I'm doing this from the iPad, so hopefully it doesn't format weird or anything.
If it does I'll fix it later. :)
Susanne asked a question about where I'd like to live, and I'm not supposed to say Florida! But the problem is, Florida *is* where I want to live! I love it here. This is my home in a way that I don't think many other people get. For all that it has it's problems, and every place does, I understand Florida. I feel like I'm a part of it in a way I don't think I could ever feel anywhere else.
But for the sake of the question, if I had to live somewhere else...
If we're talking in the US, then I'd want to live somewhere in the Midwest, where I (and my husband, because I think the only thing that could get me to move out of Florida is marriage) could have a little farm. I've gotten too used to the space we have out here to ever really be happy in a big city.
But if we're talking anywhere in the world, I think I'd like to live somewhere in the Middle East. In part because it is so different from where I've always lived and oddly because I think that Southern culture has a lot of parallels over there and I maybe wouldn't feel like a complete fish out of water.
The other part of Susanne's question was about where I'd like to travel. Well that's easy enough: Everywhere! I'd like to see every part of the world, if given the chance. It's all so different and so fascinating, how could I just pick one or two places?
"I think I'd like to live somewhere in the Middle East... and oddly because I think that Southern culture has a lot of parallels over there"
ReplyDeleteInteresting that you think you may like living in the Middle East. Also, in what way you think there are any similarities between the Middle East and the South rather than, say, the Middle East and the Midwest?
I and my friend's brother from back home came to the US around the same time. He went to Miami and I to Rolla, Mo (pop. 15,000). After a couple of months in the US we chatted on the phone. I was very impressed about how clean and organized is the city and how people drive very differently than Jordanians. Everyone stops at the stop sign and no one uses his car's horn or yells to other drivers, etc. My friend's brother said "Here it is the same as in Jordan." I was shocked to hear that. I thought the reason is because of the many immigrants Miami has.
I am sure this in not what you meant when you said there are some similarities but I thought this was something funny what the Jordanian guy said about Miami :)
The Middle East definitely has its own culture and charm. In big cities, it is very normal to see people out till midnight. The hustle and bustle of the Souq. It is nothing like your malls. The Souq in many Middle East cities is the same 100 of years ago. I would say something similar to what you see in Hollywood movie. European tourists LOVE IT!
I may be wrong, but I don't consider Miami as part of "Southern culture." We have a Venezuelan friend who lived there for a couple years and she said she never had to speak English! :)
DeleteMiami isn't the South its little Cuba. Most people don't even speak English there. And they do drive crazy lol
DeleteMaybe I should say that I think there are parallels between Southern culture and what I've been told about Middle Eastern culture? Since I've never experienced it myself I could be totally off base. But I was thinking about the sense of family and family history being very important, the slower pace of the way things are done, and a greater sense of manners.
DeleteNooooooooo.........Miami is a city that happens to be in the south. It's not a Southern city. :)
I also tend to think of Southerners as more outwardly religious and traditional/conservative with exceptions of course. Just like the Middle East.
Delete"I was thinking about the sense of family and family history being very important, the slower pace of the way things are done, and a greater sense of manners."
DeleteI see. In this case yes. Life goes in a very slow pace there so you need to keep your American punctuality in Florida before you go to the Middle East. Time is not money over there :) Many people have no sense of time, really.
But it is all about attitude. If your attitude is to enjoy your life in the Middle East you will like it. If you set you mind that it is different and that you are going to like it you will. I am saying that because I have seen some foreigners, especially Americans (sorry), always compare there life in the U.S. with the Middle East. Those people usually don't enjoy their life. It is like Raymond (from Everybody like Raymond show) when he went to Italy. He hated it because his mind was set not to enjoy it.
I am not sure if this makes sense. But I already wrote it and I am not going to delete it :)
You're right Susanne. I left those out because I didn't want to insult any religious Yankee's that might happen to wander by. :)
DeleteMalik - The attitude is very important. I think Americans tend to be very ethnocentric. They're honestly convinced that the way things are done in the US is the best with no objective proof of that and that everywhere where things are not that exact way is some backwards place in need of being 'saved'.
DeleteIt's impossible not to make comparisons between where you go and what you're used to but the key (in my opinion) is to understand that different does not equal lesser.
"I think Americans tend to be very ethnocentric. They're honestly convinced that the way things are done in the US is the best"
DeleteWow, Amber. I never imagined an American would say something like this. I have something very similar to this as a draft post that I feel will offend Americans if it comes from a non-American.
By the way, this is something also some non-Americans feel about Americans. That Americans believe it is their way or no way. And sometimes they do it with a good intention. For some reason after America invades a country it brings a small community of that country to live in America. I don't know why. So, if you have an answer I would like to hear it. People like Vietnamese, Iraqis and Somalis. There are more than 100,000 Somalis in Minnesota. Anyway, I once watched a documentary about such people who came from Africa (not Somalia). These people came from a very poor villages with no electricity or services. The show followed the life of these people here in America. After six months only these people were in deep trouble with debt. They are told that credit cards are the way to live. Believe it or not some of these people were crying on TV and wanted to go back home. The supposedly easy life was not easy for them.
As you said different doesn't mean that one is lesser it is just different.
It's terribly sad that more Americans aren't aware of their own bias. But I know it's true that they aren't. Still, more people, especially my generation and younger from what I see, are realizing that 'the way America does it' is not the be all and end all of civilization.
DeleteYou should finish that post and put it up. Sure, some people will be offended but that doesn't make it untrue or not worth saying.
For some reason after America invades a country it brings a small community of that country to live in America. I don't know why. So, if you have an answer I would like to hear it.
I don't know. I never really paid attention to the demographics of immigration so I always assumed that the communities of these people were here because they'd immigrated for jobs or something like that. Not that we brought them back here purposefully. If we did somehow bring them here I'd have to say that it reminds me of how the Romans would bring people from the nations that they conquered back to Rome to have them in the Triumphs of their generals and put on a show.
But I'm really not sure we're bringing these people back with us so much as they're coming here for their own reasons. I could, as always, be wrong.
I feel weirdly proud that the midwest wins as your second-favorite place to live in the US. :D Yay, go farms! And cider mills. My sister tells me there are no cider mills in the south, and for us this is an absolute tragedy. I don't think I could live anywhere without cider mills long-term.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I love this daily blog post idea! It's fun learning more about you and I'm kind of wishing I'd done this instead of NaNo this year, but...oh well! It's kind of fun trying to figure out how to write zombie horror when I've never read any, too.
The Midwest really grows on you after awhile. Its so easy to live here.
Delete*gives you a puzzled look*
DeleteWhat on earth is a cider mill? ;)
I'm honestly not sure I could live away from the ocean long term. Water water everywhere and so pretty.
...What? D:
DeleteA cider mill is a wonderful, magical place made up of all the things that make Autumn my favorite month. They typically open around September and stay open till maybe around Thanksgiving. (Well, some close earlier and some open earlier, it really depends on what else they do - one near me now is also a winery and as far as I can tell is open year round. Hurray!) You go there and get cider and donuts, maybe go on a hay ride or through a haunted house or to a petting farm or through a corn maze. It's a common field trip destination for child care groups, and my family used to make special trips to see all the cider mills in our area every weekend. So my sister and I are very attached to them.
That's funny that you feel such a strong attraction to FL - and good, too, I guess. I would like to live somewhere else especially if my family (or some of them...ha) could go with me.
ReplyDeleteI longed to live in Syria the year after I came home from there. I was seriously sad the whole rest of 2009 because I missed it. It's wonderfully different.
I'm a Florida girl born and bred. It's in my *soul*! I could live elsewhere, if I needed to I guess. But I don't have a desire to do it, you know? My sister hates Florida and wants to move out as soon as she can. *shrug* I don't know why.
DeleteIf you're looking to live in a place where you'll like the people, Breadbasket all the way! If you're looking for a place where you'll always like the weather.....well, I'd go someplace else.
ReplyDelete:D
DeleteI don't think there's anywhere that you'll always enjoy the weather! Even Florida has some downsides as far as weather goes.