OT-People of the World

[Marc]

Originally Posted by Mohoender

I didn't know about the sparkling wine but I love your beers and your regular wines. At least, when I was in US I had something good and not too expensive to drink. At the time for the sparkling wine I was mostly drinking cava made in Catalunya.

And probably produced in my own Village, Sant SadurnÃ*. I'm happy to read it, Mo. Nearly everyone in my village earns their live (direcly or indirectly) with the Cava. My mother works in a winery, my faher is an enologist (and a very good one, IMHO), my father-in-law produce his own cava, my uncle transport wine in his truck...Even the electrical diagrams that I'm about to finish are for an important cava producer (Freixenet). Now that the grape harvest is nearly finished everything will go back to normality for a time. It's always a happy period of hard work and intense activity. My region in all its fullness and vitality.

[Mohoender]

Originally Posted by Marc

And probably produced in my own Village, Sant SadurnÃ*. I'm happy to read it, Mo. Nearly everyone in my village earns their live (direcly or indirectly) with the Cava. My mother works in a winery, my faher is an enologist (and a very good one, IMHO), my father-in-law produce his own cava, my uncle transport wine in his truck...Even the electrical diagrams that I'm about to finish are for an important cava producer (Freixenet). Now that the grape harvest is nearly finished everything will go back to normality for a time. It's always a happy period of hard work and intense activity. My region in all its fullness and vitality.

I know everything about what you are talking about but I'm supposed to be the opposing force: my family is involved in champagne business. I had my own business about ten years ago before I walked away from all that (I was buying wines and grapes to producers and selling it to big businesses). Nevertheless, I'll be selling my mother's champagne again this winter. Harvest has always been the best of times and a lot of fun since i was a kid.

However, unlike most people involved with champagne I'm not always saying that champagne is the best, there are terrible ones (my mother's is the best and I'm being serious).

The best present the champagne region made to the Cava region (and to every other sparkling wine regions) was to forbid everyone to refer to a "methode champenoise". Since that time, every one else has grown and improved qualities.

[Jason]

Cool Thread. I will add my personal U.S. opinion. I have never been overseas, but I have worked with many foriegn-born people.

U.S. I do not have children myself, but the OP has a point about the way we raise our kids. Of course, the majority of American children enjoy loving households, but far too many grow up extemely poor, hungry, homeless, or abused. Our education system is meh. Our public schools do graduate some exceptionally well educated youngsters, while again failing those on the margins. American foriegn policy is...kind of...hmmm. But, hold on, Americans are also some the the most charitable people in the world. When other countries suffer natural catastrophies, American rescue teams and relief organizations are some of the first to offer their aid. Not really sure about the watching the neighbors comment however. I have only lived in the West/Midwest, but out here we give our nieghbors plenty of privacy. There is actually some criticism that we are too clanish at times. We do have some good food, thanks to people settling here from around the world. Speaking of food, we export alot of corn, wheat, etc. to feed the world.

France! I like the French. They are some of the bravest fighters in history. In WWI, French soldiers mutinied only for better conditions, and despite the horrific losses, those soldiers still went over the top. I have not met many French people, but I know some people who have lived and studied in France. I am told that the French are nice to my visitiing American friends and family. I don't really drink wine. *ducks*

Brits. Where would we be without them? I have met and spent time with a few English, and always found them to be engaging and intielligent. And good drinkers. One of my favorite quotes was shouted at me by a British guy who was carrying two cases of Budwiser into a party, "American beer is piss!". Yeah. High culture and punks. The Queen and soccer riots.

Poles. I have worked with some Poles, they are super nice, and inquisitive. They were always improving their English, reading newspapers, and making freinds. Proud of their Nationality and culture. Good food.

Russians/former U.S.S.R. Well, to be fair, as with all my other interactions with foriegn-born friends, I have met and interacted with people who have traveled to the U.S. to work and/or study. So, most of the Russian and Kazak's I know are in the U.S. to avoid mandatory military service. If they stay long enough, they age out. Super nice guys who love to help out. They do like the ladies and flirt very overtly. Nazim is a friend of mine, and came over for Thanksgiving once. Not afraid to point out the good and bad of their homecountries.

Africans. The African men I have worked closely with are among the nicest people I have ever met. They have real interest in my life and affairs, and always wish me prosperity, good health, etc. I saw a guy I worked with two years ago, and he inquired after my mother's health in a wonderful way.

That is about it from Omaha.

[mikeo80]

I live near and work at Fort Bragg, NC, USA. Home of the 82nd Airborn.

In the course of a week I probably run across a little bit of everything from soldiers training at Fort Bragg to husbands and wives of soldiers who are from other countries.

It is a very learning experience!!! Most people I have had dealings with are just that, people. No better, no worse that any one else. There are exceptions, however the majority are people who need to do their job as they see it, and my job is to help them as best I can.

Mike

[Mohoender]

Originally Posted by mikeo80

Most people I have had dealings with are just that, people. No better, no worse that any one else. T

Mike

Well said! That's also why I have started that thread. I know some nationalities well but I'll be very ignorant of others. A part of my job is also to help people and I'm bored by the so-call powerful of the world. Any citizen of any country is more interesting to me that the most powerful or the smallest president on Earth. (IMO of course)

[mikeo80]

Originally Posted by Mohoender

Well said! That's also why I have started that thread. I know some nationalities well but I'll be very ignorant of others. A part of my job is also to help people and I'm bored by the so-call powerful of the world. Any citizen of any country is more interesting to me that the most powerful or the smallest president on Earth. (IMO of course)

I agree 100%!! Have had to deal with a few American style politicians...

I would much rather spend hours getting to know a real person vs. a "professional politician" for two minutes.

Mike

[Marc]

Originally Posted by Mohoender

Well said! That's also why I have started that thread. I know some nationalities well but I'll be very ignorant of others. A part of my job is also to help people and I'm bored by the so-call powerful of the world. Any citizen of any country is more interesting to me that the most powerful or the smallest president on Earth. (IMO of course)

I must admit that I time ago, I had the same idea about to initiate a thread like this. This forum, besides the Twilight:2000, is a good way to know people from all around the world. For example, I’d never talked with an Australian, a Norwegian or an American before… And a lot of questions emerge in my mind while reading the posts of people from countries I’ve never been. I love to ask questions and sometimes I’m too enthusiastic (GURPS disadvantage: Curiosity), but sometimes one realizes that some questions, though asked in an innocent, sincere and disinterested way, can cause rough answers. The same could be said about stereotypes and myths commonly assigned to a country by the foreigners and any personal opinions about the matter.

[Mohoender]

Originally Posted by Jason

Of course, the majority of American children enjoy loving households, but far too many grow up extemely poor, hungry, homeless, or abused.

I realize that i wasn't clear on that one. What I said was not directed at american's habilty to raise children. They are doing as well as everyone else IMO. However, I can't accept the risk to have the old lady next door sending child care in my house because she thinks I'm too hard on them. Intervening on the side of children being abused is fine but there should be some limits. We are taking the same path but we have not gone so far yet.

For everything else nothing is perfect. And I wish to send my daughters to US universities (I'll simply keep warning them about rape and football teams)

Originally Posted by Jason

Poles. I have worked with some Poles, they are super nice, and inquisitive. They were always improving their English, reading newspapers, and making freinds. Proud of their Nationality and culture. Good food.

Forget about those I married one and ask for divorce after a few years. Still don't understand why anyone wants to control Poland, they are simply a pain. Actually, I'm not sure to understand why I married one. I'll answer that in a couple centuries.

Originally Posted by Jason

Africans. The African men I have worked closely with are among the nicest people I have ever met. They have real interest in my life and affairs, and always wish me prosperity, good health, etc. I saw a guy I worked with two years ago, and he inquired after my mother's health in a wonderful way.

I agree with you. My cousin's wife is great. However, they are often poluted by their own family and their strongest point is often their weakest. However, in T2K, they should be doing fine in the end. I agree about ethnic wars but after a while they would stop and they are the most inventive people I ever met. They get TV working in the middle of nowhere. They keep cars running that would be scrapped anywhere else in the world. System D is their moto (Our president had his bank account robbed by people from senegal, LOL). Anyway, the Twilight War wouldn't change much for them. I'm not even sure that ethnic war would last very long.