Old fashioned attitudes
 

I met a new colleague today luckily someone I don't deal with directly

Colleague - So where are you from?
Smelly- England
Colleague - what and you moved here......?
Smelly- yep
Colleague - why did you leave the "cultural capital of Europe" to come here.......?
Smelly- many reasons.......(of which I have no interest in discussing with you, didnt actually say this part)
Colleague - Well aint you the clever one.... NOT .............. you left the mother country to come here, .....(he chuckled, rolled his eyes and said that's a new one)

Smelly- ..Have you ever been to Europe?
Colleague - No but I seen it on the TV.
Smelly- Do you have a passport?
Colleague -No but I am in the process of getting one, but I been to America though several times though.
Smelly - Lucky you.


It got worse he then asked me what my family thought about the move and whether I had a husband.


Some of peoples attitudes are still very old fashioned and they just cant understand why you would emigrate unless it was due to political unrest or poverty .

Re: Old fashioned attitudes
 

I have been asked that a few times but never taken offence or thought is was an old fashioned attitude so I cant understand where you are coming from?

I usually take the questioning as expressing an interest and it sometimes shows insecurity about how Canada rates. When i tell them the reasons why we came they smile and look happy at the compliment to where they live. - I save mutterings about the driving skills and the amount of processed food until i know them well!

Re: Old fashioned attitudes
 

I loved this bit it made me chuckle. :D

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Im rather disapointed there was no mention of the royal family. Standards must be slipping at the idiot school.

Re: Old fashioned attitudes
 

[QUOTE=batty-x-ray;4378924 When i tell them the reasons why we came they smile and look happy at the compliment to where they live. - I save mutterings about the driving skills and the amount of processed food until i know them well![/QUOTE]

Yes true I will take that on board and be more open with the answer and compliment them on the beauty of Canada.

I just thought he was a bit intrusive , I wouldn't go around questioning other immigrants there reasons for moving and stating "well I seen it on the tele cant understand why you moved personally", I think thats why I thought it was old fashioned.

Re: Old fashioned attitudes
 

Well there is one bright side to the guy's attitude. He thinks well of the place from which you came. The conversation can be even more "interesting" when the other party thinks ill of the place from which you came.

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I can imagine that. Apparently my OH was single handedly responsible for the invasion of Iraq and the cultural imperialism exemplified by McDonalds.

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You should be very proud of her, she is obviously very bright and influential. A little misguided maybe but that can be corrected. :D:rofl::rofl:

Re: Old fashioned attitudes
 

when i was here on holiday in 2005 myself and friend went trail riding. While waiting the owner of the horses said, 'so how about your charles getting married then, how do you feel about that.' Took me a moment to think i have no kids called charles.........duh then the penny dropped. emmmmmmm not a lot really. She then preceeded to go on about how she admired the royals etc etc......................

Re: Old fashioned attitudes
 

So you're either married to Condi Rice or you're Laura Bush's bit on the side...

(unless we all have you wrong and you are in fact Laura Bush?)

Re: Old fashioned attitudes
 

I arrived shortly after Di died...you can imagine the sort of conversations:rolleyes:

Re: Old fashioned attitudes
 

While we were in Toronto last year a women in one of the shops asked me where i was from and when i said England she replied " Arrrrr London, i love London... Do you know the spice girls???
I nearly fell off my pirch, how stupid are they, and why when you say your from England do they always think its just London? lol

Re: Old fashioned attitudes
 

oh my god yeah. Mind you it was like that in my neck of the woods anyway. my husband and i (sounds royal!) had gone away for the weekend of Di's funeral. Got up in the morning to go into the town to get a nice brekkie and it was like a ghost town. It was eerie......... we were like, did something happen over night we know nothing about??? It took us quite a while to realise. There was not a soul in sight. It was like the old fashioned sundays i remember as a kid!!!

Re: Old fashioned attitudes
 

About as stupid as the average Brit who when they find out you're from Calgary, says "I have a friend in Toronto do you know him?". :p

There are stupid people all over the world Canada doesn't have a monopoly. :D

Re: Old fashioned attitudes
 

So was I.

Re: Old fashioned attitudes
 

I am not, nor have I ever impersonated, Laura Bush.

I was in San Francisco when Di died. Oh, my dears, the agony, the anguish, the tears. Streets piled high with flowers. It was like Evita all over again.

Re: Old fashioned attitudes
 

You're not her by any chance, are you?

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Tears dripping onto the prada shoes, all tantrums and tiaras ? At least they would be well dressed mourners.

Rich.

Re: Old fashioned attitudes
 

I have pulled many creatures but not pork.

Re: Old fashioned attitudes
 

Although your colleague sounds a bit of a dork, I wouldn't have considered his questioning intrusive. It's how Canadians (and North Americans) can be - just to the point, direct. When I lived in England I often had people tell me that they either liked or disliked North Americans (or me personally! :huh: ) for their (my) directness.

It sounded to me like you were getting a gentle ribbing (piss take) -- maybe he's got a crush? ;)

Re: Old fashioned attitudes
 

'Merkans yes, but I disagree re Canadians. Regrading the workplace, I find the more confident they are of themselves,and/or being more travelled and more mature in personality, yes they can be quite direct but moreso in an open manner. i.e. they're not afraid of asking/talking/opening up.

Some, I would suggest the insular, less confident, negative, suspicious, inferiority-complex riddled species, come over all sly and will happily scuttle around like crabs running sideways. They'll never go head to head on a deal and will evade a confrontation or disagreement or even a discussion at all costs, in favour of sideways conversations, rumour, tittle tattle, gossip and disinformation. Avoid these types, at all costs, for there be vile beasties and depths of misery and disenchantment.

Rich.

Re: Old fashioned attitudes
 

Why the insult to the asker? He is an idiot because he thought you left some place that he feels is better than his country in terms of culture, etc.? Can't see where that makes him or her an idiot but perhaps the person that feels they are one is. :(

Re: Old fashioned attitudes
 

It's the old idiom of someone thinking that in an island populated by 60million peeps one would personally know the royals. It does make the questioner sound like an uber:dick.

Rich.

Re: Old fashioned attitudes
 

They don't think that, they think we all love our Queen and follow her every movement; the way they do with those ice hockey chappies or Anna Nicole Smith.

Re: Old fashioned attitudes
 

ANYONE who judges what a country is like to live in based on what they saw on TV is an idiot.

Re: Old fashioned attitudes
 

Ah that's why I confuse peeps over here. They think I would worship the very ground she walks upon. My disinterest confused them, after all the link with the Brit-royalty is like how they is different from 'Merka, innit. zzzzz.

Rich.

Re: Old fashioned attitudes
 

But it's not different from America, there is considerable interest in the royal family in America; hence Helen Mirren's oscar nomination. It's only Brits who lack interest, something that confuses Americas and Canadians alike.

Re: Old fashioned attitudes
 

'Scuse me!!!!!!

I'll have you know that I'm related to the bloke what married the daughter of King Edward VII.

Re: Old fashioned attitudes
 

Canadians think that having the Brit/Royale Family link gives them cultural bonus points over the 'Merkans. The 'Merkans, thought they loathe to admit it publicly, are jealous of Canada's Brit/Royale Family heritage, but would never admit it. I don't understand it, don't take any interest in it, but it is there.

Rich.

Re: Old fashioned attitudes
 

George the Fornicator ?
Randolph the Well Endowed of Kings Lynn ?
Herbert the Blashpemer Son of Alfred the Goatherder of Kendal ?

Whassallthisroyalnonsenseanyhoo.

Rich.

Re: Old fashioned attitudes
 

Not any more apparently. Spooky.

Re: Old fashioned attitudes
 

That's not right about Americans. Don't forget they identify with their historical background (one great grandparent from Ireland and you're an Irish-American), so those of English background think of them as being their royal family as much as anyone else's. They're not jealous of Canadians as Canada doesn't register on their radar; they just don't know what it is.

Re: Old fashioned attitudes
 

Alexander Duff (6th Earl) actually, peasant.

Re: Old fashioned attitudes
 

Well I do doff my greasy paupers cap to thye muche grandeness, o great sire of the Olde Isle of Greensville upon the Fayre Boroughs. Nice waxed tache but I ain't digging the hairline.

Mwak mwak.

Rich.
http://content.answers.com/main/cont..._Duff_Fife.png

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Any bets on suicide?

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I think you'll find that picture is of Isiah Duff.

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It's the pic that comes up on all the websearches. Whatever, nice family hairline.

I'm gonna go buy me a Lairdship and rename myself Laird Ragamuffin McTavish the Third Dark Emperor of the Ultraworld. Would that fit on a chequebook ?

http://www.lochaberhighlandestates.com/

Rich.

Re: Old fashioned attitudes
 

Ah, he was hankering after the old england that never really existed. In retropect maybe it was the way he asked, not the words the attitude?

Re: Old fashioned attitudes
 

busy woman, is she responsible for those awful soap operas too?

Re: Old fashioned attitudes
 

i was in a white fiat........................