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its like when americans go visit a foreign country we're easily recognized.
my friend went to brazil and they immediately figured she was an american by her "great dental work" lol.
to the people who dont live in the USA how can you tell if someone is an american visiting your country?
are we really that obvious?
One thing is Americans' use of personal space, as indicated by body language. Americans tend to take up more space by their gestures, manner of walking, etc. Sometimes it's a complete mystery though; how is it that in a crowd of backpackers waiting to check in at the front desk of a youth hostel, the staff can always pick out the American, if everyone's dressed the same (jeans, etc.), has similar backpacks, and are waiting in silence, so there are no linguistic clues?
What does "great dental work" even mean? Dental work isn't visible. Does it mean straight teeth? Lots of nationalities in the developed world have straight teeth. How would Brazilians know the difference between Canadians and Americans just by their teeth?!
Terrible fashion sense. Very large. Loud. All the stereotypes under the sun.
But what about the college-age and 20-something travellers? They're just as easily picked out, even though they don't fit any of the stereotypes. They look just like European college students.
Americans in Australia don't stand out any more than most foreigners:
Americans - the accent; need to chill out a little - a lot are like people from Sydney
Canadians - the accent; polite but very (too?) reserved
Poms (Brits) - the accent and the way they use language; seem to think that Aussies are far, far more interested in, an knowledgable about, UK affairs than we really are; incessant talk about convicts and "colonies"
Kiwis (New Zealanders) - the accent; seem a little small town and look at the world in a different way
Mainland Europeans - the accents; not "sun smart" - if you see a tanned person walking down a street in the Sydney CBD, there is a 90% probability that that they're European.
Dress sense (or lack thereof), reluctance or inability to use the local language (in non-Anglo countries), talking loudly, complain about anything and everything.
That being said, my personal experiences with American tourists have mostly ranged from neutral to positive. Some have been very friendly and willing to help out another (non-American) tourist in need. Canadian tourists on the other hand strike me as just a little unfriendly and reserved. They avoid talking to people at all costs, both inside and outside their country.
I think that well-educated and cultured American tourists (i.e. not the stereotypical hicks) are among the best tourist companions one could hope to meet, and this is from a non-American.
Americans in Australia don't stand out any more than most foreigners:
Americans - the accent; need to chill out a little - a lot are like people from Sydney
Canadians - the accent; polite but very (too?) reserved
Poms (Brits) - the accent and the way they use language; seem to think that Aussies are far, far more interested in, an knowledgable about, UK affairs than we really are; incessant talk about convicts and "colonies"
Kiwis (New Zealanders) - the accent; seem a little small town and look at the world in a different way
Mainland Europeans - the accents; not "sun smart" - if you see a tanned person walking down a street in the Sydney CBD, there is a 90% probability that that they're European.
Interesting. I've known a quite a few Canadians over the years and they've always seemed either friendly and reserved, or friendly and loud.
What do you mean by NZers looking at the world in a different way?
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