[UA] City Swap

[Gaston Phillips]

on 5/22/01 9:38 AM, James McGraw at pdytjem at nottingham.ac.uk wrote:

>>>> gaston at math.sunysb.edu 05/22/01 01:34pm >>>
>> 
>> A substitution of the clean and efficient high speed rail system for the
>> lure of the open highway?
> 
> So that'd be _continental_ Europe, then...
> 

I saw _Almost Famous_ in France.  I and the other American were amazed.  I
was bouncing off the walls of the RER, shouting Led Zeppelin lyrics.  My
French friend, meanwhile, was nonplussed.  He shrugged, lit a cigarette, and
said the story wasn't anything special.  Nice film, but hardly memorable.

I made the accusation, "You don't believe in Rock and Roll!"

"Sure I do," he said.

"No way.  Not like I do.  You can't.  You're European.  Rock doesn't exist
in Europe.  Never has, never will."

"That's rediculous.  What about the Beatles, and the Rolling Stones?"

"England isn't Europe.  They don't want anything to do with you
accordion-playing espresso swillers."

And, as he realized that Europe, in politely declining its EU membership,
had denied Europe any claim to a Rock and Roll heritage, he wwas silent.

I didn't think the English considered themselves 'European' - though I guess
there's a phraseology difference.  Just like 'The English Channel' becomes
'The Channel' in French, 'Europe' in French becomes 'Continental Europe' in
British.

gaston

gaston


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