Take them back to dear old blighty.I couldn't help but sigh "Right on!" and "No kidding!" at every sentiment in Michael C. Moynihan's "Take Them Back to Dear Old Blighty" (April). As an American who spent the last two and a half years living in Germany and traveling in other European countries, I was irritated ir·ri·tate v. ir·ri·tat·ed, ir·ri·tat·ing, ir·ri·tates v.tr. 1. To rouse to impatience or anger; annoy: a loud bossy voice that irritates listeners. to be stamped as culturally inferior to locals and ex-pats whom I met overseas. I repeatedly found myself in conversations with people extolling the superiority of life in Europe and the sophistication so·phis·ti·cate v. so·phis·ti·cat·ed, so·phis·ti·cat·ing, so·phis·ti·cates v.tr. 1. To cause to become less natural, especially to make less naive and more worldly. 2. of the meanest German tough over the most educated American. Not wanting to compound the stereotype stereotype (stĕr`ĕətīp'), plate from which printing is done, made by casting metal in a mold, usually of paper pulp. The process was patented in 1725 by the Scottish inventor William Ged. , I usually declined to involve myself in those discussions. What is more fascinating to me is how readily American culture is embraced in Europe. Any argument over how awful and crude we are is immediately lost when the individual making those claims is stuffing himself with McDonald's on his way to the latest Hollywood bubblebum-boobfest while listening to three-chord rock 'n' roll rock 'n' roll: see rock music. on his iPod. Guillermo Garcia
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