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How to be an ugly American |
How not to be an ugly American |
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Wear
shorts, tank tops, and flip-flops everywhere. |
Dress in
a manner respectful of local customs.
When visiting cathedrals wear long pants or a skirt and keep your
shoulders covered. |
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If the
person your are trying to communicate with in English doesn’t understand you,
try shouting. |
Learn a
few words and phrases in the local language (hello, goodbye, please, thank
you, you’re welcome, 1, 2, 3, good, bad) |
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Try to
find American food or its equivalent.
Eat at McDonald’s. Complain
when you can’t get ketchup or ranch dressing. |
Try the
local cuisine, eat the specialties of the region, don’t complain when something
tastes different. |
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Try to
pay for everything with dollars or travelers checks. |
Use the
local currency, learn the exchange rate. |
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Assume
that your manners that are fine in the USA are fine everywhere. |
Learn something
about the local culture and manners and apply what you learn. |
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Assume
that your political beliefs are correct and you need to share them with everyone
else in the world. Try to convert
others to the “American way.” Assume
that the way we do things in the USA is the best way to do things. |
Open your
mind to the idea that not everyone in the world will see things the way that
you do, and they might be right. Respect
other’s beliefs and treat everyone with dignity. |