I have been asked many times to weigh in by Greeks on why American houses are built of little pieces of wood and paper, instead of brick and steel and concrete like they are here. and I have no idea! I am a writer not a construction expert lol. so it’s a very real phenomenon for sure!
This definitely rings true! I think it comes down to people believing people more than they believe stats, big companies, etc. The anecdote from a personal connection is more powerful. I usually try to caveat any answer I give with my “expertise” level. So something like, “Canada is a huge country but in Vancouver I’ve personally experienced…”
That’s such a good point! I constantly have to remind people I’m from the south which has a very different culture than the rest of the US so my view is definitely skewed towards there.
Yup! We lived in the UK for four months and people were always so surprised when I told them Vancouver weather was very similar to London. They assumed because it was Canada that it was freezing all the time.
Yes - have had some strange conversations in Greece about politics. In a coffee shop recently, I was asked by a man from Athens about how bad it is in London 'with all the people coming on boats' and that it must be terrible to feel unsafe on the streets all the time. I laughed and said his picture of London wasn't correct and that things weren't as he described. He seemed quite put out by the idea of misinformation. Then he asked me what I thought of Putin and wasn't it terrible that Ukraine had started a war. Again, I said that I didn't recognise this version of events, and I didn't like what Putin had done to Russians much either (I'd recently been reading a book by a Russian journalist who no longer lives in her home country). It was a perfectly civil and good natured debate - but eventually I had to say that I didn't understand to find a way out of the conversation, which was all in Greek (and I was actually at the limits of my conversation anyway). A few days before I'd had a similar political conversation with an older Cretan who had completely opposing views to his Athenian contemporary. Both conversations were started by the guys who seemed interested to know about views from elsewhere. It was a reminder that politics and national views will follow you everywhere - although the level of debate in both cases was extremely civil face to face - I can't imagine it would have been like that online!
I do love a civil debate! I also think it’s super valid and you’re right that often people just want a point of view from someone from elsewhere. Just hard when you’re the voice of elsewhere rather just being able to share a singular opinion, especially when you’re opinion doesn’t quite fit the image that they have in mind of someone from there.
I have been asked many times to weigh in by Greeks on why American houses are built of little pieces of wood and paper, instead of brick and steel and concrete like they are here. and I have no idea! I am a writer not a construction expert lol. so it’s a very real phenomenon for sure!
Ha! How do you not know the culture and business of construction?!
This definitely rings true! I think it comes down to people believing people more than they believe stats, big companies, etc. The anecdote from a personal connection is more powerful. I usually try to caveat any answer I give with my “expertise” level. So something like, “Canada is a huge country but in Vancouver I’ve personally experienced…”
That’s such a good point! I constantly have to remind people I’m from the south which has a very different culture than the rest of the US so my view is definitely skewed towards there.
Yup! We lived in the UK for four months and people were always so surprised when I told them Vancouver weather was very similar to London. They assumed because it was Canada that it was freezing all the time.
Yes - have had some strange conversations in Greece about politics. In a coffee shop recently, I was asked by a man from Athens about how bad it is in London 'with all the people coming on boats' and that it must be terrible to feel unsafe on the streets all the time. I laughed and said his picture of London wasn't correct and that things weren't as he described. He seemed quite put out by the idea of misinformation. Then he asked me what I thought of Putin and wasn't it terrible that Ukraine had started a war. Again, I said that I didn't recognise this version of events, and I didn't like what Putin had done to Russians much either (I'd recently been reading a book by a Russian journalist who no longer lives in her home country). It was a perfectly civil and good natured debate - but eventually I had to say that I didn't understand to find a way out of the conversation, which was all in Greek (and I was actually at the limits of my conversation anyway). A few days before I'd had a similar political conversation with an older Cretan who had completely opposing views to his Athenian contemporary. Both conversations were started by the guys who seemed interested to know about views from elsewhere. It was a reminder that politics and national views will follow you everywhere - although the level of debate in both cases was extremely civil face to face - I can't imagine it would have been like that online!
I do love a civil debate! I also think it’s super valid and you’re right that often people just want a point of view from someone from elsewhere. Just hard when you’re the voice of elsewhere rather just being able to share a singular opinion, especially when you’re opinion doesn’t quite fit the image that they have in mind of someone from there.