(the misadventures of an expatriate corporate dropout)

Monday, April 13, 2009

i swear.

if I hear another non-French person begin a sentence with "the French ... " blah blah bla eyeroll knowing nod ...

or read another non-French blogger add another post regarding the deficits of the citizens of the country who is currently hosting their stay / new life / cheap holiday house/ career change / time out from the economic crisis or whatever other purpose brought them here.

I mean REALLY folks. de temps en temps? okay. understood. we all get frustrated with an occurrence here or there. or have thoughts to share on a certain anomaly observed. in balance.

but if it is part of your daily vernacular. or how you keep your blog traffic up. by picking away at every aspect of the people you are co-existing with. by mocking nearly every instance... be it the food, the workers, the people, the weather, the difference in style, the laws, the dress, the products, the traditions, the culture, the service, the stores .... comparing it and them to YOUR beloved place of origin ... by sounding like a complete, over-generalizing moron. with condescending snark that your friends and followers titter over.

well. maybe you should just take your miserable butts back to whence you came.

/rant.

18 comments:

Utah Savage said...

Brava!

Anonymous said...

I always found that odd: many ex-pats in Paris try so hard to emulate and be un vrai Parisien (who the f**k are they kidding!) and have the nerve to blog about what they perceive to be their success only to turn around and write in that nasty, condescending way "the French" as if suddenly they are too good for the very people who's asses they have their heads so far up they have lost their sense of depth perception. Try being a real person and stop pretending to be what you are not nor will ever be!
I know this is not exactly what you meant, but thanks for writing this post.

Non Je Ne Regrette Rien said...

U.S.~ grazie!

anon~ actually does sound like one type I was referring to...I often wish I could send links of certain bloggers to their most likely unknowing French 'friends' or colleagues ... ahem, now THAT might be a bit embarrassing ...

christine said...

I think in many ways it's people who long to be accepted but don't fit in to the French lifestyle--. The blogger in question boils my blood and I'm really surprised she doesn't get more negative comments. I kind of feel sorry for her. I think she lives in a bubble (even if it's a nice one) and it sounds lonely.

Randal Graves said...

You know what really bugs me about the French? They're failure to chant USA! USA! USA! as often as possible, ungrateful frogs.

Hill Country Hippie said...

Brings back memories! But it's not just France - we saw a lot of it living in Indonesia and Bahrain, too. In fact, we had a Danish exchange student living with us in Texas some years back, and I was having such a hard time pleasing him with regard to food for his lunches, that I took him to the grocery store to help me find something he might like. He was going up and down the aisles, criticizing everything, and saying "Well in Denmark we have this" or "The Danes make it this way". I was about ready to pull my hair out, when a kindly old gentleman walked up and said "Pardon me son, I know this is none of my business, but you are an exchange student, correct?" Eric nodded yes. Then the man went on, saying "Well, what was your motivation for doing this? I mean, if you want everything to be just like it was in Denmark, why did you bother to come to America?" You know what? He was a different kid from that point on!

M said...

I haven't seen one of those blogs for a while. But then, I tend to stick to the same ones these days. When I do blog hop and find the odd one it annoys me immensely and I get out of there fast.

Do people not realise they are very lucky to have opportunities to experience other lifestyles? Clearly not!

lol- the verification says 'conmen' I am so easily amused.

JouJou Loves You said...

Here Here!!!

I like to vent every now and then but I am ALWAYS mindful that I am in a DIFFERENT country (ies)..and when it comes right down to it, I love my homes.

Really..if you find yourself b*tching about the country more than praising it..maybe its time you go back to your homeland.

Anait said...

ugh I'm with you on this one!! my friend's boyfriend came over to the apt the other day wearing a French soccer jersey then proceeded to comment on how lame the French are. Uh.......would it be strange to ask why he's wearing a French jersey in the first place???? ack.

Anonymous said...

Oh man, now I am dying to know who the blogger in question is!!! Evil, I know.
I am Anon at 10:58.

me, myself, I said...

Brava..!
So well said..!
There are zillions of "them" here in the French Alps (albeit non-bloggers) and zillions of French ones in Kensington, London, where I used to live...
P.S me too, dying who the blogger in Q is ^-^

Our Juicy Life said...

amen sister! I actually love the people, wine, culture, red-tape, weather, housing, etc...I could go on and on and on.

Anonymous said...

If we email you will you tell us who it is? No, didn't think so. ;)

Non Je Ne Regrette Rien said...

miss chris~while more than one person inspired my post ... and they are people I know in person AND as bloggers ... I do believe you are correct. Much of the blogging bravado is driven by insecurity. and unhappiness. so I repeat. take your miserable butts to where they originated from. but I digress ... again!

rg~ godDAMN you make me laugh! and they do chant USA USA USA ... while burning the stars and stripes!! ha!

HCH~ I may have to adopt that Dane's strategy!
and hey! long time no see!

Michelle~ some people can't be happy unless they demean others ... weird!

JouJou! exactly my point.

Anait~you too, that illustrates the EXACT kind of hypocrisy that is so annoying!

Anon~well, like I said, there's more than one ... snark must be catching...

me, myself & I ~ are they multiplying or is my bitching filter wearing out?

NVJ~ I KNOW, we must be freaks, eh? we even find the annoyances charming! lol.

Anon~ ummmm . no. :-)

Utah Savage said...

I swear, I'm here to give you an award.

La Framéricaine said...

Oddly enough, I prepared and submitted a comment on this post but the comment thieves got it, apparently.

Or else I was drunk, passed out, and dreamed of you tellin' those lousy ingrates to love it or leave it!

If this one disappears, I'll know I've been banned from your blog. But, at least, it can't have been due to dishing the French;>)

Non Je Ne Regrette Rien said...

LaF ~ the lord (and you) knows I would never edit your comments. In fact, the only editing I think I would do would be if it were one of those spam-bots. I'm not afraid of snarky comments, bring'em ON people! lol.

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