Who do you think is in the wrong?

@panda12 wrote:

@jen_jen wrote:

Ummm…the missionaries did not respect the historical views of the countries they moved to, they imposed their views, as have Christians throughout the ages.

And let’s not talk about how a lot of ex-pats behave when they move abroad…

I agree with you, the British Empire certainly did not respect the views, cultures or traditions of the countries that were conquered.

However, should we still look at what happened in the past to justify what is happening today?

If so, where and when (if at all) will it all end?

I doubt we’ll ever achieve a state where everyone’s a winner.

You don’t need to look to the past, you can still see it in the present.

Go to any country, not just the UK, and find the areas where the ex-pats of other countries congregate. You’ll find it hard to tell whether you’re still in that country as each little group of expats demands the things that they used to have at home and to be allowed to dress and behave as they did at home, regardless of the culture and traditions of the country that they have moved to. No it’s not all expats, but a large proportion and it’s not just the expats from the UK.

Many berate supermarkets and shops that have a high immigrant population and stock foods from that population’s homeland, then the same people go on their self-catering holidays abroad and go to the local supermarkets and stock up on the brands they recognise, Heinz baked beans, PG Tips and so on, complaining if they can’t get their favourite brands. Many berate people who live in the UK and dress differently to them for cultural or religious reasons, then go on holiday abroad and complain that they couldn’t go topless on the beach or weren’t allowed into a church because they were wearing shorts. So many people want people who come to “our country” to “be like us” and “respect our traditions”, yet so few will go abroad and “be like them”.

Where and when will it all end? When we can all accept that we are all different, that no person’s path is more right or wrong than the next person’s, when we can recognise our differences and celebrate them rather than finding them a reason for distrust, when we can all adopt an attitude of live and let live and really mean it. Unfortunately I can’t see that happening in my lifetime.

@j_in_france wrote:

@jen_jen wrote:

@panda12 wrote:

@jen_jen wrote:

Ummm…the missionaries did not respect the historical views of the countries they moved to, they imposed their views, as have Christians throughout the ages.

And let’s not talk about how a lot of ex-pats behave when they move abroad…

I agree with you, the British Empire certainly did not respect the views, cultures or traditions of the countries that were conquered.

However, should we still look at what happened in the past to justify what is happening today?

If so, where and when (if at all) will it all end?

I doubt we’ll ever achieve a state where everyone’s a winner.

You don’t need to look to the past, you can still see it in the present.

Go to any country, not just the UK, and find the areas where the ex-pats of other countries congregate. You’ll find it hard to tell whether you’re still in that country as each little group of expats demands the things that they used to have at home and to be allowed to dress and behave as they did at home, regardless of the culture and traditions of the country that they have moved to. No it’s not all expats, but a large proportion and it’s not just the expats from the UK.

Many berate supermarkets and shops that have a high immigrant population and stock foods from that population’s homeland, then the same people go on their self-catering holidays abroad and go to the local supermarkets and stock up on the brands they recognise, Heinz baked beans, PG Tips and so on, complaining if they can’t get their favourite brands. Many berate people who live in the UK and dress differently to them for cultural or religious reasons, then go on holiday abroad and complain that they couldn’t go topless on the beach or weren’t allowed into a church because they were wearing shorts. So many people want people who come to “our country” to “be like us” and “respect our traditions”, yet so few will go abroad and “be like them”.

Where and when will it all end? When we can all accept that we are all different, that no person’s path is more right or wrong than the next person’s, when we can recognise our differences and celebrate them rather than finding them a reason for distrust, when we can all adopt an attitude of live and let live and really mean it. Unfortunately I can’t see that happening in my lifetime.

I have to agree with what you have posted about ex-pats.

Being ex-pats we feel that we are in a minority though. The reason we moved to France was because we liked the French lifestyle and where possible we have steered clear of the ex-pat community. In a way this has been helped by our kids who were 14 and 11 when we moved here and made many friends through school and we have met many people through their friends and parents of their friends.

One of the things we liked when we came to France on holiday was being able to sample the local cuisine, in fact this evening we are having Tartifilette, a very French dish. We are enjoying the Raymond Blanc series where he visits different regions and cooks the local specialities. Also through many of our French friends we have been introduced to many of the customs, drinks and dishes from this area.

There is an English shelf in our local supermarket and an English shop nearby but we have found that there are usually alternatives available amongst the French products. The only thing we can’t do without is English teabags and friends coming over keep us well supplied with those.

We find it very sad that in our commune there is a large British community where the majority cling together and make no effort to integrate into French life or even learn the language and this can sadly create an us and them attitude.

Ditto about all the serious frenchified stuff, but, ‘especially’ the PG tips and if you want Nescafe Gold Blend try the similar French Filter option, it looks the same and costs the same! We also don’t miss Hellman’s, which really is saying we are frenchified, along with hanging washing out in the rain, ‘cos you know it will dry in 2hrs when the sun comes out!! :D