My fellow country men! Good, bad or ugly?

[M P]

Thought I would start a thread on this because many people on here have very enlightening views and theories on expats and tourists from various countries and their own and it is an interesting read.

I wrote this in another thread --->> In relation to us Aussies we are a mixed bag... like most I guess. I have seen appalling behavior by my countrymen all over the world. I just hate the Aussie Aussie Aussie crap and that fact that for many jumping on a plane for a holiday anywhere is like a ticket to be a complete ASS! I find that pretty much all Australians living abroad are good and take genuine interest in the culture of the adopted country and mix very well with locals and expats alike. It's just that so many of the tourists act like it is their first time out of the nut house. The worst I have seen in Thailand was one guy and his girlfriend posing for pictures with a begger while he slept on the street. To say they least what they were doing was disgusting. When I told the guy to stop and get lost his reply was hey mate... I'm an Aussie! WTF!!! I made it clear that I was also however he and his girlfriend where scum of the earth and it didn't matter where they came from.

Do you others get a bit ashamed of your fellow countrymen? Do you just brush it of or do you think it casts a reflection on you when your friends see some out of form behavior and know you are from the same country? Some people have said to me just be a citizen of the world when OS and take each person as unique. We all know and seem to agree that there are many traits unique to Farang of various origin.

 

[hihihiii!]

i think the british abroad are a constant source of embarresment. usually in spain!

 

[ablex]

It took me some years to answer a quick "From Germany..." on questions where I came from. I always went the smoother rescue route "From Holland...", which is kind of true as well. I just hated the behaviour of those ever complaining, loud and arrogant Germans abroad. Many times I didn't even identify myself as German when I bumped into them on Holidays.

All bollox of cause, somehow these days I don't care so much anymore. At the end on holidays most of the other visiting countries, those exceptions you described, are as loud as everyone else, it's just that you take more notice and a personal embarressment towards them because you share the nation?

Something like, when you drive your new Audi, you suddenly see so many Audis on the road and watch them.

 

[Joe C]

I can't resist... a perfect cross to score!!!

I knew you had a good set of brains!!!! :


But I do agree with your last line. Every nation produce a**holes when they are on vacation and had way too much to drink and they think they can permit themselves everything.

 

[Pompal 09.]

I'll give it to you, met de paplepel ingegoten 55555

Now, back on the topic, without alcohol this all looks completely different.
Either out of respect, fear of conflicts with police or maybe a mix of both. I've been to larger events here in Dubai, including the ENG-AUS rugby
final, never have I seen any misbehaving from Germans, Dutchies, Aussies, English guys or where ever they came from. I don't feel embarressed
at all meeting my fellow German guys.

You just know you can't walk on the road tanked up, smashing things or annoy other people. Well, you even know you shouldn't just stand still
at the taxi point pissed up or you could get trouble already (seldom, but happened).

It's not the nations making a difference or problems, it's the alcohol provided without limits and police which let them get away with all of it.

My God, do I sound like mother terasa today. Must be because I ran out of beer stock since a couple of days and can't be bothered to get a
license to buy some new ones. Detox and flashbacks are kicking in :

 

[kicker]

IMO . . I don't think the problem can be blamed on Nationality. It is more to do with the attitude of the individual. Being topped up with alcohol surely doesn't help.

I have travelled to Pacific countries before and enjoyed many a drink. But before I went I researched as much as I could so I felt confident in my being there without carrying on like a goose.

Same as when I land in LOS. I spend a lot of day learning about LOS so that I will feel confident in my time there.
---------------------------------------------------------
You don't need a long neck : to be a goose!!!

 

[Bubbly Brit!]

I'm a human

I'm pretty embarrassed by the behaviour of many of us.

I'm also warmed by the behaviour of the majority of us.

we have sub groups as well.

The above applies to each of those sub groups.

Q.E.D.

 

[Ang(:]

________________________________________________________________

I think the Kraut has got it correct : (His dark secret is out now!)

You notice your own countrymen behaving badly because it's a personal embarrassment....and go on by-pass otherwise.

(As an aside I always smile when there is a big football match or sports event on the Bar widescreen TV and the bar is packed with guys but the BGs are all sitting outside looking perplexed at how they became invisible for the night :mdr: ) Enjoy.
__________________
"Heaven holds a sense of wonder...and I wanted to believe..."

 

[~Poon Strangler~]

Another incident was when i was in the lobby of the hotel, a drunk guy came in and saying proudly he did not pay the taxi driver. His room was lock so he used a chair to break the glass door. The next day, a Navy/Marine officer was there to investigate.

The good thing about the deployment is there is always guys/girls volunterring to do civic works such as contruction of buildings or going to foster homes during port stops.

 

[Sourkandy19]

It is right that you tend to notice your own country men. But from our visits to patong over the last 4 years we have noticed that aussie men in groups are no better than the english men in large groups (I am english born living in Aus so I can be critical of poms as well).
But what is more embarrasing is the aussie women in groups with men. They are just as bad and not just the young ones.
We were in a bar watching Aussie football on a table directly in front of the TV. A group of 5 aussie couples aged between 35/40 to 50 and they just pushed right in on us. It didn't take long fortunatly that the bar owner came over and kicked them all out. He told us later that couples like them come in and spend next to no money in drinks but they are happy to sit on his chairs and take up space.
Given we would spend 5,000 to 15,000 baht in a night Im sure he so us as the better customers.

 

[King Hippo]

My god!!!! this might be the first time Americans were not pointed out as the trouble........honey! sound the alarms!!!

 

[Pompal 09.]

just not enough of us over there to blame everything on or im sure they would

 

[i am me <3]

americans are fine in groups of no more than 1

 

[Mega T]

i havent been down to phuket for about a 1 1/2 years now, but what i understand the ozzies going there now are not setting much of a standard, compared to the old fashioned low season monger.

outside of the wifes province i generally dont care what farangs do, but in her province the poor actions of some farangs reflect on the majority.

 

[abdelhadi2000]

Ouch! I know someone who will reply to this.

 

[Smarty Pants]

haha
too funny
ya go me 555555

 

[Hayden K.]

i think most westerners act the same. Rememeber, everyone parties when they dont need to work so what do you expect?

 

[Merry Christmas! :)]

I think that every race is a mixed bag. I also think that when it's your fellow countrymen (no matter where you're from) that are acting up, you feel the embarrassment about their behaviour much more acutely.

 

[PeaceLoveHope <3]

yes paulie i thought i would throw that one in, just to take the piss, americans no worse than any other group, some real nice old fellas up north.

 

[tammy b]

I agree. Same as everyone else. Just less Americans there these days. In many ways I like to be in LOS and not around many Americans. Probably many others are the same.