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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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I learned, in an early mailing from Mr Subcontinent himself, Anu Garg, that the above is the only word in English with the vowels arranged in lacitebahpla order. 
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enthusiast
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enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 347 |
...only word in English with the vowels arranged in lacitebahpla order
Thanks, Anna, you learn something every day. I'd love to know how "they" come up with these sort of facts. I guess they throw it into some sort of letter-crunching dictionarial computer? Another recent example from Anu that springs to mind is that "syzygy" is the longest English word from which no other word can be formed using its letters (hope I got that right). I just have to take their word for it, no pun intended.
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old hand
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old hand
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Bel, you said
I don't understand what you are angry about when you are asked about your people?
Partly it is because, perhaps, I eschew the idea of having 'my people'. Partly because of.... well, here's an imaginary conversation, that nevertheless is pretty true. (I have made up C88's parenthetical thoughts.)
Hypothetical conversation upon first meeting.
Combat88: "Are you Indian?" [You're Indian, aren't you!]
Me: "No. Actually I'm English." [What are your criteria anyway?]
C88: "But, like… you've got… um … family … in India? I mean, your family comes from India…?" [wog]
Me: "My parents live in Bombay, yes." [And I could have been white and this fact would not have made the least blind bit of difference to you then.]
C88: "Ahhh…" [Knew you were Indian!] "So tell me - do your people celebrate Christmas (play hide the sausage/burn their dead/kill for dowry)?" [Bloody uncivilised wogs. Bet he shares his room with thirteen other people, most of them illegal immigrants.]
Me: "I celebrate Christmas with gusto." [Racist!]
Notes:
1. Combat88 - As I understand it, a fascist group aligned to Nazism (the number 88 is of some Hitlerian significance - his birthday or some such).
2. wog - Westernised oriental gentleman - much used pejoratively during the time of the Raj. Also 'babu' used similarly vide Kipling's Kim.
The point is that the minute I am categorised as part of 'your people', I feel as if I have been de-personalised, as if I am no longer important to the person talking to me, merely the stereotypes I represent for him or her. This certainly angers me. How much of it is merely 'in my mind' I don't know, but I am not a paranoid sort of person, and cannot really remember coming across any overt racism aimed at me... so maybe it's an open question.
cheer
the sunshine warrior
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
the minute I am categorised as part of 'your people', I feel as if I have been de-personalised, as if I am no longer important to the person talking to me, merely the stereotypes I represent for him or her.
Oh, my dearest--
I am humbled before this essential and invaluable lesson.
Thank you.
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Pooh-Bah
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OP
Pooh-Bah
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,981 |
I think that while we all may be happy to choose to belong to certain groups we dislike having groups thrust upon us (with all the inherent assumptions).
It's interesting that some people (you know who you are - RhubarbCommando!) would prefer not to tell us their gender and we've discussed in the "poster sex" thread the kind of assumptions people make, based on really very small amounts of information about us. Even without looking at extreme racisc groups we have all made assumptions about others based on a first impression.
Whilst I am reasonably happy for people to know I am female. There are some circumstances where I would prefer not to discuss the religion in which I was brought up. I feel that incorrect assumptions could be made about my politics and whilst I'd be happy to discuss those with friends I'd rather not discuss it with the world in general. The problem with an assumption based on colour of skin is that is way too broad and is so easy to do. I can understand Shank's reluctance to be placed into a group by others.
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old hand
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old hand
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Jackie
It ain't as bad as all that. I learn to bite my tongue. Besides, I have seen the other side - paranoia taken to the extent of never trusting the 'whites' (yes, I've heard expats use that phrase often enough in the vernacular - gora in Hindi), leading to a complete lack of understanding, friendship, or co-operation. I'd rather be quiet about a little unconscious racism, than perpetuate the vicious spiral by mirroring it.
cheer
the sunshine warrior
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old hand
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old hand
Joined: Mar 2000
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Agreed, Jo.
It isn't paranoia, or an unjustifiable desire for privacy - just caution, and a desire to be taken for who you are. Having said which, I am certain that I am as guilty as anybody of stereotyping people...
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,981 |
Fancy meeting up sometime for a curry?
[Afterthought: This is relates to stereotyping, rather than needing to be transferred to the "personals" discussion]
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,004
old hand
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old hand
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Any time you're in London. Vindaloo, vindaloo. Vindaloo, vindaloo, la la. After all, apparently the English are now physically addicted to the stuff. For me, it's the lager and poppadums that do it...
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Joined: Oct 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400 |
Oh Shanks, you are so right--It is such a lazy habit, for people to think that they can "know" your by fitting you into a neat little category.
It is one of my failings--I keep thinking I have gotten over its, and they some one will say something, and I realize that I have a stereotyped someone by their age, ethic background, religion, haircolor, or some other meaningless attribute. Not always negatively, but stereotyped them none the less.
A english gentleman once put a very large foot in his mouth when he asked about my background (he was surprised at my knowledge of "english" English, and when I replied I was Irish American, the words "But your intelligent!" fell out of his mouth. It is very unpleasant to find yourself stereotyped! I am always vaguely aware that the irish are not always held in high regard, not even here in US, but it rare to come face to face with it.
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