Subj : Recent events 3. To : LEE LOFASO From : BOB KLAHN Date : Wed Jul 24 2013 11:28:34 BK>>Over the last couple weeks I had encounters with an American BK>>living in South Africa, an Australian, and an Egyptian. All in BK>>one group. LL> On a regualr basis I meet folks from all over the world, at LL> the same time, in the French Quarter. But then, New LL> Orleans has always been known as an international city. LL> Maybe not so much Toledo. :) Toledo is quite international, but we very likely don't have as many foreign tourists. So they aren't wandering around doing the clubs as much. That plus, as a musician, you would meet more visitors automatically. BK>>The Egyptian is a grad student here at the University of Toledo. LL> Even small universities all across America have a large LL> number of foreign students. I find that a good thing, as When my oldest daughter was a teaching assistant at the U of Toledo she said she had several Middle Eastern students. Since she was teaching Spanish that is even more interesting. There are quite a few there. She knew some Middle Eastern students who were playing a tape of a woman reciting the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. One asked her if she had ever heard of it, expecting she would not have. She told them it's her father's favorite book of poetry. I still have the tape of the recitation they gave her. LL> Americans have an opportunity to meet others from around LL> the world they would otherwise would not have that chance. LL> Misunderstandings are often the cause of war, or a cause LL> that leads to war. The way to peace is through dialogue, LL> open dialogue in an bonest manner, where conflicts or LL> misunderstandings can be addressed. True. Open dialog without pre-conceptions. Amend that, getting to know them can remove the pre-conceptions. BK>>He talked of how every year he went back to Egypt for the summer BK>>break, and things were peaceful, then he came back here and all BK>>hell broke out over there. This year he decided to stay here to BK>>try to move up his degree completion, so naturally things went BK>>to hell there early. LL> A few years back, in the 90s, I met a cab driver from Libya. LL> He was not here legally, his visa having been expired. As LL> such, he was an undocumented worker. He longed for his LL> country, but was scared beyond belief to return because of LL> what Col. Qaddafi had done to his family. My wife recently met a cab driver from Africa. He has a master's in chemical engineering, and he is here legally. However, so far he hasn't found a jog in his field. LL> He asked me what to do, not knowing where to turn. I LL> encouraged him to apply for political asylum, which is LL> later did. At the time he applied for asylum, Bill Clinton LL> was in office. However, the Clinton administration dragged LL> its feet to the point that nothing was done. George W. LL> Bush then took office, and his request for asylum was LL> turned down. What were the grounds? Oh, Bush had made LL> friends with Qaddafi, and Libya was no longer a terrorist LL> state. Therefore, the cabbie had no choice but to return LL> home to Libya. IOW, he was sent home on the basis of a lie. LL> I do not know if the cabbie is dead of alive, as he arrived LL> back in Libya long before Qaddafi was overthrown. What I LL> mean to say is, Libya is a very rough neighborhood. LL> Rougher than the 9th Ward in New Orleans at night. Libyans LL> armed with guns, following directions from nobody, is total LL> mayhem. It is a wonder anybody can survive in that wild LL> place. Nation building is anathema to the republicans in congress, unless oil is involved. People don't matter, of course. LL> If he is alive, he is probably part of the government. If LL> he is not alive, his body is likely never to be found. And LL> whose fault is it if he is dead? Both Clinton and Bush, if LL> you ask me. It does not take a rocket scientist to know LL> Qaddafi is not our friend. Or in this case, was ever our LL> friend. No dictator is ever our friend. No dictator can ever be our friend. The very existance of this country is a threat to any dictator. They can be allies for a very specific purpose, they can be suppliers or clients, but never friends. In the long run all democracies are natural friends. People are naturally friends to other people unless they are deceived into being otherwise. As democracy is rule by the people, democracies are natural friends. It just takes time. BK>>The American was asked if Americans were liked in South Africa. BK>>She said they were fairly well, because the US didn't colonize BK>>South Africa or the neighbors. All we did was send teachers and BK>>missionaries. Those missionaries were not backed by guns. LL> I played a wedding for an American and South African. The LL> American was a journalist from the New York Times. The LL> South African owned a gold mining company. The two resided LL> in South Africa. And music was the international language. BK>>The Australian is an executive with a statistical research firm. BK>>He paid for lunch. Nice guy. LL> Back in the early 1980s I met two Australian women, the two LL> being twins. I had a really nice time with them, and made LL> a nice seafood dinner they would be sure to remember. As a LL> parting gift, I gave them some (uncooked) soft-shelled LL> crabs, which are considered a delicacy in South Louisiana. Ah the beginnings of a fantasy movie. LL> A few days later they came over, and I asked them if they LL> enjoyed their crabs. They kind of looked at me a weird LL> way, and said they were "Okay." I could tell something was LL> not quite right, so I asked them how they cooked the crabs. LL> And then they told me they boiled them. What they could LL> not figure out was why the crabs remained soft, their LL> shells never hardening. Since after boiling they did not LL> look edible, the twins tossed them in the garbage can. Aha! Cultural disconnect. LL> It was all my fault. Being from South Louisiana, I had LL> assumed that everybody (including Australians) knew how to LL> cook soft-shelled crabs. I had already cleaned them, making LL> it easier for the twins to cook. All they had to do was to LL> beat an egg, roll them in fish fry, and deep fry to golden LL> brown. They should not be blamed for ruining a perfectly LL> good meal. I would not have known that. OTOH, I don't eat crabs of any sort. My wife would have liked them, though. If ever I get down there you can introduce her to the dish. LL> This food post is getting me hungry for a grilled cheese LL> sandwich. Better yet, a grilled dark chocolate and parmesan LL> cheese sandwich. Already had a ham and jam sandwich earlier LL> (ham, strawberry jam, red wine, on bread slices). Grilled cheese needs tomato on it. Bacon is ok, but tomato is the proper addition. Esp during lent. We are getting ready for ham and eggs. Slept late today. One of the dangers of retirement. BOB KLAHN bob.klahn@sev.org http://home.toltbbs.com/bobklahn .... "Oh bother," said Pooh, as J. Caesar gasped. "Et tu, Poote?" --- Via Silver Xpress V4.5/P [Reg] * Origin: Fidonet Since 1991 Join Us: www.DocsPlace.org (1:123/140) .