She needs more than a spanking. A shovel to the head might be in order.
GJ said about 4 hours later
Culture, folks. This isn't an American airport, and none of these folks are American. Geoff, remember how silly the reactions of people in that Korean flick "The Host" were to the loss of their daughter? They behaved kind of similar to this, didn't they?
I would agree that this is completely out of line for someone raised under, let's face it, British standards. Decorum is generally considered a much more important attribute here than in many other countries. That in and of itself doesn't make decorum a universal expectation that should be applied worldwide.
Geoff said about 4 hours later
That kind of behavior doesn't generally get a plane to come back in the States. Now, if it does in Asia Pacific then all the power to that whiny baby. If she did that here, she probably would have been shipped to Guantanamo.
On the topic of The Host. That was by far one of the worst scenes in a movie I ever saw. I would probably attribute most of that to the dub over which was horrible, but usually I'm pretty tolerant since I've watched a few dubbed foreign flicks. Did you watch the dubbed version or go with subtitles GJ? That scene was comical at best.
GJ said about 8 hours later
If you wondered what an "Ugly American" was, check the mirror sometime. Although the use of "tolerant" above had me LMAO.
Marc said about 16 hours later
The high pitched screaming can be attributed to culture and language, sure. While I personally can't stand to hear it, I understand it. Note I didn't say tolerate...I'm not gonna lie, I wouldn't tolerate it. :)
But the tantrum on the ground, that's universally childish.
Geoff said 1 day later
That lady flew off the deep end and I'm glad that kind of behavior is not TOLERATED in the US. It's bad enough I have to listen to my cat screech. Paint me ugly, sure beats whatever the hell you call this lady.
GJ said 1 day later
Do you have any idea of the specifics behind this incident? Here's what we know: it took place in Hong Kong International Airport. It involved a female of unknown upbringing, as well as two apparent airport employees. It appeared to take place near a ticket counter, and the provider of the video claims the woman missed her flight.
We don't know why she was flying, or what kind of timetable she was on. We have no idea of the impact of not making this flight on this woman's life. If she was missing a business meeting at her destination, the behavior seems a little odd. If she was flying to meet a dying relative who has perhaps hours to live, does it seem as odd?
My point is, you cannot make a valid judgment about a person's character based on a single video with no real background information. Both of you did just that.
Usually when visiting dying relatives, you tend to wait at the gate, rather than shop. She's just a nutty woman, and thus I shall enjoy watching her antics.
Kristen said 1 day later
It is interesting to think about how differently this would have looked had it happened in the US. (which unfortunately is where she was headed). Can you imagine the 4 letter words that would have come out of an american's mouth? And security I bet would have been much harsher and quicker to respond.
Interestingly, the people who "comfort" her in the video hardly seem surprised or alarmed by her reaction. Even scarier is that the people around her seem hardly to notice! A crowd of people would have surrounded this woman if this happened in the states. (also with cameras) But ah, I generalize!
She was pretty hysterical though--one would think she had just witnessed a chimp mauling.
GJ said 1 day later
I hate to say it, but that article was just full of "apparently" and "appears." Those words don't exactly inspire confidence in what was written by the author. Marc, you'll note that she was "apparently" shopping prior to her flight, and that older man "appeared" to be her husband. Obviously, this is very second-hand information.
Here's what I can tell you: hysterical behavior is not out of place in Asia. You see it frequently during mourning activities. Based on a particular Korean drama show Darcy occasionally watches, it appears that it's often used by manipulative matriarchs to, well, manipulate. Either one could be at play.
The same doesn't hold true here. Hysteria is generally not tolerated here except in times of disaster. By our standards, she's a crybaby with the emotional maturity of a three-year-old. However--she's not American and likely lacks our cultural norms.
My point, which Kristen got but apparently Marc and Geoff still don't get, is that applying American cultural norms to non-Americans is simply an insensitivity to other's culture--i.e., the Ugly American syndrome.
Geoff said 1 day later
I'm sure these folks are real sensitive to all of our cultural norms. This doesn't apply to just Americans, it applies to everyone. The Ugly American syndrome, please.
GJ said 1 day later
You would know, O World Traveler.
GJ said 2 days later
Check out the Encarta definition on Wiki, if you have time.
Marc said 2 days later
And I thought you were simply stating we should adopt the metric system!
GJ said 2 days later
Of course! That's been my whole point in this entire exchange! I gotta take some courses in communication, I guess.
Geoff said 2 days later
I guess you didn't see "The Bolt" at the Summer Olympics. It isn't just Americans who are ignorant, brash and nationalistic. I think there's plenty of that to go around in the world, though I'm sure being the big man on campus we tend to hog more than others.
Geoff said 2 days later
GJ said 2 days later
You're mistaking individual jerks for cultural insensitivity. Bolt? Jerk. Woman here? Possibly a jerk--problem is, here you're jumping to that conclusion based on judging others by your cultural standards. That jumping bit? That's the Ugly American thing I'm referring to. Really, this isn't that hard a concept. :)
GJ said 2 days later
I can't say if the translation is on the mark, but it makes it a whole lot funnier.
And yes, you should watch that Korean drama that Dar watches. Holy crap, the mother-in-law behaves *just* like this. It's actually most of what makes that show so much fun to watch. :)
Still, I'm sticking on my cultural theme here. While it's not hard to recognize what this is (a tantrum), it appears that it's a common affliction among prima donnas in certain cultures. In other words...it doesn't necessarily mean the same thing it does in our culture. Assuming it does is the mistake I'm highlighting.
GJ said 2 days later
And gosh it's funny to see what topics get us going. Nice to see one that doesn't involve Greys or God. LOL!
Geoff said 2 days later
:)
Kristen said 2 days later
I couldn't help but get a visual of what she was arguing for: like when I used to miss the bus all the time, I could just run after it and catch it at the corner of Glacier Ridge and North Entry road. I'd run behind it and hope that the kids in the back would stop laughing long enough to let the bus driver know I was on her tail. I can just imagine people running after airplanes trying to catch them as they taxi down the runway!
Marc said 2 days later
Kinda like the scene in the end of Liar, Liar? I've always wanted to hijack a runway staircase.
GJ said 2 days later
Actually, having flown about 30-40 trips over the past decade (probably not close to Steve's haul, but I have seen a lot of airports over the years), it's always fun watching the newbies. They're the ones that *generally* miss planes, and they're the ones that go bezerkazoid in the security lines. They are always fun to watch.
Kristen said 2 days later
Exactly Marc! LOL Everything in life comes back to Liar Liar.
