American "don'ts"

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moonshadow
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American "don'ts"

Post by moonshadow »

I came across this video some time ago, and thought it would be cool to share it here...

The Don'ts of America

Now when I first saw the title, I thought it was going to be some crass political thing, but to my surprise, it was actually some pretty practical advice for those traveling from abroad.

The advice regarding staying at a cheap hotel (or motel), rather than a luxury one, I will also endorse. In fact, I've found that my more comfortable stays have been in smaller, older "mom and pop" motels. Choose one that is ONE STORY (all one level) so you don't have to worry about other guest stomping around over top of you. Also, with these type of motels, you can usually pull your car straight up to your door.
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weeladdie18
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Re: American "don'ts"

Post by weeladdie18 »

It is worth noting that in the U.K. , some Motels have not survived as overnight Accommodation for the motorist...
some remain as shells of unserviceable buildings.

I used Youth Hostel Association accommodation for several years. Ensuit rooms ,, with communial dining room or self catering kitchen.
Handy to have personal food and drink storage in the self catering kitchen. .....Handy for the tourist or hiker on a foreign tour of
the U.K....Many are old large family homes......I have travelled around Scotland on the train and used this prebooked accommodation.

The South West Coastal Footpath is popular with foreign hikers .....as many miles as one feels one can travel in a Month.....
As far as I can remember the path is 650 miles long. Bus, train, and baggage transfers are also an option.

If you want demanding holiday ; ....I met one widower who spent 6 months touring Scotland on a folding bike and sleeping
in a tent .............I took my hat off to him .....................weeladdie
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Re: American "don'ts"

Post by Gusto10 »

moonshadow wrote:I came across this video some time ago, and thought it would be cool to share it here...

The Don'ts of America

Now when I first saw the title, I thought it was going to be some crass political thing, but to my surprise, it was actually some pretty practical advice for those traveling from abroad.

The advice regarding staying at a cheap hotel (or motel), rather than a luxury one, I will also endorse. In fact, I've found that my more comfortable stays have been in smaller, older "mom and pop" motels. Choose one that is ONE STORY (all one level) so you don't have to worry about other guest stomping around over top of you. Also, with these type of motels, you can usually pull your car straight up to your door.
Interesting, as many Americans coming to the old world, have no notion as how to do things. When given advice, most times they don't want to hear it. Many -expats - hardly take the chance to study the country they ae all the want is the same hamburger, canned - thus unhealthy - food, their US version of Dr Pepper as the taste is amended per country. They will drive 2.5 hours to the nearest US foodstuf outlet while the local supermarket carries the same stuff, etc. Many don't even try to gain elementary knowledge of the language (sometimes not needed as the locals speak English of some form); a problem which you see more often, like Germans or Dutch in France not capable of speaking French, French not being able to speak English, German or Dutch, etc. Living in compounds as the outside world is frightening.
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Re: American "don'ts"

Post by dillon »

Gusto10 wrote:
moonshadow wrote:I came across this video some time ago, and thought it would be cool to share it here...

The Don'ts of America

Now when I first saw the title, I thought it was going to be some crass political thing, but to my surprise, it was actually some pretty practical advice for those traveling from abroad.

The advice regarding staying at a cheap hotel (or motel), rather than a luxury one, I will also endorse. In fact, I've found that my more comfortable stays have been in smaller, older "mom and pop" motels. Choose one that is ONE STORY (all one level) so you don't have to worry about other guest stomping around over top of you. Also, with these type of motels, you can usually pull your car straight up to your door.
Interesting, as many Americans coming to the old world, have no notion as how to do things. When given advice, most times they don't want to hear it. Many -expats - hardly take the chance to study the country they ae all the want is the same hamburger, canned - thus unhealthy - food, their US version of Dr Pepper as the taste is amended per country. They will drive 2.5 hours to the nearest US foodstuf outlet while the local supermarket carries the same stuff, etc. Many don't even try to gain elementary knowledge of the language (sometimes not needed as the locals speak English of some form); a problem which you see more often, like Germans or Dutch in France not capable of speaking French, French not being able to speak English, German or Dutch, etc. Living in compounds as the outside world is frightening.
I found this an unfair generalization. I am part of a very international family and have many acquaintances from all around the world. I could share the litany of their complaints about anything and everything American right along with the efforts many of them go to in order to remain in the US. But I won’t post rudely.
As a matter of fact, the sun DOES shine out of my ...
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Re: American "don'ts"

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Gusto10 wrote:Interesting, as many Americans coming to the old world, have no notion as how to do things. When given advice, most times they don't want to hear it. Many -expats - hardly take the chance to study the country they ae all the want is the same hamburger, canned - thus unhealthy - food, their US version of Dr Pepper as the taste is amended per country. They will drive 2.5 hours to the nearest US foodstuf outlet while the local supermarket carries the same stuff, etc. Many don't even try to gain elementary knowledge of the language (sometimes not needed as the locals speak English of some form); a problem which you see more often, like Germans or Dutch in France not capable of speaking French, French not being able to speak English, German or Dutch, etc. Living in compounds as the outside world is frightening.
I feel that to visit another country and not immerse myself in their culture and customs misses the entire point.
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Re: American "don'ts"

Post by moonshadow »

Caultron wrote:I feel that to visit another country and not immerse myself in their culture and customs misses the entire point.
That should he the case everywhere. I know when we take a road trip, I avoid national chain restaurants, and prefer to visit smaller mom and pop places.

I took dad out to Christmas dinner last month. All he did was complain that I didn't take him to hardee's, opting instead for something unique to my hometown. "I didn't drive four hours to eat an an establishment that has a store just minutes from my own house"

Fast food is for when you're on the go. Local cooking is what you want when you're visiting a new town.
-Andrea
The old hillbilly from the coal fields of the Appalachian mountains currently living like there's no tomorrow on the west coast.
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Re: American "don'ts"

Post by Caultron »

moonshadow wrote:...Local cooking is what you want when you're visiting a new town.
Wholeheartedly agreed. My criteria is medium-priced, one-of-a-kind, locally-owned, lots of local character, well-rated, and if it's a bit old and ramshackle, so much the better. Bonus points for craft breweries, marinas, and sitting by a window with a nice view.
Courage, conviction, nerve, verve, dash, panache, guts, nuts, balls, gall, élan, stones, whatever. Get some and get skirted.

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Re: American "don'ts"

Post by crfriend »

If one is holed up in a hotel, it can never hurt to get familiar with the staff and ask where they hang out. Locals always know.
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Re: American "don'ts"

Post by beachlion »

In Europe, the countries had developments of their own. So every country has their own specific culture and habits. As soon as you cross borders you will see a change in the scenery. For me traveling through Europe and beyond was an adventure. My preferred way of transport was a bike. With a bike you are in close contact with the people around you instead of barricaded up in a car. I could stop at the spot if I saw something of interest instead of looking for a place to park, only to find the event was gone. You are also more approachable and a bike with your gear tied to it is always a good conversation starter when you have your morning coffee or dinner in a restaurant. For food, I'm quite picky so I don't dive into the local food without consulting and analyzing the menu.
When I came to the USA for the first time, I felt I was there before. I had seen enough movies, documentaries and the news, everything was very familiar to me. I could blend in right away. Only my Dutch accent gives me away. My wife's best friend has German and Austrian ancesters. I'm not allowed to lose my accent because it reminds her of het grand parents. ;)
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Re: American "don'ts"

Post by FranTastic444 »

To "don't talk guns or politics" I would add religion to the list of taboo discussion subjects. When we go to one of our two local bars we quite often get people (upon hearing our British accents) who want to talk about how terrible they think Trump is. This is a conversation that we would never start, whatever we thought.

How are you, how's it going, what's happening? Really struggle to this day with such greetings as I always feel the need to treat it like a question and supply an answer.
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Re: American "don'ts"

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FranTastic444 wrote:To "don't talk guns or politics" I would add religion to the list of taboo discussion subjects.
The usual mantra is to not discuss politics or religion in polite surroundings. Guns get added into the mix occasionally here because of our community's rather unique international makeup. For the most part -- and the readership has no clue how glad I am for this -- I tend to let matters slide because everybody's adult enough to know how to behave. (I wish things worked so well in meat-space.) When things do stray into those realms they tend to remain remarkably civil, which speaks volumes about the members' personalities and maturity.

Where things do tend to go off the rails is where matters of faith get challenged. Then it can get heated. Fortunately, we tend to operate on a fairly even keel.
How are you, how's it going, what's happening? Really struggle to this day with such greetings as I always feel the need to treat it like a question and supply an answer.
Yet this remains one of the common greetings. I usually answer quite honestly to those, generally mentioning frustrations with work, the weather, and general malaise. Frequently, in my case, my aura will tell the story before I even sit down. Those who are familiar with me know in advance, which is nice. In this regard, I am tempted to recall one beautiful exchange from the US TV series Cheers between the bartender and a regular: "How's life treating you?" // "Like a baby treats a diaper."

Generally speaking, it's best not to ask the question unless one has a sympathetic heart and a lot of time to listen. Fortunately, the inquisitee will generally gloss the matter and let things proceed as normal. "Same stuff, different day." is a frequent rejoinder. However, it is nice to honestly reply, "I'm doing wonderfully, and life for once seems good!" But, face it, how often does that really happen for the typical working stiff?
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Re: American "don'ts"

Post by STEVIE »

Hi All,
"American Don'ts" could equally be "Brits Abroad".
We have the well deserved reputation of expecting the world to bend to suit us.
It's a throwback to The Empire days which some people tend to forget ended some time ago.
Just thought I would throw that in for the benefit of the Colonials and Foreigners in the café.
Steve.
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Re: American "don'ts"

Post by moonshadow »

STEVIE wrote:We have the well deserved reputation of expecting the world to bend to suit us.
Ahhhh.... I wouldn't sweat it.... after all, I'd say all national cultures are probably guilty of this. Face it, we're all a little proud of our various heritages, and that's okay.
-Andrea
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Re: American "don'ts"

Post by dillon »

Caultron wrote:
Gusto10 wrote:Interesting, as many Americans coming to the old world, have no notion as how to do things. When given advice, most times they don't want to hear it. Many -expats - hardly take the chance to study the country they ae all the want is the same hamburger, canned - thus unhealthy - food, their US version of Dr Pepper as the taste is amended per country. They will drive 2.5 hours to the nearest US foodstuf outlet while the local supermarket carries the same stuff, etc. Many don't even try to gain elementary knowledge of the language (sometimes not needed as the locals speak English of some form); a problem which you see more often, like Germans or Dutch in France not capable of speaking French, French not being able to speak English, German or Dutch, etc. Living in compounds as the outside world is frightening.
I feel that to visit another country and not immerse myself in their culture and customs misses the entire point.
Which is exactly the way I visit other lands. When I was teaching in Ethiopia there was little choice about immersion. And it is a pleasure to do so in the various South American countries I’ve visited. Europe was a little different because they seemed mostly interested in tourism for its profit while resenting the tourists themselves. I have known many international scientists and students and while it’s only natural to miss the things you knew from your prior years, my point was that Europeans in the US complain as much as the inverse situation that was raised in the post. And a number I knew pursued every opportunity to extend their stays here for employment. That’s why the comments bothered me. Just sayin’...
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Re: American "don'ts"

Post by Pdxfashionpioneer »

It is interesting how some people from other nations make so much fun of the US and us Americans when they and so many other people around the world try so hard to be as much like us as they can! … Except when it comes to healthcare; on that one we've got the most advanced technology and the most backward system.

Having spent some time in both Canada and France I have to say there is a LOT the US could learn from other nations!
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