We've had some friends from Germany visiting the past 2 weeks. These guys are all 20-21 years old and on a 5 week trip in the USA. They've been to Las Vegas, Hoover Dam, the Grand Canyon, San Diego, crossed the border for a taco in Mexico, then came up to our house. From here they've made day trips to Hollywood, Venice Beach, Malibu, Magic Mountain and Universal Studios (kids gotta see the tourist sights). Last week they hiked to the top of Half Dome, spent a day in Yosemite Valley, went to Lake Tahoe then on to San Francisco, then down PCH to San Luis Obispo where they spent the night at a Frat House, lined up for them by my daughter Kelly. On Monday they made it back here and we took the '11 out for a spin, then driving lessons. They can all now say they've driven a 1911 Model T.

These guys had a great trip, and we were lucky to have them visit.

That's very cool. It's important for young foreigners to see the real America rather than the one they read about in the papers.

Dennis, when Anja and I came here from Holland on vacation when we were engaged, it was her first trip to the US. We were having lunch in a restaurant one day and she looked around and said, "You know, I've been here for three days, and I haven't seen any 'Americans' yet." The everyday people she was encountering didn't fit any of the stereotypes she had been exposed to. It seems to be a common reaction from foreigners who visit.

Just curious....What is the stereotypical American to foreigners?

I'm not sure I can answer that and - after 33 years of living here - I'm not sure Anja could now either. I can say what it is based on, I guess. First, American movies and TV shows have always been popular in Holland. It's too small a market for dubbing into Dutch, so they are all in English with subtitles. The real-life Americans they see are just the small percentage of Americans who travel to Europe. Of that small percentage, the ones who get noticed are the ones who call attention to themselves, sometimes by being loud, or complaining that hamburgers aren't as good as at home, or the bartender doesn't know how to mix a martini. The Americans who try local food and drink local beverages don't stand out, so it's the others who begin to form the stereotype.

I'd be interested in seeing the thoughts of Michael, Toon and other Europeans here on the forum on this issue.

My mother is from Germany and family comes often to visit. Many years ago she said that she picked up her great uncle and he was expecting to see cowboys and indians. Another uncle couldn't believe that you can't buy beer anywhere. Here in east Texas it's wet/dry areas. Nearest beer store is 18 miles away. I don't believe her cousin had ever seen a mobile home. Maybe they don't have those in Germany? I've never been. My grandma's cousin thinks it's foolish to work on old cars. All complain about the heat.

Hal,

here is one of the main producers of german
stereotypes about America
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_May
____________________________

coreywalker,

is that, what you mean?
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wohnmobil

Regards from Germany

Sven

Sven, you think things like this might also have played a role?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6Mq7TY5gZQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maSu4P9fUkQ

I just love it. Not designed for freeway speeds as the flowers in the planter boxes would long gone.

I should explain that this was one of the images from one of Sven's referenced sites.

Neil

Unfair stereotypes... i found a youtube video with unfair stereotypes, It was funny. i showed it to my American friends who i know only on the internet and they thought it was funny but real (it might be fake) it might be too much to post a link here though

Ah, go ahead and post it. We're T guys. We're tough....

One thing I can add about American stereotypes from my experience traveling in Italy is that when you see a fat person over there, it's an American. (Myself included. )

The most common remark I get from foreigners visiting the museum that I get to talk to at length is that "it's so peaceful here?".
Thanks to our "If it bleeds, it leads" media, they expect to see protest signs on every corner, "race wars" in the streets and a general sense of chaos.
Of course, your average tourist doesn't usually "tour" the inner city Ghettos, any more than we would deliberately tour the slums of Europe.

Mike, yes, Dutch visitors these days do comment on the widespread obesity they see.

It was http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJuNgBkloFE So much controversy in the comments... please do not read them. But one girl i asked if it was real, She said people like that are out there

Ah, Kim, yes, people like that are out there. They are, though, in just about every country in the world. Jay Leno capitalizes on it weekly. Ya gotta weep....

Okay, a lot of people in germany think americans all have a gun and doing all the time sometihng like a farm or something else. The other people only know the stock exchange people (smart guys with a tie). If i tell those people something about my several tours to the us and the lovely people they dont believe. If i tell how it is to go to areas like black hills, sheridan in wyoming or drive with a car from San Francisco to Detroit and meet all the guys - they cant believe. I think the most german people only know usa from a map or meeting americans in heidelberg. But these, ithink, is not the real america. On all tours around the world we met the "best" people off the tourist attractions.

My decision to buy a t comes on a ride in dearborn with an old man in greenfield village. Why? This old man told so lovely about mr. ford and his work there. Some german have to learn to love there country as americans do. I love both countrys! Michael

I and my wife spent 8 days in Germany in 2008 back packing from Frankfurt to Coburg and back to Frankfurt. I thought we would stand out with our back backs as tourists. It turned out that just a lot of people in Germany go about with back packs. We dressed and looked as if we belonged. This year we are going to London. We speak "American" with a midwest accent. Someone was in our store from London last week. I had to listen very carefully to catch every word.

When I was stationed in Germany the first time Florian's family sort of 'adopted' me for 4 years. We've always kept in touch. I was 20 and his dad was 51 when we met; he didn't speak and english and I didn't speak any german. We drank a lot of beer and 'most' over the next 4 years.... he got me to where I could converse pretty well in Shwabish, but the people in northern germany couldn't understand me.... pretty funny, really. this time it's his 20 year old grandson visiting 50 year old me.
Patrick's family has a gasthaus in Bavaria, about 20 minutes from Fussen, where Neushweinstein and Howenschwengau castles are. He skis 120 days a year and hikes many of the other days. These were great, polite kids having a good time. We plan to visit them in 2011 or 2012. It's pretty cool how things work out like that.

Good story, Gary. That was a lot for them to see in such limited time. Did they have any regrets about where they would liked to have stayed longer?

Euros tend to not appreciate distances in the West until they are here.

rdr

A number of years ago I had relatives over from Denmark. They drove from New York to Wisconsin to Florida to New York. They had a hard time believing how large the US is, and they hit less than half of it.

A lot of europeans find it hard to believe that we all speak the same english and understand one another, including Canada. I thank the Brits for that.

Distances in Europe are so short. You blink your eye and you are in another country.

I traveled all over Europe one summer and the only place the people were not friendly was around Paris.. Maybe I just had a bad experience, as I was told once you get out in the country the French are just as friendly as everyone else.

As long as you try to blend in and follow the customs in the country you visit, you will have a great time. Can't wait to get back again.

I've heard it said before that the difference between Europeans and Americans is that Americans think 100 years is a long time and Europeans think 100 miles is a long ways.

Hi Dave, the story from Paris seems always the same. I was a several times in france on tour with my motorcycle. My wife and i go to nice -a city that is known all over the world. We go to have breakfast at mc donalds. Its not possible to order! Why? The guy dont want to speak english! I cant believe, because if anybody arrives here without speaking german, i want to help. I dont speak a very good english, but i help with all is possible.

Thats what i want to say above, thats one world and if there is a guy or anybody who needs help! We have to help! If no language helps - whats about hands and feets :-)

I live near cologne and we have a lot of tourist from around the world, so we help. I like it to talk and explain all these.

I would be proud see anyone of you here in germany and show you our country. Please send a mail and if possible we see us.

Michael

@Hal
I think sometimes you are right. In germany many people think so. I drive every day 50 Miles to work and a lot of my friends think i am crazy. But im glad to to have work! And i love my work - i can work with car and specially with antique cars - wow what a job :-)

Hal, I've used the same line many times. When I was living in Holland, I was at a party in Amsterdam with a bunch of people from work. The company was international, so social gatherings were usually a mix of Dutch people and internationals. It was Saturday evening, and an Israeil friend was telling me about a great Chinese restaurant he had discovered in Antwerp. One thing led to another, and he proposed that we meet there for lunch the next day. Antwerp is about 85-90 miles from Amsterdam, so it was an hour and a half to two-hour trip each way. We agreed, and our Dutch friends were totally flabbergasted. "You're going to drive to Antwerp for LUNCH?????"

Hal, I've used the same line many times. When I was living in Holland, I was at a party in Amsterdam with a bunch of people from work. The company was international, so social gatherings were usually a mix of Dutch people and internationals. It was Saturday evening, and an Israeil friend was telling me about a great Chinese restaurant he had discovered in Antwerp. One thing led to another, and he proposed that we meet there for lunch the next day. Antwerp is about 85-90 miles from Amsterdam, so it was an hour and a half to two-hour trip each way. We agreed, and our Dutch friends were totally flabbergasted. "You're going to drive to Antwerp for LUNCH?????"

Hmmm... how did that happen?

My great grandma used to say Americans would drive a car to the bathroom if they could. She lived to be 96 and never drove.

Corey, my great-grandmother also lived to be 96 and never drove, but the time frame was probably earlier. She was born in 1866 and died in 1962.

I spent two years in Germany. Well, actually, it was West Germany at the time. I was Army and this was 1984-1986. I learned enough German to order in a restaurant and buy a few items in stores. "Bitte, ein Pils" came in real handy. I found that most Germans spoke English better than I spoke German. However, I always made an attempt to speak German. Once they knew I was trying, but struggling, they would always speak English. I never made it to Paris, although I knew those who did. We did fly to England for a few days. I never met anyone I didn't like in either country.....Well, there was this one First Sergeant, but he don't count.

1 It's remarkable how much Ralf Paulsen sounds like Alberto Vasquez, who sounds like Roger Whittaker.

2 I agree that foreigners get their impressions of us from media portrayals and from American blowhards they see or encounter. I recall a cantina by the Sea of Cortez, infested by a bunch of loud, potbellied gringos with a snootful. "Hey PEEEdro, let's have another cervEEEEZZa!" Those are the people who get noticed.

3 Europeans visiting the US are surprised not only by the distances. Philippe, a 17-year-old from France, went along with a friend and me on a summer trip to several western states. He was unprepared for the high altitude cool weather. When it was all over he said his favorite part was Kansas because it was so warm.

Guten Tag, Michael. Ich spreche nur ein bischen Deutsch. Meine Kinder sprechen sehr gut Deutsch. Wir mochten Sie besuchen die nachste zeit zum Deutschland gehen. Ich habe eine Freunde in Wiesbaden.

That's the best I can do with german. I suppose the other Michael will expect me to practice up on my Danish, too.

p.s. I'm at work so I do not have the ability to use umlaut's.

While stationed in Europe I was attending a small social function where I struck up a conversation with a local lady. Her english was pretty good which I complimented her on. She replied Americans don't seem to care to learn other languages. I told her most Americans (this was in the 60's) would never need to speak anything but english. Being from the midwest I could travel several hundred miles in any direction and still speak english. If I had learned a another language in school, chances were very good I would never have had a use for it. My wife and I did a river cruise in Europe a couple years ago and enjoyed it very much. Would like to revisit Europe again but can't get wife to put up with hassel of flying now days. One thing I did notice is that Europeans are much more caring about their dress than Americans. Saw no cut-offs and flip flops in airports like in US.

Gary, that is exactly the point that I made to many Europeans, but I replaced "several hundred" with "a thousand" and was still right.

A person who can speak two languages is called bilingual. A person who can barely handle one is called an American.

Steve, yep. But for good reason. See above.

If you don't use it, you lose it. I lived in Paris for most of 1968. When I left, my French was really good. Now, I can still understand it fairly well, but when it comes to speaking, forget it. If I spent month there, it would probably come back. Americans who study a second language in high school have generally forgotten it by the next year. Understandable.

Yeah, that's why I listen to our local Mexican radio station most mornings. Use it or lose it. But deep in Anglo white bread country I don't find many chances to practice conversation.

Don't worry Steve, the way things are going, you're going to have a lot more opportunity to speak Spanish in the near future.

I'm surprized you can find a Mexican station there. I go sometimes with the installation crew (all Mexicans) and halfway between Tyler and Texarkana the Mexican music faded out and all the way to Little Rock, nothing. That's what is great about Texas, I can speak Spanish all day at my job plus there are taquerias and authentic Mexican food/ grocery stores everywhere.

Corey, things have improved in recent years. When I came to Kansas 25 years ago any attempt to find edible comida Méxicana was an exercise in disappointment. There were plenty of places serving up faux Mexican garbage and thriving on people who didn't know any better. Now our little county of 30,000 has enough actual Mexicans to support two decent places to eat, and Wichita has enough to support a couple of radio stations. For a guy raised on Sonoran cuisine in southern California this is a very tasty change.

This thread has drifted from Germany to Mexico, but you're right about the faux comida. I take my wife to a place with $1 fajita tacos, barbacoa carnitas etc. mole, nopales and she turns up her nose and wants to go to Taco Bell.