--- In Nostratica@yahoogroups.com, Piotr Gasiorowski
<piotr.gasiorowski@...> wrote:

>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <tgpedersen@...>
> To: <Nostratica@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Monday, January 27, 2003 11:30 AM
> Subject: [Nostratica] Re: Gerry!
>
>
>
> > Erh, have you done much travelling in the USA, Piotr? You

shouldn't be so surprised. Gerry's ideas of European geography is
rather the standard view of most Americans.

>
> I could certainly quote some anecdotal stuff from my own experience

(like the astounding question I heard from a Utah-born
Californian: "Do you still have any Native Europeans in Europe?").
Nevertheless, since I'm not sure about the statistics of ignorance, I
prefer to ascribe such ideas and attitudes to individuals rather than
nations. There are already more than enough national stereotypes in
circulation. I know quite a few profoundly ignorant Europeans and
quite a few polymath Americans.

>
> Piotr

This is the version I heard here: American woman: "Do you have as
many problems with your Vikings as we have with our Native
Americans?". Your belief that such beliefs are not statistically
significant does you credit; I'm only conveying my impression based
on twice six moths hitchhiking through the USA and Canada.
Here's a conversation constructed out of several that occurred when I
got a ride:
Driver: "What's your name?"
Me: "Torsten"
"What, Charleston"?
"No, Torsten"?
"Tarzan?"
"No, Torsten"
"All right, but what do your friends call you?"
"That's what they call me"
"OK, I'll call you Mac"
(No, you won't)

I found the latter ("Mac") also in a book by Heyerdahl describing his
experience working as a labourer in Canada. Also Glen did the same in
Cybalist. The way I see it the Americans see themselves as having
escaped from Europe with its wars and petty nationalism, and
therefore all such details should be wiped out and forgotten. Thus:
not just ignorance.

Torsten