Loving the Internet

[derien]

I'm so happy that it allows me to read the BBC news. 

I'm happy that it allows me to see the reactions of people who make sense to me.  Londoners going on about their lives.  London religious leaders of all faiths working together to try to create a cohesive community. 

I was very weirded out, yesterday, by having someone tell me that anyone who wore a rag instead of a hat should be made to go back to their own country.  Eventually I began to tell him about a Muslim guy I used to work with, a good kid who was quite upset by 9/11, and suddenly the ranter remembered a similarly nice person he'd known in the past who had explained to him that this terrorism shit is not what Islam is about.  So, he didn't really mean it, he knew better, he was just angry. 

Strangest of all, perhaps, is that people weren't talking that much about it.  It was a topic among my co-workers, because we see it in terms of being in our line of work, but it did not incite huge amounts of conversation.  (Perhaps it repressed some, though.  Yesterday was not a big talking day.)  A couple of passengers mentioned it, because if you're flying your awareness is going to be slightly higher.  I did notice that most of the passengers seemed to be really nice, yesterday. 

eor said that where he works it was completely ignored, and he's not sure he wants to talk with people he works with at all, anymore. 

Damn, I need tea.  Oh!  Speaking of which, I totally adore yonmei's new tea icon!

edited to add: with her permission, I've archived the tea icon for your pleasure.

Comments

[bravecows.livejournal.com]

So, he didn't really mean it, he knew better, he was just angry.

Still, ew. I mean, quite apart from anything else, wearing turbans is a stupid stereotype for Muslims, because not all Muslims wear turbans, and some people who wear turbans aren't Muslims: Sikhs and so on. But you know all this.

*stumps around muttering*

I've totally forgiven London for being an unfriendly city, though. :D The British are being so awesome about all this.

[derien.livejournal.com]

Heh, yeah, I do know the thing about the turbans and all, and even if I hadn't before I would, now, because there's a required training module at work about it. So, he SHOULD know that, but being a part-timer he might not have done that training module.

It's nice to hear you've forgiven them for being unfriendly. Eor was just growling last night about how he feels like he understands the English much better than Americans because they're handling this whole thing so much more level-headedly and all, and I said "But... what about those people who threw things at Afrai? I didn't understand them at all. Just when you think you like a country you hear about something that doesn't make sense." Ah, well, I don't think I'm ever going to get him to chuck it all and emmigrate, anyway.

[bravecows.livejournal.com]

Oh, I didn't mean that kind of unfriendly -- I'm not sure I could forgive that kind of unfriendly, because, um, I have a poverty of spirit that way, and am only capable of allowing that it was probably just a blip and in general the British are not like that. I meant the way Wodehouse says London is unfriendly -- in Psmith, Journalist it might have been? He says that New York takes you to its bosom and shows you a good time, but London doesn't. And he is totally right, at least about London. London doesn't give a shit about you; it is quite a lonely feeling.

I am totally okay with London's indifference now, though. :) hooray, London!

[kryptyd.livejournal.com]

Nobody talked about anything else here yesterday. Lots of work places just let people watch the news all day intead of work. I suppose it's because it's so literally close to home and most people in Ireland have either friends or family or both in London.

[derien.livejournal.com]

I suppose it's because it's so literally close to home

Yeah, that's the part of the problem with Americans not being interested in it. It's not here. But we're SO damn insular. It's like anything that isn't right in our faces is ... nonexistant. But I have to start reading the news. I depend on Eor to let me know what happens. Of course I've been telling myself that I really should watch the news ever since he informed me there had been a nightclub bombing in Bogota and I should really write to my Uncle and make sure he was alright. And I still don't do it. Sheesh, what will it take to make me sit up and take notice of the world around me?

[dervlaincognito.livejournal.com]

That, my friend, is a great icon. Tea cures all ills.

[dervlaincognito.livejournal.com]

Tea, and Moxie. (I'm off to Lisbon Falls for the Moxie Festival this morning.)

[derien.livejournal.com]

Perhaps next time it's too hot for tea I'll try the Moxie. :)