NationStates Jolt Archive

What are foreigners like?

What I've seen: All foreigners must be liars, since they always keep asking if you're kidding and assume you're lying. The result is that they believe all the bullshit you can make up about your country, but when given the truth, they don't believe it. Case in point, foreigners readily believe that there are polar bears in Finland, but go and explain ice swimming with sauna: it's not going to be taken seriously.

Well I always point Germans in the wrong direction if they are asking where they can find one of our infamous coffee shops....

What are foreigners like?

They are all the same, I know that much.

Stupid furreigners. Some still believe that all Mexicans wear a sombrero. But they don't believe that the best way to drink tequila is straight.

nah, foreigners are not any more ...well... nutty...than your compatriots, but they're not as articulate, so they just can't hide it as well :p

Well I always point Germans in the wrong direction if they are asking where they can find one of our infamous coffee shops....

I could generally kick the Spanish. It's amazing, really, how two Spanish tourists can block an entire street without any help. It further amazes me that their general pace would turn a snail green with envy, and that they are completely oblivious to the fact that holding a little chat in the middle of the road might seriously others...

I know I'm prejudiced... I'm sorry...

but they're not as articulate

I very much beg to differ.

I very much beg to differ.
Well... I don't know how much Swedish tourists in Sweden know... but foreigners in Switzerland have a very, very hard time with Swissgerman :D

but foreigners in Switzerland have a very, very hard time with Swissgerman :D

Cause that's not a language, that's a ... a... well, words fail me. I never understood how some of those sounds are produced...

Well... I don't know how much Swedish tourists in Sweden know... but foreigners in Switzerland have a very, very hard time with Swissgerman :D
They're required to speak swissgerman nowadays?

Cause that's not a language, that's a ... a... well, words fail me. I never understood how some of those sounds are produced...
See! Foreigners, even if just from across the border just don't get along with our beautiful language :p
They're required to speak swissgerman nowadays?
Well.. we tried Hungarian for a while, but that just created way too many misunderstandings...

Well.. we tried Hungarian for a while, but that just created way too many misunderstandings...
They as in tourists....

They as in tourists....
I know. I was kidding. They're not required to speak anything if they don't want to, but generally you can still get around with English. ... or German if you speak that.

Well... I don't know how much Swedish tourists in Sweden know... but foreigners in Switzerland have a very, very hard time with Swissgerman :D

Such luck that French and Italian and Romansh are available.

They're not required to speak anything if they don't want to...
Or can.... :p

Such luck that French and Italian and Romansh are available.
Yeah, 'cause so many people know Romansh :p

Yeah, 'cause so many people know Romansh :p

If you know Italian and French, written Romansh is not that difficult to decipher.

Too many foreigners in the US don't know any English or Spanish. Look. I'll be honest. If you're truly an American, you'd at least know ABOUT at least one of those languages. I mean, what did you think we spoke here? Italian? At least most who disn't know any English made an effort to learn it.

Well I always point Germans in the wrong direction if they are asking where they can find one of our infamous coffee shops....

I have a nasty tendancy to do that to American tourists that don't tip over here (because "we don't have to now we're not at home")..... I almost feel bad.....almost.:D

I have a nasty tendancy to do that to American tourists that don't tip over here (because "we don't have to now we're not at home")..... I almost feel bad.....almost.:D

US tourists, you even acknowledge their existence? Wow. I just pretend they're not there.

I have a nasty tendancy to do that to American tourists that don't tip over here (because "we don't have to now we're not at home")..... I almost feel bad.....almost.:D

It always cracks me up if they walk around telling people that they are Irish, too....:D

Considering I live in a country which is basically one giant tourist trap, I rarely have to deal with tourists. I had some european backpacker ask me the time once.

It always cracks me up if they walk around telling people that they are Irish, too....:D

"Oh my Gawd!! You're from here, in Dublin?! Do you know Sean?"


.... *sigh*...

Best one I ever heard: Outside St. Stephens Green Shopping Centre;

"Geez, Agatha look! They've got malls here!"

I swear.... had I not been running for a bus... wallop!

Stupid furreigners. Some still believe that all Mexicans wear a sombrero. But they don't believe that the best way to drink tequila is straight.At least you can trick them to drink it with worms in it :p

At least you can trick them to drink it with worms in it :p
I could probably take some rubbing alcohol, worms from the garden, and tell them it's tequila.

What are foreigners like?

What I've seen: All foreigners must be liars, since they always keep asking if you're kidding and assume you're lying. The result is that they believe all the bullshit you can make up about your country, but when given the truth, they don't believe it. Case in point, foreigners readily believe that there are polar bears in Finland, but go and explain ice swimming with sauna: it's not going to be taken seriously.
The Polar Bear Club swims in New York bodies of water in winter.

US tourists, you even acknowledge their existence? Wow. I just pretend they're not there.
Best way to deal with them, IMHO.

"Europe in a week!" :headbang:

Well I always point Germans in the wrong direction if they are asking where they can find one of our infamous coffee shops....

I always do that with the French drug tourists :p

Oh I dunno, I think that 外国人 (Foreigners) aren't bad at all. We keep the Japanese on their toes, torture their students with English, and provide explanations, for the upteenth time, that yes, other people now eat sushi and sashimi too.

US tourists you even acknowledge their existence? I just pretend they're not there.

sometimes its impossible because they're so loud. though sometimes you can get quiet ones.

The Polar Bear Club swims in New York bodies of water in winter.

We have a bunch of Finns in Upper Michigan that do that too.

What are foreigners like? Look in the mirror.
We are all foreigners.

Best way to deal with them, IMHO.

"Europe in a week!" :headbang:

You mean some of them actually take that much time to see those few mealsy European sights?

I always do that with the French drug tourists :p

You're from Eindhoven? Eh, I'm French, I've been to Eindhoven, and I didn't ask for drugs. :p

What are foreigners like?

What I've seen: All foreigners must be liars, since they always keep asking if you're kidding and assume you're lying. The result is that they believe all the bullshit you can make up about your country, but when given the truth, they don't believe it. Case in point, foreigners readily believe that there are polar bears in Finland, but go and explain ice swimming with sauna: it's not going to be taken seriously.Finland women are boring...

Finland women are boring...
Some education...they are called finnish women.

What are foreigners like? Look in the mirror.

Aaaaah! These furreigners are damn ugly!!!

Dammit, Kat! You should warn about these things.

Wallonochia- don't forget to add drunk engineering students from Michigan Tech to that. No I'm not one of them.

One time, I surprised a foreign exchange student from Pakistan by saying "Oh you must be from Islamabad or Karachi." Apparently, in two years abroad, no one he met knew anything about Pakistan...

Otherwise, I routinely meet foreigners at the Mall Of America. They always have at least one cheesy Minnesota souvenir too.

I've been wondering lately, do foreigners know about the great exploits of Chuck Norris and Vin Diesel?

People are just people, people.

We're all members of one race; The Human Race.

We're all members of one race; The Human Race.

Being "foreign" is not about your genetics or looks. It is about behaving in accordance with your own culture when moving in a different culture ;)

Well I always point Germans in the wrong direction if they are asking where they can find one of our infamous coffee shops....

You should point Americans to the statue of Hansje Brinker. It was after all only made because so many outraged tourists did not understand why there was no statue of the boy who saved the country by putting his finger in the dyke (which wasn't Hansje himself IIRC, but that is a detail. And no dirty thoughts :P).

You should point Americans to the statue of Hansje Brinker. It was after all only made because so many outraged tourists did not understand why there was no statue of the boy who saved the country by putting his finger in the dyke (which wasn't Hansje himself IIRC, but that is a detail. And no dirty thoughts :P).

Hey, my home town in Germany has 2 statues to animals from E.T.A. Hoffmann's books. A paranoid and schizophrenic cat (Kater Murr) and a talking dog (Berganza).
And they are not even anywhere tourists would normally stray. Talk about a waste of money...

my sweedish freind visited america and was always being asked if he lived in an igloo...

he always said yes.

btw, swissgerman is hilarious, especially that word that means "drawer"

"It always cracks me up if they walk around telling people that they are Irish, too...."

I am an american exchage student in Latvia and everyone here thinks i'm irish, for some reason, I never told anyone that.....

I never understood how some of those sounds are produced...
By pissing in the snow.

Finland women are boring...
Well, I had a Finnish girlfriend once. She was volcanic.

I have had people ask me if they know their freind in clifornia or new york, I am from missouri, do they not realize how big the united states are?

I work at a hotel. Even though I live in a place where no tourist could ever concievably want to go to, I still meet all types.

The only time there was ever a problem was when a Spanish speaking gentleman was at the wrong hotel, and spoke not one word of English. Thankfully I took Spanish in high school, and though I remembered very little, we were able to understand each other enough to get him pointed in the right direction.

Other than that little cultural adventure, I've never had any problems with foreigners. South Africans are especially polite. :)

The two times I've been to Europe were wonderful, and the time spent learning the culture beforehand was well worth it. Although I must say, judging by some of the European posters in this thread, I must be lucky. If I had had a chance encounter with some of the posters here, I might have come back with a bad impression...

The two times I've been to Europe were wonderful, and the time spent learning the culture beforehand was well worth it. Although I must say, judging by some of the European posters in this thread, I must be lucky. If I had had a chance encounter with some of the posters here, I might have come back with a bad impression...
Only if you asked for directions to drugs :p

Can't trust them they are like everywhere the bastards,

Only if you asked for directions to drugs :p

I haven't been to the Netherlands yet...give it time. :p

I have had people ask me if they know their freind in clifornia or new york, I am from missouri, do they not realize how big the united states are?

Same with Australia, since we are the same size as the 48 states.
Although you only really piss us off if you say "Are you from the colonies" or "Australia, part of British Empire". Seriously don't say that.
And don't say New Zealand either. Although calling a Kiwi Australian is like calling a Canadian American.
As for why Europeans can not deal with size
Melbourne to Sydney = Geneva to Berlin via Paris = 650 odd miles

yeah, well people in the US still refertothe baltic states as "part of russia"