justanotherbrothalover
New Member
I think there are cultural and language issues at play here Tam. I also think given the recent negative rep Imanuela has received, that she's more touchy about comments than she might be otherwise. I think when you feel everyone is attacking you, and you don't really understand why, it's bound to put you a bit on edge. So I personally would consider any responses in that context. Not saying I don't see where y'all are coming from, just that I think Imanuela may have just unintentionally gotten off on the wrong foot, partly based upon incorrect assumptions about the forum prompted somewhat legitimately by the atmosphere here. Not criticizing, just giving my two cents.
:smt057
Damn you smart wise woman you. LOL
Yes, you do have a point here. I admit that even Jay and me do have misunderstandings due to cultural issues even though Germany is not that different from the US so I can see where some problems come from.
I also have to admit that (just like Tammy) Im not the most patient person in the world. I hope Santa knows how much Im trying though LOL
I know I am coming in late here... evidently I don't venture into this thread too often. But I want to contribute my two cents...I agree with you on many points.
Plus, I noticed that its Emanualle making a comment on the sexual or fetish topic at hand (that she didn't start), and while to some it can seem simplistic, or sexually based, they have unfairly either mocked her or insulted her comment, and THEN get offended when she responds in kind in her own defense.
As a foreigner living here, I can tell you first hand that there are many cultural DIFFERENCES in how IR's are filtered to the world and interpreted. And I say that not to say that its in a bad way, more that it's responded to differently than how many Americans respond.
Plus, the history of IR in this country isn't at the forefront in many foreign countries, so the expression of love and desire for IR tends to be unfiltered, much as it is (somewhat hypocritically) for someone expressing their love for Intra-racial love.
The American culture, though it seems easy to figure out on the surface, can be incredibly complex. I have lost count of the number of times I have either offended or confused an American, completely unintentionally. Sense of humour, social boundaries, race, religion, family... these things are all viewed very differently in different countries. We all have different histories. And I think these differences catch many people by surprise. I expected that moving from one western, english speaking country to another (Australia to America), that the differences would be minimal. I couldn't have been more wrong. I believe that other countries are more sensitive to America's differences and cultural idiosyncrasies, thanks in part to the large exposure we have from television etc. But the culture and social boundaries of other countries may be lesser known or understood to an American, because they aren't immersed with it, (being pretty much the public center of the world) so when a foreign person makes an observation or a joke or some such thing, it can easily be misconstrued. With the invention of the internet we are free to communicate transglobally, so maybe one day we will be hindered less by these differences. That's not to say some people aren't just insensitive jerks, and that may just be in this case.