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Post by leslie on Mar 25, 2006 4:50:29 GMT -7
Hi folks
I have been trying to remember where I saw the recommendation for the Oval Books (Globe Pequot Press in the US) set of booklets entitled 'Xenophobe's Guide to the English/ Poles/French and so on - I have a feeling it was on the forum, but I can't trace it
However, I have ordered several of them and the first three arrived this morning. At a first glance they seem to be fantastic for 3.99GBP/6.95$. They are described as 'an irreverent look at the beliefs and foibles of nations, almost guaranteed to cure Xenophobia'.
I am going to read the '.........English' first to put the text to a test about which I should know something and this will set the milestone when I read the others.
From what I have seen from this initial scanning, they seem to be well worth investing in. In the 'English' one, right at the start it describes how the English are 'Xenopili' - pity for foreigners having the misfortune to be NOT English! And it goes on to quote Cecil Rhodes 'To be born English is to win first prize in the lottery of life!'.
The books all seem to have authors that are either natives of the country about which they write, or immigrants etc to those countries.
Amazon is a good source, stocking (apparently) all the countries.
I'll post a list of the countries in a later posting.
Leslie
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Post by leslie on Mar 25, 2006 5:12:42 GMT -7
‘XENOPHOBE’S GUIDES TO THE ……’ Listed in Amazon
Americans Russians
Austrians Scots
Aussies Swiss
Belgians Welsh
Californians (!)
Canadians
Danes
Dutch
English
French
Germans
Greeks
Hungarians
Icelanders
Irish
Israelis
Italians
Japanese
Kiwis
Norwegians
Poles
Portuguese
Spanish
Swedes
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Post by kaima on Mar 25, 2006 7:24:57 GMT -7
Leslie,
I first looked at the "Latest ten" list of postings, so I read your second posting before the first.
I saw the list of "Americans Russians, Austrians Scots, Aussies Swiss, Belgians Welsh.." and said (as my first cup of coffee was brewing) "i must not be xenophobic, watever that is!, because I don't understand what one could be". Then I saw the first posting and understood.
A second look showed "Californians" on the list, and an American would never put (!) after a xenophobe's guide to Californians. In Alaska we are not in the least xenophobic, but we do worry about getting too many Californians up here and having them Californicate the state.
Kai
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Post by leslie on Mar 25, 2006 7:40:36 GMT -7
Kai
I am not being disrespectful (for a change!!!) to the Californians, but This is a list of 'countries' and I didn't know that California had declared Independence from being a State to a country?! Are the Californians so different from the rest of Americans that they warrant a separate book?
Leslie
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Post by kaima on Mar 25, 2006 8:48:20 GMT -7
Leslie,
I tried to make it obvious that I was taking an opposite tact from yours - I was being deliberately disrespectful of Californians. That is likely to entertain the other non-Californian Americans on the board, as well as express a specific attitude toward them, perhaps demonstrating the xenophobia I so quickly denied.
Yes, Americans perceive Californians as different and undesirable with a lot of weird and strange ideas and ways of life. Unfortunately they also have the reputation of "being today where America will be in 5 years". The latter seems to be often true.
Their economy is quite large and perhaps would rank 15th in the world if they were independent of the USA. That number seems to be what I remember, but it could be inaccurate - but the economy is quite large.
So you can always insult Californians and be pretty sure other Americans will appreciate your comments!
Kai
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nancy
European
Posts: 2,144
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Post by nancy on Mar 25, 2006 9:07:50 GMT -7
Hi folks I have been trying to remember where I saw the recommendation for the Oval Books (Globe Pequot Press in the US) set of booklets entitled 'Xenophobe's Guide to the English/ Poles/French and so on - I have a feeling it was on the forum, but I can't trace it Jaga has often recommended the Xeno GT Poles, but that was on the Bella Forum. I finally managed to get a copy and really enjoyed it. I sent it on to Piwo, in appreciation for the chrusicki at Christmas. |
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Post by Jaga on Mar 25, 2006 9:12:54 GMT -7
These are nice books. I have a Xenophobe guide to Poles, Russians and Germans. I would like to have a guide to American and French.
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Post by leslie on Mar 25, 2006 9:20:00 GMT -7
Thanks Nancy. I'm not surprised now, thinking I'd seen the recommendation on the forum, that I couldn't find it. I'm about a third of the way through the 'GTT English' and am horrified that I can recognise everything that has been read so far. This also happened when I read the book 'Grumpy Old Men' (eased by the fact that the author classed the 'Old Men' part as those 35 upwards). In fact after I had read GOM, I formed a club with my 5 main male friends (according to GTT.. a typical English clubbing reaction) so that we could enjoy being GOM together!! I'm looking forward to reading every one of the rest of the GTT..
Sir Leslie, KHCB, FGTT (English), FGOM (another quirk apparently of the English is to make sure they have post-nominal letters!)
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Post by leslie on Mar 25, 2006 9:24:51 GMT -7
Thank you Kai for setting my mind at rest about Californians. I note your advice that the rest of America will be with me if I make derisory comments about the Californians - but what about the Californians?!
Leslie
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nancy
European
Posts: 2,144
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Post by nancy on Mar 25, 2006 9:28:44 GMT -7
My husband is from California, so I will have to read that XGT. Early in our marriage, when I noted some characteristic (often puzzling to a Yankee from New England), he would explain it as due to the fact he is from California ...
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