Joyce Giraud Quotes

For a foreigner, L.A. is such a big, wonderful and weird place that, until you find your niche, you feel a little bit discombobulated.

The only time I used to feel like an outsider was when I first went to India.

One of the things I had a hard time getting used to when I came to California in '78 was Santa Claus in shorts.

When I first got here, I thought L.A. sucked. I hated it. I had this pretentious Manhattan thing. But now I've made such a life here, and I'm so happy here. They're just really different places. I can't really compare them because there's great things about both of them.

When I moved to Bombay, it was very harsh. I was nothing like what I am today. I couldn't speak a word of English. In England, people might be very understanding about that, but in Bombay, they're not very forgiving. 'If you don't speak English, how do you expect to work in Hindi films?'

My father sort of relented. He saw Rajiv, and he said he is a good man. But his more worried about his daughter, because I was going far to a place completely different... with completely different customs. He felt that perhaps I would not be able to accustom to these new ways.

When I came to America, I had some surprises at first, but I could soon adjust.

When you go to a new country, you don't have the same facilities as you had in the one before. You adapt very quickly to the circumstances.

It was a big step for me to take, going away from my family to go and play in a different culture, and I understand why people don't do it.

I have a lot of traditional values I follow personally, which was hard to deal with when I first moved to L.A.

Moving to France is not the hard part. Living here is more difficult. Of course there are many benefits but it's not always easy especially if you don't speak the language.

I think there's a difference between somebody who grows up in Paris or London and goes to Los Angeles. But if you grow up in the green fields, and you rarely go into the city, you're so overprotected that when you do go to L.A., it's almost a bigger slap in the head.

I must admit I suffered a bit when I first came to England. But then I realised that there was nothing to be intimidated by, everybody had two legs.

I landed in New Jersey, where I could barely speak English, and I had to figure out what a short brown kid was going to do in this big white world.

Everything has changed since I came to China.

My dream, play in NBA. When I come here, very difficult for me. It's new country, new language. But is still basketball for me.

Going to the U.A.E. for the first time was a real cultural shock. Everything was different. People didn't speak my language, it was all new, a huge change. But I loved it.

I've had tough times before. Leaving Brazil when I was so young, saying goodbye to my family and friends to go to another culture, that was so difficult.

It was tough moving to Italy so young. You don't have much experience of life, you are leaving your family and everything behind to go to another country and another culture.

Life in England was a bit difficult. It is not easy for a South American. Some people get on fine, and for others, it is harder to adapt.

Beveren helped me a lot to adjust to Europe.

The biggest thing for Asian players to remember is the football style is different in Europe - as is the culture - so they have to accept that. Mentally, they need to be ready and very strong.

Everyone thinks living abroad is fun... The ideal life. Take it from me - it's tough.

I am American. If you drop me in Seoul, I don't think I'm going to thrive there.

The gentle reader will never, never know what a consummate ass he can become until he goes abroad. I speak now, of course, in the supposition that the gentle reader has not been abroad, and therefore is not already a consummate ass. If the case be otherwise, I beg his pardon and extend to him the cordial hand of fellowship and call him brother.