All About My Mother...
- Thread starter DeSica
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Rick Meyer
Veteran
If you are talking about soccer.........you lost me at hello.
DeSica
Well-known member
I don't recall saying hello...and I was talking about football. You're the one talking about soccer. I can't help it if a tiny minority of the world's population decided to create a game based on rugby and give it the same name as another sport that already existed.
It's okay, Pandv tied it up for Lazio.
The downside is that Amelie was on, and I missed it. Also, I was only able to catch last 15 minutes of a Documentary about Andrei Sakharov.
It's okay, Pandv tied it up for Lazio.
The downside is that Amelie was on, and I missed it. Also, I was only able to catch last 15 minutes of a Documentary about Andrei Sakharov.
Rick Meyer
Veteran
To quote the Capt'n from another thread..."lighten up, Francis". I know you didn't say hello. I was quoting a movie.
And you were talking about soccer. Its the same thing. Its what its called where I live. I chose to use the word I use. Had I used the word 'football' that would have been obnoxious and presumptious because I would be pretending to be culturally diverse.
But, I'm glad for you that Pandv tied it up for Lazio. They both seem like very nice guys.
And you were talking about soccer. Its the same thing. Its what its called where I live. I chose to use the word I use. Had I used the word 'football' that would have been obnoxious and presumptious because I would be pretending to be culturally diverse.
But, I'm glad for you that Pandv tied it up for Lazio. They both seem like very nice guys.
DeSica
Well-known member
Easy, Sally...I know what you were doing. And you weren't quoting a movie, it seems like you were using a play on words of a quote from a movie...that was used way too much...ten years ago.
You can't handle the truth! See, I can do it too, kind of.
If you say so.
Aww...how condescending. You seem like a nice guy yourself...your boyfriend must feel lucky.
Rick Meyer
Veteran
my initial comment wasn't meant to be insulting. I don't like soccer. sue me. no need to get anti-American here. There are tons of people here who love the game. I am not one of them. I was making a joke.
And my 'pandv and lazio' comment was also a joke. A self-effacing one at that. I know NOTHING of what you were talking about so I was putting myself down. Didn't mean to offend and I apologize if that seemed to be my intent. I assure you it was not.
And my 'pandv and lazio' comment was also a joke. A self-effacing one at that. I know NOTHING of what you were talking about so I was putting myself down. Didn't mean to offend and I apologize if that seemed to be my intent. I assure you it was not.
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DeSica
Well-known member
Sure, no problem.
Sounded like you were being cute with that Lazio/Pandev being nice guys. I assumed that you knew enough about the sport to know that it's a team game, and that a statement such as 'A vs B' meant one team versus another...but I can see how it could be meant as self-effacing.
Lazio is a team, by the way. It's also the state in Italy where Rome is situated.
Real Madrid is also a team, representing Madrid...Spain. It's one of the biggest sporting clubs in the world.
I'm not anti-american...just maybe a touch anti-arrogance.
Not that you are arrogant. I mistook your tone.
Sounded like you were being cute with that Lazio/Pandev being nice guys. I assumed that you knew enough about the sport to know that it's a team game, and that a statement such as 'A vs B' meant one team versus another...but I can see how it could be meant as self-effacing.
Lazio is a team, by the way. It's also the state in Italy where Rome is situated.
Real Madrid is also a team, representing Madrid...Spain. It's one of the biggest sporting clubs in the world.
I'm not anti-american...just maybe a touch anti-arrogance.
Not that you are arrogant. I mistook your tone.
Rick Meyer
Veteran
I can't assume you are Italian because you're English is very good...but if you are Italian I understand where you are coming from.
A few years back my roommate was Italian and had only lived here for two years at the time. Smart guy. He came with very broken English...but 2 years later he was incredibly fluent and often spoke with little accent.
As more of a world traveler he explained the overseas beef with Americans. He didn't say arrogant...although I can see why it would be perceived that way. He said, LOUD. My other friend, from Austrailia said the same thing. We are easily perceived as arrogant (I'm sure some of us are) because we are obnoxiously loud in public...."EXCUSE ME WAITER" or "CAN YOU TELL US HOW TO GET TO THE LOUVRE? WE'RE AMERICAN TOURISTS". etc.
If what he says is true...during my first trip to Europe I am going to prove them wrong by using sign language.
A few years back my roommate was Italian and had only lived here for two years at the time. Smart guy. He came with very broken English...but 2 years later he was incredibly fluent and often spoke with little accent.
As more of a world traveler he explained the overseas beef with Americans. He didn't say arrogant...although I can see why it would be perceived that way. He said, LOUD. My other friend, from Austrailia said the same thing. We are easily perceived as arrogant (I'm sure some of us are) because we are obnoxiously loud in public...."EXCUSE ME WAITER" or "CAN YOU TELL US HOW TO GET TO THE LOUVRE? WE'RE AMERICAN TOURISTS". etc.
If what he says is true...during my first trip to Europe I am going to prove them wrong by using sign language.
DeSica
Well-known member
Italians have to have bad english?
This is the kind of stuff that makes some people think Americans are way too ignorant of other people and cultures...but I get your intended meaning.
My father was Italian...his english was fine. Written, it was very good.
My mother's english is better than her Italian, but she grew up here.
I'm Canadian. I'm loud, outgoing, opinionated...by our standards. By yours, I'm probably average. I guess there is some of that British metality left over, and we tend to be more toned down.
We're a cultural mosaic here, not a melting pot, so people tend to hold on to their culture more. Immigrants also tend to be more recent, so their cultures bleed into everyday life here more. Alot of us use more than one language on any given day without even noticing it, even more, if you count dialects. Also, we're not so fanatical. No pledging allegiance to a flag or any jingoistic stuff like that.
I was in New York's Little Italy some ten years back. I walked into a shop, and spoke to a guy in his late fifties or maybe even his sixties. Turns out he was from near my mother's town in Italy, which is near my father's as well. He didn't speak the dialect, much less Italian...but then I head an old woman speaking it to me. It was his mother. I hadn't noticed her when I walked in, as she was seated behind a counter. She was in her eighties. We had a nice chat, and he got a real kick out of it. She was used to being answered in english whenever she spoke Italian to her kids.
The next day I heard some young guys, about my age, talking perfect Italian on a street corner, and asked them where they were from. They said Guelph...an Ontario town which is less then a two hour drive from here.
Go figure.
By the way...it's full name is American Sign Language. Maybe the gestures are exaggerated, so even the deaf can know where you're from.
This is the kind of stuff that makes some people think Americans are way too ignorant of other people and cultures...but I get your intended meaning.
My father was Italian...his english was fine. Written, it was very good.
My mother's english is better than her Italian, but she grew up here.
I'm Canadian. I'm loud, outgoing, opinionated...by our standards. By yours, I'm probably average. I guess there is some of that British metality left over, and we tend to be more toned down.
We're a cultural mosaic here, not a melting pot, so people tend to hold on to their culture more. Immigrants also tend to be more recent, so their cultures bleed into everyday life here more. Alot of us use more than one language on any given day without even noticing it, even more, if you count dialects. Also, we're not so fanatical. No pledging allegiance to a flag or any jingoistic stuff like that.
I was in New York's Little Italy some ten years back. I walked into a shop, and spoke to a guy in his late fifties or maybe even his sixties. Turns out he was from near my mother's town in Italy, which is near my father's as well. He didn't speak the dialect, much less Italian...but then I head an old woman speaking it to me. It was his mother. I hadn't noticed her when I walked in, as she was seated behind a counter. She was in her eighties. We had a nice chat, and he got a real kick out of it. She was used to being answered in english whenever she spoke Italian to her kids.
The next day I heard some young guys, about my age, talking perfect Italian on a street corner, and asked them where they were from. They said Guelph...an Ontario town which is less then a two hour drive from here.
Go figure.
By the way...it's full name is American Sign Language. Maybe the gestures are exaggerated, so even the deaf can know where you're from.
Rick Meyer
Veteran
Americans have to be loud, outgoing and opinionated? Kidding of course…
I get what you are saying about American ignorance. If other countries think we are way too ignorant about other cultures its because we are. It’s not arrogance though.
Europe is far away. And, we don't have a close proximity to neighboring countries with different languages and cultures. Yes, we are next to Mexico. You can see TONS of cultural influences of Mexico especially in the Southwestern part of the country. And, we are south of Canada. But Canada doesn’t have a culture to share because they look and act just like us only with a weird accent.
THAT WAS A JOKE. I ASSURE YOU.
Thing is, I’ve had this conversation before with a French couple at my gym. They explained how ridiculously obnoxious it is when Americans go to France and refuse to try to speak French. That’s understandable but they need to remember that we are tourists. We are coming to learn about other cultures and to see things that are foreign to us. And, being a country that is young by European standards and predominantly English speaking because of our beginnings, there has been very little call to learn French. In a nutshell, very very very few of us know it.
I just happen to have taken French for 4 years some time ago but because the opportunity to use it here is so incredibly limited I have forgotten most of it.
I’m not debating mind you. I’m just giving you another point of view.
And, no. Italians don’t HAVE to have bad English. All I know is that at first, my Italian roommate had horrible English. So you have to understand that for someone who was born, raised and lived here all my life, its hard to wrap my head around Italian culture. Or, any European culture for that matter. Its a confusing notion to imagine that a well educated college graduate from Italy hardly knew a lick of English while in many other parts of Italy people are reading and writing English as well as their primary language. I guess I’ll just have to watch The Learning Channel more.
As for American Sign Language…I am originally from New York…I’m sure I can come up with a ton of exaggerated gestures.
I get what you are saying about American ignorance. If other countries think we are way too ignorant about other cultures its because we are. It’s not arrogance though.
Europe is far away. And, we don't have a close proximity to neighboring countries with different languages and cultures. Yes, we are next to Mexico. You can see TONS of cultural influences of Mexico especially in the Southwestern part of the country. And, we are south of Canada. But Canada doesn’t have a culture to share because they look and act just like us only with a weird accent.
THAT WAS A JOKE. I ASSURE YOU.
Thing is, I’ve had this conversation before with a French couple at my gym. They explained how ridiculously obnoxious it is when Americans go to France and refuse to try to speak French. That’s understandable but they need to remember that we are tourists. We are coming to learn about other cultures and to see things that are foreign to us. And, being a country that is young by European standards and predominantly English speaking because of our beginnings, there has been very little call to learn French. In a nutshell, very very very few of us know it.
I just happen to have taken French for 4 years some time ago but because the opportunity to use it here is so incredibly limited I have forgotten most of it.
I’m not debating mind you. I’m just giving you another point of view.
And, no. Italians don’t HAVE to have bad English. All I know is that at first, my Italian roommate had horrible English. So you have to understand that for someone who was born, raised and lived here all my life, its hard to wrap my head around Italian culture. Or, any European culture for that matter. Its a confusing notion to imagine that a well educated college graduate from Italy hardly knew a lick of English while in many other parts of Italy people are reading and writing English as well as their primary language. I guess I’ll just have to watch The Learning Channel more.
As for American Sign Language…I am originally from New York…I’m sure I can come up with a ton of exaggerated gestures.
DeSica
Well-known member
Yes...and no, I don't wanna buy any of your weed.