Re: The Secrets of Studying Abroad
waxie,
Your list looks good. But, please don't hesitate to correct people's misunderstandings about the USA. It's one thing to listen to valid critiques without getting a big flagpole up yr arse, but that doesn't mean you have to agree with anything vitriolic or fallacious just because you’re trying to be polite. It’s perfectly OK to say to someone, “Well, actually not all American cities are full of drugged-up gang wars and burning cars like in Escape from New York” or “Actually, they’re called the AFL_CIO and they’re just a labor organization, not a secret society of torture experts…” There are bigoted xenophobes in Europe too, and I’d certainly want a French person in this country (US) to say to me, “Dude, you don’t know what you’re talking about…France isn’t like that, it’s like this etc.” In fact, I have had a French guy say that to me, and it led to one of the most eye opening and honest conversations I’ve ever had. Then we made sweet French love. Sweet sweet love…
Love it or Leave it to Beaver,
--GA
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