He should have just put the city name and bet that the American reading his resume would be too stupid to know what country it was.
A lot of my immigrant students do this; they simply will not say what country they came from. They'll write papers about "my country" or "the city I'm from" but never mention where that might be. I figure a lot of them are afraid I have resentments against their place of birth or something. It's especially pronounced among Mexicans, Columbians, Ecuadorians, and any predominantly Islamic country other than Turkey.
Columbians
But the cherry blossoms are lovely!
Oh, and Nigerians! And the thing is, I have a long-standing thing about Nigeria, so whenever I have a student who has a Yoruban- or Igbo-sounding last name, I will find some moment to ask where they're from. "Oh, you know, Africa."
"Where in Africa?"
"Like, West Africa."
"Around Lagos?"
"Yup. I grew up in Lagos."
It makes me wonder what kind of reactions they get if they say Nigeria. Surely all the spam scams can't be helping international lovability, though I'd like to think the shit-kicking awesome of Soyinka could counterbalance.
except for jobs in Iran
How did you know they were in Iran? Did you recognize the names of the companies?
Around 1980 a student from Qatar wrote (topic sentence) "If you visited my country you would not like it". That's a damn good topic sentence, and he made a good case.
It was clear from the context.
I think I've told the story before of being on a tour of (I believe) Monmouth Caves with my family during the hostage crisis when they asked us where we were from. "Saudi Arabia!" said my uncle. I was seven or eight, so I didn't quite get why he'd done that but later it was explained to me that it wouldn't have been prudent to tell a bunch of honkies that we were from Iran while we were trapped with them underground.
Hee. The first Nigerian student I had was in my one-on-one writing tutorial. She couldn't think of what to write about, so I said, "Well, I've always wanted to visit Lagos. Maybe you could write a paper telling me what a person could do for fun in your hometown."
Her paper began, "First of all, do not take the bus, as the driver may kidnap you, murder you, and use your blood for money rituals."
It was clear from the context.
You mean like, "1990-1992: Flag incinerator"?
How long before Timbot feels guilty about 11?
You should call him in for an interview, and conduct it totally in Farsi. But any time he mentions the word "Iran," hush him frantically and look around nervously.
12: About 90 seconds, by my watch.
8: Do you mean Mammoth Caves in Kentucky, by chance? I've been there! I don't remember any Iranians, but perhaps that was just your sneakiness.
I suspect a fair bit of the vagueness about that is because foreigners are justifiably thinking Americans won't know where the fuck Lagos or Iran is.
Isn't Lagos the capital of Iran or something?
A lot of Iranians think that Americans are prejudiced against them. It's really strange. We all love the BMW together! (I might have had a different experience if I had an obviously muslim name like "ahmed.")
"We come from France."
Or, from Doonesbury, "Canada señor"
21: Speaking of, a couple weeks ago I was in the left lane of a 2-lane highway passing some slowpoke when all of a sudden some flashy BMW came crawling up my ass. Which is always annoying, but being a good person who is also sometimes in a hurry I sped up, finished passing slowpoke, and scooted over for the BMW.
Which it turned out was driven by a dark flashy woman who gave me a "thanks" wave as she flashed by. I admit that I was very mollified by both the wave and the fact that she was a woman.
Needless to say, I thought of you, Ogged.
Could I possibly use the word "flashy" and variations thereon more in a short comment? No, I don't think so.
I've only known one Iranian, but he was a total jerk. So, once again, American prejudice is proven right.
21: And the Axis of Evil crowd has the whole hostage thing all wrong. That wasn't about hating on Americans, it was about hating on the State Department. The wingnuts ought to fricking love Iranians.
25: You really can't go by ogged.
Ogged's name is not recognizably Iranian?!?
Much like with Indians, I don't think I've ever met an Iranian whose parents gave him/her an English/American first name. No Jason Razavi or Caitlin Ahmadinejad.
Ogged's name is not recognizably Iranian?!?
It depends on how much Farsi you know, I guess. It's certainly a name only given by Iranians.
I don't think I've ever met an Iranian whose parents gave him/her an English/American first name
My cousin just gave his son an American first name. Fucking sellout.
What about the two names thing? Farsi name and 'Western' alternative? Most of the Chinese friends I've had have had both -- and in at least one case their Cantonese first names were quite private things they didn't tell people much. Sri Lankans I've known have done the same, but the Westernised forename is usually just a shortened version of the Sinhalese.
What about the two names thing
Yeah, lots of Iranians do this. Fucking sellouts.
Yeah, lots of Iranians do this. Fucking sellouts.
Aw, you don't really mean that, Tony.
I need to find a confederate Iranian flag to fly. (Of course, the monarchists still fly the old Iranian flag.
Is there some reason that so many flags are tri-color? Is this some principle of design about which I was not aware?
I think if you keep in mind that you want it to be visibly distinctive at a distance, it severely limits your options.
I'll be a little sad if that's really the explanation.
Don't be sad, Tim! It's really because of unicorns.
39: Huh. Interesting. That site has a great first sentence: "You may have heard or seen the term, Vexillology before."
21:(I might have had a different experience if I had an obviously muslim name like "ahmed.")
Funny you should mention that, ogged. I talk to a guy named "Ahmed" in SF all the time, and he's a real piece of work, let me tell you. I've occasionally speculated about how bizarre it would be if he was really you.
Also, don't Iranians in the Netherlands give their kids Niederlandisch names sometimes? I think I've met one or two.
The third sentence is good too: "There are thousands and thousands of people around the world who are intereseted in vexillology and these people have formed organizations." Nice to see how realistic they are about the appeal of the field.
Typical Persian deception!
I recently made hummus at home, for the first time since the new(ish) roommate, whose boyfriend is Iranian. He "casually mentioned" that his mother, who makes the best hummus evereverever, says that the secret is removing all the skins from the chickpeas. Not wanting to be out-authentic'ed by somebody's Iranian mama, I set to the task of removing every. single. skin. Hours later (it was a big batch), it finally dawned on me that it was all an evil plot, and Boyfriend was no doubt hiding somewhere snickering at my torment. See, I know how you people work.
Although it was good hummus, it has to be said.
removing all the skins from the chickpeas
Or as we call them in this country, Christian babies.
Am I the only person who thinks that the flag of South Carolina looks like it should belong to some Middle Eastern nation? Just what kind of Islamofascists are running that state, anyway?!
If you had a food mill, you could just pass the (cooked) chickpeas through that, rendering the inner parts into puree while leaving the skins behind.
(I am currently very much jonesing for a food mill, but have been hesitating over what brand and model to buy.)
47: I call bullshit. Pakistan's flag is at #2? Somalia at #4? How is Iceland below either of them? Someone's been compromised.
Calling Brazil's flag the "worst flag of any independent nation state" seems a little harsh given that Rwanda's is in the mix.
His aesthetic judgments are a bit idiosyncratic to say the least.
I love Brazil's flag. It says, "We are going to kick your ass in soccer" to me. Although a) most anyone could say that and I would find it convincing and b) my associations with the flag may in fact precede my interpretation of it, in this instance.
Bhutan's D-rated flag kicks ass IMO. That dragon says to me, "I am so happy, I don't need wealth. Plus I can kick your ass in soccer."
I love my food mill. It's a Moulin Legumes from Acier Inox. Most people don't really use their mills because they're hard to turn, they fall apart, and they're difficult to clean. Mine is so easy I use it all the time for soups and potato-celeriac puree.
I have no idea what it cost, though, as I inherited it from my relationship with Max.
I don't know what you're talking about, Wrongshore. Bhutan's flag says "we eat foreigners."
Iran's flag looks kind of Mexican. Was that so after 9-11, when people were all, "Kill the A-rabs!", Ogged could be all, "Pues...no entiendo" and shit?
60: Oh. I thought you were trying to one-up 56.
"I love my dead gay son. Food mill. Flag."
I was surprised when I moved to Kansas that we were regularly expected to draw the state flag from memory. It's a toughie when you're 8, even if you're tracing.
Maryland has the coolest state flag.
Maryland has the coolest state flag for starting Nascar races. GO!
NM is cool, MD is an atrocity, but I think Alaska is best.
Yeah, NM's flag is like the opposite of Kansas's. Instead of showing our American Indian roots, we show dudes chasing every living thing west with guns.
To be fair, the Zias kind of hate the flag and keep trying (with little success) to get people to pay royalties for using their symbol.
Okay, I guess it's not the flag per se that they hate, just the commercial use of their symbol.
I don't know what you're talking about, Wrongshore. Bhutan's flag says "we eat foreigners."
You're both wrong. Bhutan's flag says "Outsource your low budget animation projects here!"
My high school had a bunch of kids from Asian countries. The Japanese kids never had American names. The Chinese and Koreans always did, even ones with names that looked easy to pronounce unless you remembered that you had to get the tones right. Most of the Koreans preferred to go by mispronounced versions of their Korean names, but all the Chinese and Taiwanese kids seemed to like their American names.
The Thai kids either had names that were just their first name shortened to one syllable, or had silly names like "Champ".
None of the European kids had official American names, because of course thanks to our shared skin color the school administrators would have no trouble with names like "Hrvoje" or "Zdenek".
As for Iranians, there were no kids from abraod, but many children of doctors and professors who had moved to our area in 1979.
Virginia's flag is the best. It's hard to say why, exactly, but something about it just makes me want to throw my arms up and shout "Hooray!"
Who knew Benettonhad a high school.
I will say here, quietly, that I find it moderately humorous that Hawaii's flag--the design influences on which are not subtle--is a valued symbol of sovereignty to many of those so inclined.
That's Virginia's flag? What the hell?
Was that created before or after Lincoln's death?
But I hasten to add that it is a pretty cool flag.
Most of the kids who are born here seem to end up with American (or sometimes Hawaiian) names, regardless of ethnicity, but sometimes the trends are a little different than most places. There are a surprising number of middle-aged Chinese guys named Winston, more Glens (or Glenns) than most places (mostly middle-aged Japanese), etc.
79 sort of reminds me of the time I asked a teacher if the South voted Democratic because Lincoln was a Republican.
Bhutan's flag says "Outsource your low budget animation projects here!"
Is outsourcing animation to North Korea already passe? I just learned about that, fer chrissakes...
There are a surprising number of middle-aged Chinese guys named Winston, more Glens (or Glenns) than most places (mostly middle-aged Japanese), etc.
The naming practices of immigrants are interesting. This guy starts to make a good point.
I bet there are more Asian-American than white American people in my generation with certain names like Edmund and Amelia and especially Henry.
reminds me of the time I asked a teacher if the South voted Democratic because Lincoln was a Republican.
Isn't that how it went?
86: Sort of, I suppose, but it wasn't a question that suggested much knowledge of the relevant history.
85: These mostly aren't immigrant families, just local. Chinese immigration to Hawaii was mostly in the second half of the 19th century, and mass Japanese immigration didn't continue too far into the 20th IIRC.
South Carolina's flag is kinda pretty.
MD is an atrocity
Hater.
South Carolina's flag is kinda pretty.
But an obvious Islamofascist plot nonetheless.
OT: Nice job pairing the story and picture, random editor.
I think it does. Eontario.com is rejecting your advances.
Hummus isn't Iranian.
Ha! See?! I KNEW it was a trick.
And it threw its drink in my face. What's up with that site?
Oh, and Nigerians! And the thing is, I have a long-standing thing about Nigeria, so whenever I have a student who has a Yoruban- or Igbo-sounding last name, I will find some moment to ask where they're from.
I have no problem telling people I'm orinigaly from Nigeria. In fact, in my experience, most Nigerians have an irrationaly inflated sense of pride about our nation. Most Nigerians I know would be insulted if you suggested they were from Togo for instance.
Also, I hope this doesn't come off as nitpicky but the adjective is "Yoruba" not "Yoruban".
I think Alaska is best.
Alaska's flag just looks like it's ripping off Australia.
Australia's flag is also cool because they're like "don't care for blue? how about red? or white? take your pick! trade 'em with your friends!"
The white Australian flag with the blue stars should have the Union Jack colors negativized too.
WillieStyle, you're Nigerian? I love assimilation.
Oops! Born in Ibadan actualy.
We Nigerians are so dishonest.
And it threw its drink in my face. What's up with that site?
Bein' a playa just ain't the same, no.
My stepmother keeps changing her Canadian first name. I never call her by it, so I find out late. I don't think it's an official change, she just gets new business cards printed. I can't keep up. I should ask her, does she get tired of the old one?
Brazil's flag clearly rocks ass: Ordem e Progresso for a country that has seen precious little of either? Genius.
Although everyone knows the Manx win the flag debate every time.
You don't actually need to know the least bit of Farsi to identify ogged's name as Persian.
This has been a WIE.
re: 111
Yeah, but they have an architecturally cool futuristic looking capital city.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Brasilia_Congresso_Nacional_05_2007_221.jpg
re: 113
His first name is Ayatollah?
I, like that one character from Help!, will say no more.
I would be insulted if someone thought I came from a sandwichery.
re: 114
I guess his name really is the fake name I suggested!
Brasilia is generally regarded an unlivable city, thanks in large part to LeCorbusier's planning and architecture.
Not LeCorbusier. He designed the Indian city Chandigarh, not Brasilia.
Wikipedia: President Juscelino Kubitschek ordered the construction of Brasília, fulfilling an article of the country's constitution stating that the capital should be moved from Rio de Janeiro to a place close to the center of the country. Lúcio Costa won a contest and was the main urban planner. Oscar Niemeyer, a close friend of Lúcio, was the chief architect of most public buildings and Roberto Burle Marx was the landscape designer. Brasília was built in 41 months, from 1956 to April 21, 1960 when it was officially inaugurated.
101: Alaska and Australia: Not too similar. Texas and Chile: obvious ripoff situation.
The Wikipedia article on Chandigarh appears to have been written by somebody fairly senior in the Administrator's office. I'm happy to believe it's a wonderful city, but nowhere's that good.
I play soccer at a nearby town called Pflugerville. Pflugerville loves the hell out of it's name: billboards that say "Pflugerville is Pfun!" and "Pfyisicians Networks!" (and that one clearly doesn't work.)
Anyway, the middle of the soccer complex has a small hill with a flag on it, and on the map of the complex it's called PFLAG HILL, which I think is really funny and inadvertently forward-thinking of them.
Am I the only person who thinks that the flag of South Carolina looks like it should belong to some Middle Eastern nation?
Just so. The state is small, hot, hopelessly corrupt, and full of people who live by the Word of the One True God.
