ADVERTISEMENT
New exhibition coming end April www.ukrainianmuseum.org
Posted by Oleksandra on August 24, 2002 at 09:40:31:
In Reply to: explanations posted by chalykoosha on August 23, 2002 at 17:25:55:
: Well, I even don't know where should I begin. I know what I want to say but it's hard for me to express my thoughts right on paper.
: May be I have to start from those articles I've written in "New Wave".
: I know maybe I wasn't right about something but now, after so many days passed, I think that maybe I should have not admit my wrongness/ or not/ so right away but better explain what I've meant.
: In my first note,the main idea of article was"mostly people who have money come to America because who hasn't "grivnyu" to buy bread don't come here. I've used one inauspicious/unlucky/ word "artificial" and somebody got to it with "dead grab"
: But I did really mean it. Should I say that If you look in dictionary You would find many synonyms for word "artificial". One of them is "manmade". It's pretty good describes America,which has been created, relatively not so long ago and still is, with those numerous nationalities. It's like a lake made by nature and by people, like planted orchard; apples and pears, cherries and plums mixed together; like natural forest and parks. Now, some parks are really beautiful but they would never have soul, music, spectacular wonder of wild nature. It's like compare mount or volcano with "Sears Tower". Somebody may say mix blood is useful for people but this is different question.
: Yes, it's true about false smiles, but not really right about not cursing you straight in eyes. I was talking to my American friend about this she told me that a lot Americans can curse you just like that too, but thit depends from social group and human being but I'd not needed somebodu told me that. And I prefer anyone said that in my eyes that in my back.
: And what about half-ready food, and fruits and vegetables-everythink soaked with chemicals. Recently I was walking and there was,by sidewalk, small apple-tree,/how often do you see fruit trees in American's yard?/. The ground was covered with small,spotted with worm holes, apples. I picked one up. That was "real" apple.
: As to English language-its a "bisiness language", people long ago agreed with this expression. Never it will be so melodious as Ukrainian. But music is music.
: As to Christmas carrols I like them very much do too,but " svoya sorochka blizhcha do teela".
: My life turned out the way I cannot attend my Greec-Catholic church. And I go to English Catholic/I hope God don't mind/ and I try to sing there/with my terrible accent, I'm just one year and half in America and before I'd came here I'd not spoken or written English at all/, but I went off of path, But when I go like once a month or two to city where is Ukrainian church, I can sing there/or even not/ - it's feels like soul flies with music...
: I did not respond sooner to Igor's or Marina's messages because I did not want to make this personal but my silence meant that you are ritht and that I did complain or nad but I did not, I am not. You've just mistaken/misunderstood/ me or you just twisted my words I think I may say like that. And I've just expressed my feelings and thoughts. That, what I've said that I'm not happy did not mean I complaining or naging.
: And you know not everyone comes here with language and skills. When I came her/precisly 1,5 ago/ I did not speak, I'd not driven, I didn't have money, no car.No close soul to tell me "everything would be all ritht", no friends, no family. For a couple months I couldn't find job. Too young, no driving skills, no language everywhere told me. I couldn't make myself to go to school to learn drive- I'd not have money, later anyway it was too big money. But for so long I did survive.After a year being her I went to driving school, I got that d. license,I can speak and write English now, maybe not very good but still...
: I did not want to make this personal but it did come up personal, sorry about that.
: And I'm sorry I'm not philologist then I'd expressed my thoughts better that people would not mistaken me.
: P.S. Some day I was talking with my another American friend about these all my articles and about all people coming to America, and you know how she , by herself, called America -"maney machine".
: At the end maybe I have to tell that after all it's free country / may be too much freedom as about me/ and everyone may say whatever he/she likes. But some times it's better keep it quiet - it less hurt.
: With respect...
I have lived in America most of my life -- since the 1950's. I did not find anything that chalykoosha has said to be offensive. America is not a perfect country. When we came, America accepted us, and for that, I will always be grateful. However, to be a good American means to me to try to make this country better. One does not make something better when one ignores problems. And there are many problems.....
American people are no different than any other people. Many are courteous and smile politely; others are unbelievably rude. In Ukraine and in other countries, I have met people who are extremely polite and many others who are unbelievably rude. Cursing at someone is not a sign of being "real;" it is a sign of being rude.
America is definitely a country where many people are able to achieve much. It is also a country where many people work extremely hard and are never able to achieve. It is a country where schools can be very good or very terrible. It is a country where many people are very well educated, but also where many people (who grew up here) are functionally illiterate. It is a country where people make more money than they really need (notice, I said need, not want), but where those same people do not want to pay taxes to support good schools for an entire community. It is a country where medicine has made great advances, but where there are extremely large numbers of people and of children who cannot get primary medical or dental assistance, because they have no access to health insurance and not enough money to pay for the medical or dental help, which is very expensive. It is a country where people can be very generous towards complete strangers, but where people do not want the poor to live in their communities.
Like every other nation, America is full of contradictions.
America is not the answer to everyone's problems. Many choose not to live here. Many who live here would like to change things.
I think that it makes as little sense to think all Americans are better than ... (you fill in the blank with any nationality -- eveyone seems to think this at first) as it does to say that all Americans are stupid.
I think that chalykoosha does not offend Americans. His/her comments are fine. It's normal to be able to pray more fully in one own's church. It's perfectly OK to believe that one own's language is more melodious. And the criticisms he makes -- he's right about them.
During the years of the Vietnamese War, some people had bumper stickers: "America -- Love It or Leave It." To my way of thinking, those bumper stickers were the most unpatriotic thing I had seen. America is all about the right to disagree, criticize and improve.
Good luck to you, chalykoosha. I hope that you always remain as honest and open as you seem to be now.