Subnostr

Always interesting how people from seemingly higher classes call themselves 'expats,' while people from lower classes are referred to as 'immigrants.' Even though they are both doing the same thing. Particularly noticeable in the context of Dubai.

Olive Grove Eggs 1y ago

Colonialism alive and well.

A couple of other words I've come across for "foreigner" . Excuse the spelling, khawaja. The white skinned people said it means white man, but the uncomfortable truth is it actually means rich man, So some locals were known too as khawaja, and then you realise it isnt perhaps a positive word!, even though, delivered with no malice.

Here white ex pat immigrants, covering my bases there! are referred to as guiris. I've still not worked out what it really means because although it's never said with malice, they say it is tourist, but after 20 years Im still a guiri!?

In SW UK the tourists are called grokles and that was not a positive word.

Who knows in this desemanticised touchy age, does anyone know what they are even saying any more :)

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Discussion

alp 1y ago

That these words are not said with malice seems to be the tricky part. As if these findings had already left the value system and had been established as facts. Just like the fact that pure evil does indeed exist. 😀 You know as in the saying, "say something a fourty times and it becomes the truth".

Olive Grove Eggs 1y ago

Been thinking about your points. Deep.

By comparison my opening words sounded glib, not my intention.

Long carried the weight of seeing, feeling what colonialism is all about.

I do and I don't recommend all young people from the rich west spend a long time living in places where the boot is on the other foot.

It is recommended and fulfilling and grounding while you are immersed, but a curse when you return to the rich man's shores.

Like those repeated words, memories and experiences can't be unseen. It has been a constant struggle to live and listen to ones contemporaries completely oblivious to reality outside the bubble.

Malice towards the benefactors of colonialism, it's "us". That isn't fair on me not good for the soul.

Malice towards the mega powers keeping colonialism 2 0 going, my stand is I will never have a good word to say about monarchies and more useful, I will always stand on the side of those fleeing the effects of colonialism.

I think as immigration gets "worse" the everyday person here will start to grasp the truth and see through the propaganda and the lies. And then they can live with the uncomfortable truth and try weave a path accordingly!