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10/20/2004 12:31:50 PM · #26 |
Originally posted by rennie: Originally posted by _wu_: All you will read here is my personal opinion.
Swiss people take everything for granted. They don't fight for anything, because they already have it. They seem to have no dreams, as if they dream of something they go to a shop and buy it.
WU |
Well, we know different Swiss people obviously. And IMHO only Swiss can make such strong opinions about their people.
Talk about Poland my dear - that's something nobody will deny you the right to do.
Pozdrawiam |
Hmmm, I've lived in Switzerland for over 4 years, I have formed opinions based on real life events that have occured to me and my family - do I need a Swiss passport to express my opinions? - actually it would not suprise me if it does become the case in the non too distant future.
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10/20/2004 12:32:35 PM · #27 |
Originally posted by thatcloudthere: Very interesting post...thank you.
It's funny, my uncle is from Switzerland and he's an engineer. He worked in the United States for a few years for G.E. and he really disliked everything about the American mindset. He was used to the structure and discipline that comes from both Engineering and being European and he couldn't deal with the politics and decision-making processes in America that he felt were wasting his time. |
It's not because he's Swiss....
I'm an American engineer, and the way politics and other nonsense drives decision making makes me crazy. I waste more time playing politics to get my management to make obvious and important decisions than doing engineering work. |
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10/20/2004 12:35:22 PM · #28 |
Originally posted by Spazmo99:
It's not because he's Swiss....
I'm an American engineer, and the way politics and other nonsense drives decision making makes me crazy. I waste more time playing politics to get my management to make obvious and important decisions than doing engineering work. |
Yeah, he's now working in Northern Italy because he couldn't deal with it anymore and he's much happier there.
They have a gorgeous house on a mountain just outside of a small village.
It's quite literally the nicest location I've ever seen in my life!
My wife and I hope to visit there soon... |
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10/20/2004 12:36:11 PM · #29 |
Originally posted by _wu_: Originally posted by digistoune:
As an American who has never had the opportunity to visit Switzerland, I am curious about your comment. Why do you think so? What do you see in the people around you that makes you say they are emotionally, spiritually poor? Oh, and please don't misunderstand :-) I am not asking you to defend your comment. I am genuinely curious.
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All you will read here is my personal opinion.
Swiss people take everything for granted. They don't fight for anything, because they already have it. They seem to have no dreams, as if they dream of something they go to a shop and buy it.
They consider their homeland to be a paradise (I heard it myself from a few Swiss) that anyone would kill to live in.
The kids don't live with the parrents as everyone can afford renting a flat. No strong family connections exist.
People are looking at each other with boredom and lack of any wormth.
No creativity is needed, no competition, no self-development, as if you finish a school you get a job, and if you get a job you can afford a decent life with no stresses in it.
And the thing that drives me crazy is complete lack of crazyness, fantasy. Everything is done according to rules and noone dares to cross any line to stand out of the swiss crowd.
Yet, Switzerland has the highest suicide rate, divorce rate and drug-addiction rate in Europe (including the new countries - by the way I come from one of them - Poland). Isn't that strange?
Does that mean money really isn't the happiness driving factor after all? I never thought it was.
Having this said - yes I will be leaving the land of the rich, but then again I will be happy to do so.
WU |
Well, I want to see some photos that illustrate your impressions.
I'm envisioning some showing an overly nourished citizen straddling all the durables he has accumulated looking over his 'paradise' with a vacuously self-satisfied expression, perhaps with a crumb of chocolate on his lip? Why not wabble the pudding a lil before you go? ;-)
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10/20/2004 01:10:07 PM · #30 |
I'm sorry... what was the original thread topic? ;-)
Message edited by author 2004-10-20 13:10:39. |
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10/20/2004 01:10:26 PM · #31 |
Originally posted by rennie:
Well, we know different Swiss people obviously. And IMHO only Swiss can make such strong opinions about their people.
Talk about Poland my dear - that's something nobody will deny you the right to do.
Pozdrawiam |
First of all what I said was general impression. I also know a few Swiss who I kinda like.
Second of all, I've be living in Switzerland for 3 years now, and saw a thing or two and have my own PERSONAL opinion (which I ephasized in my post).
Third thing is that you will probably have different opinion if you live (or know) in the French part of Schweiz. It is the german-speaking part that is that "ortodox".
I'm in a way trapped, because if you (rennie) see me commenting on Poles you might say I am not entitled to do so, as I haven't been living in Poland for a few years.
Yet I will be happy to tell stories about Poland if only someone would like to hear them. If we took away the "money" part of living I would say Poles are happier INSIDE than Swiss. They have the JOY within. Ulanska fantazja - we call it. That is what I miss the most.
Nawet jesli czasem ta fantazja bywa zgubna.
Pozdrawiam
WU (Lukasz)
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10/20/2004 01:16:21 PM · #32 |
Originally posted by scalvert: I'm sorry... what was the original thread topic? ;-) |
Poverty. The discussion is currently exploring antonyms. Should it return, participants may have arrived at a sense of poverty as defined by its opposite.
Geographically, only one and a half countries have been commented on. It could be a while. ;-)
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10/20/2004 01:20:09 PM · #33 |
To me, this is poverty but then again, I'm sure some of her neighboors think she's well off because she has dishes to wash. THis will be an interesting challenge since there are so many views on the subject.
June
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10/20/2004 01:23:03 PM · #34 |
Originally posted by zeuszen: Originally posted by scalvert: I'm sorry... what was the original thread topic? ;-) |
Geographically, only one and a half countries have been commented on. It could be a while. ;-) |
I thought it was four :)
It's interesting how the discussion went rather quickly from material poverty to intellectual/spiritual poverty (or so it seems to me). This should be an interesting challenge. |
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10/20/2004 01:45:08 PM · #35 |
Originally posted by chiqui74: To me, this is poverty but then again, I'm sure some of her neighboors think she's well off because she has dishes to wash. |
The dishes aren't the problem. Poverty doesn't wear a smile. |
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10/20/2004 02:07:56 PM · #36 |
Originally posted by scalvert:
The dishes aren't the problem. Poverty doesn't wear a smile. |
Even people living in poverty find simple pleasures. Here's one of my favorites from Shiiizzzam.
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10/20/2004 02:10:49 PM · #37 |
That's a great portrait, but it doesn't say "poverty" to me. This the kind of shot I envision (maybe without the necklace):

Message edited by author 2004-10-20 14:11:26. |
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10/20/2004 02:12:20 PM · #38 |
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10/20/2004 02:17:05 PM · #39 |
...or these:
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10/20/2004 02:23:28 PM · #40 |
Honestly, I predict most of the pics will be artsy, dark, B&W shots of the homeless, and perhaps the slums. However, as always, there will the select few that will be outstanding. That's just my opinion though.
Chad |
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10/20/2004 02:29:05 PM · #41 |
The examples I posted are all color, non-artsy and not necessarily dark. |
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10/20/2004 02:53:11 PM · #42 |
Originally posted by Gringo: Originally posted by scalvert:
The dishes aren't the problem. Poverty doesn't wear a smile. |
Even people living in poverty find simple pleasures. Here's one of my favorites from Shiiizzzam.
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You share my sentiments on this ....(tried to capture that thought in a poem once and would gladly share a verse or two, if anyone's interested)
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10/20/2004 03:10:43 PM · #43 |
i'm getting a ton of ideas for this challenge, i wasn't expecting to enter because my camera was in the shop, i was told it would take 3-4 weeks to get it back. I entered a photo i had no intention of enetering into the night challenge because it was the only one i had taken at night.
It's been 3 whole days so i thought i would call and check on it.
To my disbelief, it is back already, my prayers were answered in a hurry. Wow! I think they are the lucky ones, because they would have gotten real tired of me calling after about a week. :)
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10/20/2004 03:21:21 PM · #44 |
Originally posted by scalvert: The examples I posted are all color, non-artsy and not necessarily dark. |
I was not talking about those pics you posted. I was making a prediction of what would be entered into the challenge.
Chad |
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10/20/2004 04:28:24 PM · #45 |
Poverty;
will a picture of my bank balance count?
kev |
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10/20/2004 04:44:58 PM · #46 |
Would this type of photo apply to this challenge?
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10/20/2004 05:49:57 PM · #47 |
i would say that photo would fit the bill, but may not fair very well in the voting due to some exposure issues, and the shadows.
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10/20/2004 06:13:22 PM · #48 |
I dont think that people have to be unhappy in the poverty challenge. Just because someone has no home, no food, no nothing does not mean they cannot have any hope, and hope brings happiness, even in the worst of times.
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10/20/2004 06:35:14 PM · #49 |
Originally posted by Damian: I dont think that people have to be unhappy in the poverty challenge. Just because someone has no home, no food, no nothing does not mean they cannot have any hope, and hope brings happiness, even in the worst of times. |
You are right but this guy definitely represents poverty under its 1st definition: The state of being poor; lack of the means of providing material needs or comforts.
But I do agree with you, I have meet more happy poor people than happy rich people.
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10/20/2004 06:36:49 PM · #50 |
Originally posted by _wu_: All you will read here is my personal opinion.
Swiss people take everything for granted. They don't fight for anything, because they already have it. They seem to have no dreams, as if they dream of something they go to a shop and buy it.
They consider their homeland to be a paradise (I heard it myself from a few Swiss) that anyone would kill to live in.
The kids don't live with the parrents as everyone can afford renting a flat. No strong family connections exist.
People are looking at each other with boredom and lack of any wormth.
No creativity is needed, no competition, no self-development, as if you finish a school you get a job, and if you get a job you can afford a decent life with no stresses in it. |
I will agree with a lot of this. I lived in Genéve from 1962-1966. It was a very different society from what we see and know of here in the States.
We (2 sisters & I) were "dumped" into the Swiss school system and it was a sink or swim situation. We became more like the Swiss during the 4 years than the Americans living there, which we didn't socialize with much (no idea why). We were infused into the community & culture and can remember a lot of it. There is a certain "snob" attitude in a way there. Lots of silver spoons and little in the way of poverty. Those that were poor, did not cry out that they were, but rather were humble and just led simple lives.
Would be interesting to go back and see what it's like now from an adult perspective.
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