How you act when living abroad

[Saigon]

If you "only come to understand" your country when you "leave it for an extended period of time," then you probably didn't understand it when you were there or when you were gone.

I have no idea why you would say that.

I suggest you would also come to understand your country better if you lived somewhere else for a year. It just means to gain perspective and insight you can't get just staying in one place.

 

[Unkotare]

If you "only come to understand" your country when you "leave it for an extended period of time," then you probably didn't understand it when you were there or when you were gone.

I have no idea why you would say that.

I suggest you would also come to understand your country better if you lived somewhere else for a year. It just means to gain perspective and insight you can't get just staying in one place.

If you have to go somewhere else then you didn't understand to start with, and if you think being somewhere else will make you understand then you still don't. What you need is reason and maturity, not geography.

 

[Saigon]

Unkotare -

Travel is about gaining a new maturity, a new perspective on both the new country, and the old one.

If you choose to see that as a sign of weakness and stupidity, go right ahead.

On the other hamd, you might be open minded enough to try living in another country before you get too much into ridiculing it.

 

[Unkotare]

What is this "If you try it" nonsense? What makes you think I have not? That kind of presumptuousness makes you look awfully pretentious.

 

[Saigon]

What is this "If you try it" nonsense? What makes you think I have not? That kind of presumptuousness makes you look awfully pretentious.

Given you seem to consider travel an act of stupidity and mental weakness, I can't imagine you wouldn't want to lessen yourself to such a futile passtime.

Probably half the board have lived in another country, and a quarter learned another language to do so - I don't see anything so special or pretentious about it.

 

[Unkotare]

What is this "If you try it" nonsense? What makes you think I have not? That kind of presumptuousness makes you look awfully pretentious.

Given you seem to consider travel an act of stupidity and mental weakness.

Show me where I said that or anything like that. You are falling deeper and deeper into pretentious a-hole mode here.

 

[Unkotare]

Probably half the board have lived in another country, and a quarter learned another language to do so - I don't see anything so special or pretentious about it.

What's pretentious is not the act of travel or living abroad, but your attitude and assumptions.

 

[Saigon]

Show me where I said that or anything like that.

If you have to go somewhere else then you didn't understand to start with, and if you think being somewhere else will make you understand then you still don't. What you need is reason and maturity, not geography.

I really have no idea what your whole problem with travel is, Unkotare.

I think it's a unique way of gaining insight into the world - if you don't, then don't travel.

 

[Unkotare]

Show me where I said that or anything like that.

If you have to go somewhere else then you didn't understand to start with, and if you think being somewhere else will make you understand then you still don't. What you need is reason and maturity, not geography.

.

How the hell does that even remotely seem "to consider travel an act of stupidity and mental weakness"? Are you fucking kidding?

 

[Unkotare]

I really have no idea what your whole problem with travel is, Unkotare.

When did I say I had a "problem with travel"? Are you trying to have an argument with your own imagination? You are doing nothing to change your image as a pretentious ass with this string of lies and assumptions, champ.

 

[Saigon]

Unkotare -

f you have to go somewhere else then you didn't understand to start with, and if you think being somewhere else will make you understand then you still don't. What you need is reason and maturity, not geography.

 

[Unkotare]

And? Got a point?

 

[Saigon]

Unkotare -

My point is what it was at the beginning.

If you find 10 Americans who have lived overseas and asked them whether they had a deeper insight into America and American culture after their time away, I suspect all 10 will say that they did.

I've talked to thousands of travellers about this over the year, and I am not sure I have ever met anyone who felt otherwise.

You do, and that's fine, but I don't understand why you feel the need to be so hostile about it.

 

[Unkotare]

Unkotare -

My point is what it was at the beginning.

So is mine. As for "hostile," your assumptions and fabricated misrepresentations are the only hostility I've seen here.

If you need to leave your country to understand it, then you won't understand it from abroad. The problem isn't where you are but how you can or cannot think.

 

[Saigon]

Unkotare -

That really is such a bafflingly weird opinion, IMO.

In 20+ years of travel I don't think I've ever met a person who would agree with your statement.

Have you ever lived abroad yourself? If so, in how many countries and for how long?

 

[Unkotare]

Unkotare -

That really is such a bafflingly weird opinion, IMO.

In 20+ years of travel I don't think I've ever met a person who would agree with your statement.

Have you ever lived abroad yourself? If so, in how many countries and for how long?

Are you really unaware of what a pretentious douche you sound like?

 

[SayMyName]

I find that when I am traveling in America I act like a New Zealander, and am quite proud to show it; that means using NZ phrases and euphemisms and behavior; which can cause problems sometimes, they can't tell me apart from the British or what I am talking about it. I always get the question, 'are you from London?' or 'Are you Australian?'

Whereas when I am in New Zealand I find myself acting quite American (and thus aloof and even foreign acting and looking), and being rather snide about some things i.e. the tiny NZ military and some rather silly foreign policy positions NZ'ers hold.

I guess when I am in New Zealand I miss America, and when I am in America I miss New Zealand.

If any of you live/travel outside of America, do you find that you act more patriotic when you are outside the country; and more constrained when you are in it?

I follow the adage, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do," as closely as possible.

 

[Saigon]

Unkotare -

Can we maybe leave the abuse to one side for a while?

It's not a trick question - given your attitudes, I'm just curious.

Have you ever lived abroad yourself? If so, in how many countries and for how long?

 

[Unkotare]

I lived in China for two years, Japan for three (and we go back every few years for 2-3 weeks), and South Korea for a few months.

Do I pass your pretentious douche test?

 

[Saigon]

Unkotare -

There was no test - I really can't fathom your aggression and insults on this thread at all!

I am just really surprised that anyone could live in China for two years, and not feel he gained any new insights into the country he grew up in as a result.

Go figure...