Originally Posted by Amaranta
You know, I've had more or less the same problem. (Thing is, I'm totally unable to understand why someone from Europe would *want* to move to America in the first place :o , but I guess this is a matter of priorities.)
Then I found out that the guy in question had moved out in the mid 'wild west' nineties, because his father couldn't keep up with the money he was earning. He never went back. Now, I've been in Russia (though admittedly in Petersburg, which happens to be my favourite place in the world - I just know some of you will start arguing about how Petersburg is *not* Russia, which of course might be true, but this is not my point) but he just laughed at me when I tried to explain my feelings.
His reaction made me so sad that I gave up talking with him altogether. While I can understand his bitterness, I can't accept that someone could condemn their country so easily, especially when they left it in a time of crisis, of transition. He even refused to speak Russian, saying that it was 'a useless language', which drove me quite mad.