Buy him a bottle of Diamond White.

I cannot imagine what it feels like, to have a patronizing attitude to such extent as to expect somebody to befriend me because they are: lost, desperate, needy...or whatever these assumptions are. I have local friends picking my brains to figure out how to go about things. Maybe it is the EE rough times prep, or maybe it is just common sense..but I do not think that the stereotype of a lost or calculating foreigner holds up anymore, tbh. While I relate to loyalty and reliability here, it gels with me and I appreciate it myself, I also see locals ditching nostalgia and risk aversion..and venturing out of their old friend comfort zone, to foreigners, also because they are available while their kindy friends hesitantly and slowly pulling out their months worth overbooked calendars. At the end of the day, kindness is all that matters, even if it is not reciprocated. Investments makes us better folk and gratitude kills negativity. Time is a biatch, but random good deeds are not so time consuming. Keeps the community together.

__________________
"L'homme ne peut pas remplacer son coeur avec sa tete, ni sa tete avec ses mains." J.H.Pestalozzi

ἀρχὴ ἥμισυ παντός

It a book that was required reading in high-school.

"Explanation of the novel's title

The title is a reference to a fictional bureaucratic stipulation which embodies forms of illogical and immoral reasoning.[7] The opening chapter of the novel was originally published in New World Writing as Catch-18 in 1955, but Heller's agent, Candida Donadio, requested that he change the title of the novel, so it would not be confused with another recently published World War II novel, Leon Uris's Mila 18.[18] The number 18 has special meaning in Judaism (it means Alive in Gematria; see Chai) and was relevant to early drafts of the novel which had a somewhat greater Jewish emphasis.[19]

The title Catch-11 was suggested, with the duplicated 1 paralleling the repetition found in a number of character exchanges in the novel, but because of the release of the 1960 movie Ocean's Eleven, this was also rejected.[18] Catch-17 was rejected so as not to be confused with the World War II film Stalag 17, as was Catch-14, apparently because the publisher did not feel that 14 was a "funny number." Eventually, the title came to be Catch-22, which, like 11, has a duplicated digit, with the 2 also referring to a number of déjà vu-like events common in the novel.[19]"

And a movie starring Alan Arkin.

I've read the book and seen the movie, both several times.

Tom

It's the American equivalent of "Heidi".

Tom

Yeah, me neither. On second-thoughts though, I'm not even sure if it's a patronising attitude or whether it is specific for the "locals" (but that's another discussion alltogether). I think some people really want to be kind, more inclusive or open, or whatever...but that's not good enough for a "beautiful friendship" :-), at least not in my book. But then again, there are friends...and friends, one learns to enjoy some good time and not think further. I like to give back at least what I received, if not more..it's only natural.

Thanks, Tomasso. We can count on you. :-) It's interesting you had to read this novel in school, had no idea...trying to do a quick mental comparison with my list of compulsory school reading - negative, nope, didn't find any equivalent of Catch22! :ROFL: We're at "Heidi" level. I'm kidding, but will check if they included The Bald Soprano and a few more - they should've. lol.

So the editors settled for the hidden, repetitive beauty of number 22. It almost sounds like it couldn't have been any other way now. :-) People get used with everything.

Two stereotypers bitching about assumed other people's stereotyping.

Thank you for making my day.

And you shush with yer stereotypes, stereotyper

"Beautiful frienship" made me chuckle. That's a myth! People just gotta make me laugh. I am easy.

You're welcome. I feel so special you singled us out.


Btw, read doropfiz's manual of handling the Swiss - elaborated by an "observant" Swiss (thanks MC), and some other posts...you made me laugh too. Enjoy your day. :-)

Having been here and fully getting on with it for a long time, I can confirm the following.... wow, what a lot of bull$hit your teacher said!

Who needs friends like those????

As a Swiss, I find the "manual" rather amusing (and slightly disturbing). I do wonder if the teacher was Swiss...

It reads like instructions on how to carefully, slooowly approach a dangerous animal and avoid for it to feel threatened

Am I the only one who just cares about normal social behavior and doesn't particularly distinguish between Swiss and non-Swiss? It quite literally never crossed my mind that I would need to tailor my approach when trying to establish a new friendship of sorts.

The other thing is one won't make a friend adapting to behaviour one (THINKS) is what the other person wants.

When I meet people I gotta be me. Those who stick might become close friends

Definitely not. But it's EF for Pete's sake, just go with the flow...

I don't doubt doropfiz (or at least I guess she's saying it as she knows it), but I think it might or could be a matter of generations. Or just about some peculiar Swiss, we can safely agree that people are different.

Exactly - and you make friends with a Swiss person, like you make friends with anyone, anywhere.