Amanda Takes Off...

Good man is correct. Huge houses, yards and we waste money paying to store junk.

He sure has a lot of comments about stupid, lazy Americans who have too big houses and too big cars. Koreans, too, would have big houses and big cars if they had the space. Instead they buy technology they don't need, spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars on cell phones, and carry Louis V. when they work as a teacher. I have never experienced so many automatics "things" as I did in Korea and Japan so I don't think it flies that Americans are "lazy" people compared to Koreans. I am all for healthy criticism of America but it seems all you mention is the "laziness" "incompetence" and "greediness" of America which of course does no good in discourse needed to actually change policies.

I love the comment about the storage unit. It's so true. On the hand, when we were in Korea, I kept thinking how do these people live in such a small apt with their kids and the grand parents. Our kids have so much gear and toys that we need extra room to store all the kiddie things. It is still a mystery to me.

Tracey, I say this with all the respect afforded to some internet stranger whom I've never met: get over yourself.

It's part of culture shock, darling. If you've lived abroad, you should know about culture shock. If you've lived abroad and don't afford other expats culture shock when it comes to America, you're an ass.

He actually HASN'T had "a lot" of comments about stupid, lazy Americans. Certainly not any more than the general amount of ex-pat bitching done by ex-pats in Korea.

I looked over my posts. I searched for the words "lazy" and "laziness" and looked for posts since coming back to America, since you claim all I mention is laziness. I found one where Good Man was talking, two posts where I am talking about myself and cooking, and one where I am bitching about Good Man's professor. So um, get over yourself.

I looked for "incompetence" and "incompetent," too. I found one post in the entire blog using that word, and it was about the Korean police. I probably should've used it to describe the bitch at the DMV, but I didn't. Oh, and the HR department at my workplace is incompetent. I can say that, since I'm American, right? He didn't say it.

I also searched for "greediness," "greed," and "greedy." I found exactly one post, which was about studying the word in Korean.

In short, you're wrong, Tracey. Next time you make some inflammatory comment about my husband, do your research better.

Snap!

But to defend the Americans: I can't exactly store my life-long collection of giant convenience store cups in my huge front yard, and I need that space in the back of my H1 to haul my 14 kids around, so I also need that storage unit!

Hey Amanda, you guys could move to VT and join the Blue Wave, then you would have tons of friends:)

Ramsey--ha ha! Good point. Good point. How many tech jobs are there in VT? Too bad my summer break is so short. We can't leave the country because we're married now, but a trip to VT sounds fun. You Blue Wave people were so fun in Korea!

Mariposa, I might consider bearing 14 kids for you. But only if I get a lip job like Angelina and get to be on TV a lot.

Umma, before I went to Korea, Mark told me to get rid of as much stuff as possible because I'd forget what I'd even kept while I was in Korea. He was right. I'm still working at not falling back into the American CONSUUUUUME! way of life.

Wanda, you've got it!

Hi,
I think it's important that the other half of the couple not encourage too much of the "this is crazy!" culture shock stuff, regardless of whether it's you doing it in Korea, or your husband doing it here. You always seem to agree with each other and that's good, but there needs to be a little dynamic tension there too. I know it would drive me nuts if my husband simply agreed every time I had a Korea rant. Or tried to
outdo me. JMO though.

Oh wonderful, Mrs. Kim has taken to posting here.

I posted about why I generally give Good Man a free Culture Shock Pass post last week. If you don't like it, it's a good thing you're not married to either of us.

If you think Good Man is "trying to outdo" me, you've obviously not read the rest of this blog.

And to be frank: I think public storage IS a sign that Americans are way into junk. I think Americans, in a world view, do consume too much crap. I'm not going to disagree with him just to create "dynamic tension." What's the point of that? "The sky is blue." "No it's not! It's green! Tension! We need tension!"

Personally, I love the culture shock posts! They remind me of some of my reactions while living in Germany - (mostly how they seem to get fussed over things that don't seem like they are worth fussing about. Like illness that don't actually exist, and open windows.)

Aditya has been here long enough that there isn't much about America that confuses him, so I don't get to hear it anymore.