Expat or Immigrant

[Ian Forbes]

I can never understand why fans get so bent out of shape at a professional sporting match, be it: soccer, baseball, rugby, football, cricket, or what ever. It is just guys playing children's games for FAR too much money. It's just entertainment, like going to the movies or playing video games. Just appreciate it for what it is and enjoy the skill of the players involved.

 

[MarcTwoSix]

I can never understand why fans get so bent out of shape at a professional sporting match, be it: soccer, baseball, rugby, football, cricket, or what ever. It is just guys playing children's games for FAR too much money. It's just entertainment, like going to the movies or playing video games. Just appreciate it for what it is and enjoy the skill of the players involved.

Because some people don't look at sport as art....

For better or worse, some regions look at it as part of the community......bringing people together

 

[Ian Forbes]

Because some people don't look at sport as art....

For better or worse, some regions look at it as part of the community......bringing people together

That might be true of the lowest level of sport, at say high school days, when everyone attended the same school, but when teams with lots of money start recruiting from elsewhere then it becomes a business of making more money, but using "sport" as the medium. That is so true with college level football in the USA. It is so evident when the big name schools play lesser colleges, and you have scores like 56 to 3, or similar.

Then, at the professional level, there is no loyalty on behalf of players or teams. Players get traded like pieces of meat in a market, and good players switch teams to get enormous salaries.

 

[MarcTwoSix]

That might be true of the lowest level of sport, at say high school days, when everyone attended the same school, but when teams with lots of money start recruiting from elsewhere then it becomes a business of making more money, but using "sport" as the medium. That is so true with college level football in the USA. It is so evident when the big name schools play lesser colleges, and you have scores like 56 to 3, or similar.

Then, at the professional level, there is no loyalty on behalf of players or teams. Players get traded like pieces of meat in a market, and good players switch teams to get enormous salaries.

Your jealousy of people who make money is making you not understand what is being said.

It's not about how money players make......that's not the conversation.
It's about the people who root for the team and why.

See.....some people don't have a constant jealousy of people who make money so they aren't factoring that into their fandom.

The conversation we are having now is about the World Baseball Classic.
There are guys playing that make 10-15million dollars a year and play for free for their country because it means something to them.

 

[Ian Forbes]

Your jealousy of people who make money is making you not understand what is being said.

It's not about how money players make......that's not the conversation.
It's about the people who root for the team and why.

See.....some people don't have a constant jealousy of people who make money so they aren't factoring that into their fandom.

The conversation we are having now is about the World Baseball Classic.
There are guys playing that make 10-15million dollars a year and play for free for their country because it means something to them.

You have always completely misjudged me. I don't give a fuck about how much money someone makes or has. Wealth does not interest me at all. I give most of what I have away. However, I do understand business and why it operates. In professional sport there is no loyalty. And, I have no doubt in my mind that in football at the college level in the USA it is ALL about money.

When I was a youth I played lots of sports. I've always enjoyed watching sport on TV, and my favourite is NFL or CFL football. However, paying to watch a game, when I don't know who is going to put in a good effort on any given day, does not interest me. I like value for my money, and just to say I attended some game that might turn into a lousy contest, is not good value for me.

I might have my favourite teams, and I like to see a well matched contest, but I still like to see the best team win on any given day. I don't want to see mismatched teams try to put on a silly contest when you know who is going to win.

 

[MarcTwoSix]

You have always completely misjudged me. I don't give a fuck about how much money someone makes or has. Wealth does not interest me at all. I give most of what I have away. However, I do understand business and why it operates. In professional sport there is no loyalty. And, I have no doubt in my mind that in football at the college level in the USA it is ALL about money.

When I was a youth I played lots of sports. I've always enjoyed watching sport on TV, and my favourite is NFL or CFL football. However, paying to watch a game, when I don't know who is going to put in a good effort on any given day, does not interest me. I like value for my money, and just to say I attended some game that might turn into a lousy contest, is not good value for me.

I might have my favourite teams, and I like to see a well matched contest, but I still like to see the best team win on any given day. I don't want to see mismatched teams try to put on a silly contest when you know who is going to win.

You don't care about how much money someone makes or has but constantly comment on how much someone has or makes......so you are at odds with yourself.

You have a very bad habit of dismissing things that you don't have an interest in as waste of time or in this example, as somehow people going to games just to say they went.

You've done it many times before when commenting about people just showing off when you buy expensive camera equipment....but somehow that is not showing off because you have an interest.

You are an interesting guy with some interesting hobbies......you really should learn to not dismiss things just because you don't have an interest in them. Especially since you are the type of person that likes to talk about what interests you a lot.

 

[Zablive]

To get back on track - we expats are definitely "non-immigrants" that's what our Visas/Extensions state.
To me an expat is someone who lives away (mostly) from his country of birth.

M26 is, Forbes isn't (tourist).

 

[Ian Forbes]

Okay, we can agree to disagree. I don't need to comment on anything, and just allow this forum to die a quiet death like so many other forums have done in the past.

You and I are on completely different wave lengths in interests. You are a city guy and I'm a bush ranger who sometimes spends time in cities. I don't dismiss anyone or their interests. That is entirely up to them. I don't care if someone wants to smoke, drink to excess, takes mind altering drugs, or do what ever. They can eat themselves into obesity as far as I'm concerned. It is not going to affect my life one tiny little bit. It is up to them. I just post what interests me. And, I DO understand people. I've spent 70 plus years studying them and try to figure out why they act the way they do. There are usually good reasons. The ONLY thing that concerns me is how people treat others around them. I really can't understand animosity towards others for no apparent reason. You have to start digging before the reasons become clear.

 

[Ian Forbes]

To get back on track - we expats are definitely "non-immigrants" that's what our Visas/Extensions state.
To me an expat is someone who lives away (mostly) from his country of birth.

M26 is, Forbes isn't (tourist).

Correct. I'll never be an expat because I love two places almost equally, but only one can I call home. Thailand does not even want me in their country. They've made that abundantly clear. Thailand would much prefer I just sent money and stayed away.

 

[MarcTwoSix]

To get back on track - we expats are definitely "non-immigrants" that's what our Visas/Extensions state.
To me an expat is someone who lives away (mostly) from his country of birth.

M26 is, Forbes isn't (tourist).

I'm an expat by definition but I don't think of myself as an expat because of the similarities of where I live.

I just think of expats of living in a much different culture than their own.

 

[MarcTwoSix]

To get back on track - we expats are definitely "non-immigrants" that's what our Visas/Extensions state.
To me an expat is someone who lives away (mostly) from his country of birth.

M26 is, Forbes isn't (tourist).

By the way.....why doe the distinction actually matter?
Just seems something for people to puff their chest out.....for god knows what reason.

I think being an expat is pretty cool, living in another country is great.....especially in such a different country.

But i don't think that it is any better than the person staying at home enjoying his life there.

And honestly.....I think Forbes has an ideal situation......one that I am highly envious of.

If I could choose.....I'd to spend half the year at "home" and the other half living away

I have a deal at work on table that I can spend about 60% in Vancouver and 40% in Thailand.
It's a great deal but I have too many things going on at work to be able to take advantage of that at the moment and don't see me being able to for at least another year.
And I'd only be doing that for relationship reasons.....not just to spend that extra time in Thailand.

But if things work out and i could down the road.....that would be great

 

[Ian Forbes]

No, the distinction should NOT matter.

As I keep saying, everyone is different. What someone loves would drive someone else, bonkers. I love the mountains. Other people love the ocean. I can only take sitting on a beach for one day. I would never use a swimming pool, but others love them. Some people are quite content living in Nakhon Nowhere. It would drive me crazy. The real reason I love Chiang Mai is because of its nearby mountain, Doi Sutthep. It reminds me a lot of Vancouver where I grew up... Grouse mountain was right outside my back door. Grouse mountain and Doi Sutthep are similar in height, and there is a semi-wilderness on Doi Sutthep if you hike a little. I enjoy a lot of sex. I can't get that in Canada, or at least not with anyone I find attractive. It is available everywhere in Thailand.

 

[Zablive]

The question was asked to open this Thread/discussion.!

In Canada I was both - a "Landed Immigrant" and of course an Expat.

 

[MarcTwoSix]

The question was asked to open this Thread/discussion.!

In Canada I was both - a "Landed Immigrant" and of course an Expat.

Yeah....by a BM who clearly felt he was special because he was an expat and took a huge part of his identity from it.
So......I took it more of him starting a circle jerk than any actual search for s a sort of credible findings

Literally .....who would give a rat's ass if you werw thought of as am immigrant or an expat
As you said.....we are both in Canada and I give it all of zero thought except every 3 years when renewing my work permit.

 

[Ian Forbes]

As a born and raised Canadian, from Canadian parents, I was always happy to see immigrants from other countries, BUT ONLY THOSE THAT ACTUALLY WANTED TO BECOME CITIZENS AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE COUNTRY!! I was never impressed with people who moved to Canada to collect some of its wealth and health benefits, but never wanted to adapt to Canadian laws and standards of ethics.

Canada is far too generous to some immigrants who basically want to live as foreigners within the country. A LONG time ago I would have made a law that if an immigrant to Canada ever broke a serious law: rape, murder, grand theft, assault etc, within 10 years of arrival, then they and their family would immediately be sent back to wherever they came from... and totally bypass our far to lenient court system.

 

[Ian Forbes]

Thailand makes it next to impossible to become an immigrant, so the original question doesn't hold a lot of weight. It's even easier to become a citizen of just about anywhere else but Thailand.

 

[Quarky]

I think it may come across as jealousy about rich people from Ian's point of view.. but really he means cynicism... he doesn't like the cynicism money brings.. no true allegiance to a team (if sport) no caring for the community (if business) though of course there are exceptions.. And the cynicism is correct in a lot of cases... if looking at soccer... loyalty to a team as far as players is concerned is a rare breed these days... they follow the money... or perceived trophy-making ability of the team... rather than playing for the teams they supported as a kid. Go back 30 years and most players in an English first division team were English... now you find teams with no English players at all...

 

[Ian Forbes]

I think it may come across as jealousy about rich people from Ian's point of view.. but really he means cynicism... he doesn't like the cynicism money brings.. no true allegiance to a team (if sport) no caring for the community (if business) though of course there are exceptions.. And the cynicism is correct in a lot of cases... if looking at soccer... loyalty to a team as far as players is concerned is a rare breed these days... they follow the money... or perceived trophy-making ability of the team... rather than playing for the teams they supported as a kid. Go back 30 years and most players in an English first division team were English... now you find teams with no English players at all...

Exactly the point I was making. I don't care, but it is a bit much to expect fans to be loyal when neither the players nor the team owners are loyal. The Olympics is one of the few times that players will play for free and the glory of the game. And, even the Olympics is bastardized today. Chariots of Fire was a great movie about the glory days of sport.