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Aw, you made me smile, thank you I completely understand & agree , that's why I made sure to say "in the US". I was born in Europe, though I left as a young child, so I do know that it's different there. When I was little, here in the US, my family mainly associated with other immigrants, so I definitely understand that it's a standard greeting in many places in Europe, but since I grew up here & consider myself an American, I can say that it's unusual here, particularly with someone you just met. I do see friends air kissing on TV & I have 1 friend who kisses me IRL when we see each other, but it's very uncommon. We can definitely be wound pretty tight here. If you can imagine this...there was recently a big deal made when a star kissed her small child on the lips. Apparently, a lot of people felt it was inappropriate for a mother to kiss her child on the lips! So, it's really quite unusual here to even kiss friends, much less strangers, though I'm sure there are exceptions.
You haven't met 1 American you don't like? Either you have the patience of a saint or you haven't met enough Americans
Aw, you made me smile, thank you I completely understand & agree
You haven't met 1 American you don't like? Either you have the patience of a saint or you haven't met enough Americans
Okay, let me qualify that remark of mine.
One night, maybe 17 or 18 years ago I was in a bar in Hernando Beach, just north of Tampa FL, and I made the classic mistake of letting myself get eased into a political bar discussion while swimming in Stolychnya vodka.
I was just sitting at the bar, with my wife, when probably due to my accent, someone asked my opinion on something.
The guy who asked, was a middle aged Nam vet, who had been saying that it wasn't unreasonable for the Vietnamese to see him as a legitimate target while he was there.
I hadn't said a word, but he asked me if I had served in the military, I hadn't, and I should have just said that and shut my trap, but instead I said that I hadn't, but both my sons had, one being deployed to Northern Ireland during the IRA troubles in the 70s.
That did it, apparently he was of Irish descent, so he said that in his opinion, my kid had been a legitimate target for being somewhere where he wasn't wanted, and holding a rifle.
Fortunately, nothing had happened to my son while he was in the military, but to hear someone virtually say that if it had, he'd asked for it, didn't sit too well with me.
I put one hand on the bar, and began to rise from my stool, ready to tear this chump a new one with just rhetoric, (my hand to God), when my wife put her hand over mine, and dig her nails in almost to my bones, drawing blood.
It took me seconds to realise that she was doing the right thing, I was in no condition to string words together, and as one dumb Limey in a bar half full of rednecks, I may have ended up getting my *** kicked in the parking lot.
So there IS one American I don't like, but it may have been more than half my fault that I don't like him.
Apologies for wandering off thread.
Last edited by Jean-Francois; 05-19-2017 at 04:53 AM..
Reason: Added text.
Okay, let me qualify that remark of mine.
One night, maybe 17 or 18 years ago I was in a bar in Hernando Beach, just north of Tampa FL, and I made the classic mistake of letting myself get eased into a political bar discussion while swimming in Stolychnya vodka.
I was just sitting at the bar, with my wife, when probably due to my accent, someone asked my opinion on something.
The guy who asked, was a middle aged Nam vet, who had been saying that it wasn't unreasonable for the Vietnamese to see him as a legitimate target while he was there.
I hadn't said a word, but he asked me if I had served in the military, I hadn't, and I should have just said that and shut my trap, but instead I said that I hadn't, but both my sons had, one being deployed to Northern Ireland during the IRA troubles in the 70s.
That did it, apparently he was of Irish descent, so he said that in his opinion, my kid had been a legitimate target for being somewhere where he wasn't wanted, and holding a rifle.
Fortunately, nothing had happened to my son while he was in the military, but to hear someone virtually say that if it had, he'd asked for it, didn't sit too well with me.
I put one hand on the bar, and began to rise from my stool, ready to tear this chump a new one with just rhetoric, (my hand to God), when my wife put her hand over mine, and dig her nails in almost to my bones, drawing blood.
It took me seconds to realise that she was doing the right thing, I was in no condition to string words together, and as one dumb Limey in a bar half full of rednecks, I may have ended up getting my *** kicked in the parking lot.
So there IS one American I don't like, but it may have been more than half my fault that I don't like him.
Apologies for wandering off thread.
He said that he and your son had both been valid objects of hatred for the same reason.
That certainly gave you an indisputably uncomfortable consideration. But I don't see a reason for you to dislike him for a well-reasoned philosophical conclusion that put him in the same position as your son.
He said that he and your son had both been valid objects of hatred for the same reason.
That certainly gave you an indisputably uncomfortable consideration. But I don't see a reason for you to dislike him for a well-reasoned philosophical conclusion that put him in the same position as your son.
Other than the fact that he was Jean-Francois' child, which will make emotions run higher & alcohol was involved, which will do the same, I tend to agree with Ralph_Kirk, they were actually both in the same position.
I knew there had to be at least 1 American Jean-Francois didn't like though I've watched Ladies of London , it seems we tend to be considered emotional, obnoxious boors LOL. Glad not all Brits see us that way!
I prefer "excuse me" b/c you need not address me with anything gender specific or addressing my marital status, if you're a stranger. I can't imagine I'll ever get used to hearing Ma'am, as it sounds like someone talking to an old lady & I still look & feel quite young, but I started hearing it in my 40's. I try never to call anyone Ma'am, but if I have to I usually save it for people in their 70's or 80's. I never use "Miss", as it just sounds weird & outdated to me, I look for a child when someone says "Miss". I don't like or use honorifics & I don't expect them, "excuse me" or "hello" work just fine for me.
I'm in my 50's now & I still look around for someone in their 80s when someone calls me Ma'am, however I live in a military town, so I've gotten more used to it b/c around here it's got nothing to do with age, all men are Sir & all women are Ma'am.
For as long as I can think back to my young years, I was taught to always use Ma'am and Sir. It didn't matter if it was just maybe a teacher in her early 20s, I was to say "Yes, Ma'am" and "No, Ma'am". Same with "Sir". If my brother or I didn't say Ma'am or Sir, we were corrected on the spot and also heard about it when we got back home. I also learned quick not to say yeah or uh huh to an adult.
These days, in our area, younger kids learn to say Mr. Bob or Miss Jane instead of Mr. or Mrs. Jones. Don't really see anything wrong with that.
That's because "Bob" and "Jane" is what they hear from their parents, so those are the names they know without having had a formal introduction.
I agree there is nothing wrong with that.
I do the "Mr. Bob" and "Miss Jane" thing for my kid, which strikes me as a southern thing even though we are not from or in the south. I don't want him calling adults by their first names (unless they specifically request it), but around here I'd be looked at like I had a third eye if I asked him to use "Ma'am" or "Sir", or even "Mr. Smith" with people he had just met or knew. And sometimes - for whatever reason - I don't know the last name (it may be someone I just met, like when the substitute gymnastics teacher informs me her name is "Jessica", I'm not going to press her for her last name), so that's not even doable.
He said that he and your son had both been valid objects of hatred for the same reason.
That certainly gave you an indisputably uncomfortable consideration. But I don't see a reason for you to dislike him for a well-reasoned philosophical conclusion that put him in the same position as your son.
Vous avez raison Ralph, and with the benefit of hindsight, so was he.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MsMetal
Other than the fact that he was Jean-Francois' child, which will make emotions run higher & alcohol was involved, which will do the same, I tend to agree with Ralph_Kirk, they were actually both in the same position.
Et tu a raison aussi, hope that you don't mind my using "tutoyage" with you, I'm not trying to be over familiar in using the friends and family style of French rather than regular.
I'm sorry, I start to lapse into thinking in French after a couple of bottles of Viognier, and it's after 9.00 p.m. here, and we've just finished dinner.
I should have known enough to keep my mouth shut, as I knew only too well that I was wasted in that bar.
You and Ralph both make sense, it's easier to see that now that I've had time to think about it.
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I completely understand & agree 
I've watched Ladies of London 
, it seems we tend to be considered emotional, obnoxious boors LOL. Glad not all Brits see us that way!
