# To you International Ladies



## SkylarV217 (Jun 30, 2008)

I've traveled abroad and such and have heard several times that when American's are in other countries you can spot them from a mile away. Is this true, if so why do we stand out .... and is it annoyinf


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## captodometer (Jun 30, 2008)

I'm American, but I can probably give you a partial answer.  I have traveled extensively and currently live in New Zealand.  No one ever thinks that I am American: most Kiwis and Europeans think that I am Canadian or British.  A few Kiwis think that I'm Indian: I'm African-American but there are very few people of African descent here.

It probably has to do with attitude and presentation. Don't want to generalize too much, but in comparison to other Western cultures, Americans tend to be kind of loud, obnoxious, and underdressed for the occasion.  And probably kind of isolationist/inward thinking to boot.  

Not saying that you have any of the qualities that I listed above, but there is something that easily identifies yous as American.  I can easily pick out the American tourists here and abroad when I travel.  It's not the accent: most of the Americans I have encountered in my adult life sound Canadian because I spent half my life living in states that border Canada.

You are very un-American in one aspect: you have traveled overseas
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





The majority of Americans live within 6 hours of where they were born, and don't have a passport.


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## ms_bloom (Jun 30, 2008)

Please don't take this the wrong way, I have family and close friends who live and were raised in the States ... but Americans are LOUD. Seriously. I've been in airports and on planes with Americans who talk loudly about quite personal things - not offensive topics, but things I would not want to discuss at that volume level in an airport. Relationships, finances, etc. There seems to be this larger than life quality that intrudes on others' personal space. Annoying? Yes. Is every American like this? No.


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## spectrolite (Jun 30, 2008)

I'm an American who's been living overseas for the past 13 years. I think the stereotype of the loud, rowdy American is a bit wrong. I see plenty of loud, obnoxious people from many cultures and countries on a daily basis. I work about 5 minutes from a University and I have Americans, Irish, Canadians, French, Chinese, etc customers coming in all the time - students and families of students as well as tourists. The Americans who have come in are generally very lovely people and don't stand out more than anyone else apart from the accent which gets confused for Canadian 99% of the time anyway.

Perhaps with the current world view on Americans being somewhat negative, travelers are making an effort to break out of the stereotype? I think that making generalizations is pretty stupid. I for one have always tried to be polite and courteous where ever I go.


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## florabundance (Jun 30, 2008)

I can never really tell American tourists from any others because London is one of the most multicultural places, so I never really assume anyone is from anywhere until i've spoken with them.
However, the few times i've encountered American tourists, they have been quite loud, but I wouldn't say obnoxious...they always seem excited lol


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## vocaltest (Jun 30, 2008)

Personally I don't think its true! I mean yeah... I've walked past the occasional noisy one but I don't think 'omg, noisy americans'. I tell you who IS noisy though.... I live near/am at uni in Canterbury which has the oldest cathedral in the UK, i think its the oldest, but yeah... LOADS of french or italian school children there on school trips, and they run everywhere, walk into you, run into you, shout so loud, get in the way, and they buy these mouth piece things which make bird noises/whistle noises and its SO SO SO loud. when i'm in a bad mood trying to get from A to B in canterbury, I just wish I had a handy flatpacked bulldozer so i can ride it down there and move them out my way hahaha. 

but anyway no... i don't think americans are loud!


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## SkylarV217 (Jun 30, 2008)

I had actually heard that it was obvious in the way we walk and carry ourselves and something about the attitude of women... and confidence... I know many places in the world are not as liberal in the women's movement as the US and the UK. I had never thought about us being loud and such lol .... I know a lot of people are that way .... and a lot of us Americans find it obnoxious and annoying too!


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## Nox (Jun 30, 2008)

I have traveled alot and I do notice that it is a small number of Americans who catch the attention of the locals in a negative way.  Some of them are considered rude when they are abroad, and I'm sure those are the same people who are considered just as rude at home.  Yet, those are the few that contribute to the bad rep Americans get abroad.

As far as observed mannerisms go, I notice that American women (depending on where they travel to, like Southern Europe, or Asia) tend to be considered less graceful than the local women, simply because American women may not adhere to what the culture finds "feminine".  It could be the gait, it could be sitting posture, volume of speech, presentation, clothing, amount of skin showing, hair length, whatever.

I think wherever we happen to go, we have to remember a few things:
__________________________

-Know what not to do in the place you're in.  Learn an acceptable way to apologize if their has been a faux pas committed.

-Try to learn at least basic conversational bits in the local language(s).  People can get miffed with a quickness if you come at them in the street expecting to exchange information in English.  I understand that when travelers are lost or stressed, it slips out and it happens.  However, I don't know anywhere in the world where that is considered proper.

-"When in Rome, do as the Romans do."  

-The place you visit is arranged to make the locals feel comfortable, not to make _'you'_ feel comfortable.


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## SkylarV217 (Jun 30, 2008)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *Nox* 

 
_

-Try to learn at least basic conversational bits in the local language(s).  People can get miffed with a quickness if you come at them in the street expecting to exchange information in English.  I understand that when travelers are lost or stressed, it slips out and it happens.  However, I don't know anywhere in the world where that is considered proper.
._

 
 I couldn't agree more even when you are in a country where most people know English ( Like Greece )  You still neek to know " Do you speak English" Please, and Thank You  in Greek!  It's rude to just start speaking in English and respect a response


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## chrissyclass (Jul 1, 2008)

I consider myself very well traveled and I just came from Hong Kong and they are the loudest people I've ever come across. I'm talking yelling and screaming is a normal conversation.

Their kinda loud talkers in S.Korea too.


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## LMD84 (Jul 1, 2008)

generally the only way i can tell if somebody is a traveller is if they are wearing a back pack on tehir front rather than back!! when i was in london last month the amount of people doing thsi was insane! seriously i'm concious of lifters too but no need for front wearing back packs! hee hee! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




but that's not aimed at just americans - it's all tarvellers in general.

oh and in lincoln (where i live) we have lots of visters becausse people love our catherdral and you can always tell because they have our lincoln city maps in hand. and generally you don't need a map for lincoln! it's called a city but is very very small!!!


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## nek0 (Jul 1, 2008)

well, something I sometimes see in American tourists (not all, of course), is the socks with sandals thing


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## BarrelOfDonkeys (Jul 1, 2008)

Well I'm not overseas so I probably don't count, but I find it really easy to spot American tourists versus tourists from other countries, especially the ones that come in on the cruise ships. They tend to walk very slowly in groups of seven or eight and stick very close to their little group. They also pretty much always wear jackets even when it's like 20+ degrees out and I've seen more than a few of them walking out into traffic when there's a red light.


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## jbid (Jul 1, 2008)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *nek0* 

 
_well, something I sometimes see in American tourists (not all, of course), is the socks with sandals thing 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	


_

 
that's what i was going to say. and the arrogant attitude. 
no offense, just generalizing.


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## LMD84 (Jul 1, 2008)

many people in the uk wear socks and sandals! makes me chuckle when i see guys doing that... looks tragic!


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## Lapis (Jul 1, 2008)

Ok I live in the US but I'm not from here and the one thing that I'm repeatedly told is I must speak louder, even if I'm ordering a meal the waiter will generally have me repeat atleast once and english is my first language and I don't have a strong accent, so the loud thing stands out to me, both before I lived here and now living here


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## BarrelOfDonkeys (Jul 1, 2008)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *Lapis* 

 
_Ok I live in the US but I'm not from here and the one thing that I'm repeatedly told is I must speak louder, even if I'm ordering a meal the waiter will generally have me repeat atleast once and english is my first language and I don't have a strong accent, so the loud thing stands out to me, both before I lived here and now living here_

 
Yeah I work in a store and I've noticed that American customers tend to tell me to speak louder a lot more often than local customers do. I don't get it.


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## seonmi (Jul 1, 2008)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *Lapis* 

 
_Ok I live in the US but I'm not from here and the one thing that I'm repeatedly told is I must speak louder, even if I'm ordering a meal the waiter will generally have me repeat atleast once and english is my first language and I don't have a strong accent, so the loud thing stands out to me, both before I lived here and now living here_

 
I got told the same thing at work, too. I have an internship this summer and the only not-positive feedback people there have for me is I need to speak up. I'm not American and even compared to other people in my country, I am not loud either so it's quite hard for me to talk loudly. But English is not my mother toungue, so it may be one of the factors. 
About the topic, I've travelled outside the U.S. quite a lot since I came here. I would say Americans are typically the loudiest among Western people, so I'm not comparing with Chinese or any other Asians. One of the things you need to consider when making that comparison is that the difference between languages. For example, to you guys, Asian languages sound like screaming and stuff. And my boyfriend studies Chinese and he said Chinese with Hong Kong accent (and another accent but I don't remember) is one of the most terrible for your ears (no offense to those from Hong Kong, it was just his observation during a couple of months in China). 
Beside from being relatively loud, Americans have a high threshold for cold weather 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 I started paying attention to that when my German friend said so to me and I have to agree with her. A lot of Americans just wear flipflops and a small hoodie while it is freezing.
Other stuff, I totally agree with the first 2 replies from Captodometer and ms_bloom. But I don't really want to generalize things because there are sweet and lovely Americans, too.


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## NatalieMT (Jul 1, 2008)

Where I live is a really tourist orientated city. It's called Chester and it's a really historical place hence why everyone wants to visit! We get mainly a lot of Japanese, Spanish and American people.

The Japanese are all very nice, very pleasant and curtious. All they seem to want to do is take photos of everything and anything. So they are pretty easy to spot. The Spanish come is huge school groups and no offence meant by this but I find them quite rude. They are all particularly rowdy and manage to take up pretty much the entire street without letting anyone get past. If I was away on a college trip the group I was in would always huddle together to make sure we weren't inconviniencing the rest of the public.

As for Americans, all the Americans I've met in America whilst I've been there have been absolutely lovely. Really friendly and chatty usually! But when Americans are over here I just don't think they understand us English people are generally quite reserved. I remember in a cafe once and these two American ladies were shouting across the cafe to each other and honestly I wanted to duct tape both of their mouths shut. I just thought it was something locals wouldn't have been doing. I also agree with comments that Americans seem to hold indepth personal conversations in ear-shot of a lot of people for example on aeroplanes. Fair enough that's their choice though, it's not exactly 'wrong'.

But yeah I've been a tourist and will continue to be a tourist when on holiday and I just think it's important to try and go with the flow as much as possible, trying to fit in and making an effort to speak a foreign language etc. I little effort does go a long way and makes people generally more receptive of you.


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## JustDivine (Jul 1, 2008)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *NatalieMT* 

 
_Where I live is a really tourist orientated city. It's called Chester and it's a really historical place hence why everyone wants to visit! We get mainly a lot of Japanese, Spanish and American people.

The Japanese are all very nice, very pleasant and curtious. All they seem to want to do is take photos of everything and anything. So they are pretty easy to spot. The Spanish come is huge school groups and no offence meant by this but I find them quite rude. *They are all particularly rowdy and manage to take up pretty much the entire street without letting anyone get past. If I was away on a college trip the group I was in would always huddle together to make sure we weren't inconviniencing the rest of the public.*

As for Americans, all the Americans I've met in America whilst I've been there have been absolutely lovely. Really friendly and chatty usually! *But when Americans are over here I just don't think they understand us English people are generally quite reserved.* I remember in a cafe once and these two American ladies were shouting across the cafe to each other and *honestly I wanted to duct tape both of their mouths shut. *I just thought it was something locals wouldn't have been doing. I also agree with comments that Americans seem to hold indepth personal conversations in ear-shot of a lot of people for example on aeroplanes. Fair enough that's their choice though, it's not exactly 'wrong'.

But yeah I've been a tourist and will continue to be a tourist when on holiday and I just think it's important to try and go with the flow as much as possible, trying to fit in and making an effort to speak a foreign language etc. I little effort does go a long way and makes people generally more receptive of you._

 
You are spot on...on all counts!
Having travelled a lot, and lived abroad, I think this is my perception too. 

Americans can be very loud, obnoxious and the opposite of the reserved British! I can normally spot them by the shorts, bumbag( or whatever its called) and rainmac in London! Then if I can't spot them, you bet I'll hear them. Sometimes I have felt like gagging America tourists on the bus....I had to go upstairs cos the noise was getting on my nerves. I seriously can't bear it. I'm not fond of the accent either I guess.

Re:spanish......I'm not too familiar with them per se. However, the courteous British nature is not common across Europe. Having spent the last year living in Belgium where.....people do not respect queues (esp at bus stops), people spread themselves across the pavement and do not feel that they should move to let you pass. At times I have had to barge people and not look back because they can see you coming but will not move. I find it disgraceful


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## DirtyPlum (Jul 1, 2008)

I have had the pleasure of meeting American tourists and I have to say that I dont think you can tell they are American in the way they walk etc but def agree with the talking loud and the socks/sandals... and the older couples wearing full white tracksuits... and in the UK, their tans usually give it away! 

There is nothing wrong with them talking loud... I guess it just comes down to the accent, its such a contrast to the British accent... I think that makes it sound more loud/emphasised.  I have heard that the Americans talk from the front of their mouths, the British the middle and the Australians from the back of their mouths...

I have found the American people I have come across to be so friendly - I met this lovely old couple on the train last week and they got chatting to me on the very busy train... and yes they were talking loudly and yes it was about where they could find a laundry (their hotel didnt have one, rubbish I know!) to wash their clothes, as they had worn the clothes and it had been a very warm couple of days... I kinda thought - ok too much info but obviously it was important to them.

So what do ppl think of us Brits..?  Can you spot us a mile off?


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## Shaquille (Jul 1, 2008)

I agree with *ms_bloom* that Americans are loud. No offense though, just my humble opinion. When I lived in the Netherlands, I went to Amsterdam a lot, and I could easily notice Americans around me just by their loudness. I am actually surprised that I'm not the only one who feels that way 'cause I've never really talked about this with anyone. 

I cannot tell the difference in North American accents - Canadian, American (okay, I can spot the country accent of Texas or Alabama, but that's it). 
So once I was on Emirates plane, there was this blond-hair stewardess that spoke English with no accent. She didn't speak loudly, so I thought she was Canadian. When I asked her if she was Canadian, she said "no I'm Swiss, but I lived in Vancouver for awhile".

I do admit that loud Americans are annoying. Sorry if anyone got offended

Anyways, *DirtyPlum* Brits are not easy to spot unless I hear the accent..


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## Susanne (Jul 1, 2008)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *SkylarV217* 

 
_I've traveled abroad and such and have heard several times that when American's are in other countries you can spot them from a mile away. Is this true, if so why do we stand out .... and is it annoyinf_

 
  LOL - I thought we Germans would stand out abroad


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## Shaquille (Jul 1, 2008)

I can spot Germans easily just because I speak Dutch


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## JustDivine (Jul 1, 2008)

I think the thing about the Brits is that because so many ethnicities can be British....it's harder to spot a Brit abroad. Plus even the "English" Brits...I dont think attract a lot of attention unless they're in Spain...then you can really pick em out!

I think if you say spot an "English" abroad rather than a Brit. Being British is a civic identity not a cultural/ethnic one. Think about Black British or Asian British....your first thought on seeing them wouldn't be that they are British


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## glam8babe (Jul 1, 2008)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *JustDivine* 

 
_You are spot on...on all counts!
Having travelled a lot, and lived abroad, I think this is my perception too. 

Americans can be very loud, obnoxious and the opposite of the reserved British! I can normally spot them by the shorts, *bumbag( or whatever its called)* and rainmac in London! Then if I can't spot them, you bet I'll hear them. S_

 
haha they call them 'fannypacks' which reminds me, i remember i used to watch sabrina the teenage witch years ago and she was singin a song 'shake ya wammy fanny funky song' or somthing and they had to mute it when she said 'fanny' haha rude


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## user79 (Jul 1, 2008)

I can usually tell by their accents and the way they dress. Especially if they wear sweatshirts from colleges, baseball caps, and also their shoes. Of course I'm sure some fall under the radar, but that's how Americans stick out to me.


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## stacey4415 (Jul 1, 2008)

This is in no way a stereoptype, thus please don't say i have, but when i've encountered Americans in London they've been very loud, and also very rude, ie pushing into queues, obviously one is also able to tell an American by their accent, and certain word choices


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## stacey4415 (Jul 1, 2008)

I think it's easy to tell , certainly English when they are abroad, often wearing/displaying some form of St George's flag, namely, and usually, the football shirt!


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## stacey4415 (Jul 1, 2008)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *NatalieMT* 

 
_he Spanish come is huge school groups and no offence meant by this but I find them quite rude._

 

I also think this
When i went to Barcelona, i found the Spanish i encountered were rude, especially the children, on one occasion we were at a theme park, and like i said earlier, they seemed to enjoy pushing in queues etcetera


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## stacey4415 (Jul 1, 2008)

Oh and you can often tell an American, or any other country where it's warm, i guess, as in the warm weather, or at least, English warm weather they often have clothes on which we would wear in winter/spring


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## pinkvanilla (Jul 1, 2008)

As *MissChievous* said, I would have to go with the way American's dress! Nothing wrong with it or anything, it just stands out


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## Corvs Queen (Jul 1, 2008)

Sometimes I feel like a fish out of water living here. I am from the South (North Carolina) and even the people that speak english here don't understand me the first time 'round. Also, I am a jeans an t-shirt kind of gal and I love wearing my Birkenstock clogs and bright hoodies. Very American Eagle but anyway, women over here dress tacky in my opinion. Lots of Orange and Olive Green. Also, metallic bags with studs on them. ICK! I suppose I look, dowdy, talk loud, and point too much but I must say, I DON'T CARE. I am American and I don't care if I fall into stereotypes that others may have about my home land. I don't speak German and I always order in English even though I understand what someone says to me in German. Speech wise not written.


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## Corvs Queen (Jul 1, 2008)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *stacey4415* 

 
_ and also very rude, ie pushing into queues_

 
As a southerner I would NEVER, EVER push someone. I had a hard time when I first moved here because people here don't care if they touch you or violate your personal space. If you don't know me, DON'T TOUCH ME!!! I would never push someone.


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## SkylarV217 (Jul 1, 2008)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *DirtyPlum* 

 
_So what do ppl think of us Brits..?  Can you spot us a mile off?_

 
I don't want to be offensive and i hope to be tactful  Like all the other ladies responding lol. We are talking in generalizations and such so it's not directed at any one... It it's not the beautiful accent. It's the normally the teeth. But thats not just the British I suppose. American's are crazy over dental health and having perfectly strait Brilliantly white teeth lol. All be it not all Americans have the prettiest teeth but I think it's a far greater priority here than in European Countries.


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## SkylarV217 (Jul 1, 2008)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *pinkvanilla* 

 
_As *MissChievous* said, I would have to go with the way American's dress! Nothing wrong with it or anything, it just stands out 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	


_

 
How so lol , we Were in England and some ladies passed by and said  "They Must be American's Look at the way the DRESS." all snotty like lol , I couldn't figure it out, Mind you it was January In England and we all had coats and hats and scarfs lol ... I thought it was about what everyone was wearing. 

The ladies there were wearing big high heals and walking on the cobble stone street, I would break my neck...

about the warm times lol... Where I live it gets in the 90's almost every day and in the winder it gets cold but nothing like England lol ... I wore Panty Hose , 2 pair of work out pants, and jeans over all that and still froze my Tush off.


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## S.S.BlackOrchid (Jul 2, 2008)

When my American friends visited India and men on the street started whistling, cat calling, etc, they would turn around and respond, while the my Indian friends (who were born and raised in India) would look straight, and keep walking with no response. That's simply because we grew up around that and are used to the subtle rules.

It was the same thing when I moved to U.S., I felt very awkward and had to get used to different rules.


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## S.S.BlackOrchid (Jul 2, 2008)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *stacey4415* 

 
_I also think this
When i went to Barcelona, i found the Spanish i encountered were rude, especially the children, on one occasion we were at a theme park, and like i said earlier, they seemed to enjoy pushing in queues etcetera_

 
That's just because in their culture, cutting in queues is not considered rude.

And in my experience, Americans tend to be more laid back and their idea of being laid back and friendly is often mistaken for being loud or obnoxious


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## foxykita143 (Jul 2, 2008)

I'm from the South too, (South Carolina to be exact) but originally from Detroit, MI. When I lived in Michigan, there were actually a couple of British people that lived around me, some Germans, and tons of Arabs, Asians, Russians, you name it. 

Anyway, I work at a golf course, and during Masters Week, we had people from all over, but mainly Britain, Australia, Scotland, Ireland, and Japan. I found the Scottish and Irish people to be the nicest group overall, and they were pretty talkative and very complimentary about South Carolina, the country club, and the way we treated them. They said that over where they live the people aren't as nice or outgoing and it was refreshing. The next best group would be the Australian WOMEN. They were such sweet ladies, and very polite. The next best group was probably the people from Britain, however they tended to have a stuck up attitude about them, which regretfully I've noticed in a lot of Brits (none of you ladies/gents on Specktra though!). I also have to say I have a thing for British accents and there was a very very cute boy who kept talking to me and asking me to go on a date but I had to decline (I have a boyfriend lol). After that would be the Japanese. Some of my co workers thought they were rude, but I knew that they have different customs and thats just they way the culture is so it didn't bother me (not rude, just quiet). The last group would definitely be the Australian men. A few of the older men were very nice, but the rest of them were straight up pigs. They were trying to play grab ass with every female employee there and about 5 of them complained to my boss about them sexually harassing them verbally and physically. One of them grabbed my arm and yanked me towards him and told me to give him a "girlie show" and then tried to get my phone number but I got away from him quickly. I dont know if this is just this particular group of men, but they didn't leave the best impression.

Besides all of that, I would say the negative opinions most Americans have of Brits is that they are a little rude, they somewhat give off a know-it-all impression, they are pessimistic, and they are judgmental. The positive ones I have however, is that they are good conversationalists, they are funny (I like sarcastic sense of humor and I've found this in a lot of my British friends), and they have a unique fashion sense. I also have found that they are a little more accepting of different kinds of people, and there is not as much hate concerning race or sexual orientation over there as there is in America. I may be wrong, but this is just what I'm assuming based off of what I've seen first hand. 

Either way, I think if any country gets to know another and understand the culture and why it is the way it is, people would be a whole lot more understandable. I'm not easily offended and I adapt easily so none of it really bothers me, I actually have respect for people who appreciate and represent where they are from.


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## JustDivine (Jul 2, 2008)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *foxykita143* 

 
_ 
Anyway, I work at a golf course, and during Masters Week, we had people from all over, but mainly Britain, Australia, Scotland, Ireland, and Japan. *I found the Scottish and Irish people to be the nicest group overall...* The next best group would be the Australian WOMEN. They were such sweet ladies, and very polite. *The next best group was probably the people from Britain*, however they tended to have a stuck up attitude about them, which regretfully I've noticed in a lot of Brits (none of you ladies/gents on Specktra though!). I also have to say I have a thing for *British accents* and there was a very very cute boy who kept talking to me and asking me to go on a date but I had to decline (I have a boyfriend lol). 

Either way, I* think if any country gets to know another and understand the culture *and why it is the way it is, people would be a whole lot more understandable. I'm not easily offended and I adapt easily so none of it really bothers me, I actually have respect for people who appreciate and represent where they are from._

 
Getting to know another country is important before forming opinions about it, because a lack of knowledge can lead to unfounded judgments or opinions.

Your post is a case in point. 
Britain= England, Wales, Scotland. 
UK= England, Wales, Scotland, Northen Ireland

So I'm a bit confused when you talk about Irish, Scottish and British


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## DirtyPlum (Jul 2, 2008)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *JustDivine* 

 
_I think the thing about the Brits is that because so many ethnicities can be British....it's harder to spot a Brit abroad. 

I think if you say spot an "English" abroad rather than a Brit. Being British is a civic identity not a cultural/ethnic one. Think about Black British or Asian British....your first thought on seeing them wouldn't be that they are British_

 
You could say the same for Americans! Dont they also have many ethnicities? 
If you saw a Black American or Asian American, how could you spot whether they were American, Bristish, from Asia or Africa??? 

I dont think it really has anything to do with ethnicities.  The OP asked if there were certain mannerisms that made American people stand out whilst abroad.


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## Luceuk (Jul 2, 2008)

I don't get why Americans think we have bad teeth here. Where did they get that from?


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## DirtyPlum (Jul 2, 2008)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *SkylarV217* 

 
_*I don't want to be offensive Like all the other ladies responding lol*_

 
Hmm.. yeah some comments on here seem to be a bit OTT but as some others have said its important to understand other cultures and differences! It a great big old melting pot and thats what makes the world an interesting place! Sounds cheesy but its true IMO!

 Quote:

   Originally Posted by *SkylarV217* 

 
_...  *It's the normally the teeth*._

 
LOL..! 
(although I think I have nice teeth)


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## Karen_B (Jul 2, 2008)

I live in Sweden, and during the summertime we get our fair share of tourists from America - more so in the past when the dollar was stronger and the swedish crown was weaker. Most of them you don't really notice unless you walk past them and hear the accent, but some will be loud and quite rude... once, my husband and I were having dinner in a restaurant, and at the table beside us there was an American family that were talking extremely loud about their opinion on Swedes (and Italians, and Irish people...). The thing is, virtually everyone in Sweden has English because we start learning at the age of 10, don't dub movies or TV shows etc, so everyone could understand them. That was quite annoying. But of course, these people were in no way typical for the American tourist in Stockholm IMO. There are just a-holes in every country.


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## florabundance (Jul 2, 2008)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *DirtyPlum* 

 
_ 
So what do ppl think of us Brits..?  Can you spot us a mile off?_

 
Even though, I was born and raised in London, when i'm abroad I can always *always *tell British (mainly English) people. Mainly from their deep shade of red lol and just in general they have a quality i can always recognise.

And although i said Americans are loud i'd just like to rephrase my comment - *ALL *cultures are loud compared to English people (can't speak for the other members of the UK, never been). They're lively, animated and they sound like they're arguing when they talk - which is something that, personally, I like cos it reminds me of my family.


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## SkylarV217 (Jul 2, 2008)

DirtyPlum said:


> Hmm.. yeah some comments on here seem to be a bit OTT but as some others have said its important to understand other cultures and differences! It a great big old melting pot and thats what makes the world an interesting place! Sounds cheesy but its true IMO!
> 
> Afrer I read that again , I didn't mean to say other ladies were being offensive , I mean I wanted to be Tactful and not be offensive _like the other ladies here_
> 
> ...


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## isa (Jul 2, 2008)

whenever im in the US, people can tell im not from around there. idk how they do it, like this girl saw me at a show once and we actually spoke weeks later and she was like 'i saw you im pretty sure, but knew you werent from around NJ because you look different than we do'
idk if thats true, but most americans do look different in a way. ofcourse we all look different but idk you can tell sometimes they arent from around here.
and americans can be loud, i know a fair few.


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## CaseyKezerian (Jul 2, 2008)

Seriously, I tried not to get too offended. But people could have said things alot nicer. I mean obnoxious? Really? That's pretty rude. And yes most Americans are loud, everyone in my family is, but I don't think that makes us obnoxious.


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## user79 (Jul 2, 2008)

It's just cultural differences, no doubt if Europeans or Japenese people go to the States, they stick out too.


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## Lissa (Jul 2, 2008)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *Luceuk* 

 
_I don't get why Americans think we have bad teeth here. Where did they get that from? 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	


_

 
Austin Powers!


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## ginger9 (Jul 2, 2008)

Canadian's do the socks with sandals too!!

In general I can tell Americans by the amount of things they bring when they travel. In that they usually carry a lot of stuff or purchase a lot of things. I think American's are known to be consumers. I just got back from a week in Bermuda and the taxi cab driver told me they love American tourist because they spend a lot when they go over. 

Other than the accent, another give away is that American's are quite direct and not at all timid or shy. I can only speak from my experience but they are a lot more direct than Canadians and when I do go to the US I have been asked to to speak louder and I don't get that back at home. 

Overall I don't have a dislike for American's abroad. There's been specific negative incidences but I don't let that be a guide to American tourists in general.


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## jbid (Jul 2, 2008)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *Lissa* 

 
_Austin Powers!_

 
lmao!


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## foxykita143 (Jul 2, 2008)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *JustDivine* 

 
_Getting to know another country is important before forming opinions about it, because a lack of knowledge can lead to unfounded judgments or opinions.

Your post is a case in point. 
Britain= England, Wales, Scotland. 
UK= England, Wales, Scotland, Northen Ireland

So I'm a bit confused when you talk about Irish, Scottish and British 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	


_

 
You could say the same thing when referring to Americans, and I could say I was confused when someone said something about "Americans" because there are many different types as well. Do you mean Southerners, Midwesteners? Anyway, when I said Irish, Scottish and British, I was referrring to people who told me they were from Ireland, Scotland, and Britain. From what I knew,the people from Ireland were Irish, the people from Scotland were Scottish, and the people from Britain were English. I thought being British and from England was similar to me being referred to as an American and from the United States, I didn't know Britain included so many countries, which was my mistake and I apologize. The only reason I said it like that is because thats what I was told, and I did think that each country differed from the next, I didn't want to just lump them all into a whole because in that case, I would have just said Europe just as some people just say America. I guess I didn't realize that's how it works over there but that doesn't have much to do with my opinions, but thank you so much for clearing that up, thats good to know for future reference so I wont offend anyone 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




. I think thats the way some people feel about people saying they dont like Americans, because we are divided by states just as you are divided by countries, and we refer to different chunks of states as regions. We have Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, and the West, and even the names of these groups differ depending on who your speaking too. Here's a little example of how the regions are (but I will let you know, the regions are called different names here but its the same thing):About the USA > Travel > The Regions of the United States So we get upset too when we are just lumped into one big group of "loud, obnoxious Americans" so I didn't want to be rude and lump you all into a group as "so and so Europeans".


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## captodometer (Jul 3, 2008)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *DirtyPlum* 

 
_You could say the same for Americans! Dont they also have many ethnicities? 
If you saw a Black American or Asian American, how could you spot whether they were American, Bristish, from Asia or Africa??? 

I dont think it really has anything to do with ethnicities.  The OP asked if there were certain mannerisms that made American people stand out whilst abroad._

 
I politely beg to differ.  I think my ethnicity is one of the reasons most people think I'm not American.  I don't think a lot of the world realizes that 25-30% of the people living in the United States aren't Caucasian.  I think when many people think "American woman" they visualize Britney Spears or Paris Hilton instead.  And if they think of a WOC at all, it's probably a music video hoochy and not Condoleeza Rice.  And many of those same people also realize that the sun never set on the British Empire until the late 20th century.  So when my non-hoochy Black scientist self shows up speaking English, I automatically get defaulted to being from one of the Commonwealth countries instead of the US
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	





I think most tourists, regardless of nationality, stand out because they are strangers in a strange land.

Someone else asked if the British stick out.  To me, they do.  I can usually easily differentiate between the Scots and the English. I probably end up lumping the North Irish and the Irish together, even though it's two separate countries. And to the Welsh: I apologize, as I probably misclassify you as English most of the time.  The accent is what does it for me.  I can normally sort Kiwis from Aussies also.  I can only pick out Americans who are from the deep South and New York City/Philly/Boston; the rest I could easily misidentify as Canadian.

Japanese tourists stick out in the United States simply because there aren't very many Asians living in the country.  They are not nearly as obvious here in New Zealand.

German tourists must stick out to some extent also: for me it's the accents and the socks with Birkenstocks.  There was actually a Simpsons episode that spoofed German backpackers: Homer went bankrupt because of something that Bart did, and had to turn the house into a backpackers' hostel to earn money.  It was hysterically funny
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




Someone else mentioned that material wealth makes Americans stand out; ITA.  America is the richest country in the recorded history of the world: the average American is much more affluent than the average citizen of other developed countries. 

I encountered a group of tourists earlier this week and immediately thought about this thread.  It was some kind of organized tour, and the participants were obviously all American.  There were about 30 of them, with 3 guides who were obviously Kiwis.  They were incredibly loud: you could hear them coming from a block away.  They were obliviously walking down the sidewalk 5 wide so nobody would be able to walk past in the opposite direction without bumping into them. And they were decked out in name brands from head to toe: Columbia, Nike, Adidas, etc.  Think I saw a couple of Gucci and Doone & Burke handbags also.  Almost everyone in the group had an Ipod.  And everybody had 3-4 large, stuffed to capacity bags to boot: I moved here from the US and I didn't bring this much stuff! And these people were clearly only here on vacation.  This level of material acquisition just isn't possible for the average Kiwi; people would turn around and stare as the tour group walked past.  Not only the native Kiwis, but all the Asian and Commonwealth students too: I live in a university town, so everyone is quite used to seeing foreigners.  These tourists couldn't have been more obviously American if they had it tattooed across their foreheads!

I don't think that most American travelers are intentionally trying to be rude.  You have to realize that the United States is larger than most of Europe combined, if you exclude Siberia.  Most Americans, other than those living right on the borders with Canada and Mexico, haven't had the opportunity to interact with people who aren't American.  So they just kind of assume that whatever is acceptable in the US is acceptable elsewhere, even if it isn't.  So do try to cut them a little bit of slack; many of them are quite worth getting to know


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## florabundance (Jul 3, 2008)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *captodometer* 

 
_I politely beg to differ.  I think my ethnicity is one of the reasons most people think I'm not American.  I don't think a lot of the world realizes that 25-30% of the people living in the United States aren't Caucasian.  I think when many people think "American woman" they visualize Britney Spears or Paris Hilton instead.  And if they think of a WOC at all, it's probably a music video hoochy and not Condoleeza Rice.  And many of those same people also realize that the sun never set on the British Empire until the late 20th century.  So when my non-hoochy Black scientist self shows up speaking English, I automatically get defaulted to being from one of the Commonwealth countries instead of the US
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	





I think most tourists, regardless of nationality, stand out because they are strangers in a strange land.

Someone else asked if the British stick out.  To me, they do.  I can usually easily differentiate between the Scots and the English. I probably end up lumping the North Irish and the Irish together, even though it's two separate countries. And to the Welsh: I apologize, as I probably misclassify you as English most of the time.  The accent is what does it for me.  I can normally sort Kiwis from Aussies also.  I can only pick out Americans who are from the deep South and New York City/Philly/Boston; the rest I could easily misidentify as Canadian.

Japanese tourists stick out in the United States simply because there aren't very many Asians living in the country.  They are not nearly as obvious here in New Zealand.

German tourists must stick out to some extent also: for me it's the accents and the socks with Birkenstocks.  There was actually a Simpsons episode that spoofed German backpackers: Homer went bankrupt because of something that Bart did, and had to turn the house into a backpackers' hostel to earn money.  It was hysterically funny
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




Someone else mentioned that material wealth makes Americans stand out; ITA.  America is the richest country in the recorded history of the world: the average American is much more affluent than the average citizen of other developed countries. 

I encountered a group of tourists earlier this week and immediately thought about this thread.  It was some kind of organized tour, and the participants were obviously all American.  There were about 30 of them, with 3 guides who were obviously Kiwis.  They were incredibly loud: you could hear them coming from a block away.  They were obliviously walking down the sidewalk 5 wide so nobody would be able to walk past in the opposite direction without bumping into them. And they were decked out in name brands from head to toe: Columbia, Nike, Adidas, etc.  Think I saw a couple of Gucci and Doone & Burke handbags also.  Almost everyone in the group had an Ipod.  And everybody had 3-4 large, stuffed to capacity bags to boot: I moved here from the US and I didn't bring this much stuff! And these people were clearly only here on vacation.  This level of material acquisition just isn't possible for the average Kiwi; people would turn around and stare as the tour group walked pass.  Not only the native Kiwis, but all the Asian and Commonwealth students too: I live in a university town, so everyone is quite used to seeing foreigners.  These tourists couldn't have been more obviously American if they had it tattooed across their foreheads!

I don't think that most American travelers are intentionally trying to be rude.  You have to realize that the United States is larger than most of Europe combined, if you exclude Siberia.  Most Americans, other than those living right on the borders with Canada and Mexico, haven't had the opportunity to interact with people who aren't American.  So they just kind of assume that whatever is acceptable in the US is acceptable elsewhere, even if it isn't.  So do try to cut them a little bit of slack; many of them are quite worth getting to know
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	


_

 
I love your posts! You're so knowledgeable, i'm jealous. 
sorry lol off topic


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## JustDivine (Jul 3, 2008)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *captodometer* 

 
_I politely beg to differ. *I think my ethnicity is one of the reasons most people think I'm not American.* I don't think a lot of the world realizes that 25-30% of the people living in the United States aren't Caucasian. I* think when many people think "American woman" they visualize Britney Spears or Paris Hilton instead.* And if they think of a WOC at all, it's probably a music video hoochy and not Condoleeza Rice. And many of those same people also realize that the sun never set on the British Empire until the late 20th century. So when my non-hoochy Black scientist self shows up speaking English, *I automatically get defaulted to being from one of the Commonwealth countries instead of the US*






Someone else asked if the British stick out. To me, they do. *I can usually easily differentiate between the Scots and the English. *I probably end up lumping the North Irish and the Irish together, even though it's two separate countries. And to the Welsh: I apologize, as I probably misclassify you as English most of the time. The accent is what does it for me. I can normally sort Kiwis from Aussies also. I can only pick out Americans who are from the deep South and New York City/Philly/Boston; the rest I could easily misidentify as Canadian.

Someone else mentioned that material wealth makes Americans stand out; ITA. America is the richest country in the recorded history of the world: *the average American is much more affluent than the average citizen of other developed countries.* 
_

 
Thank you so much! You said evertyhing I wanted to say though more politely than I could have!

Ethnicity has a lot to do with it....but I won't write an essay 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




About the average American being richer than the average citizen of oter developed countries: I wouldn't agree, especially as the dollar is not the strongest currency around.


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## aimee (Jul 3, 2008)

well i cant or couldnt
unless you start to talk haha
anyway i like americans


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## aimee (Jul 3, 2008)

oh im swiss by the way haha


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## BarrelOfDonkeys (Jul 3, 2008)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *DirtyPlum* 

 
_So what do ppl think of us Brits..?  Can you spot us a mile off?_

 
Sometimes, yeah. Some people you can just tell by looking at them that they're from the UK. I don't know what it is, they just have this very British-y look, like Tom from McFly, the girl who played Emily on Friends, Nigel Lythgoe and Carly from cycle 3 of Britain's Next Top Model.


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## DirtyPlum (Jul 3, 2008)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *captodometer* 

 
_I politely beg to differ. I think my ethnicity is one of the reasons most people think I'm not American. I don't think a lot of the world realizes that 25-30% of the people living in the United States aren't Caucasian. I think when many people think "American woman" they visualize Britney Spears or Paris Hilton instead. And if they think of a WOC at all, it's probably a music video hoochy and not Condoleeza Rice. And many of those same people also realize that the sun never set on the British Empire until the late 20th century. So when my non-hoochy Black scientist self shows up speaking English, I automatically get defaulted to being from one of the Commonwealth countries instead of the US_

 
I do agree to a certain degree. As a British Asian, I cant speak for your experience in America or as a Black woman and the unfortunate stereotypes you mentioned. But I feel that if you were to put an American asian girl and Bristish asian girl in front of me, I wouldn’t be able to tell what their nationalities are. Based on what they were wearing, however I might be able to, and of course if they spoke it would give it away. If you throw an Indian national into the mix, I could tell her apart… by her mannerisms, clothes, speech etc. Just not by their ethnicities. 

I guess your experiences as a Black woman differs and I can totally see your point 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



 

 Quote:

   Originally Posted by *JustDivine* 

 
_I think if you say spot an "English" abroad rather than a Brit._

 
I have been abroad and spotted Brits from a mile off… I could tell this young guy was Bristish because of his 'funky bad boy' walk (lol, do u what I mean?!), his clothes, and the two women also had a certain air about them and a different walk from the nationals. Ok maybe they werent 'English' (i.e. white) but they were Brits (asian)! 

Not here to p*ss anyone off, jst providing my thoughts!


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## foxykita143 (Jul 3, 2008)

I love love LOVE people from overseas. Whenever I meet someone from overseas I am immediately drawn to them and I love learning just the simplest bits of information about where they are from, whether it be England, Germany, China, Egypt, you name it. I hate to sound rude towards my country but I truly feel that people from overseas have a way of thinking that some Americans could really benefit from, especially issues pertaining things like self image and self esteem, hard work, and life in general. Just like another poster who said she saw some tourists walking around with Dooney and Burke bags and iPods, I totally agree with what she meant, because in America, we really are materialistic (I admit, I am too, but only when it comes to purses and make up--but I'm not a bitch about it, its only about my own personal belongings, which I work so I can purchase it with my own money
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





). And yes, we generally are louder. And us walking in huge groups? Thats what tourists do. When your in a country you know nothing about, it's a natural reaction to stay with who and what you know, and it may be rude, but I guarantee if you would walk by and say "excuse me" everyone would have been embarrassed and moved out of the way, and they would probably be excited that a native spoke to them. When we go overseas, we dont want to be tourists, we come so we can see how beautiful your country is, and to appreciate all of the normal things you do daily. It's like trying to live your life in a weeks time so yes, we are excited, and yes, we stay in groups, but you better believe if you befriended a tourist, they would much rather hang out with you and your friends and see the city/country how you see it than be stuck in boring tour groups and see the "fake" side of things. You dont know how many stories I've heard about people having the best time of their life in England because they met some people at the bar, and they ended up showing them "the real London", or how they went to France and met some people who took them out and "helped them avoid all of those horrible tourist traps". Most Americans are nice people, and usually if they are doing something wrong, they would rather hear the correct way to behave or act, than look like an asshole and give Americans a bad name. If you see some "obnoxious Americans", go up to them and just say "Hey you know how the real *insert here* do this?" or "Excuse me, you guys are blocking this path, could you move over a little please?"  I can't speak for everyone, because as another poster stated, there are assholes everywhere, but generally,  your typical American will be happy to oblige. Better to say something and see what happens than to let us piss off the whole country or ruin some strangers day. And I bet if you do say something, the American will talk to you for a little and then you'll see that they aren't some crazy wanker stampeding through your town with a water bottle and a digital camera.


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## msmack (Jul 3, 2008)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *ginger9* 

 
_Canadian's do the socks with sandals too!_

 

Shhhhh! lol


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## Le-Saboteur (Jul 3, 2008)

New Zealand women tend to "dress down", we'll say, so I can't really tell a difference between the typical female American tourist and a local lady. I can only really tell Americans when they talk, and even then I confuse them with Canadians (like captodometer said), unless they've got a hard core New York or southern accent or something. Most of the tourists I've run into here in Christchurch are elderly people that come in on cruise ships, and they're usually pretty reserved and polite. So many of them catch my bus and I get asked all the time about local stuff to see and all that... Yeah, they've all been really nice. It could be different elsewhere here, this city isn't exactly a hub of activity


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## red (Jul 3, 2008)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *chrissyclass* 

 
_I consider myself very well traveled and I just came from Hong Kong and they are the loudest people I've ever come across. I'm talking yelling and screaming is a normal conversation.

Their kinda loud talkers in S.Korea too._

 
Some Asian languages have a higher pitch


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## foxykita143 (Jul 3, 2008)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *msmack* 

 
_Shhhhh! lol_

 
lol 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




i lived in MI and have been to Canada a few times but uhm...I didnt see anything..


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## red (Jul 3, 2008)

I live in NY, my boyfriend lives in Rome. I have often asked him how can people tell I'm American. He says I SCREAM RED WHITE AND BLUE 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




It's in the mannerism, the way we speak, gesticulate, not so much what we wear, but how we wear it. I don't think we're loud as a group, we're just mellow, laid back and like to have fun.

He also said that since knowing me, he has completely changed his ideas of what Americans are .. which is a good thing ;-) .. perception is not always reality baby!

p.s. You really can't judge someone while they're on vacation, you see another side of them, more relaxed, at ease. Listen, when I was down in South Beach, listening to that latin beat with a margarita in my hand, I was a bit loud too :-D


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## jasminbarley (Jul 3, 2008)

*****


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## RaynelleM (Jul 4, 2008)

This is how I spot an American: They are usually the ones standing infront of a vending machine with a bunch of change in their hands saying "what the heck is a loonie and a toonie??"

LOL!!


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## msmack (Jul 4, 2008)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *RaynelleM* 

 
_This is how I spot an American: They are usually the ones standing infront of a vending machine with a bunch of change in their hands saying "what the heck is a loonie and a toonie??"

LOL!!_

 

haha *high five* - thats awesome (I love being Canadian!)


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## Mizz.Yasmine (Jul 6, 2008)

i don't think it's an american thing its just a tourist thing. i mean i live in miami n can spot a tourist EASY. they just have that ''im on vacation'' look.


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## stella89 (Jul 6, 2008)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *foxykita143* 

 
_I'm from the South too, (South Carolina to be exact) but originally from Detroit, MI. When I lived in Michigan, there were actually a couple of British people that lived around me, some Germans, and tons of Arabs, Asians, Russians, you name it. 

Anyway, I work at a golf course, and during Masters Week, we had people from all over, but mainly Britain, Australia, Scotland, Ireland, and Japan. I found the Scottish and Irish people to be the nicest group overall, and they were pretty talkative and very complimentary about South Carolina, the country club, and the way we treated them. They said that over where they live the people aren't as nice or outgoing and it was refreshing. The next best group would be the Australian WOMEN. They were such sweet ladies, and very polite. The next best group was probably the people from Britain, however they tended to have a stuck up attitude about them, which regretfully I've noticed in a lot of Brits (none of you ladies/gents on Specktra though!). I also have to say I have a thing for British accents and there was a very very cute boy who kept talking to me and asking me to go on a date but I had to decline (I have a boyfriend lol). After that would be the Japanese. Some of my co workers thought they were rude, but I knew that they have different customs and thats just they way the culture is so it didn't bother me (not rude, just quiet). *The last group would definitely be the Australian men. A few of the older men were very nice, but the rest of them were straight up pigs. They were trying to play grab ass with every female employee there and about 5 of them complained to my boss about them sexually harassing them verbally and physically. One of them grabbed my arm and yanked me towards him and told me to give him a "girlie show" and then tried to get my phone number but I got away from him quickly. I dont know if this is just this particular group of men, but they didn't leave the best impression.*

Besides all of that, I would say the negative opinions most Americans have of Brits is that they are a little rude, they somewhat give off a know-it-all impression, they are pessimistic, and they are judgmental. The positive ones I have however, is that they are good conversationalists, they are funny (I like sarcastic sense of humor and I've found this in a lot of my British friends), and they have a unique fashion sense. I also have found that they are a little more accepting of different kinds of people, and there is not as much hate concerning race or sexual orientation over there as there is in America. I may be wrong, but this is just what I'm assuming based off of what I've seen first hand. 

Either way, I think if any country gets to know another and understand the culture and why it is the way it is, people would be a whole lot more understandable. I'm not easily offended and I adapt easily so none of it really bothers me, I actually have respect for people who appreciate and represent where they are from._

 

couldn't agree more with statement in bold. as much as i notice americans are loud (and seemingly obnoxious) they are 90% of the time very friendly and easy to talk to. australian men however (especially those in their 20s-40s) are just plain rude, obviously not all of them, but that's what ive noticed when travelling and i often feel embarrassed to be aussie if there's a group like that nearby! they're worse than americans in that sense. im sorry you had such a bad experience, at least the aussie women were nice


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## jayleelah (Jul 6, 2008)

lol that's exactly like that in Brussels. 
You were in Brussels right ?

I'm from a little city and we respect queues everywhere, we never push people etc. So when I'm in Brussels, I know I have to do the opposite lol
Especially when I'm in a bus with friends or family, I tell them : "if you wanna get off the bus, push people! this excuse me thing doesn't work here"
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 Quote:

   Originally Posted by *JustDivine* 

 
_However, the courteous British nature is not common across Europe. Having spent the last year living in Belgium where.....people do not respect queues (esp at bus stops), people spread themselves across the pavement and do not feel that they should move to let you pass. At times I have had to barge people and not look back because they can see you coming but will not move. I find it disgraceful 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	


_


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## MAC_Whore (Jul 6, 2008)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *nek0* 

 
_well, something I sometimes see in American tourists (not all, of course), is the socks with sandals thing 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	


_

 
We Americans can't take all the credit for that now! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




  I lived/worked in Europe for 4 years and wow...dress socks with shorts.  I saw that more than a few times on the older men.

I will also say that when DH and I travelled (Europe, Asia and Africa), a lot of people would ask DH and I if we were English, Irish or Australian.  I guess some locals just plug you into the closest english-speaking, mostly white area they can think off.  That being said, I think sometimes Americans get the blame for rowdy Brits or Aussies abroad.  Not to say that we don't do our fair share of partying, but I definitely witnessed some displays of "loud" behaviour from Brits and Aussies whilst travelling.

DH and I are great at picking out where people are from, whether in the US or abroad.  We used to make a game of it.  Name the nationality, then subtly side up to them to eavesdrop on their conversation to use their language as confirmation of our guess.  I know, totally dorky, but fun.


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## JustDivine (Jul 6, 2008)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *jayleelah* 

 
_lol that's exactly like that in Brussels. 
You were in Brussels right ?

I'm from a little city and we respect queues everywhere, we never push people etc. So when I'm in Brussels, I know I have to do the opposite lol
Especially when I'm in a bus with friends or family, I tell them : "if you wanna get off the bus, push people! this : excuse me thing doesn't work here"
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	


_

 
Most certainly Brussels! But it was like that in Gent too where I lived for a while.


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## foxykita143 (Jul 6, 2008)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *stella89* 

 
_couldn't agree more with statement in bold. as much as i notice americans are loud (and seemingly obnoxious) they are 90% of the time very friendly and easy to talk to. australian men however (especially those in their 20s-40s) are just plain rude, obviously not all of them, but that's what ive noticed when travelling and i often feel embarrassed to be aussie if there's a group like that nearby! they're worse than americans in that sense. im sorry you had such a bad experience, at least the aussie women were nice 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	


_

 

yes, the men were definitely in their 20s-40s! i'm glad i didn't offend you by saying that, and it's too bad that it is like that! but as i said, the aussie women were very very sweet and i wouldn't mind if they came back, they just need to keep those bad boys on a shorter leash!


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## Rennah (Oct 2, 2008)

Ah, tourists.

I can't really tell where the tourists who come here are from, but I guess the majority of them are American. They do dress funny, especially the older ones - Hawaiian shirts, socks with velcro sandals...lol. And those visors.

I haven't ever encountered any rude or obnoxious tourists... they all seem very nice. Bermudians like to be helpful, & I always help tourists out with directions.  We need tourists here to support our economy... so we treat them well!

btw, _*MAC_Whore*_ said something about dress socks with shorts... that's normal business attire here! Ever hear of... Bermuda shorts - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ?


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## aleksis210 (Oct 3, 2008)

That's funny that everyone is saying they can spot an american by how they dress(bad) because it's the same for me when spotting a european, so I'm just going to assume that most people just dress bad when they are on vacation...lol...Maybe no one wants to take their good clothes, because they are afraid they will get ruined? Who knows....Also about the English having "bad" teeth, it isn't that, it's just that they aren't 'fake' looking(braces,bleach, etc.)


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## user79 (Oct 3, 2008)

I was recently on vacation in Italy and I thought about this thread. The Americans being very loud with their voices, I had never noticed it before but it was really true. Even in throngs of tourists, with everyone around us was speaking in a normal tone, American tourists always spoke unusually loud. You could follow entire conversations even being quite far away from them - in museums, restaurants, at hotels, or even just walking down the street. I think because Americans speak in more animated tones, but a lot of European people got annoyed with it.

BTW the socks with sandals isn't just an American thing. I see a lot of older German people wearing this as well. SO HIDEOUS! It seems to be universally ugly, lol.


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## Willa (Oct 4, 2008)

I'm from Montreal and I can spot Americans right away
I don't know how, but I do. I guess it's the look

And just as MissChievous said, they tend to talk very loud all the time... But as a francophone, I can tell you that it's generaly all the anglophones who speak loud (americans, english speaking canadians etc...)


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## laperle (Oct 5, 2008)

I'm brazilian and I have to be honest and say I can tell when a tourist is american (in general, ok?). The european tourists are more discreet in the clothing and the asian (mostly japanese) are always taking pics of everything and forget to enjoy the place. 

American tourists are louder (some german too) and dress vibrant colors only american do. 

When I lived in Paris, the american tourists were the easiest to identify and they always took me by a french and asked me for directions everywhere. Oh, and in Paris there were lots of large groups of americans and they are louder than the other groups. 

And japanese are loud with their cameras 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




Anyway, brazilian groups of tourists are HELL, so... but I don't travel in groups, so I feel like saying that. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




Paris and Rio are cities so full of tourists we just get used to identify.


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## MAC_Whore (Oct 5, 2008)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *Rennah* 

 
_...btw, *MAC_Whore* said something about dress socks with shorts... that's normal business attire here! Ever hear of... Bermuda shorts - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ?_

 
Those so work in sunny Bermuda.  Outside of Bermuda, a lot of men totally lose that aesthtic.  lol!  When you get some guys wearing too short shorts (not Bermudas) and black socks, over pasty legs and lace up's....just doesn't work a lot of the time.  But, what ever makes them comfortable, right?


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## ClaireAvril (Oct 6, 2008)

LOL i hope there's no offense... 
I don't know about Americans being loud... they do say really strange things to you.. like.. you're from Canada right.. does it snow there ALL the time?

When I was in London and Jamaica people asked if I was American and I said.. oh no I'm Canadian.. they seemed to be relieved after I told them that.


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## Cinci (Oct 7, 2008)

when ppl show up in say, Northwestern Ontario,  Canada in the middle of summer with skidoos on the back of truck, expecting snow... it's usually a hint that you're not from here..


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## kittykit (Oct 7, 2008)

I live in Prague and we've a lot of tourists all year round. I can't tell if someone is from the US unless they start speaking. I thought the Spanish and the Italians are the loudest... and the Chinese (no offence, people)

As for the socks and sandals thing, the Czechs and Slovaks do that too *lol* It's so ugly.


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## Kayteuk (Oct 7, 2008)

I can tell by the way they hold themselves when they walk and their clothing.

I find that british people tend to stand tall and really upright, where as Americans are a bit more relaxed, and chilled! 

Also the fashion is a bit different in the US to the UK. I think because I spend so much time in the US its easier for me to see.


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## -moonflower- (Oct 9, 2008)

Haha, I can always tell American tourists here! 
Most of them seem to travel in large groups, walk painfully slowly, speak loudly and take photos of weird things, like bakerys and shops :?
And you can always tell from the trousers, American tourists here seem to all wear similar trousers. Dark dyed denim that's slightly too short, loose around the bum, mid-high waisted, and tapering in around the ankles, usually worn with white trainers.
Of course, these are just the ones I notice, because they really stand out here, so I'm sure that there's lots of them who wear nice trousers, walk at a reasonable pace and don't stare at things like swans like they've never seen one before. 
I think it's the clothes that really make it obvious where someone's from, and I have to say that I much prefer the European style to the American style.


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## Heiaken (Oct 9, 2008)

Just wanted to tell that Finn's do the socks with sandals too, me and women! Not a pretty sight in here either.

When I was in Prague I could spot the few Finnish tourist in our hotel straight away, mostly of how they looked. I also got mistaken to be a German for a few times and had a security guard deny me acces to the St.Vitus Chatedrall because of my hair. Aparently it was offensive..


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## reesesilverstar (Oct 9, 2008)

Shoot... When I go home, my cousin says it's obvious that I don't live there... I'm so confused. But according to her I don't look like I'm in my own domain...

Maybe it's the awkward over-eagerness to be home, LOL!

I have no clue, the answer to this question...


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## xxManBeaterxx (Oct 12, 2008)

I live in hawaii, and i often see many japanese tourists and quite a few british folks.  They stick out like a sore thumb for many reasons.  The way they dress, nothing is wrong with it, its just really really different.  I generally think british accents sound soft and feathery to the ear, their pronunciation isnt as harsh sounding like americans. British/Asian mainly japanese tourists they seem very reserved, almost shy like.  But because they are on vacation i see them with leis, tons of suntan lotion, millions of shopping bags in each hand

And even if they are loud or oboxious, i wont even think twice about it, they are just having a good time! Who are we to judge?


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## evah2003 (Nov 1, 2008)

I really don´t think you can generalize it.
I work in a bank in Cologne, so we do get our fair share of tourists from all over the world.
I can´t say I can spot an amercan tourist as soon as he/she enters..it´s ususally the accent when they start speaking..
Sure, some wear hawaiian shirts..almost all seem to be wearing baseball caps and sun glasses, now that I think of it..
I can´t say that they are *all* loud or rude. Some are, others aren´t, I guess it´s the same with tourists from other countries as well.

But I have to say that it puts me off a little that most american tourists just expect everybody to speak english as well. Most don´t ask if you do, but just chatter away, peppering you with questions...this really seems to be more the case with americans than british tourists.
Also: what is it with people coming in a bank and start asking for directions??? 

It is always easy to spot japanese tourists. I really thought it was just a stereotype, but they really *are* taking pictures of everything. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





)

Now, one other thing: I am *always* able to spot german tourists when I am on vacation in another country. It´s embarassing. We tend to be a little too loud and rather rude as well... plus: the german tourist "uniform" of shorts, socks pulled up as high as they can and sandals. Niice!! *shudder* My dad wore this outift once, my sister and myself we just about melted away with embarassment...


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