. Is there a big anti-immigrant sentiment over there? It seems the english teachers are sort of look down upon as freeloaders but sort of tolerated since we're providing a service to them they think they need.

I'm no Picasso said...

Well, we're also taking advantage of their hunger to learn English for our student loan crisis. I think it's a mutually beneficial situation.

As far as I can tell, the only negative treatment foreigners (English speaking foreigners...) receive is a sort of gawking effect. But mostly English speaking foreigners seem to be very well received. Apparently people will even come up to you at random and talk to you, a bit like a celebrity or something....

Oh. White English speaking foreigners, I mean. Although I've spoken to a few black expats who have been happy with their experiences. I think things are improving on that front, as more brown foreigners go over and Koreans are confronted with actual people, versus the American media's depiction.

MikejGrey said...

You know, I hate Bill Mahr, but he was on msnbc yesterday talking about the election telling us that American are stupid an we're going to get the leader we deserve. He's supporting obama but not very optimistic.

Also the 9-11 truth assholes are everywhere in the background of convention coverage.

MikejGrey said...

The 9-11 truthers are some of the dumbest people I've ever met, and they don't deserve coffee.

Also Russel Crowe might be making a Bill Hicks movie.

Quick someone shoot him before it happens.

I'm no Picasso said...

Russel Crowe??? Isn't he only allowed to make movies with boats in them?

That's worse than the rumor that Brad Pitt was going to play Jack Kerouac....