I was reading something on an Army Wive Forum. It was about cheating. That woman wrote that her husbands SGT makes them sing chants during PT that their wives would cheat once they are deployed and they'd better be prepared to find out.
Holy lord... that is crazy. It is more than crazy. It's bringing down the moral and builds trust issues and paranoia. I told my fiancee and he read the whole thing. He told me that he got to hear the same thing about German women when he first got here and not just once. That it was an ongoing thing until they found out that he is marrying me and some of them were like "Are you really sure you want to do that?"
I guess there are prejudices on both sides. I am told that Americans are uneducated stupid warmongers that can't even find their own country on a map (don't worry, most Germans couldn't find it either) and that black guys beat their women and he is told that Germans cheat and just want the benefits...what a wonderful prejudice free world we live in.
To be honest, if I was after the benefits I wouldn't marry an American Soldier, yet i can see where that prejudice is coming from. Twenty years ago American Soldiers lived like kings over here. With the dollar being so strong they had so much money that of course it was very attractive to women. Nowadays things changed a lot and you don't marry a Soldier for his money but some dog tag chasers just didn't realize that as of yet and because of these women all of us Germans are cheaters and dog tag chasers... you just gotta love it. Thank god that most of his fellow soldiers who know me, know that I am different and not like that.
Holy lord... that is crazy. It is more than crazy. It's bringing down the moral and builds trust issues and paranoia. I told my fiancee and he read the whole thing. He told me that he got to hear the same thing about German women when he first got here and not just once. That it was an ongoing thing until they found out that he is marrying me and some of them were like "Are you really sure you want to do that?"
I guess there are prejudices on both sides. I am told that Americans are uneducated stupid warmongers that can't even find their own country on a map (don't worry, most Germans couldn't find it either) and that black guys beat their women and he is told that Germans cheat and just want the benefits...what a wonderful prejudice free world we live in.
To be honest, if I was after the benefits I wouldn't marry an American Soldier, yet i can see where that prejudice is coming from. Twenty years ago American Soldiers lived like kings over here. With the dollar being so strong they had so much money that of course it was very attractive to women. Nowadays things changed a lot and you don't marry a Soldier for his money but some dog tag chasers just didn't realize that as of yet and because of these women all of us Germans are cheaters and dog tag chasers... you just gotta love it. Thank god that most of his fellow soldiers who know me, know that I am different and not like that.
2 comments:
Ha, let me add another nice prejudice: In my home town all girls who were only _talking_ with US soldiers were automatically considered to be whores by the other girls. Some of my fellow students did never set one foot in my favourite irish pub, because every now and then you heard an english word there. Totally f*cked up.
OH yeah, tells me about prejudices!! When I first got to the States everyone was asking me if it was true what they were saying about “French women”!! Hmmm??? I still wonder what on earth they are saying about French women; no-one will tell me! Any ideas?
But something that you need to always remember is that no matter where you are “stupidity” is a HUMAN disease, it can touch everyone and in every country around the world. Ignorance is part of it, and also just not asking the questions!
I have seen it in the States toward Europe/France but also in France toward the US/ or the rest of the world! I have heard the silliest things about the French as well as about the Americans. Stereotypes are hard to get rid of and if you are unlucky and get someone who isn’t ready to open their mind!! Then you will end up reading stupid comments like you saw on Army Wife Forum!
I learned a few years back that the best I can do it have a sense of Humor and tease people about what they think they know! Just be open mind and I am sure you will be able to find some interesting people who will tolerant and patient toward you and your husband to be!
Smile and then no-one will have an excuse to be thinking the bad thing that they might think! ;-)
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