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[Calach Pfeffer]

...if you don't like it [wherever]."

And I suppose it's true. (Except for those of us who may, not pointing fingers, be on the run from the law--let's just assume for the moment that we are all at least thus far undetected in our various TOTALLY LEGITIMATE!!! peccadilloes and could if we liked totally go back to the sunniest of sunny shores from whence we came.)

But...

just how acritical is one supposed to be?


I think it might be easier to draw the line rather on just how disinterested are you supposed not to be?  If you're genuinely not interested in whatever's here and do for the most part complain only of how it isn't what you grew up with, then perhaps you could start looking into the relevant statutes of limitations and maybe consider going home. But even then I'm not sure. That might turf quite a lot of people out of even the different suburbs they moved to let alone the different countries.


*isn't really sure why "you could go home" rubs the wrong way, maybe it's just the grammar*

[Isidnar]

But if we hate home even more than [wherever]...

Where do we go then?

[Granny Mae]

When ever this topic comes up in what ever form, I can't help but wonder why SO MANY Asian folk are leaving their country of origin?

[NATO]

You don't have to go home if you hate it there, a holiday could be fun.

[Calach Pfeffer]

It's a characteristic of emerging markets/economies/countries, that people leave. Parts of the population score big on the developments at home, become risk averse, take off for developed countries. Meanwhile, foreigners sit around urging one another to believe we are all sucking only one half of the ass so we ought to love it?

But just as their are two cheeks to every ass, there are two aspects to every criticism, one go homeish, one constructive. And since when has investing some years in a country and making a determination about some of its conditions, either local or national, been wholly illegitimate?

Ladies and Gentlemen, the more you move to forgive the poor yellow people their inadequacies, the more you cast yourself as visiting imperialist. Get out that list of bitchings now or risk having to get out of the country yourself when modernity overruns your safari-suited, villa-owning, small girl touching retirement plans! Or go to Thailand. They still love that stuff there.

[kitano]

Some people do overdo it, I like a moan about China sometimes and I think every time I go out on my bike or to the supermarket I fantasise about living back in Europe where people act like they are aware of other people they are sharing the city with, but some people just fill every lull in conversation with moaning about China, I used to know plenty of people back in England who would do the same about England, it's nothing to do with where they are it's just how they make conversation. Football, music, conspiracy theories, even TV shows is more interesting than repeating the same conversation again and again about China

 
I really should use more full stops

[Calach Pfeffer]

You know where they have more full stops? ANYWHERE BUT HERE!

CHINESE WOULDNT EVEN HAVE FULL STOPS IF IT WEREN'T FOR US!!!!

YOU CAN GO HOME IF YOU WANT FULL STOPS!!!

[Escaped Lunatic]

Some people are here for the short run, some are here longer term, and a few of use are lifers.

If you've ever lived in 2 places, it's easy to complain about something the place you are in does that's not quite as good as the place you were in.  If your current locale is better overall, then stay.  If you hate it or can't handle it where you are, then seek greener pastures back where you came from or head off somewhere else and give it a try.

Either way, it's OK.  Not everyone will be happy living in one place.  Do what suits you best.

Pay attention to yourself.  I've seen people complain about little things while they are very happy overall.  I've also seen people claim to be happy while complaining with a level of bitterness that shows their claimed happiness to be false.  I've seen this in situations other than where to live (for example, marriages where someone it one step from filing for divorce, but doesn't realize it yet).

Life isn't all fun and games, but there's not a whole lot of point to living somewhere or being married to someone if the situation makes you terribly unhappy all the time.

[Calach Pfeffer]

I wonder if it comes down to willingness and interest in causing change. I probably believe that to be part of the community is to impose conditions on it.

And I'd make a difference between "the" community and "a" community. A community is run by someone or something with a purpose, and imposing your conditions on it runs counter to already decided arrangements. It's not wholly inappropriate but nor is it likely to preserve the community's purpose. But the community... the community is the one you live in.  If the best you can do in the community is cause no disturbance, then where's the living?

Maybe it's that guests thing again. I'm a guest? Pffft, I'm a foreign laborer with ambitions. I'm here for your wimmin.



(Is not really here for the wimmin. The relationship culture is worse than the eating culture.)

[fox]

Pay attention to yourself. 

You hit the nail on the head with those four words EL. 

If we see people chewing and talking with their mouth full of food, make sure we dont do the same.  The idea of being  an example to others but  with a bit of humility isnt a bad thing.

We can only change how we react to the disturbance. But don't be passive about it. Its easy to moan about a thing that annoys you behind the scenes, im a believer in confronting others in a nice way to point out what is annoying you.  Often you will be sruprised by the acceptance of your alternative way of acting.

[Fozzwaldus]

Maybe it's that guests thing again. I'm a guest? Pffft, I'm a foreign laborer with ambitions. I'm here for your wimmin.
(Is not really here for the wimmin. The relationship culture is worse than the eating culture.)

He he, you said it brother.

I ain't no guest, guests don't pay tax. I pay monthly for the right to whinge about the price of organic onions. 

[Escaped Lunatic]

I ain't no guest, guests don't pay tax. I pay monthly for the right to whinge about the price of organic onions. 

The good news is that whinging about the price of organic onions isn't a deportation offense.  You don't have to go home because of it.

The bad news is that it's a capital offense. Just step over there to the wall and hang on a second while the firing squad reloads their weapons. 

[Fozzwaldus]

I ain't no guest, guests don't pay tax. I pay monthly for the right to whinge about the price of organic onions. 

The bad news is that it's a capital offense. Just step over there to the wall and hang on a second while the firing squad reloads their weapons. 

You know what? Fair enough, I'm pretty sure I deserve it. 

[Isidnar]

If you come to China you will regret it. If you don't come to China you will also regret that.

Whether you come to China or don't come to China you will regret both.

[cruisemonkey]

If you come to China you will regret it. If you don't come to China you will also regret that.

Whether you come to China or don't come to China you will regret both.

Isidnar,

You either come to China or you don't... so you can't regret both!

Regretfully,
CM