Energy Cost, Etc... Split from Annual Numbers

Marin · Dec 20, 2012

RT Firefly said:
Greetings,
Mr. Marin. A lot of US kids have been going to other countries and staying there a long time (some permanently) for years courtesy of the US military. "customs, ideas, lives, and dreams" are routinely ridiculed, ignored and eliminated. .

I understand what you're saying with regards to our military presence around the world.

In Seoul, South Korea, there is a US military base right in the middle of the city. Our Korean liason for our project last month told us that while crime is almost non-existent in Seoul, most of the problems that there are occur around the US bases. But he went on to say people don't get too upset about it. "After all," he said, what can you expect from a bunch of 19 and 20 year olds stuck on a base with nothing much to do."

That's why I said I didn't know what age would be best for international exposure. In 1994 friends went with us on one of our narrowboat cruise/Land Rover-trip-to Scotland vacations. Their 5-1/2 year old daughter came with us. She had a wonderful time--- what kid wouldn't with four adults at her beck and call.

Today at almost 24 years of age, Virginia Tech graduate, and embarked on a promising career, she still talks about events and things she saw and people we met on that trip, things that we and her parents have forgotten about. And she's interned with a company in the UK and hopes to go back to work there someday.

So that one trip obviously made a huge impression on her. Far greater than any of us would have imagined.

So the trick is to work out at what age international exposure would have the greatest benefit on a kid. Other than the example I just cited, I don't have the answer.

bfloyd4445 · Dec 20, 2012

Marin said:
I understand what you're saying with regards to our military presence around the world.

In Seoul, South Korea, there is a US military base right in the middle of the city. Our Korean liason for our project last month told us that while crime is almost non-existent in Seoul, most of the problems that there are occur around the US bases. But he went on to say people don't get too upset about it. "After all," he said, what can you expect from a bunch of 19 and 20 year olds stuck on a base with nothing much to do."

That's why I said I didn't know what age would be best for international exposure. In 1994 friends went with us on one of our narrowboat cruise/Land Rover-trip-to Scotland vacations. Their 5-1/2 year old daughter came with us. She had a wonderful time--- what kid wouldn't with four adults at her beck and call.

Today at almost 24 years of age, Virginia Tech graduate, and embarked on a promising career, she still talks about events and things she saw and people we met on that trip, things that we and her parents have forgotten about. And she's interned with a company in the UK and hopes to go back to work there someday.

So that one trip obviously made a huge impression on her. Far greater than any of us would have imagined.

So the trick is to work out at what age international exposure would have the greatest benefit on a kid. Other than the example I just cited, I don't have the answer.

The answer is the best age is the age at which the child has the opportunity to travel abroad.
However, judgeing from my own childhood and that of my kids, etc. i must say that international exposure in protected enviroments like goverment bases or isolation due to social or economic class barriers des little good untill those barriers are removed. Being around people from different ethnic cultural and language backgrounds just dosen't cut through neuclear and extended family influences. My field experiance while not abroad put me in a situation in which i was getting dirty, sweaty, in a close working environment resulted in a steep learning curve. You don't gain much from a lilly white exposure to other cultures but if you get out there and eat cook, bath and live with them its a diferent story.

RT Firefly · Dec 20, 2012

Greetings,
Mr. 45. Agreed! While I have not lived abroad either I can guess that, as you put it, "protected environments" would do little to enhance anyone's knowledge of a different culture. Child OR adult. From what I could easily find out, 36% of Americans own passports as compared to 60% for Canada for example. This would suggest to me that Americans don't get out all that much and coupled with what may be perceived as a myopic world vision results in a distinct inability to understand or appreciate anything that does not conform to "The American way". The MSM isn't helping to educate either.
Mr. Marin does have a point about travel broadening one's horizons. We're ALL crew on planet earth, there are no passengers.

JD · Dec 20, 2012

RT Firefly said:
Greetings,
Mr. 45. Agreed! While I have not lived abroad either I can guess that, as you put it, "protected environments" would do little to enhance anyone's knowledge of a different culture. Child OR adult. From what I could easily find out, 36% of Americans own passports as compared to 60% for Canada for example. This would suggest to me that Americans don't get out all that much and coupled with what may be perceived as a myopic world vision results in a distinct inability to understand or appreciate anything that does not conform to "The American way". The MSM isn't helping to educate either.
Mr. Marin does have a point about travel broadening one's horizons. We're ALL crew on planet earth, there are no passengers.

Heck RT we have enough trouble convincing folks form NY, PA and OH that the way we do it here is OK even if that's not how they did it up North.

RT Firefly · Dec 20, 2012

Ah....Lock 'em up in a smoker for a couple of days and force feed 'em grits. They may come around. Well, at least they'll smell better.

bfloyd4445 · Dec 20, 2012

RT Firefly said:
Greetings,
Mr. 45. Agreed! While I have not lived abroad either I can guess that, as you put it, "protected environments" would do little to enhance anyone's knowledge of a different culture. Child OR adult. From what I could easily find out, 36% of Americans own passports as compared to 60% for Canada for example. This would suggest to me that Americans don't get out all that much and coupled with what may be perceived as a myopic world vision results in a distinct inability to understand or appreciate anything that does not conform to "The American way". The MSM isn't helping to educate either.
Mr. Marin does have a point about travel broadening one's horizons. We're ALL crew on planet earth, there are no passengers.

..yes he does. We would all would have a better understanding and more tolerant of others if we had more exposure to what others endure in their day to day lives in our own communities as well as abroad.

RT Firefly · Dec 20, 2012

Greetings,
Hahahaha.....Mr. 45. Not so much a witness as to what others ENDURE, more like what others enjoy. I strongly suspect an ordinary Chinese citizen, for example, laughs at jokes, sings and dances along when the opportunity arises, enjoys a good meal, loves and cares for his or her family....(Now here's something the rest of North America can learn from them-they take care of and respect their elders!), works and plays hard and aims to better him/herself. Not really too different than you or I. Speaks a different language-yup. Probably lives in a smaller house-yup. Radically different diet-yup. Probably doesn't have a car or really need one-yup. Worries about the state of affairs-yup. Endures????? I don't think that's the best word.

bfloyd4445 · Dec 20, 2012

RT Firefly said:
Greetings,
Hahahaha.....Mr. 45. Not so much a witness as to what others ENDURE, more like what others enjoy. I strongly suspect an ordinary Chinese citizen, for example, laughs at jokes, sings and dances along when the opportunity arises, enjoys a good meal, loves and cares for his or her family....(Now here's something the rest of North America can learn from them-they take care of and respect their elders!), works and plays hard and aims to better him/herself. Not really too different than you or I. Speaks a different language-yup. Probably lives in a smaller house-yup. Radically different diet-yup. Probably doesn't have a car or really need one-yup. Worries about the state of affairs-yup. Endures????? I don't think that's the best word.

yessir, they do all of the above and like to save face and present a good image just like we alll do. My point is that untill you live under a bridge with homeless, share their food, lifestyle, you can never understand the reality of their situation. That my friend is a universal truth.

Marin · Dec 20, 2012

RT Firefly said:
Greetings,
I strongly suspect an ordinary Chinese citizen, for example, laughs at jokes, sings and dances along when the opportunity arises, enjoys a good meal, loves and cares for his or her family.

RTF-- One of the things we like best about going to China--- and we do work alongside the folks there, sometimes for a month at a time--- is that they are just like us only we can't understand the language. Same senses of humor, same individuatlity. They are a hell of a lot of fun to be around and to work with. And since most of them speak passable English (it is required to learn English in all their schools now) talking with them is actually pretty easy, particulary the kids and college students.

On some of our longer trips the people we're working with, particularly if they're younger, take us to the nightclubs they frequent. And their nightclubs are just like ours--- same kind of music, same kind of live bands, same kind of dancing.

RT Firefly · Dec 20, 2012

Greetings,
Mr. 45. And YOU understand the reality of their situation? Based on what? Anecdotal information from your Asian colleagues? Sorry, doesn't wash with me. Provide me with evidence of your theories and I will be the first to apologize. No linky? You stinky!

bfloyd4445 · Dec 20, 2012

RT Firefly said:
Greetings,
Mr. 45. And YOU understand the reality of their situation? Based on what? Anecdotal information from your Asian colleagues? Sorry, doesn't wash with me. Provide me with evidence of your theories and I will be the first to apologize. No linky? You stinky!

I didnt say that. My information is derived from colleagues the same as Marin's. I don't judge a book by its cover. I'll leave that job to u and Marin

RT Firefly · Dec 20, 2012

Greetings,
I give up...

Energy Cost, Etc... Split from Annual Numbers

Marin

Guru

bfloyd4445

Guru

RT Firefly

Enigma

JD

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RT Firefly

Enigma

bfloyd4445

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RT Firefly

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bfloyd4445

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Marin

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RT Firefly

Enigma

bfloyd4445

Guru

RT Firefly

Enigma

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