Discussion

[Mynt]

You bet! <3

[Zephyr Shenkiken]

Sorry guys, I've been so quiet. My arms are finally moving again!

Since Friday I've had about 15 degrees of motion in my arms from over-training. Anyway no hard feelings at all Mynt. It's a good idea and something I'd do myself if I was less stubborn.

So I need to go take you out of Anti-Hero right?

[Mynt]

Yes, thanks.

[Zephyr Shenkiken]

Done.

[Quaddy]

Speaking of Anti-Hero...how's that going?

[Zephyr Shenkiken]

It be Matt's turn.

[Aldersmaine]

It all be matt's turn. lol

[Quaddy]

Mattikins is up in everything, ain't he?

[Aldersmaine]

Poor, poor, Mattikins...

[Quaddy]

He's in France. No...not poor, poor Mattikins.

Is he back from France?

Either way...France.

[Aldersmaine]

I want to go to Japan, China, Argentina, Venezuela, England, Scotland, Ireland, Iceland, Australia, NewZealand, Egypt, Italy, Greece, etc... I suppose France is on the list somewhere but it's no where near my tops.

[Zephyr Shenkiken]

I wanna go a few places myself, but I've never been closer any US border than northern Michigan.

[Quaddy]

I've been to Ireland, Turkey (and a number of adjacent islands), and...Canada. I'm meh about the last one.

My list...

I very much want to go back to Ireland, of course, and I want to visit the British Isles, Germany, Italy, Greece, New Zealand, Sweden (that one's Michael), the Caribbean (I might be the only Floridian who's never been on a cruise), and...back to Turkey before the family all dies off.

There were other places like Russia, Egypt, India, etc that were on the list, but politics and health concerns have bumped them off for a while.

France is there somewhere, but I won't cry if I never make it. It says something when every single French person I've ever met has been rude, inconsiderate, and downright arrogant. And they accuse Americans of being nasty.

[Zephyr Shenkiken]

So I keep hearing...about the French that is.

[tileira]

It's difficult to say. I work with people all over Europe. People on the continent are abrupt. Partly it's a translation thing, partly they have different ideas about what's politic behaviour.

I keep hearing Brits are cold, rude, and hate Americans. These people I know who make those complaints I find to be tactless, invasive, quick to judge, and seem to have a chip on their shoulder - protesting a bit too insistently that they don't need my approval for me to entirely believe them.

But phrases I've used casually they've taken too serious, and they've used phrases no-one I know in the UK uses unless they're trying to insult you.

So maybe the all the Frenchmen you met were rude, but I wouldn't go so far to say that they're rude as a people.

[Quaddy]

Of course not. My sample size affects only me. I'm not quite as dry as a Brit, but my humour falls closer to theirs than the average American humour, so I understand Brits quite a lot more. I do work in customer service, however, and when a particular group has been universally rude and arrogant, it tells me a lot about how they treat customer service people. My sample size isn't huge, but I can extrapolate quite a bit.

I can, with certainty, say that French-Canadians tend to be ruder than the French people I get in the store. They have no concept, it seems, of the person behind the counter being their equal, and this drives me batty. I am no one's servant and I don't serve anyone. I assist, I help, I do any number of things, but I do not serve. Perhaps this is where the breach lies...I do not know.

[Matt]

That's very true about the continental Europeans being a little more abrupt due to translation and the politics of manners. For example the further east you go the less they seem welcoming - but that's because you don't do things like smile in greeting to strangers or even just to people you don't know very well. It's something you sure with your friends. And family. Same with some greetings and such - I used to work with a lot of Lithuanians and polish - they used to feel really uncomfortable when us Londoners would hug them or anything in greeting.

But you're also right that we Brits can be cold and unwelcoming - particularly in London. But it's partly because some tourists are so rude and useless haha. The more you leave the city the less you get the rudeness etc. so in that way it's just like any other city.

Particularly as you go up to Scotland and the north. Much friendlier.

On France - I'm not a big fan of northern France at all. But down here in the south (writing this from on board the boat so no not back just equipped with a smartphone) it's amazing. The history is incredible. I went to a town called eze and they've had citadels built there since BC - ancient warrior races etc. and then the current castle/monastery was built in 1344 or something. Absolutely exquisite part of the world. And not rude at all because its the south and they're relaxed.

Corsica and Sardinia too. Worth going. And unreal. Unbelievably beautiful.

So not poor matticakes for the being here in the sun for the first time in twelve months or for the fact that I'm finally away from work and school. I've read over ten books in the week I've been away. All the everything I've been waiting to read.

But bloody hell guys - what on earth am I meant to do with the copious amount of campfires. I need to get my novel polished too before I start networking at the book festival for an agent. Btw you guys should let me know if there's anything I can show to people at the festival. My job is to hang out with writers and their publishers etc.

[Matt]

Interesting point about customer service quad - I was so overwhelmed at the quality of customer care in the US.

But I'm also the first to admit that working in events - it was always the Americans that were the rudest to me. The ones who would always treat me like I only existed to hold a tray and to be seen-through. The Russians and Germans were pretty awful too though. But there is the translation difference too which I guess morons won't help them.

[Matt]

I don't quite know how morons got into that last post. I was just thinking translation makes it hard to tell how much is rude and how much is difference in language. Blah. Autocorrect.

[Quaddy]

Uh huh...morons, indeed.

Americans are sometimes awful, as well. I've found that socio-economic status has a lot to do with it. 'Lower class' people are rude because they honestly don't know any better. I try not to be disgusted with them because I know it stems from ignorance and not willful rudeness. Middle class/working class folk tend to be the nicest, because they are usually in a very similar situation. Upper middle class/the nouveau riche tend to be the absolute WORST; it's like they decided getting some money made them better than anyone working in retail/customer service. Those who've had money for a while tend to be a bit better, but there is a sense of condescension occasionally.

Now, I do have to say that people who've worked their way up from lowly hourly positions to boss levels tend to be a little better.

You know who's AWFUL with customer service? Israelis. GHAIDF{OJEFOJ{ECONEFIEF}I)CMEF Israelis!

[Zephyr Shenkiken]

Really?

[Quaddy]

YES! They treat us like SHIT. South Florida has a lot of Israeli immigrants. Hell, even the native Jews despise Israeli transplants.

[Zephyr Shenkiken]

Wow, that's weird. Think it's a cultural thing?

[Mynt]

Hey, Zeph. Did you say you had an add done for Witch Hunt?

[Zephyr Shenkiken]

Lol only like 5 times. Yeah I still have it. Why what's up?