I think everyone who has heard someone complaining too much about the foreign country they are living in has reached the point of thinking or even saying “If you don’t like it, just go home then”. And some of those complainers really would be better off back home. How much ‘too much’ complaining is and which people would be better off just giving up and flying back to the breast of their mother country is, however, moot (love that word!) However, most reasonable people would agree that using the “It’s not your country, so if you’re not happy sd off back where you came from” answer to any negative comments you hear about where you are living (as certain right on, often young, characters can tend to) is going too far. If you are one of those types and think that I’m wrong, imagine saying that to some immigrants at home- would put you entirely on another part of the political spectrum, wouldn’t it?
If you believe in “Japan/Thailand/Ecuador for the Japanese/Thais/Ecuadoreans (plus guests)”, how can you not also believe in “Britain for the British” or Mexican immigrants being forced to speak English at home? If you don’t believe in either of those last two, then you have to admit that at some point ex-pats belong in some way to the country there are living in and have earned the right to whinge. And after nearly 4 years in Japan (and possibly many more to come), that includes me. And so I might, from time to time have a little grumble. But never ‘too much’!
Ditto TEFL, but 12 years so far and here for life…
A couple of years ago my sister-in-law put her hands on her hips, and staring at me, absolutely straight in the eye, she declared “You’ve become a foreigner!”
It was the same summer that my mother told me to “Stop knocking Britain!”
All I had said was that where we lived (at that time) in the Basque country the rubbish was collected every night. I admit that I had previously mentioned that I had found the health service there to be remarkably efficient. I’m not insensitive enough, not stone cold sober anyway, to make comparisons, so I was rather surprised to find myself so very misinterpreted. On interrogating my husband who had been present for these discussions, I found him unwilling to admit that I had been anything other than normally conversational.
Equally, it has been my experience that folk who feel defensive about their country (and we could very well ask why), or are too quick to take offence will be offended if they want to be. And it may be that the only way to avoid it is by simply not speaking to them!
When I hear that philosophy of “Britain for the British” I feel like retorting “and I suppose the moon is for lunatics!” Who made all those arbitrary things that we call borders? How far back in history are we required to travel to determine whether Iran had a valid claim to Kuwait? Or where Israel should be located? And what about the USA being a British colony? Where does it begin and end? Why can’t we all just be one people?
On a lighter note, I’m very touched that people value my opinion enough to get upset by things I say…