tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1970927334223123519.post2229452286503829383..comments2020-12-22T14:45:20.593+01:00Comments on Euro Like Me: It's Personalpathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14675993483165955805noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1970927334223123519.post-20101608155886721722010-09-18T23:14:03.412+01:002010-09-18T23:14:03.412+01:00That is Vienna. As private as they are - they don&...That is Vienna. As private as they are - they don't smile at you on the Strassenbahn they way Americans do when they catch your eye - they still think they have rights to intrude. When I had stitches on my face, somebody yelled "YECHHHHH" at me from a Strassenbahn in the Nussdorferstr. Creepy cranky people. Still, quick to be friendly.<br /><br />You have a right to your privacy. My answer to impertinent questions is "Why would you ask?" Stops 'em dead every time.cbessadanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1970927334223123519.post-39878171910773090372010-07-24T11:37:30.977+01:002010-07-24T11:37:30.977+01:00Yes, that's certainly an answer that we have g...Yes, that's certainly an answer that we have given to strangers many times. But my point is that our children and our family isn't public property. Where the kids come from is none of their business.pathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14675993483165955805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1970927334223123519.post-9039001169601334842010-07-23T23:57:23.218+01:002010-07-23T23:57:23.218+01:00Wouldn't "... she is from Austria and we ...Wouldn't "... she is from Austria and we adopted them..." a possible answer?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1970927334223123519.post-81765589343142652172010-06-25T22:07:08.397+01:002010-06-25T22:07:08.397+01:00Thanks to both of you for these thoughtful respons...Thanks to both of you for these thoughtful responses! Yeah, I guess I could have called the post, 'It's Complex.'pathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14675993483165955805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1970927334223123519.post-76384231751952772102010-06-25T12:15:23.275+01:002010-06-25T12:15:23.275+01:00As I gathered from the comments on Facebook, this ...As I gathered from the comments on Facebook, this is a devilishly complex situation. And, although answering a question with another question isn't a very good idea, the proper response to this is a question:<br /><br />"What's it to you?" <br /><br />Possible truthful responses range from "I'm a nosy old bitch" to "My daughter's doing a doctorate on the integration of non-white adopted children into Austrian society." <br /><br />At which point you have your next step. But in real life, you can't count on a truthful answer, and given the society you're in, the nosy old bitch possibility really overshadows something more interesting. <br /><br />So yeah, "Austria" is the right answer in this case, I guess. Not the most satisfying one, though.Ed Wardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17805932361842578943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1970927334223123519.post-65356612401009586232010-06-24T18:29:25.578+01:002010-06-24T18:29:25.578+01:00I may have an inkling of how you feeling, on a muc...I may have an inkling of how you feeling, on a much, much smaller scale. <br /><br />I bristle when treated differently at work because of where I come from. People who prematurely address me informally (in German!) but not other (native) colleagues, earn my wrath. Germans who have heard my complaints about this sometimes don't get it (immediately). <br /><br />"I hate being treated differently!" I exclaim. <br />"But you are different!" they reply.<br /><br />It is here that I get bogged down, because I can see that the different treatment is not malicious. It may even be some messed up gesture coming from a kind place. <br /><br />I still cringe when it happens, but I'm getting better at not exploding. In fact, one such explosion has had negative long-term impact on my work life.cliff1976https://www.blogger.com/profile/12826968508225851483noreply@blogger.com