Something I realised about America this Holiday

[Trivun]

I went to Britain this past summer, and I don't recall the whole country stopping for any kind of tea time in the afternoon.

But never have I felt so stupid for not being able to understand someone who was speaking the same damn language as me. I felt so bad and kept apologizing, but I could not understand that a woman making me a sandwich in a shop was asking if I wanted "butter" on it.

Haha, what would you call butter then? Spread or something? And which part of the country were you visiting? Must have been one of those heathen parts that don't stop for afternoon tea, damn godless creatures...

No, we call it butter, too, but I couldn't understand the way she was saying it. It sounded like "bu'a" to me, and I couldn't figure out what she meant. I went to Manchester for Escapism UK, so look at the Brits on here if you're looking for them godless creatures.

Alrighty then, this time around I will personally make sure we stop whatever we do at Escapism 2012 at 4pm sharp for afternoon tea. We will see the error of our ways, you mark my words!

On the topic of the thread, I basically agree completely with the OP. I went to Florida for two weeks on holiday a few years ago, and the people were amazing. The first night, since we were renting a villa and were thus self-catered, we couldn't be bothered to cook and went to a local Argentine resturant instead in Kissimmee. The resturant was pretty quiet as it was quite early, so the manager (a very friendly large woman, and that's large even by USA standards) came and chatted to us, seeing we were British. She gave us advice on places nearby to visit, and how to make the most of the holiday. When we went to Cape Canavrel, we got chatting to an elderly American couple who were some of the nicest people we'd met. On the whole, everyone we spoke to were friendly and really welcoming considering we were British holidaymakers.

Another thing I noticed was the fact that the US seems to have a very friendly attitude topwards the military and give them massive amounts of respect, whereas over here we seem to hate anyone in the military (unless you're a journalist or live in Wooten Bassett). But that was something I expected. What I didn't expect was the respect the Americans gave to British troops and ANZAC troops and basically anyone else allied with the USA. I noticed that service personnel and their families, even non-US troops (allies though, obviously), were given free VIP entry at Busch Gardens while we were there, and at Sea World before the Shamu show started there was a shout-out and congratulations to all allied servicemen and women.

 

[The Pinray]

Me whining about SC

Hey....I live in South Carolina. But I'm in Charleston. I love it here. Beaches, good music, good career opportunities (at least for my goals), pretty women, lovely weather, and lots of pirate stuff. Though I swear to God half the people I meet are from Ohio.

Yeah, I've been to Charleston. It's nice there. I'm in Greenville, near some of the more "ghetto" areas (My brother used to work at a strip mall that housed a local movie bootlegger and part-time crack dealer). Needless to say I'm trying to get out as fast as I can, or at least move to a better part of the state. And YES like three people I work with are from Ohio. What's up with that?

 

[redisforever]

Oh, and in Greece the McDonald's over there serves shrimp burgers. Not sure if that has anything to do with this thread, but it still blew my mind.

That stood out for me too. However, what confused and overjoyed me most of all, were the little tiny plastic forks just for the french fries! They were awesome! I don't know if they all had that, but I went to the one in Athens, the main one. Also, it looked like an office building, two floors, all glass. Very odd...

 

[silverbullet1989]

I went to Britain this past summer, and I don't recall the whole country stopping for any kind of tea time in the afternoon.

Must just be me then, i always stop what ever im doing for a good ol brew

 

[Connor Lonske]

*Snip*

You obviously haven't gone to the NYC gethos. Just trying to figure out America's population on just the white, uperclass Manhattaners will give you a positive idea, yes, but not an close to the truth one at all.

Really, only a part of the people are like the ones you saw. Even in NYC, their are unpleasant people. You just weren't looking hard enough.

OT:I don't know enough foreigners from one place to know if the sterotype is true or not for them.

 

[JoesshittyOs]

Oh, and in Greece the McDonald's over there serves shrimp burgers. Not sure if that has anything to do with this thread, but it still blew my mind.

That stood out for me too. However, what confused and overjoyed me most of all, were the little tiny plastic forks just for the french fries! They were awesome! I don't know if they all had that, but I went to the one in Athens, the main one. Also, it looked like an office building, two floors, all glass. Very odd...

Okay, don't freak out, but we may have gone to the same McDonalds. In that big town square area? I remember that too.

And did the ketchup packets look weird to you? Like bigger than normal?

 

[michael87cn]

TLDR? Citizens are citizens, governments are governments. Citizens are often mingled with the governments when it comes to foreigners hating the USA but we shouldn't do that because it's silly and wrong.

I think that summed it up nicely.

 

[LilithSlave]

To be honest there are some pretty horrible muslims, atheists, scientologists, and at least 2 very very mean geologists here too

Mean Muslims and Atheists aren't a widespread cultural problem in the United States.

Furthermore, Atheists aren't really capable of becoming a cultural problem.

Fact is, there are people like Pat Robertson in this country. And they are a part of a widespread cultural problem. If anything, Atheism spreading would help fix many of the cultural problems this country has.

 

[redisforever]

Oh, and in Greece the McDonald's over there serves shrimp burgers. Not sure if that has anything to do with this thread, but it still blew my mind.

That stood out for me too. However, what confused and overjoyed me most of all, were the little tiny plastic forks just for the french fries! They were awesome! I don't know if they all had that, but I went to the one in Athens, the main one. Also, it looked like an office building, two floors, all glass. Very odd...

Okay, don't freak out, but we may have gone to the same McDonalds. In that big town square area? I remember that too.

And did the ketchup packets look weird to you? Like bigger than normal?

It was in the town square-y thing, I think. Was it near some large stair thing? Also, I didn't notice the ketchup packets, no, didn't look at them.

 

[Devil's Due]

Try to drive through some place like Alabama making it visibly apparent your gay or even worse a transexual and see if you can get through without getting beaten to death.

My ex-fiancee lived in Alabama her entire life as a bisexual, and openly displayed and admitted it to portions that people would have been an idiot not to think she wasn't one, but she had never once been harassed for it. She actually talked a lot about how tolerant they are there, and the few who aren't tolerant usually only do it in private at home with family and rarely in public anymore than in the West or East. You're making it sound like a terrible place, which it is not.

As for the thread: Welcome to America! We're glad you enjoyed your stay, and hope you come back again! You wouldn't happen to have a few spare trillion dollars on you though, would you? Oh well, worth a shot.

But seriously, come check out the West too sometime. Living here near Seattle is a blast, especially at night with all the lights!

 

[iRevanchist]

see?! we're not all bad!

OT: Britain. I've always had my preconceptions about the brits, but once I became friends with this lovely british girl, and she not once asked why I wasn't fat (being american and all), trashed 'those damn blacks', or insisted that I put a 'u' into every word that I write, or be called a savage. plus she didn't insult my mother's pb&j.

yes, that really was my notion of british people. these notions were not dissuaded by the fact that there are so many 'hurr-derr, americans are laaaaaame' threads I read here on the escapist.

 

[Lilani]

Out of curiosity, what part of the US did you visit? I'm from Missouri

Do you hate the Bartle Hall Column tops too?

You know, I actually had to look that up to see what you were talking about ;-P I don't mind the look of the convention center itself, but the suspension towers look ugly, and the one with the thing on top looks like a big toilet brush.

 

[Wolfhound3060]

-snip-

Out of curiosity, what part of the US did you visit? I'm from Missouri and I know most of the Christians in my area (including myself ) are pretty much the way you described. We've got a few bigots here and there, but they are outnumbered by the more chill ones and significantly quieter than the VERY southern Baptists.

Specifically I stayed in a little town called Warsaw in New York State. It's about 1.5 hours out of Buffalo and Rochester (equidistant). Pretty small place, quite sleepy overall.

As someone from Upstate New York and knows where that is, I'm glad you enjoyed your Holidays here. I didn't think we got tourists here anymore.

And Upstate tends to be a little more conservative than the city. But it's a libertarian kind of conservative.

 

[Sangreal Gothcraft]

And if you come to New York City all of that will change! Just kidding glad that most people come here and realize we are not World Polices or Cousin banging Redneck.

 

[Togs]

the one time I went to America I went to visit my uncle in New York, and was dismayed to find that every American stereotype was true- almost every New Yorker I met was obese, stupid, gung ho and ignorant, not too mention shockingly rude.
There were a small handful of exceptions, but for the most part the people were terrible.

So I guess my point is its to be expected that not every American follows the bad cliches and stereotypes, but a large number has to for the stereotypes to exist in the 1st place.

 

[Toby Kitching]

Well, I live in a tourist hotspot right in the middle of england. I've never been to the states (unfortunately; i'm itching to go) so I can only go on the tourists I've met. They're all nice people, but I do get the impression that they think we're a tiny third world country. Examples:
I play in a brass band. We played some music for some visiting tourists. Afterwards, a few tourists approached me and said thankyou. The one who'll always stick in my memory was an elderly american gent who came over, leaned in right next to my face and started saying, very slowly and loud, "THANK YOU, THAT WAS VERY QUAINT". I wanted to say "THANK YOU. I SPEAK ENGLISH" back at him, but decided against it.

I started chatting to another american woman in a local pub a little while afterwards. Coversation was perfectly normal until she told me that she had a friend in "england-land" called betty, and asked me if I knew her. She seemed a little surprised that I don't know every other english person alive.

I dont know... The ones i've met have all been lovely people, but my god they were patrionising. It does irriate me a little.

 

[Adellebella]

So... California is pretty much screwed, eh?

Ugh, California. Yes. Even in the Fallout games it's a messed up place.

Maybe I'm too brash, but I've never seemed to get along with them.

Hey, I live in the "Bible Belt". Georgia to be exact. Everyone I know would fit the bill the OP just described. You're basing your opinion on people in the so called Bible Belt on a vocal minority. Most people are pretty decent. Even if they do have some opinions you might not agree with.

Anecdotal evidence really isn't evidence. You seem to be in a statistical minority, and believe me, it has nothing to do with the "opinions you might not agree with" strawman.

No offense, but you are wrong. Have you ever been to the South? Or are you basing this knowledge on television and movies? I am not the minority. I'm the majority. The stereotypes you are clinging to are the minority. To the point, that I've only ever met one person with that distinctive Southern drawl in my entire two decades plus of life and thought she was faking it at first. Are they out there? Sure. But they aren't common. To the point, that even we Southern people find them surprising.

For the record, I see you posting a lot on these forums and I generally like/agree with you, if my memory serves. At the very least, I have a positive opinion of you. But, all the same, I disagree with your statement.

I lived near Chattanooga, Georgia (more in Alabama, though). The Bible Belt forced me to lose my "Yankee" accent, because I was so often teased for it. And not "haha she says Yankee words! Cute!" but more like, "why dun't you's talk correctly, guurl? You think ya'll up there are so much better.." blah blah (no, not all talk like that, but it's what I hear when I think the south). So forgive me if I think you're wrong.

Do you live in a city/near a city? That's probably why you don't hear the accent a lot, and people tend to be a bit more civilized.

I lived in the boonies for a time.

Oohhhh, the boonies...*sobs*

 

[instantbenz]

Try the Flyover states, the Bible Belt, etc. if you want to see why the stereotype exists.

No doubt about that. Likewise, rural Texas has the anti-black anti LGBT that you would expect from a world-renowned red-state. I know of a town so proud of a tree in their town square know to be the last lynching site in their county or whatever. The plaque reads something like "last African American hanged in the county". Every two weeks or so it is carved into with "last n#$%^& lynched in the county".

It's shit like that that you can't hide that legitimately proliferates the stereotype. And while I agree that we are not all like that, in the eyes of those who don't know the difference between that example and the sane of America, it seems like the chain of intelligent Americans is only as strong as it's weakest, most racist and deprived link.

op: also, hey Griffolion, I still remember the help with my computer build. it's working great btw. glad you had a decent holiday (Bandit Keith'in America'!