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Salanis
Salanis PowerDork
3/12/12 5:51 p.m.

Living in Berlin, it just feels really weird that coming from California makes me the exotic foreigner. Having Europeans in awe that I'm all "cultured" or something just does not feel right.

"Where are you from? England?"
"No. I'm from California."
"California! Oh... WOW..."

Seriously. WTF?

cwh
cwh SuperDork
3/12/12 6:06 p.m.

Enjoy it until they learn the truth.

Salanis
Salanis PowerDork
3/12/12 6:08 p.m.

In reply to cwh:

No, they still don't believe me when I say that our beer is better.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker
Giant Purple Snorklewacker UltimaDork
3/12/12 6:13 p.m.
Salanis wrote: In reply to cwh: No, they *still* don't believe me when I say that our beer is better.

That is because they know you traveled all the way there with great personal sacrifice to learn how to make beer from them. You kinda tipped your hand a bit.

fritzsch
fritzsch Reader
3/12/12 6:23 p.m.

Where about in berlin are you staying?

mad_machine
mad_machine GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
3/12/12 6:24 p.m.

obviously they are surprised you are not a walking stereotype. You need to do something to reinforce the "ugly american" stereotype and then they will understand

Salanis
Salanis PowerDork
3/12/12 6:30 p.m.

In reply to Giant Purple Snorklewacker:

Because the Germans are masters of technical process. Americans are better at creativity and daring. The beers here are very well crafted and produced, but they lack the excitement of American beer.

That's fine by me. I can be exciting on my own. I'm here to learn the technical aspects.

Salanis
Salanis PowerDork
3/12/12 6:36 p.m.
mad_machine wrote: obviously they are surprised you are not a walking stereotype. You need to do something to reinforce the "ugly american" stereotype and then they will understand

I don't know about "ugly", but I'm doing pretty well on loud and brash. I have been admonished several times that I need to talk more quietly. And I've had a guy chew me out about "Do you always interrupt people who are working?" when I tried to ask him a question after he had ignored my presence at the service counter for several minutes.

fritzsch wrote: Where about in berlin are you staying?

Wedding. So, there are lots of Turkish people who are really excited to speak English with an American.

Mitchell
Mitchell SuperDork
3/12/12 11:12 p.m.

Are you wearing Levi's, boots, and a cowboy hat?

I have heard that despite our best intentions, Americans overpower a setting with our boisterous voices.

Cole_Trickle
Cole_Trickle Reader
3/12/12 11:33 p.m.

Have they been introduced to Milwalkees Best yet? That will win you some friends.

Mitchell
Mitchell SuperDork
3/12/12 11:52 p.m.

And make sure they know the best way to drink Milwaukee's Beast, the shotgun! I demonstrated to some international students last year at a bonfire, while the host just shook her head in embarrassment. Murika!

Appleseed
Appleseed PowerDork
3/13/12 2:02 a.m.

You need to introduce them to this:

Then they'll understand.

Salanis
Salanis PowerDork
3/13/12 2:26 a.m.
Mitchell wrote: Are you wearing Levi's, boots, and a cowboy hat? I have heard that despite our best intentions, Americans overpower a setting with our boisterous voices.

Not exactly. I'm wearing Carhartt's, steel-toes, and a leather ranch hat. I have had people in the train stations ask me if I'm a cowboy. And apparently Carhartt is the latest hip brand for young people to wear out here.

We Americans have noticed that we just talk louder. I guess it's just more acceptable in America to be loud and enthusiastic.

And there is actually Duff beer in stores around here. I have not tried it yet.

92CelicaHalfTrac
92CelicaHalfTrac MegaDork
3/13/12 7:02 a.m.
Mitchell wrote: And make sure they know the best way to drink Milwaukee's Beast, the shotgun! I demonstrated to some international students last year at a bonfire, while the host just shook her head in embarrassment. Murika!

In my mind i envisioned you doing that in front of a group of Russian schoolgirls who then proceeded to all whisper in each other's ears tittering with excitement in languages you don't understand.

mad_machine
mad_machine GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
3/13/12 8:08 a.m.
92CelicaHalfTrac wrote:
Mitchell wrote: And make sure they know the best way to drink Milwaukee's Beast, the shotgun! I demonstrated to some international students last year at a bonfire, while the host just shook her head in embarrassment. Murika!
In my mind i envisioned you doing that in front of a group of Russian schoolgirls who then proceeded to all whisper in each other's ears tittering with excitement in languages you don't understand.

You have a dirty mind

4cylndrfury
4cylndrfury PowerDork
3/13/12 8:23 a.m.

huh huh ...he said tittering...

yeah yeah ...tittering is cool!! yeah...

4cylndrfury
4cylndrfury PowerDork
3/13/12 8:25 a.m.

anyone who says they didnt read that in both of their voices is a damned liar

chuckles
chuckles Reader
3/13/12 8:39 a.m.
Salanis wrote: I have been admonished several times that I need to talk more quietly.

That's funny. The stereotype of the German tourist is that he's the most vocal AND the loudest.

rotard
rotard HalfDork
3/13/12 8:54 a.m.

Germans are very loud, but then again, most of the ones I've been around were close friends. The girls love Americans, by the way.....just saying.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker
Giant Purple Snorklewacker UltimaDork
3/13/12 9:03 a.m.

All the germans I know are obstinate, opinionated drunks with a great sense of humor, a bunch of smarts and an aversion to deodorant products. They have THE worst diet of any other people I know but manage to stay poker thin because of OCD-like cycling/climbing/running behavior that occurs just before the rest of the world is willing to get out of bed after a night of hard drinking.

z31maniac
z31maniac UberDork
3/13/12 9:16 a.m.
Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: All the germans I know are obstinate, opinionated drunks with a great sense of humor, a bunch of smarts and an aversion to deodorant products. They have THE worst diet of any other people I know but manage to stay poker thin because of OCD-like cycling/climbing/running behavior that occurs just before the rest of the world is willing to get out of bed after a night of hard drinking.

That sounds EXACTLY like the Germans we met in Nassau a few years ago. They were a blast.

Twin_Cam
Twin_Cam SuperDork
3/13/12 9:22 a.m.
Salanis wrote: Because the Germans are masters of technical process. Americans are better at creativity and daring. The beers here are very well crafted and produced, but they lack the excitement of American beer.

Couldn't have said it better myself. The US really is the best place to be a beer drinker.

I'm pretty sure I didn't get mistaken for anything other than an American when I was in Europe, but I'm pretty sure I didn't totally fit the "loud-ignorant-drunk-fat" stereotype, either.

Salanis
Salanis PowerDork
3/13/12 11:46 a.m.
rotard wrote: The girls love Americans, by the way.....just saying.

I have noticed. I also spend a lot of time going out doing things like dancing tango where I am one of the better dancers. These two things compound each other. Most extreme was a gal who started playing with my hair and informing me that I look like the Prince from the Czech movie version of Cinderella.

This all does not help when I have a girlfriend back home who I miss very badly.

cwh
cwh UberDork
3/13/12 11:54 a.m.

I have only traveled around the Caribbean, but have definitely found that American men get a lot of attention from the ladies. Even in my 60's, with a ring on. Good for the ego, for sure! Of course, they see a walking Green Card.

Lesley
Lesley UberDork
3/13/12 11:57 a.m.

Oh lord... last time I went to the Caribbean, I had to hide my hair under my hat. They're relentless down there!

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