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#101961 - 01/11/07 03:07 PM
Re: Living Abroad
[Re: Dianne]
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Member
Registered: 06/23/06
Posts: 3703
Loc: London UK
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Hi, MustangGal: I am originally from NY (Manhattan). Your nieces are very lucky to have such a doting Aunt. Europe is a fascinating continent to visit and the railway system is the best way to go about because each city is almost just a hop, skip and a jump from each other. Paris is only a 3 hour journey by train from London. You can pick a port of entry in any European city and venture onwards from there. Travel by rail also allows the traveller to have a better insight of each country and its people. If you plan your journey well, you can cross the continent from Rome to London (or even the opposite direction) by rail in two months and manage to visit countries in-between along the way. Your nieces surely have a treat to look forward to.
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#101962 - 01/11/07 03:37 PM
Re: Living Abroad
[Re: Lola]
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Member
Registered: 06/05/06
Posts: 4136
Loc: American living in Europe
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The new German trains (ICE trains) are just beautiful, and they're almost as fast as the airplanes (368km/ hour)! They are very modern, have lots of legroom, and fantastic dining. You don't hear the click-clack sound in them; they seem to soar over the tracks. They even have movies at each seat, like in an airplane...only you have so much more room. Here is a link with pictures: ICE Here is a link in English Intercityexpress What a wonderful present to give your nieces! That's something they will remember for the rest of their lives, that's for sure.
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#101965 - 01/12/07 02:59 PM
Re: Living Abroad
[Re: Edelweiss]
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Member
Registered: 08/25/05
Posts: 1052
Loc: Ohio
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I have a good friend who is French but has lived in the US for about 40 years and is a citizen of course. She recently returned to France to bury her mother and she said she has no desire to visit France again. She is now American, and was not allowed to defend her country to her 8 siblings. They don't like us.
Do any of you expats ever experience anti-Americanism?
When I visited France with her about 10 years ago, my friend's family accepted me with open arms, and strangers were very kind also, but now they can't even accept their own blood relative.
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Laura
laurapoplin.com
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#101966 - 01/12/07 03:50 PM
Re: Living Abroad
[Re: Daisygirl]
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Member
Registered: 06/23/06
Posts: 3703
Loc: London UK
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Yes, I encountered some anti-American sentiments when I was at law school. Mostly, it manifested at lectures/tutorials when we discussed substantive legal principles and there would always be one person who would debate against American policies and applications under the guise of comparative analysis. There were also stabs at semantics. But, I always gave back as good as I got so, I did not find it irksome at all and attributed that to overzealous law students and I think ignorance also contributed to that. Generally, the British are a very friendly lot and I have yet to meet one who would strongly or directly confront me with anti-American slurs or behave in an untoward manner just because I am American.
It can be different in the continent however, when some locals pick up on the American accent. There have been occasions when some would talk behind my back with derisions like "obnoxious American" or "go home, foreigner" or "stupid American, we don't want your dollars here" etc. Something like the Chevy Chase movie "Lampoon's European vacation". But, it's not often and it depends on where I go. I get a kick out of the situation when I retort loudly, but politely, in the local vernacular and leave them with red faces all around.
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#101967 - 01/12/07 04:56 PM
Re: Living Abroad
[Re: Lola]
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Member
Registered: 06/05/06
Posts: 4136
Loc: American living in Europe
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Good question Daisygirl. Just want to say right off that the French are known not to like anyone other than the French. Maybe now, they are a bit friendlier to Germans, but that's a recent development, stemming from their united view on world politics.
Anti-Americanism in Germany? No, I've never personally experienced it. But when you watch TV, you get a lot of anti Bush-ism. And you do get to hear how perplexed the Germans are about American politics.
Before the Iraq war, I was often asked how I can stand living in a small German town. And how could I ever have left such a fantastic country like America. Those questions have stopped.
I think the Germans have developed a newfound patriotism, which oddly enough has been triggered through the World Soccer Games. Also Germans are proud of the fact that they held their stand and didn't participate in the war. Because of the socialised system; slums and extreme poverty is practically non-existent here. Many can't understand how a world power, like the U.S. can't or won't take better care of it's own people, like in the New Orleans catastrophe.
To answer your question Daisygirl, I've noticed that Germans don't gush anymore when they talk about America. But American tourists are welcomed here, and Germans still love Americans as individuals and their hospitality. That hasn't changed at all.
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#101968 - 01/12/07 05:07 PM
Re: Living Abroad
[Re: Edelweiss]
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Member
Registered: 06/23/06
Posts: 3703
Loc: London UK
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Hi, Hannelore: Just curious. The German team is the nemesis of English football and when they do come up against each other at a match, the British tabloids' sports sections print very shameful derogatory remarks about the opposing side. Do you get coverage of that there?
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#101970 - 01/12/07 06:10 PM
Re: Living Abroad
[Re: Edelweiss]
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Member
Registered: 06/23/06
Posts: 3703
Loc: London UK
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Shameful. Really appallingly shameful. That's the ugly side of the tabloids here. Because of football...how ridiculous. I could never understand it.
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