Comments on: Hacks, Pruning, and The Point of This Blog http://www.gordsellar.com/2007/12/20/hacks-pruning-and-the-point-of-this-blog/ Wed, 17 Mar 2010 07:18:57 +0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Mark http://www.gordsellar.com/2007/12/20/hacks-pruning-and-the-point-of-this-blog/comment-page-1/#comment-27713 Mark Fri, 21 Dec 2007 10:56:11 +0000 http://www.gordsellar.com/2007/12/20/hacks-pruning-and-the-point-of-this-blog/#comment-27713 That should have been "lively literary scene". That should have been “lively literary scene”.

]]> By: Mark http://www.gordsellar.com/2007/12/20/hacks-pruning-and-the-point-of-this-blog/comment-page-1/#comment-27712 Mark Fri, 21 Dec 2007 10:55:28 +0000 http://www.gordsellar.com/2007/12/20/hacks-pruning-and-the-point-of-this-blog/#comment-27712 One of the few things I'll miss about Canada is the literature - we have a very literary scene, and you don't have to jump on the Yann Martel/Margaret Atwood bandwagon to find something you'll like. I came to it really late in life, but hockey is another thing I learned to appreciate. Just looking at your list, your "Canadian pride" depends too much on government services or policies. There is a lot more to life than just politics! One of the few things I’ll miss about Canada is the literature – we have a very literary scene, and you don’t have to jump on the Yann Martel/Margaret Atwood bandwagon to find something you’ll like. I came to it really late in life, but hockey is another thing I learned to appreciate. Just looking at your list, your “Canadian pride” depends too much on government services or policies. There is a lot more to life than just politics!

]]> By: gordsellar http://www.gordsellar.com/2007/12/20/hacks-pruning-and-the-point-of-this-blog/comment-page-1/#comment-27707 gordsellar Fri, 21 Dec 2007 06:01:06 +0000 http://www.gordsellar.com/2007/12/20/hacks-pruning-and-the-point-of-this-blog/#comment-27707 Zocalo, I hadn't read anyrthing anything explicitly about TCKs but it sounds familiar to me. I don't think they're all like that, necessarily: my sisters are, to varying degrees, more at-home in Canada and especially the prairies than I ever was. And I should say that I find my views more like that of my friends with foreign parents, than people who grew up all over the place. Juggling parents' cultures with the local one, and developing a hybrid of both, might be analogous, but it's not quite the same. (Though I find some of the stuff in the Wikipedia entry on TCKs quite familiar.) Canadian inferiority and superiority complex -- got it in one. They're codependent, those two neuroses, one compensating for the other. As for the going bananas with the Potemkin onslaught of your Korean host, yes, it is maddening. I actually explained to my class once how Westerners tend to find discussions focused on Korea somewhat tiresome, since most of us aren't so particularly wrapped-up in comparing nation-states and certainly don't feel like we can answer in an honest way -- positives <i>and</i> negatives -- to any question a Korean asks us about Korea, for fear of people overreacting to any bit of criticism. And it gets tiresome handing out the requested praise constantly. I think there are things to be proud about in Canada -- health care still hasn't quite collapsed, we're a little more enlightened about gay marriage and drug laws, our politicians are slightly less corrupt than in the US, and we're relatively free of foaming-at-the-mouth anti-science nitwits. (Relatively.) But these aren't the kinds of things people tend to take pride it. Rather, people seem to want to find validation in how many goals some hockey player shot last week, or, even more pathetically, how much less bad our kleptocrats are than the American ones. As for Canadian multiculturalism -- it may differ in Vancouver, but multiculturalism in Saskatoon is a once-a-year festival where you go to different spots in the city to see those funny people in their funny clothes and eat their funny food and drink their funny beverages. For like three days a year. When Indian musicians show up in town, the only people who attend the concerts are Indians (and, a few times, me.) Afro-British jazz octet? Audience of twenty. It's very sad, but many people in my hometown -- a city of 300,000 people, really -- really do think country music and beer are the biggest, best pleasures in life. On that count, I do agree with my mother's pronouncement when we first moved to Saskatchewan: I don't remember her exact words, but the basic gist was: "Philistines!" Zocalo,

I hadn’t read anyrthing anything explicitly about TCKs but it sounds familiar to me. I don’t think they’re all like that, necessarily: my sisters are, to varying degrees, more at-home in Canada and especially the prairies than I ever was. And I should say that I find my views more like that of my friends with foreign parents, than people who grew up all over the place. Juggling parents’ cultures with the local one, and developing a hybrid of both, might be analogous, but it’s not quite the same. (Though I find some of the stuff in the Wikipedia entry on TCKs quite familiar.)

Canadian inferiority and superiority complex — got it in one. They’re codependent, those two neuroses, one compensating for the other.

As for the going bananas with the Potemkin onslaught of your Korean host, yes, it is maddening. I actually explained to my class once how Westerners tend to find discussions focused on Korea somewhat tiresome, since most of us aren’t so particularly wrapped-up in comparing nation-states and certainly don’t feel like we can answer in an honest way — positives and negatives — to any question a Korean asks us about Korea, for fear of people overreacting to any bit of criticism. And it gets tiresome handing out the requested praise constantly.

I think there are things to be proud about in Canada — health care still hasn’t quite collapsed, we’re a little more enlightened about gay marriage and drug laws, our politicians are slightly less corrupt than in the US, and we’re relatively free of foaming-at-the-mouth anti-science nitwits. (Relatively.) But these aren’t the kinds of things people tend to take pride it. Rather, people seem to want to find validation in how many goals some hockey player shot last week, or, even more pathetically, how much less bad our kleptocrats are than the American ones.

As for Canadian multiculturalism — it may differ in Vancouver, but multiculturalism in Saskatoon is a once-a-year festival where you go to different spots in the city to see those funny people in their funny clothes and eat their funny food and drink their funny beverages. For like three days a year. When Indian musicians show up in town, the only people who attend the concerts are Indians (and, a few times, me.) Afro-British jazz octet? Audience of twenty. It’s very sad, but many people in my hometown — a city of 300,000 people, really — really do think country music and beer are the biggest, best pleasures in life. On that count, I do agree with my mother’s pronouncement when we first moved to Saskatchewan: I don’t remember her exact words, but the basic gist was:

“Philistines!”

]]> By: Zocalo http://www.gordsellar.com/2007/12/20/hacks-pruning-and-the-point-of-this-blog/comment-page-1/#comment-27693 Zocalo Thu, 20 Dec 2007 16:36:45 +0000 http://www.gordsellar.com/2007/12/20/hacks-pruning-and-the-point-of-this-blog/#comment-27693 Interesting post about being on the periphery and insecurities of a country. Have you read anything about Third Culture Kids (TCK)? Long ago, a colleague suggested that I read about studies on TCKs. I finally picked up a book and am reading it over the holidays. TCKs often feel rootless and on the periphery. Korea and its insecurities... I totally agree that Canada is the same. Norway is also the same. I think small countries (small in terms of international reputation not physical size) often feel insecure. I find both Canadian and Norwegian media to be obsessed about international rankings /comparisons. Best place to live? Best education? Safest in the world? Hell, maybe the best toilet design? Who cares?! This insecurity breeds a kind of inferiority AND superiority complex. I don't know how else to describe it but that's how I view it - extremes of inferiority and superiority complex! My only visit to Korea was in 2004 or 2005 (can't remember). I was essentially chauffeured by our Korean partner for 2 wks all over the country while we did business. As much as I like our partner, I swear I wanted to scream after less than 24hrs in the car with him. I felt like I was being forced to listen to some kind of national propaganda that only a commie party could produce. INCESSANT. Not only that, but also very direct jabs at Taiwan (my homeland) to prove that Korea was clearly more advanced and better. OY, spare me! I think national pride in moderation is great, but when that kind of pride comes at a price of putting down another country, then it's just bullshit! Ditto with Canadians always priding themselves on how Canada and Canadians are so much BETTER than Americans. I can't tell you how much garbage I had to put up with when our family moved from USA to Canada. Even though we were never American citizens, I was teased endlessly about "being American"...including high school teachers who made really inappropriate remarks about me + USA in the middle of the class. As I often say, Canadians pride themselves on being multicultural / open-minded EXCEPT when it comes to the case of USA/Americans. Interesting post about being on the periphery and insecurities of a country. Have you read anything about Third Culture Kids (TCK)? Long ago, a colleague suggested that I read about studies on TCKs. I finally picked up a book and am reading it over the holidays. TCKs often feel rootless and on the periphery.

Korea and its insecurities… I totally agree that Canada is the same. Norway is also the same. I think small countries (small in terms of international reputation not physical size) often feel insecure. I find both Canadian and Norwegian media to be obsessed about international rankings /comparisons. Best place to live? Best education? Safest in the world? Hell, maybe the best toilet design? Who cares?! This insecurity breeds a kind of inferiority AND superiority complex. I don’t know how else to describe it but that’s how I view it – extremes of inferiority and superiority complex!

My only visit to Korea was in 2004 or 2005 (can’t remember). I was essentially chauffeured by our Korean partner for 2 wks all over the country while we did business. As much as I like our partner, I swear I wanted to scream after less than 24hrs in the car with him. I felt like I was being forced to listen to some kind of national propaganda that only a commie party could produce. INCESSANT. Not only that, but also very direct jabs at Taiwan (my homeland) to prove that Korea was clearly more advanced and better. OY, spare me! I think national pride in moderation is great, but when that kind of pride comes at a price of putting down another country, then it’s just bullshit! Ditto with Canadians always priding themselves on how Canada and Canadians are so much BETTER than Americans. I can’t tell you how much garbage I had to put up with when our family moved from USA to Canada. Even though we were never American citizens, I was teased endlessly about “being American”…including high school teachers who made really inappropriate remarks about me + USA in the middle of the class. As I often say, Canadians pride themselves on being multicultural / open-minded EXCEPT when it comes to the case of USA/Americans.

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