First was on Facebook. Generally a wonderful thing for me. I can post photos of the punks and all my relatives can see them. Little benign updates. But sometimes more comes through these updates. Things that I don't bother myself about and my relatives and I get along fabulously when we get together. Happy happy joy joy. I don't hear that they support Sarah Palin (this seriously sent me into shock... I couldn't imagine someone supporting her, much less a relative) and also their belief that if you don't speak English you shouldn't be allowed into the US. Sometimes ignorance really is bliss. Makes me want to start an anti-English speaking campaign. Everyone (near my cousin) has to speak another language for a day. Or we pick her up and plop her in some other country for a month. Any other ideas? I decided to just block her from my news feed.
Second is funny and a bit of a punch to the gut at the same time. A funny punch to the gut. Haha... aren't those the best?!?!
When we got out of the house to head to school yesterday, I see this:
My immediate translation was "No paper on the street!" I think I've already bitched about the fact that shops and bars just throw fliers all over the street as a method of advertising. But I thought that it seems like a strange thing to graffiti about... so I consulted with M.
Apparently it slang for "NO FOREIGNERS, GET OUT!"
So this is funny, no? Obviously not the smartest haters (is there such a thing?)... writing your message in slang so that all us foreigners just think there are a band of anti-litter radicals roaming about.
Ok... small beans I suppose. I didn't get my house burnt down or something really horrible. Just little scratches on my serenity. Nothing a smile can't mend. A smile and some shopping. I found some great buys (for myself, not the kids!) at 50% off at Petit Bateau... also across the street. I guess that evens it out ;)
LOL. Glad you find it funny. It's nice to know that most racists don't qualify as the sharpest knife in the knife drawer.
ReplyDeleteI prefer to believe they mean the paper.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I am going to start writing this on all the white boards at work. It will be my way of making a stand about paper in the street.
"if you don't speak English you shouldn't be allowed into the US"
ReplyDeleteDoes that mean ALL people (tourists etc.) or just immigrants?
In Finland the same question is very hot - if an immigrant can't the language it's impossible to integrate.
Recession is always the time when hate and patriotism starts to rise.
Everywhere.
Greetings from sunny Cairo!
http://BLOGitse.blogspot.com
I'm cheering up Louise.
ReplyDeleteUnite against paper Keri!
BLOGitse... she didn't qualify her statement. It was something along the lines of "Welcome to the US. Press 1 for English. Press 2 to leave until you can speak English." Either way I think it's a very egocentric attitude to have.
I hate people who ahte foreginers. When I lived in Florence in a small house with cochrosehes there where lots of them who dind't like foreginers. Italians and other ones didn't liek whern people came from Turkey. SDo, WEhats tehy large problem with Turkey I asked. O they said they takes our jobs. Now the poor turkes did have bad hjobs.
ReplyDeleteSo they hardly could afford to weat. I used to buy lofs of breead and we drank and eat the night long and sang. The tuks sang their national songs and they where Nice Fellows. A brittish guy hanged on and began to weep as he sang "So wher're jonlly good fellows" he was drunk allrigt.
The night was opening up, the DFlorention nioght, with the star and the houses. The italians said their words in Itallian and it felt like the time of Cosomo der Medici. MAN it was a night to die or live for,
As we made our way home to the little hut with cocharachouses I thigut this was woth cocharouses. This was indeed life and real life is better than shopping.
You wodnerful post made me think of This.
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THank you.
My husband is convinced that facebook is evil. I am too often freaked out by the postings of folks who express ideas I had previously regulated for the stupid and insane.
ReplyDeleteBut one positive thing from all that noise is that it forces me to stop making the "stupid and insane" judgements. When "the other" (enemy, dumbshit, whatever you want to call it) is someone you actually love, it makes it harder to dismiss them. I'm actually forced to find common ground and learn (gulp) how to tolerate what I find repulsive. I suppose community and family (even via cyberspace) requires more of us than ease and comfort.
I just found out my city is 57.4% immigrants, and most of those are Chinese. I'm a visible minority! Time to stick it to the MAN.
ReplyDeleteSometimes it is the voices of the few that is louder than the voice of the mass.
ReplyDeleteThis kind of stuff goes around the world !
ReplyDeleteRight here in India, people from other states are 'targeted' asked to 'go back' etc etc !
While there are the others who welcome, provide food and opportunity in the true spirit of community and most importantly...smile !!
Sometimes lines on the map and the way our tongue swirls....can cause hatred. And that confounds me !
Loved the post! I shall read this blog regularly, thank you for the humor!
ReplyDeleteGino