Idon’t know why I get asked this question everywhere I go. Is national pride? Is it out of the need to keep the traveller around? Is it just a question for the sake of questioning when you have nothing more to say? But why ask such a question when the answer is so obvious? I promise you I have been asked this question a dozen times. I don’t know if it’s a “country insecurity” question or a sincere desire for the common visitor to enjoy their time while in their country. Whatever it is, I wish it would happen less often since the answer is so apparent.
“Do you like my country more than yours?” Or “where do you prefer to live, in my country or in yours?” As much as I want to say to them “that is a stupid question”, I don’t because I think I know enough about human courtesy. But the thought never fails to pop up whenever I get asked that question. Or the other one, “do you like America?” I think to myself, you dimwit, I live there. Why would I live in a country I don’t like? Yes there are situation were someone doesn’t really have a choice but in this case I do. And even the most ardent nationalist can name a thing or two they wished they would change about their country. In the case of mine maybe more than two. But at the end of the day it is your country and whether you don’t like the politics, the treatment of others, the religious hypocrisy, the Christians who claim to be the children of God yet are the first to cast stones or whatever it maybe, deep inside, there is a pride and love for the place you call your home.
With that said, I will answer this question ones and for all. And for anyone else that asks me this while on the road, I will refer them to this post. Here goes my answer the last time.
I enjoy your country. There is a place for your country in my heart. There are things I like about your country and there are things I don’t like because of my upbringing that at times get in the way of accepting new ideas sometimes. But that doesn’t lessen my appreciation and the experience I have had and continue to have in all the wonderful places I have been. So yes Korea, I like your kimchy loving ways, yes Portugal, I like your guarana and your beautiful shores, yes China, I like your, well maybe not, sand storms in the middle of Beijing in mid Winter, yes Brazil I love your beaches, your samba, your everything, yes France I like your care for nothing and care for everything, yes Spain, I like your tapas and your Barcelonian ways, yes America, I love you because you are my home and although one day I will make another place my home because of your high gas prices and a lack of a metro system other than a few big cities, you will remain with me because an immigrant is no immigrant on your soil; although, you never fail to remind them that they are.
What is one question you get asked while traveling?
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when i was in zagreb, hrvatska a couple years back, a new friend asked me whether his weed was better than that of america. i had to say “why YES! ..yes, it is.” but really weed is weed is weed to me. i like to get high. its a lovely feeling. but the reason why at that moment i did feel like his was better was because i was in a totally new immersive experience and this enhanced it. ill never forget the feeling of walking down the zagreb city streets, high as a zeppelin, with no sense of direction and simply feeling carefree. it was my last day in zagreb. the english-speaking friend who i was staying with was at work. i was hanging out with his younger sister and her drug-peddling boyfriend, neither of which spoke that great of english. it was awesome. then i had to get on my train to munich and keep the tail end of my journey going. listen brother, as soon as i start accomplishing the things i am working on, we have to get out there together. so many places to live for a little..
VT, that sounds like a great time. I am having a similar experience here in Germany but concerning beer. I have to say, hands down, Germany has the best beer in the worl and I am more of a wine kind of guy. These roads are calling so let me know when ready.
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