[sin7]

The movies in my country are about one man fighting another for the love of a woman, gunfights between families, going from a rural town to the big city and getting robbed then having to return home defeated. They are about things that make a difference on a personal level. American movies are about fighting to save the world. Fighting everyone to protect your family. Doing the right thing. They deal with so much money that the translation seems outrageous. Americans in the movies are kind, wise and noble, but in the real America, people are petty. Walking down the street someone will try to pick a fight because you looked at them. You get hundred dollar tickets, if you cross the street anywhere except the corner. Buses kick people off, if they are missing ten cents. People are quick to point to their Constitutional rights, but are offended by everything save smiles. And that is when you find out that few Americans fit the Hollywood American archetype.

[gnaritas]

Interesting perspective, though, you seem to have had some bad experiences with Americans, sounds like you've been to the bad side of some big city. Small town America are closer to the Hollywood prototype you see in the movies; friendly people, helping strangers and all that.

What is your home country?

[sin7]

I grew up in Mexico. My uncle had lived in California and he always spoke of the US like a mythical land. He talked about orange trees everywhere, which was not something to see in Mexico because all the oranges would be stolen long before they were ripe. And he also spoke of sandwiches the size of your palm. My father had also been in the US and he was more grim in his stories. He spoke of how my uncle lived on animal crackers and water to save money fast because he missed home so much.

My stories are somewhere closer to the middle. I have seen some Americans do amazing things and I have seen Americans act like punks. It's almost as if doing those things is part of being human.

[gnaritas]

> He talked about orange trees everywhere, which was not something to see in Mexico because all the oranges would be stolen long before they were ripe.

American's pick anything from a tree without being forced to... never happen, lol.

> And he also spoke of sandwiches the size of your palm.

I thought sandwiches were pretty much the same size everywhere?

> I have seen some Americans do amazing things

Such as?

> and I have seen Americans act like punks.

This I expect.

[sin7]

I should have been clearer on the sandwich thing. When he said that it was the size of his palm, he held his hand as he would have held a hamburger. Looking back, I'm quite sure he was describing hamburgers and not sandwiches.

Speaking of sandwiches, I was at a subway. A homeless man was ordering a sub. When his turn to pay came up, he took out a handful of Subway stamps and handed them to cashier. The cashier went on to tell the homeless man about how a roll of stamps had been stolen from that restaurant and that were not accepting them. The homeless man picked up his bag and left. The cashier and the sandwich maker had a small discussion culminating with a who cares is not like he ever bought a sandwich from us. A couple of customers later an older man asked how much for sandwich since it was just going to get thrown away. The guy behind the counter gave a price. He paid for it, walked outside and handed it to the homeless man.

[gnaritas]

> A couple of customers later an older man asked how much for sandwich since it was just going to get thrown away. The guy behind the counter gave a price. He paid for it, walked outside and handed it to the homeless man.

Nice, I'd do that too.

[mayanksinghal]

If there are a lot of songs too, it's definitely India :)