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I don't get the observation that relatives stay in hotels. If my relatives did that, it was honestly because there was no room for them at the house. Other than that, it's always been understood that you can stay at a relative's house. Are we weird or what?
My wife's first trip to the US was during thanksgiving back in 2004. I actually flew in with her to Miami, then on to Orlando. We checked into a hotel room and then went to my parents house where my mom had the full blown thanksgiving dinner ready. My wife seriously thought that was a normal and regular US dinner.
We now live in MD and she has some friends that are in FL. She thinks we can just go visit for a quick trip. She still doesn't realize that FL is as far from here as CR or Colombia is from FL.
I don't get the observation that relatives stay in hotels. If my relatives did that, it was honestly because there was no room for them at the house. Other than that, it's always been understood that you can stay at a relative's house. Are we weird or what?
If you're weird, so am I.
Basically, anything you say about people living anywhere is a generalization because not everyone will ever be the same. In a country of over 300 million people, diverse in many ways, this is especially true. Foreigners may know a small group of people, or have a friend who has a friend in the US, and think what those specific people say or do goes for everyone. They come to one city for a week, or maybe travel within a region for 2, and think that everything in the whole country is like that one area. Can't really blame them for thinking like that, especially considering how hard it is for foreigners to grasp how large the US really is. Easy mistake, but at the same time people should realize it's easy to generalize an entire nation the size of America. I took most things on that link with a grain of salt. It was still interesting to see people's thoughts on us, though. It always is.
I drove back to the US once from Central America, and gave a lift to a German traveler who had never been in the US before. I had to do some emergency shopping in the WalMart in McAllen, Texas, and she said she was amazed at the outwardly friendly and gregarious attitude of the first Americans she saw in real life.
Her first impression, of course, was quite different from the great majority of foreign travelers, who first encounter Americans in airports and taxis and hotels. Not many first time travelers from Europe go through US customs and then immediately get turned loose in a Texas WalMart.
I found this one odd to point out and quite obvious:
"Americans find it very odd if people use different words than them, like British English for eg. people looked at me funny when I asked where the “Chemist” is (Drug Store). Biscuit (Cookie), Billing Counter (Cashier), Coriander (Cilantro), Petrol (Gas) are others."
Within every language are different words for the same meaning or object depending on the country or region where the language is spoken. Even within the US there is the soda/pop/coke thing. Conversely, using American English in England will probably confuse the Brits. I agree with that point, but don't know why it was pointed out as an American thing as I'm sure that's the case everywhere.
Another repeated point that stuck with me was the idea that America is huge is hard to grasp to foreigners. Someone pointed out that when he moved to or visited another country, I can't remember which and I don't want to read through it again, people were surprised he wasn't from one of 4 major American cities most commonly known. Another mentioned that it was hard to fathom LA being so far from an area in a state neighboring California - as if living in AZ or OR means you're close to everything CA has to offer. People from outside the US fail to realize how huge the US really is. We're quicker to be judged on our lack of "worldliness", as was also mentioned by a few, but they forget that Europe is a continent made up of rather small and very connected countries (I mean, easier to travel to) with different cultures and languages. Vacationing somewhere vastly different from your home country is easy in Europe because it's easy to travel within. Being "cultured" is easy and it's common for people to travel within Europe. The US is large, with a variety of mountains, beaches, other natural landscape, and culture thrown into it. Going to Florida from New Jersey is a whole different experience in many ways, but it doesn't count to many foreigners because it's still within America. It's easier for us to travel within our own large and very diverse country and get a new experience than it is for us to fly over to Europe, in which case we'd be viewed as more "worldly". I've always been very interested in that whole dynamic and I'm quick to politely point out to any foreigner that confronts me or Americans in general about not being well traveled or interested in the rest of the world that America is a giant place and I'll never be able to get close to exploring everything it has to offer, not to mention flying across the ocean.
It was a pretty interesting thought as well. It's funny because while although Europeans chuckle at us Americans for thinking that 400 years is considered 'old' or 'ancient' or 'historic' (America's chronological history), us Americans probably chuckle at Europeans for thinking that 3,000+ miles (The distance between Europe and the New World) is basically on the other side of the universe LOL. Then they have to contend with another 3,000 miles of coverage once they come to this country.
It was a pretty interesting thought as well. It's funny because while although Europeans chuckle at us Americans for thinking that 400 years is considered 'old' or 'ancient' or 'historic' (America's chronological history), us Americans probably chuckle at Europeans for thinking that 3,000+ miles (The distance between Europe and the New World) is basically on the other side of the universe LOL. Then they have to contend with another 3,000 miles of coverage once they come to this country.
Exactly!
Funny enough, actually, I was talking with a girl from Scotland who visited New York for her 21st birthday last year, and is a huge Bruce Springsteen fan so of course, she wanted to come to New Jersey and check out some spots mentioned in Bruce's music or connected to him. She chose Asbury Park, where the Stone Pony is. She took a train from NYC to Asbury and told me how amazed she was by the beautiful old Victorian homes in the area. She said she loved it and wants to move there one day. I was shocked because nothing in America really comes close to being as old as places in Europe. I was surprised she found these homes so old and was so interested in them because I know for a fact Scotland has older buildings. It was probably just the overall American experience, which she really enjoyed. She was raving about NJ which thrilled me but I mean let's be real - who ever does that? Most people hate NJ for whatever dumb reason or stereotype and here this girl was praising it and its diversity, architecture, everything about it. She was obsessed with everything she came across from the moment the flight landed at JFK to the moment it took back off for the UK. To this day I'm genuinely inspired by her enthusiasm and openness.
I think it's crazy for some people to imagine that LA is a 6 hour flight from New York. Hawaii is about 12 hours. If you're not used to the idea and are from a small country it's probably very hard to grasp. But if they could grasp it, maybe they'd stop judging Americans for not being "worldly", "cultured", or interested or involved in the rest of the world. I'd love to explore my whole country but it's probably impossible, and forget about Europe.
A lot of people are surprised by the large serving sizes in American restaurants.
Another thing is the low densities at which we live and how its impossible to get around without a car in most of America.
Well, the density thing depends on the area. I'm from New Jersey, the densest state in the country, and NYC, one of the densest in the world, is only miles away so I'm used to density but the part about cars is true. The large majority of America does require a car to get around, and the vast openness of a lot of the country may shock visitors as well. It's another thing, relating to the US's size, that's hard for them to imagine.
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