Friday, May 12, 2006
In re: "Ugly Americans"
Jim Geraghty is robust with truthiness on the overhyping of the "ugly American."
I do have one small travel tip, though. Once you are older than, say, 20, don't wear shorts anywhere that you don't see the locals doing it. Americans -- especially the great preponderance who have a great preponderance of rump and thigh -- do not wear shorts well, and in many cultures short pants are offensive.
CWCID: Instapundit.
4 Comments:
By 
Charlottesvillain, at
Fri May 12, 09:35:00 AM:
As a frequent international traveler, I think it is just prudent not to be instantly recognizable as an American if at all possible. I wear leather shoes, and never wear running shoes or sneakers, an instant tip off (unless they are flourescent green or red, in which case you are likely to be mistaken for a German). If I am in dress down mode, I never wear a shirt with writing of any kind. Nothing says American like a sports jersey, college t-shirt, or Nike gear. Same with baseball caps, by the way. If I do happen to wear shorts, say hiking around in Athens in sweltering heat, I'd probably also be wearing sandals and a plain t-shirt. I also try to keep my mouth shut as much as possible (a supreme struggle, I'll admit). When I do speak, I keep my voice low as possible. No need for every mujahidin in the cafe to hear me speaking. And I stay the hell out of MacDonalds, an easy habit I've been able to develop right here at home.
By Catchy Pseudonym, at
Fri May 12, 10:15:00 AM:
I totally agree. That's why when I visit other countries I don't wear any pants at all. I also make an effort to teach the locals English, so that I can ask them for directions later.
By 
, at
Fri May 12, 11:11:00 AM:
When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
As a youngster in about 1974, I visited relatives in Communist Poland. If you recall the early 70's, our fashions included plaid and striped slacks. Most everyone in Poland thought I was wearing pajama bottoms. Fortunately, my mother packed some blue jeans for me.
The Poles also claimed that the sneakers I wore would lead to foot fungus, gangrene, and amputation. So, my dad bought a pair of local sandals for me.
By Miss Ladybug, at
Fri May 12, 12:33:00 PM:
Although I have not been abroad since July 1990 when my dad was re-assigned from Field Station Augsburg to Fort Hood, I know how easy it was to pick out the Americans when off base. The teenagers might be harder sometimes, since there was a lot of shopping done on the German economy, but the GIs couldn't help but stick out, especially with their regulation haircuts.
All this being said, we Americans seemed to be, on the whole, a lot more casual these days. My mother told me about travelling to Germany to be with my father when they were first married, back in the 60s. Back then, Americans were still expected to be dressed up when traveling. Far cry from the business travel I did for about 8 years, until the end of 2004.
