I've never been to Sweden. Should probably try to get there while I'm still in this part of Europe...as I hope to move further south. Maybe I'll make a Scandanavian trip next spring...I've heard it is really expensive there...
American's freaking out when they don't get bread...it always surprises me that people expect food service/restaurant service to be the same everywhere or the same as where they came from...Europeans can do that too...I've seen it a bit...but why get upset because it isn't exactly like what you're used to...don't get it..the purpos of travel is to experience things that are different than what you are used to.....
Not even close in being obnoxious? You mean European tourists compared to Americans? Well, perhaps you are right...I tend to turn off things that irritate me too much....ignore, walk away, etc. So I don't keep in mind the situations where I have seen Americans behaving really obnoxiously...they travel a lot less than Europeans, so I guess that is part of it...and certainly they often seem to expect everyone to speak English....sometimes I pretend to be other than American...I tend to blend in whereever I am...except where I can't get away with it because of my racial features, I always seem to blend in...even in Turkey. People always ask me on the street for directions, asking first if I speak English...but what is really funny is it is often the people of that country: Turkey and all over Europe, people stop and ask me for directions in their language. In the shops too, people of the place where I'm traveling or living always start speaking to me about items and prices...the list goes on...So when I see obnoxious American tourists, I just let them think I'm not an American and don't speak English...I'm terrible!!
I don't know.....there is a kind of tourist...well, actually to me, there are tourists and travelers...But maybe there are loud German, Italian, French, etc., tourists who are just as obnoxious as some American tourists because we don't speak their language or know enough about their culture...
Well, certainly America and Americans can be arrogant...but it is true, I have observed the same thing you have, every country in Europe has an attitude and so many seem to feel superior to one or more of their European neighbors....it is so adolescent...
I will get into trouble, or cause trouble with this statement, probably, but I don't like when any one country assumes their superiority because of one thing or another...the American democracy is certain a fantastic one, comparatively, but there are also excellent democracies in other countries, as well as lives of greatness and potential...every country I've ever been in seems to have some sort of arrogance about who and what they are....just so childish...and destructive...
First rule of advertising...get their attention...once you get their attention, you are supposed to be able to make your pitch...but with this crowd...it's all one track thinking...
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seems so...
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