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I need some advice with regard toward my pending visit to the USA
What and what NOT to discuss with the locals.
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mayor of simpleton
CAT v. DOGMA  Usergroup: Sponsors Joined: Feb 20, 2009 Location: Vienna, Austria Total Topics: 37 Total Posts: 1548
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 #21
If beer is being served and it is polite to be holding one, is it impolite not to drink it? I am one of the very few examples of a person who does not drink any alcohol because I have found nothing appealing from the taste of alcohol. Nothing moral or about health, it is simply that I find it tastes horrid. As to what other do with alcohol, I could not care less, but smoking is another story. In Austria, drinking and smoking go hand in hand. If you do not drink with the group you are shut out of the conversation. If you do not smoke, you receive the polite "do you mind if I smoke", but the answer is always to be, "go ahead, it doesn't bother me". One thing I am looking forward too is the non-smoking environment. Austria is the smoking capital of Europe. My wife and I are finally having the chance to go out every now and then as there are non-smoking laws that have created a few (very few) non-smoking areas. Not many, but it is a start. Thanks for the list. I can apply a lot of this. Meow! GREG I am not one to attribute that which I cannot understand immediately to be god(s)-perhaps I will never understand, but god(s) are not defined by my lack of understanding-this is the foundation of dogmas, the pressing of connotative values into the realm of dennotative meaning. - MOS THE JOKE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUTo6kSZlPI Atheism is the invention of the theist to place non-believers into context with their belief. - MOS Where facts are few, faith abounds. - MOS Atheism is a unique "-ism": followers are not bound by a shared form of belief in, but rather a shared form of disbelief in. - MOS |
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TempletonEsquire
Irrationally Biased Usergroup: Members Joined: Mar 05, 2009 Location: Close To Nil Total Topics: 9 Total Posts: 327 |
#22
If you don't drink and others are heavily drinking you'll probably get looks. If the age group is older then very likely there will be soda drinking alcoholics who go to AA in the group who are trying hard not to drink, so it may be perfectly acceptable manners to abstain. I do find it odd that alcohol consumption is so ardently socialized, but I guess that's why they have AA, to help unsocialize it through group support. |
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mayor of simpleton
CAT v. DOGMA Usergroup: Sponsors Joined: Feb 20, 2009 Location: Vienna, Austria Total Topics: 37 Total Posts: 1548
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#23
Ironically the two most addictive drugs in the world, alcohol and nicotine, are socially accepted to a very large degree. I don't really get it either, but hey, common sense is not really that common. Thanks for the input! Meow! GREG I am not one to attribute that which I cannot understand immediately to be god(s)-perhaps I will never understand, but god(s) are not defined by my lack of understanding-this is the foundation of dogmas, the pressing of connotative values into the realm of dennotative meaning. - MOS THE JOKE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUTo6kSZlPI Atheism is the invention of the theist to place non-believers into context with their belief. - MOS Where facts are few, faith abounds. - MOS Atheism is a unique "-ism": followers are not bound by a shared form of belief in, but rather a shared form of disbelief in. - MOS |
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brainpharte
Huh? Usergroup: Members Joined: Jan 07, 2009 Total Topics: 10 Total Posts: 1503 |
#24
mayor of simpleton wrote: My wife is a problem too. She is 40 and still gets catcalls from 20 year olds. She is wicked intelligent and speaks 6 lanuguages. I'm willing to lighten your burden by letting you drop your wife off at my house during the visit. In fact, I'll meet her at the airport to save time. Here to help. "I don't see much sense in that," said Rabbit. "No," said Pooh humbly, "there isn't. But there was going to be when I began it. It's just that something happened to it along the way." |
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Arkady
Tenured Poster  Usergroup: Members Joined: Jul 29, 2009 Total Topics: 24 Total Posts: 1497 |
#25
mayor of simpleton wrote: Hey To All! I am traveling to the USA. Visiting the parents before they die. I have not been there for the past 7 years and have totally lost track of what is up in the good ol' USA. I will be in the scenic Shenandoah Valley in Virginia. Lost of mountains, cows, trees, guns and partiotic flag wavers. Fair enough, I come from there, but have lived outside the USA for over 16 years now. That alone for many is a reason for accusing me of high "un-patriotism". Whatever... I am only there for 10 days, but this allows over 240 hours of potential danger if I say the wrong thing. Jack Bauer only has to deal with 24 hours, I'm envious. What is up there? What can one say or not say to avoid conflicts? What topics can one speak of and which ones should I avoid? Comparing Europe-USA is not what I want, nor a good idea. I need a language that causes as little offense as possible. Hey, these people are armed too the teeth with fire arms. Spooky! I have last spoken directly with my parents 19 months ago. E-mails are a bit more productive, as one has too actually read what is written. If not the responses are telling. On the phone it is different. This is more personal info than one needs. I know how to deal with my parental units, but the public at large scares the living hell out of me. Advice??? Anything can help. THANKS!! MEOW! Greg People in Virginia love Hilary Clinton, Barney Frank, and Nancy Pelosi. They are also big fans of the ACLU, gun control, gangsta rap, and NAMBLA. I suggest you show your support of these people and organizations often and vociferously. "A wise man proportions his belief to the evidence." -David Hume |
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mayor of simpleton
CAT v. DOGMA Usergroup: Sponsors Joined: Feb 20, 2009 Location: Vienna, Austria Total Topics: 37 Total Posts: 1548
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#26
"People in Virginia love Hilary Clinton, Barney Frank, and Nancy Pelosi. They are also big fans of the ACLU, gun control, gangsta rap, and NAMBLA. I suggest you show your support of these people and organizations often and vociferously." And I always thought that gun control in Virginia was the use of two hands. Thanks for the enlightenment! I did once where one of those "X" hats (it really looked cool!), sort of supporting the thoughts and rights of Malcolm X and I nearly was lynched. Times are a changin', I guess? Meow! GREG I am not one to attribute that which I cannot understand immediately to be god(s)-perhaps I will never understand, but god(s) are not defined by my lack of understanding-this is the foundation of dogmas, the pressing of connotative values into the realm of dennotative meaning. - MOS THE JOKE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUTo6kSZlPI Atheism is the invention of the theist to place non-believers into context with their belief. - MOS Where facts are few, faith abounds. - MOS Atheism is a unique "-ism": followers are not bound by a shared form of belief in, but rather a shared form of disbelief in. - MOS |
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mayor of simpleton
CAT v. DOGMA Usergroup: Sponsors Joined: Feb 20, 2009 Location: Vienna, Austria Total Topics: 37 Total Posts: 1548
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#27
brainpharte, my wife is kind of a cross between Sandra Bullock, Jeanne Tripplehorn and Jackie Onassis. Just that she is very athletic and never wears make-up or jewelry. No "girlie" crap. Then again, she recently won a car in a quiz show, kind of like the "who wants to be a millionare", by answering 108 of 110 question correctly going through 8 rounds of questioning. She beat a professor of history in the final round. It is her 2nd car that she has won by doing this. The other one was getting a bit old. Yeah, wicked smart! Just she cannot deal with philosophy. Too much pontification and too little action. What she sees in me, is the greatest mystery in the world. I have used up all of my luck in life. Meow! GREG I am not one to attribute that which I cannot understand immediately to be god(s)-perhaps I will never understand, but god(s) are not defined by my lack of understanding-this is the foundation of dogmas, the pressing of connotative values into the realm of dennotative meaning. - MOS THE JOKE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUTo6kSZlPI Atheism is the invention of the theist to place non-believers into context with their belief. - MOS Where facts are few, faith abounds. - MOS Atheism is a unique "-ism": followers are not bound by a shared form of belief in, but rather a shared form of disbelief in. - MOS |
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mayor of simpleton
CAT v. DOGMA Usergroup: Sponsors Joined: Feb 20, 2009 Location: Vienna, Austria Total Topics: 37 Total Posts: 1548
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#28
Hey! I have found my mother in YouTube. This might explain a bit more of my problem concerning my pending visit. My wife could not believe how similar this is to my mother. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-ByoJ7amKs&feature=related Meow! GREG I am not one to attribute that which I cannot understand immediately to be god(s)-perhaps I will never understand, but god(s) are not defined by my lack of understanding-this is the foundation of dogmas, the pressing of connotative values into the realm of dennotative meaning. - MOS THE JOKE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUTo6kSZlPI Atheism is the invention of the theist to place non-believers into context with their belief. - MOS Where facts are few, faith abounds. - MOS Atheism is a unique "-ism": followers are not bound by a shared form of belief in, but rather a shared form of disbelief in. - MOS |
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Hanover
The Highest Rank Possible  Usergroup: Sponsors Joined: Nov 30, 2008 Location: Atlanta Total Topics: 16 Total Posts: 1629 |
#29
Well, to flip the question on you, what would I need to do to avoid pissing off the Austrians if I visited there? Would it be much different than what you'd have to do on your visit here? "Certain things they should stay the way they are. You ought to be able to stick them in one of those big glass cases and just leave them alone. I know that's impossible, but it's too bad anyway." Holden Caulfield |
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mayor of simpleton
CAT v. DOGMA Usergroup: Sponsors Joined: Feb 20, 2009 Location: Vienna, Austria Total Topics: 37 Total Posts: 1548
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#30
Good question Hanover! If an American were to visit Austria, there is not really a whole lot that would piss them off. Aside from call everyone Nazis, Americans can do little harm when visiting. Now if they stay and try to upset the status quo, this would be considered annoying, if not futile. There is so much bureacratic crap and hoops to jump through to get anything changed. Now, if one is comimg from Turkey or former Yugoslavia and former Czechoslovikia, then there could really be problems. Justified problems, hardly. There is a, shall I say, a strong dislike for these ethnic groups. Germans can create a bit of a problem as well, as Austria does not wish to have the image of being the "little brother". Believe it or not, very few were upset about the movie "Bruno". The humour didn't translate too well, but they were by and large not offended. Perhaps this difference is in the Austria has 9 bordering countries and many languages. People do watch the news and are very critical about what they read and hear (even if they don't do much against what they dislike, they understand it). They don't allow it to just wash over them as much. There have been a lot of wars fought here. Geographically and not just out of Idealogy. This is perhaps bad taste or timing (sorry), as today is 9/11, but terrorist attacks did not start with the world trade center. It was just the first time that such a terror attack, non-domestic, happened in America, geographically. For the vast majority of Europe, be there, done that. I noticed that after the attack on the WTC, people in America paid more attention to the news and world events. It was finally real and close too home. Of course, what was done in the media and politically is up for debate and in truth not the issue here. The fact that many were awakened to the fact America is actually part of the world and not the entire world. Unfortunate that it had to happen so. One cannot undo the negative, but can profit from the new awareness. What one is aware of... well, that is another thread. Back to the issue, my parents were here once. Actually my mother twice. She was the poster child of the ugly American abroad. Nothing was correct. Nothing tasted right. Nothing was too her liking. She expressed this with some of the most horrid an blunt sarcasim and insults. For someone who values politeness and etiquette, she behaved like an ass. The people just took it. They felt very sorry for me. It nearly decided to kill her in her sleep. Afterward, no one was really pissed off. They were shocked, but understood her naive behaviour. Hey, I might be a cat, but my mother is a rattlesnake. Truth is, I had so hoped that someone, anyone here would just tell her off. Politness? I'm not sure. The Austrians are rather famous for just putting up with things far too easy and far too long. Look at the invasion in WWII. Many were against it, but it would be better not to argue. Too much risk. I find them to be "mitlaufer", just going with the flow without critically thinking. They have principles, but do not let them get in the way of a quite and relaxed life. My of the thinkers and rebels were expelled or killed during WWII. There is an intellectual hole here. Creativity is not at it's best. Hey, no country is perfect. Meow! GREG Edited by mayor of simpleton on Sep 11, 2009 - 8:19 AM I am not one to attribute that which I cannot understand immediately to be god(s)-perhaps I will never understand, but god(s) are not defined by my lack of understanding-this is the foundation of dogmas, the pressing of connotative values into the realm of dennotative meaning. - MOS THE JOKE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUTo6kSZlPI Atheism is the invention of the theist to place non-believers into context with their belief. - MOS Where facts are few, faith abounds. - MOS Atheism is a unique "-ism": followers are not bound by a shared form of belief in, but rather a shared form of disbelief in. - MOS |
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