andrewducker | Interesting Links for 28-03-2021

I just don't understand people who live in a country and don't wish to be of that country. What's the betting they've never learned the language ether?

One of my huge regrets (and there aren't very many) is that I left Belgium three months before I could have claimed citizenship because I'd been offered a uni place back here. And I went there originally able to speak French and soon picked up some Flemish.

Many Brits, myself included, would give their eye teeth for dual nationality now and unless Latvia decides to come over for people of Jewish ancestry as Germany has, my only chance is being married to a Scot!

It appears to be more or less entirely about the weather from what I can glean. I don't get it either but then I don't do heat so that's probably why!

I'm not sure I want to be "of" any country. I don't really care about countries in that way.

Yeah but not really believing in national borders isn't at all the same thing as going to live in a different country but creating your own little enclave of your former home there and living completely separately from the locals. These people very much believe in countries, they just think they should be allowed to have their bit of Britain somewhere with better weather.

I wouldn't want to live completely separate, no. And I take an interest in what's going on around me, which it feels like many people don't. But I understand why people do end up forming enclaves when they move to new countries and it takes a generation or three before they really integrate.

Yeah, there are degrees of enclaves though too. I get several British families end up in this village because there's a shop that imports treats from home and it's handy if you're still learning the language. But that's not the same as only ever mixing with and using services run by other Brits.

That's a thing we get in the US a lot, and it really irritates the nativist xenophobes. They're convinced the immigrants are never going to assimilate or learn English, and then within a generation or so they do. This has been going on regularly since the Irish in the 1840s.

When I went to Belgium I was running away and there was no enclave to go to, so I had to try to fit in.

You'd think at least an effort with the language, but no..........

Oh yes. I'd hope people would try to make some effort and show a little interest. For politeness sake and because you might learn something.

And I learned a hell of a lot.

Belgium's still very much my second home.

I'm sorry you didn't get to be a citizen. It must be very frustrating for you, especially now!

If I'd known then what I know now..............

Nor I, but I can't help thinking that more of an effort to integrate might have helped.

Dual nationality is painless after all!

I do think that sometimes people make an effort to deliberately not fit in, because the locals are somehow not as good as the people at home.

And I'm not in favour of that. I just don't like feeling pressure to fit in at all.

It's more that being able to walk into a shop or restaurant and ask for what you want and to know that people know your face is such a big thing.

I'm certainly not into little Englanderism!

It also really helps to let locals know you're making an effort.

Not bothering to learn the language even enough to say good morning really is sending a signal!

Isn't it though?

Even in countries we've visited like Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic where we'd no idea of the language (we can muster French, German, Italian and a bit of Flemish between us) we tried to learn 'please', 'thank you' and good 'morning/evening'.

As you say, it's called making an effort!

Interesting Links for 28-03-2021

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