British Expatriate Network

So I’m at the Dentists office – a very luxurious swanky dentists office at that, complete with the very comfy-est of chairs, most tasteful of wall art and individual super duper flat screen TVs for patients viewing pleasure.

The dental assistant seems a pleasant enough woman even if she is of the nonstop chatter variety.  The TV is tuned to MSNBC which is most definitely not this patients preferred channel but I’m here for a root canal so its not altogether unfitting that I should also be subjected to TV torture too.

So the story comes on about the missing American girl in Aruba, now this is obviously a topic of great interest to Ms Chatty Assistant.  I already knew the gist of the story (who could have missed it)  and of course feel it is very sad and feel very sorry for the girls family.

However, Ms Chatty Assistant  seems to have digested every minute detail of the case and is not about to deprive me of the benefit of her inside knowledge.  I "hmm" and "ahhh" and generally nod in all the right places, "yes its tragic, yes I feel sorry for the mother, yes it does seem strange they haven’t found a body yet, yes indeed “somebody” must know more than their telling."

I wavered a little when it came to agreeing that the “Dutch father” of one of the arrested boys, emphasis here being on, "DUTCH" spoken with tones normally reserved for the evilest of the evil – and there’s me thinking the DUTCH were a nice enough bunch! - is the real mastermind! Apparently the “Dutch father” is a Judge and personally coached all the boys called in for questioning to say nothing, (because of course it would take an expert like a Judge to think of avoiding incriminating oneself by saying nothing  roll    ).  Ms Chatty Assistant is obviously privy to all manner of  information unavailable to the general public and gives me the “knowing” look -  because of course, we all know what those "Dutch" judges are like – pervertors of justice that they are!

Anyway, Ms C A seems to feel better for having got all this off her chest and settles down to x-raying my offending tooth.  It is at this point with my mouth full of X-ray film that she delivers her final assessment of what has occurred in Aruba, “well what do you expect, 18 year old girls by themselves at a bar that’s trouble right there, but then add FOREIGNERS and well . . . . . . . “  I am left to imagine the full horror of "Foreigners" for myself.  

Now as I mentioned at the time I was unable to respond and indeed I do believe Ms C A would not have expected anything other than total agreement.  Had I not felt just the teensiest bit vulnerable (remember root canal about to take place) I might upon removal of X-ray film have pointed out that “hey guess what Ms C. A I’m a Foreigner, and bizarre those this might sound when you travel to foreign lands your apt to find . . .  wait for it "locals" and (and this is the real kicker) when you travel to foreigner lands YOU are in fact the foreigner!!!

Luckily, it was at this point that I was distracted by a piece on the super swanky flat screen TV about the London bombings, an abandoned car had been found in a Luton airport, our intrepid reporters kindly flash a map of the UK with Luton clearly marked for us, so that we could see where Luton is in relation to London.  Hmm now its been a while since I was doing a secretarial class in Luton but I could have sworn it was situated north of London as opposed to being located in Cornwall!

Oh well I guess that’s "foreign" towns for you – always up and moving on ya when your not looking!

Amazing what you can learn at the dentists office  wink

I got a slightly different slant on it from the hairdresser. She told me what these parents don't realize is that when they send their kids on expensive trips to These Other Countries is that they are dangerous. I wondered if she realized I was from These Other Countries. Apparently not. This isn't the first time I've had someone tell me problems with All These Other Countries without seeming to acknowledge I'm a foreigner too.

I wonder if the murder rate per capita in Aruba is the same as it is in the United States? I did want to point this out to her but I'm not fond of zig zags at the back of my head.

Especially if your hairdresser has the name of * sweeney Todd * :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Nothing like a good Dutch story. After having worked, no slaved for them in my previous job for almost four years they deserve all they get lol

If they just dident think they were right about every damn little thing I could have some simpathy for that Judge. There was me thinking I was the most stubborn person I had met wink

This is another example of the xenophobia which is rampant in the US, bred by the media and a xenophobic president and administration.

Admittedly there are people in every country who are extra wary of foreigners and will blame them for anything if they can. But here they seem to form a larger group if not the majority.

Like the American I met recently who said Britain should "send them all home" after news of the London bombings came out. After they had found out 3 of the 4 were born and bred in Yorkshire, they repeated the same sentiment. "Isn't 'home' where you are born?" I asked. I could have added that they, a European caucasian but being the 4th or 5th generation at least to be born in the US, should be sent home to Europe because of the risk of attacks on this country. But I didn't.