^^^^ It's a really odd experience to see how people's behaviour toward you changes when they find out you're Canadian rather then American. I've lived it many times in many places. The best was in Liverpool.... my family had been travelling all evening, it was about 23:45 and we couldn't find a hotel/inn with rooms available for the life of us (we had actually started looking whilst in Stirling and managed to cross the entire island stopping in every town along the way including Manchester and couldn't find a room... well other then some nasty shithole in Manchester that my old man couldn't bring himself to stay at). So, we stopped into a pub to ask if anyone knows of any Inns in the area. Not a single person was able to recommend anyplace, until one woman asked what part of the States we were from. When I told her we were from Toronto, Canada the shift in attitude was immediately apparent. One gentleman got on the phone, called his brother-in-law who owned an Inn, the brother-in-law offered up a suite for us, then the gentleman drove out to the inn so we wouldn't get lost and there was a tray of sandwiches and deserts waiting for us in our room. It absolutely astounded me that where we were from made such a difference.

Now, all of that said, I've noticed that people normally assume one is from the US if they speak English and have a North American accent. They will continue to assume this unless they are told otherwise or notice something that indicates the person is Canadian. Which makes me question.... do Americans really behave that badly? If one cannot distinguish an American from a Canadian based on behaviour then certainly their behaviour cannot differ significantly enough to warrant such wildly different reactions. Subsequently, I have concluded that it is more people's perceptions of Americans that leads to their poor reception abroad then the actions of the Americans themselves and the loud annoying Yankies people cite are really more of a justification then a reason.

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Originally posted by RickyM you're just a shit version of Moral Hazard. At least he knows what he's talking about.

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Originally posted by pkcRAISTLIN lol, i love it when moral feels the need to lay the smack down

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Originally posted by tathi The stereotypical Americans that you meet abroad are loud, opinionated, obnoxious and have an overly strong sense of entitlement wherever they go that has made them insensetive to other cultures and their customs: "that Chinaman can't even speak American! how inconsiderate of him! i'll just have to speak louder until he understands me!" (exagerated for dramatic effect, but no shit some of them have this mentality) Of coruse this is a generalisation, and unfair to many Americans who are nothing like this (you've got your dregs in every culture that ruin it for the rest of them) nevertheless there's an unwritten law for many people i've met from many different countries to avoid groups of Americans like the plague; Americans travelling on their own or in pairs are an exception to the rule because they're generally much more friendly and open minded. This law also applies to groups of Israelis who've just gotten out of the army, big groups of Drunken pommie hooligans especially in Eastern Europe, and Aussies also have a bad reputation in Europe.

You must see this! The responses in this thread reminded me of a Daily Show clip: http://www.comedycentral.com/sitewi...l?videoId=12697

I like Muslims, I have met them; been to their house; seen their hospitality; they are nice people..this world today have seen Muslims in a very very wrong way .. and that whats hurts me most. I sometimes wish I was born Muslim.

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Last edited by Purple on Sep-02-2006 at 20:01

I live in a predominantly muslim neighbourhood and the average conversations I hear on the street are in languages I don't even speak.I do most of my shopping in turkish or arab stores.

Am I bothered by that?

Heck no. I love diversity and I get pissed off at my friends who don't like coming into town because it's too "risky" ... what a load of bs! Most of the crime that takes places in this town ( it's real bad to be honest ) takes place in the outskirts!

Freaking idiotic people and their closed mindsets.




Now in regards to the whole american image around the world, people need to realize how ungreedy and generous they are!
The US is the highest donor BY FAR to the WFP! ( 2006 contributions to the WFP ).
I could find more examples of their generosity till you'd pass out but everyone wants to stay with a fixed mindset that it's an evil country. Keep in mind I'm not saying it's perfect far from it

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Originally posted by Moral Hazard ^^^^ It's a really odd experience to see how people's behaviour toward you changes when they find out you're Canadian rather then American.

I wonder what kind of response I'd get since I'm American and Muslim.

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"The Greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge." -Stephen Hawking
"First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a socialist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out— because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me— and there was no one left to speak out for me." -Martin Niemöller