Feb 232015
 

Foreign countries are strange

One of the big hangups about traveling, particularly traveling abroad is dealing with the strange customs of foreigners. It is as if just living somewhere foreign gives them permission to be strange. Go figure! Some of if is charming. Who doesn’t love the idea of gondolas and seranading gondoliers? And who can resist the romance when ordinary objects get translated into Italian.

English: Tripe in an Italian market. Some tast...

Image via Wikipedia

Ordinary stuff becomes magical in another language. Still there are risks. you can order something uneatable, like tripe, without knowing. Europeans seem to value tripe much higher than Americans perhaps because it sounds so sexy. It is hard to remember sometimes that the people eating that tripe aren’t Americans. And tripe remains stomach no matter what language you speak.

Ah, there is the problem.

Back when I made my first trip to Europe, we were only 20 years away from Wold War II and at the beginning of the Age of America on the World scene. Europe didn’t take America seriously before the war. We were the big, brash kid that knew his place and deferred to adults otherwise know as Europeans. What the war revealed was that there weren’t any more adults on the world scene and if anybody was going to lead, it would have to be us. Those Europeans never quite adjusted.

What resulted was some awkwardness because we did things right and it ruffled the feathers of the countries that used to dominate. It also meant that the booming post WWII economy freed Americans to roam the world and what we found amazed us. People in those other countries, even the ones our grandparents came from were strange. They weren’t just like us no matter how we might like them to be.

The ugly American

Ugly Americans

Ugly Americans

Immediately, the stereotype of the “ugly American’ was created. The phrase was from a novel and referred to diplomats but us common-folk picked up the image of American tourists traveling the world demanding the same sanitized lifestyle wherever they might be as if they were home. It included the idea that Americans expected the world to adjust to them. No need to learn the native language or customs. American tourists were instantly recognized by their loud, tacky clothes, their loud demanding voices and their lack of respect and appreciation for the places they visit. It wasn’t true then but we naive Americans bought it big time.

40 years ago.

When I first visited Europe, I’d had six years of college indoctrination and was well versed in the failings of America and its culture. My goal was to ingratiate myself with the locals, try not to look like an (ugly) American and demonstrate to my betters that there was actually some culture on the other side of the pond. Naturally, I failed, but it was a good failure. Other than learning to hate the French, it was a good summer.

And now. 

This trip, I’m afraid all the nuance and cultural sensitivity learned in college has worn thin. The respectful college boy is now an old fart. Europe has its charms and I intend to savor them all but on my terms. I don’t intend to apologize about being an American, ugly or otherwise and have no interest in appearing Italian. Italians are fine. I loved them 40 years ago and I fully expect to love them now. I hope to expand my meager command of Italian a bit and show my appreciation for all the great art, architecture and music, Italy has brought the world and my amazement that a city like Venice could ever be created and is still going strong.

In return, I expect to be respected as an American. Without America, Italy and Europe would be a Nazi wasteland. Maybe I don’t need to rub it in but the Italy that Italians love today is a gift of America. Italians may not like having to be bailed out of a disaster but there is no need to be resentful. I won’t rub it in. I don’t expect anything but a great experience in Italy. I’m just saying that when I travel, I am an unashamed American with the intention to embrace the best of everyone I meet. If that’s the ugly American then I’m guilty,

Enhanced by Zemanta

Ralph

Ralph is the inspiration for Cantankerous Old Coots and is our Grand Duke of Cantankerousness

More Posts - Website - Twitter - Facebook

  7 Responses to “That’s not the ugly American; It’s only me.”

  1. You’re gonna love it in Italy. Never been there, but been close if ya count the Bavaria area of Germany. I think you’ll find the Italians love Americans.

  2. Hansi,
    But how do you think Italians will like Cantankerous Old Coots? Seriously, my wife wants to see castles next time. Where do you suggest as a home base city in Germany?

  3. Such a great post! And I think you’re right, the europeans usually think that all the americans are ugly and stupid, they always forget about our role in the 2nd ww.

  4. Julie,
    With age comes wisdom … and a lot more we won’t get into. Suffice it to say that with one thing and another, you don’t put up with as much as you used to.

  5. Err… I won’t think that without the US, Europe (included Italy) would be a nazi wasteland…If somebody has learned the history, or just watched some National Geographic episodes, has to know, that the end of the 2nd world war was much more complicated. The american part was significant, but the main part of the pacification was given by the russian forces. And of course, Great Britain (with Churchill), France and some other small european countries refused the nazi theory and empire as well. Just for some correction, sorry. Btw, the europeans mustn’t think of the american that they are all ugly and fat and stupid. peace.

    • Catwoman,
      No doubt things were complicated after the war ended. But the fact remans that Europe would have been lost to German control without the Americans.

  6. It was funny sometimes to be in a foreign country and try to adopt some of their costumes. This is really funny articles relate much with these when I stepped in first in America.

Leave a Reply to Ralph Cancel reply