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From: ray@othervax.UUCP (Raymond D. Dunn)
Newsgroups: net.jobs
Subject: Re: International Headhunters Part 2 of 2
Message-ID: <745@othervax.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 16-Dec-85 14:14:40 EST
Article-I.D.: othervax.745
Posted: Mon Dec 16 14:14:40 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 19-Dec-85 04:05:06 EST
References: <2561@umcp-cs.UUCP>
Reply-To: ray@othervax.UUCP (Raymond D. Dunn)
Followup-To: net.followup
Distribution: net
Organization: Philips Information Systems - St. Laurent  P.Q., Canada
Lines: 39

In article <2561@umcp-cs.UUCP> tlr@umcp-cs.UUCP (Terry L. Ridder)
writes a long sermon on the dangers of the big bad world to the naive
American traveller, and how we should treat our wives and families.

Frankly I dont want to spend my time or yours going through this
point by point, but I would like to say:

1) The technical info he gave re phones, cars etc, is in general,
reasonably accurate, except that the metering of phones is distance
dependant just as in North America, but including "local" calls.

2) The "info" he gave re housing & kitchens & fridges & king-size
beds & closets & etc, only reflects *his* experience, is not even a
generalisation, and can all be contradicted by counter examples: the
largest apartment I have ever lived in was in the UK, the smallest
(as a guest), in the US.  It is not practically possible to "modify"
a TV set to receive any of the several transmission standards used in
Europe.  In general, these are technically superior to those used in
North America.

3) Whether or not the cost of your children's schooling must be borne
by you, depends on private arrangements made between you and your
prospective employer.  The more mature family immerses itself into
the local culture and sends their children to a local language
school, a huge educational opportunity for yourselves and your
children.  I now have two bilingual achieving children.

4) Although I can think of no Western European country where it is
currently illegal to criticize the Government, it is neither polite
nor wise to criticize ones host when a guest in any environment.

5) Nothing need be a "shock" to either you or your family if you
*learn* about the culture you are visiting, plan accordingly, and
dont expect that culture to either be like, or *want* to be like,
your own.

Followups to net.followup

Ray Dunn.  ..philabs!micomvax!othervax!ray