Leisure Tourists - Why the Hate?

[AliasTheory]

I've been to Japan; very different place but very fun. Went there to play music with some fellow students at an all girls school. My little Japanese knowledge did help me, and thankfully I was able to get my order number at a restaurant. (My friend also barfed at that same restaurant and I had to apologize.) The people in Japan are incredibly kind and do have many western style things (such as toilets) available to use. Might I also add these toilets are a bit special; they spray warm water. If you don't know, guess where.

 

Things are relatively tourist friendly I'd say. Most Japanese restaurants are known for their plastic food replicas. Menus are also laid out for people and workers understand you if you simply point at what you want. Did that at a McDonalds; all the food was under a thin glass at the front. Everything is very visual. Also, serving portions are indeed really small. What is medium in the US is large there. I couldn't imagine their hamburgers any smaller, and I was wrong.

 

I visited several famous monuments and went to Akihabara. Awesome. Would go back again.

[bben46]

I have visited many other countries, but mostly on business. As a major cultural scew up could cost you a contract, Doing business with the locals forces you to pay more attention to the local customs. And also gives you an 'in' to some of the local culture as your local host will usually want to show you some of their country when you are not working. I enjoy trying the local foods and have been in many restaruants where I didn't speak the local language and they did not speak English. Every time I have managed to get a very good meal. As to beer, I always want to sample local beers. The best I have found was suprisingly in Argentina. I don't even know if they had any US beers there as I never asked. Other good places for beer were Australia, Japan, Germany, Mexico. The only place I have been where I was unable to find a really good local beer was Greece - where when I asked a waiter to recomend a good Greek beer he replied "There are no good Greek beers." Although I did find some that weren't as bad as he implied.

 

I have found the locals in every country I have visited to be very helpful and polite to an ignorant travler. Whenever I had any language problems we would try pantomine or pointing - usually with some laughter when there was a misunderstanding. (Note to tourists, talking louder dosn't make them understand you.) I do try to learn something about the culture before going, and as much as I can while there. I do not expect things to be the same as at home, and would be disapointed if they were. You visit other countries to see diferent things, not to see the same things you would see in your own country.

 

Hints to tourists, be polite, don't expect things to be like home, don't talk down to locals, be prepaired to laugh at your own mistakes, try to remember they take their customs seriously and you are the strange one to them. Also, the more you know about the customs, the more enjoyable it will be.

[Balagor]

@bben46

You really are a example tourist to be followed, kudos.

And yes when I was a waiter in Greece we served only forreing beers like Amstel and Heineken, XD

 

EDIT;;; Oh, I allready gave you one.

[grannywils]

bben46, I have to agree with you 100%. You have gotten it absolutely right. This is how to behave as a tourist. I'm fairly certain that if all of us did this there would no longer be the perception that tourists are hated. I have also found that taking this attitude in general is very useful and appropriate when attempting to get help from someone in an area where you are just basically unfamiliar. Be prepared to laugh at your own mistakes. Don't take yourself so seriously or try to pretend that you know more than you do. Don't be afraid to ask questions. You may know everything there is to know about "A", but need help with "B". So what, just go ahead and ask. It's ok if someone else knows more about "B". By asking, and then listening politely, you too will eventually know more. It's just like being a good tourist in his country. Don't try to pretend you know more than you do, just learn. It's good for all of us. Thanks for that post bben46.

[brokenergy]

Now that Oprah is coming to Australia, I just laughed on (no offense intended in anyway) how she and probably the whole world perceives Australia and makes me hate Paul Hogan (AKA Crocodile Dundee) even more (why? It's that stupid "Shrimp on the Barbie" ad). First off I have never met someone who said G'Day to me, in fact many city people don't talk in that famous Australian accent that was made famous in Crocodile Dundee and various other personalities. Second and the most important for any traveling tourist is; Vegemite! Vegemite is a vegetable/yeast extract spread not dark chocolate spread that many perceive. You don't need to spread it too much as it is very strong flavoring and will taste bitter.

 

Whole point of that mini rant? Many people stereotype people based on what they see on television and it really demeans people of that nation like Australia. If you are going to end up tourist at least do some research on the dos and don'ts of that nation, stay in a tour group (if can afford), have a handy and reliable translator book with you and check your Department of Foreign Affair website (or the equivalent your nation) and see their status of that nation. Do all you're homework and you will have a safe and fun trip with no hiccups but fail and it will be another hell holiday adventure for you.

[XanAlderon]

In August this year I went to America (I'm Australian) with my family. I really felt like a stupid tourist. Things that confused me: Light switches switch up, I could not get a certain shower tap to work eventually giving up altogether and all the other taps confused me mildly for a while, You can get....free refills? This was an amazing discovery for me but then I got confused as you could buy your drink in large or small, Every second person wanted to hear me say G'day, Wall mart is the biggest collection of consumerism I have EVER seen, the money system...why do they need pennies? In Australia our currency is in a ten unit system (5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200) in America its like (1, 5, 10, 25 and the it goes to notes) also why is tax added after your purchase? Just means that my $1.00 burger is actually $1.15 and my pockets are filled with useless change and finally......no icecream (paddlepops and the like) in service stations and supermarkets! oh and I never understood what the happy little juice man was..

 

Apologies if this sounds like a rant or something, I just thought it was funny how different America turned out to be.

 

Brokenergy: I have also never seen a shrimp on the barbie and I only know one person who says G'day seriously. Also I was suprised to find Vegemite in a supermarket in San Fransiso.

[brokenergy]

 

I guess you're too young to remember that ad Xan?

[Lisnpuppy]

@Xan

 

OK..the taps sometimes confuse me and I live here...there is really no standardization.

 

As far as lights..yes up is on..unless you have a switch on the other side of the room for the same lights..then confusion and annoyance is rule of the day.

 

Yeah..free refills rock..though why buy a large if you can just keep filling it up? Because Americans can be gluttons.

 

I hates the WalMart but sometimes its the only game in town.

 

We have pennies SO you can pay taxes (and heck with that all convenient metric system type concepts. WE LOVE ODD NUMBERS!). Some States do not tax food....most do. It hurts the poor way more. I just read the legislature in my State (*hangs head in shame*) wants to tax if you go through the drive-thru at a fast food place. But if you get off your lazy bum and walk in...no tax.

 

And some gas stations and such HAVE the ice cream on a stick....at least around here. Come to West Virginia, just don't go through the drive thru.

 

:P

 

ps...I have not been to Australia but if I do I will immediately go to the F1 track and try to find Mark Webber and ask him to sign my Vegemite can or something.. ha ha ha

[Balagor]

@brokenergy

Mayby you don´t use G´day anymore. Some 30 years ago, I was traveling a lot. Every Aussies were saying G, day back then. For "goodbye" they would say "See you later, mate" in a way so it sounded like "See your lighter, mate", LOL (first time I though I was asked for a light)

 

@Xan

Try Europe. Even for us who lives here, it can be rather confusing. Lights turned on up or down or just a click. Taps turning all direction. Switchin from country to country.

In Greece, black coffie is "Greek Coffie" but on some Greek island more native to Turkey, it is "Turkish Coffei" the other does not exist.

In Spain black coffie is "Cafe Americano". If you say "Black Coffie" you will get a thimble full of extreemly strong coffie.

And before the Euro currency, you could add some calculation issues too, imagine. :sick: :D :D :D

[XanAlderon]

haha I always wondered where that supposedly ocker Australian saying comes from and yeah, Paul Hogans an old man now; I wasn't born when he looked like that.

 

Thanks for the explanation Lisnpuppy, but even that small incentive to get people out of there cars and into the shop won't stop some people from their laziness, I was amazed to see an obese American girl pull up a chair and sit on it in the line, pulling it along as the line moved; there seems to be no saving some people.

 

Oh thats right and I saw drive in ATMs, you never need to leave your car now it seems.

 

Balagor, it sounds confusing but coffee was hard to get in America as well it seems. I watched my mothers frustrated attempt to explain to the cafe girl she wanted a "cafe latte" but she couldn't understand the accent.

 

Also not many people say g'day but plenty of people still say mate.