Because I can. That is the simple answer. I go places as a traveler
not so much as a tourist because I want to experience the culture and the
place. I am not a foodie so the food is the least of it but I like that I get to
go the restaurants that the locals go to. As I get further and further
away from home I still find Burger King, MacDonalds and Pizza Hut. When I am in
Bangkok I am closer to Dunkin Donuts there than any that are in California.
That is part of their daily culture. A very young and pretty Thai girl jumps
off the back of a motor scooter taxi to get coffee at the Starbucks.
Unless you walk the streets you will never experience the
people. For example I walked into a MacDonalds for an ice cream cone. It was
hot and I walked about 1.5 miles so far that day and it was just 10:30am. I sat
inside because it was cooler and then a very attractive lady came over and
started a back massage. It was nice and she paid me some compliments. After
about five minutes she said I do “boom-boom!”
Where else could that happen – not here in the San Fernando
Valley? No boom-boom but a great experience that I can write about.
That is the culture at least in that area. That is only part
of it. I find that people are welcoming where ever I go. Thailand is a happy
place as is Cuba as is Chile and other areas of South America. Many are very
curious about living in the U.S. The people I encounter ask questions about the
U.S. While in Phuket I met two young ladies travelling with their parents. They
were university students from China and asked about the U.S. Where I lived and
what I do for fun and for work. They were curious about my family. So, answered
their questions and they thanked me and I then asked them some questions about
their studies and their ambitions. I also asked what they thought of the U.S.
That is what got me thinking. What do people who visit the
United States actually think? What do
they see in the U.S. that is contrary to what they heard or what do they see or
experience that contradicts what they though they know.
Back in the 70’s when we lived in Connecticut we hosted two Japanese girls from Hiroshima.
Their English was lacking as was my Japanese, but they were really frightened.
The group was planning to go to New York City the next day and they said they
were afraid to go because they had no gun to defend themselves. That was an eye
opener and since that time I am always cognizant of how others may see us,
Americans.
Whenever I meet someone from another country I ask what
that they think of America and Americans. Their answers are quite interesting.
Many misconceptions travel with them and that takes time to overcome.
A number of years ago there was a book “The Ugly American.”
It describes how our sense of superiority dictated our behavior overseas. “What,
you don’t speak English?” I experienced some teenagers from the Midwest actually
get loud, boisterous and nasty in a little café in Jericho, Israel. The obnoxious
kid was bigger than me but I asked him outside any way and read him the riot
act. He took it and then apologized, but he had no idea of what being
considerate and a guest in some else’s country meant.
As I travel, I try not
to be the ugly American. Not being the ugly
American gets you so many perks. In Tokyo a young man though I was lost so he
volunteered to take me to the place I was looking for. In Bangkok recently, a young
Thai man that spoke English helped me buy a mobile phone – and two SIM cards.
In Budapest a young lady helped me get to the right subway
train. In Prague a young student allowed me to sit at her table at Starbucks because
there was other place to sit. I bought her a muffin. A small gesture of appreciation
that goes along way.
I like people who are new to the U.S. and get their take on
living here or just observing our culture. Their insight is always based, as
our own is, on what it is like back home, wherever that is. Since we are a very
large country, the visitor my get different ideas of our culture based on where
they are that time. But their view is valuable because it is a fresh look at
us. Let’s face it, a visitor from the farmlands of Thailand that visits Las
Vegas will definitely have a major culture shock. (Even Americans just off the farm experience that).
It is also interesting that visitors also express how they
see the difference between the country and the government of that country. When in China I really liked the Chinese
people (one cab driver excepted) but I have reservations about the governing of
that country. Many years ago, in London, at a ticket kiosk, the ticket seller
told us how much he loved Americans. He also expressed his displeasure with the
“cowboy president.” He was very frank and did not beat about the bush.
That is the beauty of travel. You get to see their idea of
what the U.S. is and they get to see what Americans are like. Most of the
people of the world are not Americans – that is the fact. Most of us have one
thing in common, we are curious – about each other.
That is my take, you decide.
