quote:

Originally posted by BrendaC:
Wise words, dalene. I suspect it isn't easy to always know peoples' motives. I'm still stunned at Caitie's story. Am I that naive? I must be because I find it so hard to believe.

Brenda

No, you are not naive. This incident probably happened in the Apartheid-years when things were really bad. People generalize. You must think I am silly but I was concerned before my tour this year that people would think that being an Afrikaner I am a racist.

Brenda: France was the first stop on a five and a half week honeymoon to Europe, America and Brazil. We were newly married a day or two earlier and strolling blissfully along the banks of the Seine. Along came a woman who overheard us speaking and asked my husband where we were from. We were shocked speechless by her remark, but to put it in perspective, this happened well before Mandela came to power, when P.W. Botha was President and no-one could foresee how apartheid would end or even that it would end.

quote:

Originally posted by BrendaC:
I'm always sorry that most U.S. citizens don't care to talk politics because our destiny is so intertwined with theirs, and we get a plethora of media reports but like to know what it's like on the ground, as it were.
Brenda

All well here "on the ground" Brenda, we just do not listen to the media reports.

I love to hear that, Californian . Carry on carrying on .

Brenda

quote:

Originally posted by Caitie:
Brenda: France was the first stop on a five and a half week honeymoon to Europe, America and Brazil. We were newly married a day or two earlier and strolling blissfully along the banks of the Seine. Along came a woman who overheard us speaking and asked my husband where we were from. We were shocked speechless by her remark, but to put it in perspective, this happened well before Mandela came to power, when P.W. Botha was President and no-one could foresee how apartheid would end or even that it would end.

Caitie, thanks for providing the context but I'm still shocked at the incident. A five and a hhalf-week honeymoon beginning with France? You lucky so and so. Now that's romantic!!!

Brenda

quote:

Caitie, thanks for providing the context but I'm still shocked at the incident. A five and a hhalf-week honeymoon beginning with France? You lucky so and so. Now that's romantic!!!

Brenda: Where else could I possibly begin a honeymoon?

Caitie, of course you would have gone to France. We stayed in Quebec, it was winter, and I got the flu and was sick as a dog, no snow, as we were trying to cross country ski at Chateau Montebello. By the way we met cross country skiing, me being a very good skier, having started at 3 years of age, and my future husband to be trying to show off his abilities falling on his face as he went down a hill. It only endeared him to me.

Marie: That`s right. Sooner or later, I drag everyone to France!
Does your husband ski any better now?
Your tale reminds me of our first winter in Canada, when we tried to ice skate on the frozen river. Hah! It was al we could do to stay upright. But the Canadian children seem to be born with skates on, and they took us by the hand and led us around. Very disarming!

My father is from England and as I was growing up in Montreal, his Australian friend said it was time they learnt how to skate. It was very amusing to see them trying it out on the rink close to our home.
My father always claimed he taught my sister and I to skate and ski when we were kids in Sweden. He maybe encouraged us but the teaching I question, he loved toboganning and making snowmen.

My husband became a fairly good cross country skier, I ended up teaching him how to downhill ski, which really was my love and although his style wasn't great, he was able to keep up with me. He was never keen on lessons. I think the kids are better than us now. I haven't done any downhill skiing for 2 years now, I find my balance isn't as good and then it becomes scary.

My view of ice skating is the same as that of my brother who remarked (we have no indoor rinks) "If it's cold enough for the ice to freeze, it's too cold to be out"

B ut Caitie's right, luvtotravel. Canadian kids seem to take to the ice as if it were their natural ground. Don't know how or why, but it's a Canadian thing all right.

Brenda

I often think people are to quick to judge others at times on their accent/country - eg hence the Sth African comment. As we all know - all Aussies have kangaroos in the back yard, Poms don't wash that often, Kiwis speeke fanny, Canadians - well, don't get me started ... , and Americans won the war ...

We created quite a stir in a restaurant in China one time when we (obvious westerners who don't accept anything different) used chop sticks to eat - they were lining up to take photos ... being blonde, they always want to touch you too. Funny asians ...

quote:

Originally posted by Saint Mike:
I often think people are to quick to judge others at times on their accent/country - eg hence the Sth African comment.

I'm a bit slow this morning Saint Mike, but what are you refering to??

quote:

Originally posted by dalene:

quote:

Originally posted by Saint Mike:
I often think people are to quick to judge others at times on their accent/country - eg hence the Sth African comment.

I'm a bit slow this morning Saint Mike, but what are you refering to??

Sorry D - am I in the wrong thread ... again ... I don't have that much time sometimes and thought I'd read about a Sth African being told they were racists - based on not much more than their accents ? I was merely drawing analogies.

I read a few threads and forget which one I'm actually in at times. Sorry

A man's day is never easy ...

quote:

Originally posted by Saint Mike:

quote:

Originally posted by dalene:

quote:

Originally posted by Saint Mike:
I often think people are to quick to judge others at times on their accent/country - eg hence the Sth African comment.

I'm a bit slow this morning Saint Mike, but what are you refering to??

Sorry D - am I in the wrong thread ... again ... I don't have that much time sometimes and thought I'd read about a Sth African being told they were racists - based on not much more than their accents ? I was merely drawing analogies.

I read a few threads and forget which one I'm actually in at times. Sorry

A man's day is never easy ...

No problem Saint Mike - I didn't make any assumptions!! Just thought that I have offended you at some stage. Love your comments, I just have to adapt to your style!