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Scottish Dubliner Posted Fri 07 Nov, 2008 10:32 AM |
Canberra, This always trips people up.
Dubz |
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Posts: 231 |
sebnemy Posted Fri 07 Nov, 2008 10:35 AM |
ElspethOllie wrote: Ankara!
Twas' in the geography bee in middle school.
Does this person know the geography of the US? Can they name all 50 states and capitals? A lot of people don't know about geography because they don't concern themselves with other cultures. And you know what, the same applies to people who aren't Americans! Go figure!
Well done! Ankara is the capital! And even our current government acts like they want to transfer it to Istanbul, or rather the government acts like Istanbul is the capital...But no confusion from the boardies!
Nikki I think it is very unfair to put on spot like that and good for you! I cannot stand "the stupid American" statements/implications/jokes, as much as I cannot stand being exoticized and orientalized (in the academic sense of the word, not geographically). Prejudices and stereotypes are bad in every context.
The only remark I will make though in the US, they need to be kinder to Turks on thanksgiving day! I was tired of the turkey jokes when I was living there:) |
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Posts: 1918 |
Moray Posted Fri 07 Nov, 2008 10:35 AM |
Oh and lets ask MoreThanMe to go round the whole eastern block, and name all the former Soviet countries and their respective capital cities. See how he gets on.
Or to come up with every African or Asian country and do similar.
Shouldn't be so quick to judge. |
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Posts: 8299 |
Scottish Dubliner Posted Fri 07 Nov, 2008 10:44 AM |
Lithuania - Vilnius
Estonia - Tallin
Latvia - Riga
Georgia - Tblisi
The only reason I know these is because Scotland usually end up with them in their group when playing football.
The African nations would totally stump me
Dubz
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Posts: 1918 |
Moray Posted Fri 07 Nov, 2008 10:50 AM |
Scottish Dubliner wrote:
Lithuania - Vilnius
Estonia - Tallin
Latvia - Riga
Georgia - Tblisi
The only reason I know these is because Scotland usually end up with them in their group when playing football.
The African nations would totally stump me
Dubz
haha, I was going to say, the only way I can list the Eastern European countries is from scotland playing them in qualifiers!! |
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Posts: 275 |
Kristy Posted Fri 07 Nov, 2008 11:36 AM |
To be fair, many Americans in the media over here in the UK (whether they are celebs or random people on the street) do seem incredibly insular.
Maybe the media needs to be blamed for the "stupid American" idea.
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Posts: 2850 |
Peewee Posted Fri 07 Nov, 2008 12:13 PM |
Scottish Dubliner wrote:
Lithuania - Vilnius
Estonia - Tallin
Latvia - Riga
Georgia - Tblisi
The only reason I know these is because Scotland usually end up with them in their group when playing football.
The African nations would totally stump me
Dubz
Watching too much Eurovision?! lol Terry Wogan always gives a great wee run down on the countries and their capitals! lmao |
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Posts: 1918 |
Moray Posted Fri 07 Nov, 2008 12:37 PM |
Kristy wrote: To be fair, many Americans in the media over here in the UK (whether they are celebs or random people on the street) do seem incredibly insular.
Maybe the media needs to be blamed for the "stupid American" idea.
yes, it's definitely the medias fault for perpetuating the myth, and not our fault for believing in it. Brilliant. Shouldn't we be smart enough to say "hold on a minute...... that sounds like a sweeping generalisation to me!" |
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Nikki Posted Fri 07 Nov, 2008 1:16 PM |
Moray wrote: Kristy wrote: To be fair, many Americans in the media over here in the UK (whether they are celebs or random people on the street) do seem incredibly insular.
Maybe the media needs to be blamed for the "stupid American" idea.
yes, it's definitely the medias fault for perpetuating the myth, and not our fault for believing in it. Brilliant. Shouldn't we be smart enough to say "hold on a minute...... that sounds like a sweeping generalisation to me!"
Exactly, Moray.
The answer to everything these days is "blame the media"...I love it. I'm actually really used to it now, so whatever. Do we make mistakes? Of course. But where would you be without us? How about this: use your own brain. Make up your own mind. There are ignorant people who know very little about the world beyond their own boarders in every country.
MoreThanMe was trying to single me out because I'm American and ask me to answer a geography question. I find that very insulting. Too bad for him that I had the answer right and he had it wrong. Makes my argument that much stronger.
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minnmess Posted Fri 07 Nov, 2008 1:20 PM |
It went from blame Americans (Nikki) to blame the media (Nikki). That probably isnt going to go over well, lol.
You can all sing Blame Canada if it helps at all. |
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Posts: 356 |
silvella Posted Fri 07 Nov, 2008 1:30 PM |
Nikki wrote: MoreThanMe was trying to prove a point in the chat that Americans don't know anything about geography by asking me to quickly answer what the capital of Germany is without looking it up online. My answer: Berlin.
Everyone else in the chat thought it was Berlin as well, but he only asked me because I'm the "stupid" American, I guess.
He said I'm wrong and that it's Bonn.
After he left the chat, Luke, Kristy and I checked Wiki and it says it IS in fact Berlin.
German bordies: what is your current capital? Bonn or Berlin?
Thanks. :)
-Nikki-
PS: If it IS in fact Bonn...fine. I learned something new. However, I'm offended I was the only one asked this question in the chat because I'm American when none of us knew for sure.
Nikki, keep cool! It is Berlin, but it WAS Bonn before the reunification of Germany and the German Democratic Republic. Hope you've heard of the Fall of the Wall in 1989? Seen from the outside, it is a totally crazy story! Or can you imagine that people were not allowed to travel where they want to or have to wait for a car 20 years long? In central Europe in the 80's??!! Thank god it's over!
But some english people are not very good in Geography, too. On our journey through Devon and Cornwall, one guy told us he was SURE Frankfurt is in Denmark!! It's one of the best known cities in Germany because of its huge airport. Another woman named her B&B house after "a place in Germany called Meran" - but Meran is in Italy!!!
And in my opinion it's better to ask for than to state something you're not sure about it. |
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megg_inc Posted Fri 07 Nov, 2008 1:33 PM |
Nikki wrote:
MoreThanMe was trying to single me out because I'm American and ask me to answer a geography question. I find that very insulting. Too bad for him that I had the answer right and he had it wrong. Makes my argument that much stronger.
Nikki, you get 'you're American so you're stupid'. I get 'do you have television in Poland? and cars? Weren't you overwhelmed with the internet thing when you first went abroad?' a lot. Note: all of these questions REALLY happened.
You just don't know if you should laugh or cry. Or hit someone. |
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lilly Posted Fri 07 Nov, 2008 1:56 PM |
oooh my God, I didn't want to imply "Americans are idiots" or sth like that, I hate generalisations... I don't even know where the one who insisted on Bonn being the Capital of Germany comes from. I was just hoping this particular boardie would answer my tiny questions correctly, and the Germany/Bonn thing was just a one-off ;)
Btw: if we take that "can you name all the capitals of all 50 States" a little further, we would have to be able to name the Capitals of the Spanish "Comunidades Autónomas", the German "Federal States (16)", the Chinese Provinces and regions, etc etc etc, too, if you see what I mean... ;)
(... Damn it, I should be able to name all 50 States and their Capitals without looking them up, I had to know all the stuff three years ago. Hmph) |
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Posts: 2782 |
Hanne Posted Fri 07 Nov, 2008 2:05 PM |
Did someone not post this many moons ago?
Americans and geography |
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Posts: 3778 |
megg_inc Posted Fri 07 Nov, 2008 2:10 PM |
lilly wrote:
Btw: if we take that "can you name all the capitals of all 50 States" a little further, we would have to be able to name the Capitals of the Spanish "Comunidades Autónomas", the German "Federal States (16)", the Chinese Provinces and regions, etc etc etc, too, if you see what I mean... ;)
I agree. Sorry guys but I don't think the 'name the European countries and their capitals' is the same thing as 'name the states and their capitals'. |
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