Skin deep
Got this note from a friend yesterday:
Made me think how my time in New York - the home of the stereotypically aggro and rude - brought out some of the best hidden positives in me. In comparison, my experience in the midwest seems to have made me more negative and cynical than I have been in years.
The thing about the midwest is that every moment here is a brand new moment. There is no room for grief or loss. Only instantaneous smiles. People smile and are nice, almost as if their very life depended upon it. It starts getting more and more screwed up when they insist on smiling at you after screwing you over :-)
Made me think how my time in New York - the home of the stereotypically aggro and rude - brought out some of the best hidden positives in me. In comparison, my experience in the midwest seems to have made me more negative and cynical than I have been in years.
posted by Tabula Rasa | 5/15/2009 07:54:00 PM
4 Comments:
So it's not just corporate America that is full of Meanies from sea to shining sea?
Hey, New Yorkers are friendly. Maybe I only think that because I've also lived in Paris and India. The New York friendliness and banter seemed genuine, not Walmart-greeter-type forced. People tend to ignore you in Paris, but if you pass someone on a staircase or share an elevator, they at least make eye contact and say "bonjour" (or "bonsoir"). In Indian cities they shrink to the other end, maximise their distance, and look away.
I suppose there's not much to look forward to in the Midwest. Especially these days. On the other hand, what's the vibe like in NY after the bust?
On the other hand, what's the vibe like in NY after the bust?Gotta ask high schoolers that question. Our schools are hiring ex-Wall Street pros to teach them Math.
I found New Yorkers a pretty friendly bunch. Ditto Parisians. But then again, I like the Dutch.
n!
ps: what is bravoria? (the word verficiation thingie). Does it come from the same place as "loveria"?
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