Typical Forgieners......

[cdnvic]

Alright, I've been hearing again how westerners suffer the stereotype of being walking wallets, degenerate bargirl chasers, etc, etc. Thats more of less a view of all forgieners in general by some Thais, and even many forgieners.

What we don't hear as much is how you get stereotyped by your individual nationality in addition to just being a 'falung'. Try as I might to flush these stereotypes out of my head, I still can't shake them. I won't elaborate on any of them, but I'll tell you some of the ones I put up with.

Canadians can assume people think:

- We're Americans. (I've been called much worse...it's just the principle)

- It snows all year back home.

- We all speak French.

- We have trouble with bears coming into the backyard.

- We're Americans.

- We know all the rules of hockey.

- We can answer any questions they have regarding moose.

- We all love Celine Dion.

- We're Americans.

- We are always in need of a beer. (Ok, that one may have a kernal of truth)

Okay, Pommies, Yanks, Fritzes, etc...... what do you deal with in particular?

cv

[kat]

I'm American, so regardless of where I'm from in America, my ethnicity or cultural background, my class background, my beliefs, or thoughts in my head, I'm American, so that automatically classifies me with every other American from numerous ethnic, cultural, geographic, and political backgrounds. Most Americans have a challenging time bridging the internal differences sometimes, but some person that has never even been there, or doesn't understand the subtle nunaces of different demagrahic groups will waste no time in declaring you a "typical" American.

Also, no matter how many opionons others may have, and no matter how forcefully or forthrightly they may put their ideas across as their birthright, the moment you do so as an American you are "arrogant".

You gotta love cross-cultural dialogue, though. It truly shows that there really isn't an American monoply on hypocrisy. That seems to be a trait of the human "family".

[sbk]

Well said Kat, I am american too and have found numerous people who know very little about the country really enjoy making broad generalizations: we are all fat, we all have guns, etc etc. I think it would be difficult to lump all 290 million of us into one general category but to most people's thinking, it is easy! I met a Swedish girl who complained that every guy around hit on her because, well "the swedish girls are into free love".

Living in a touristy area I can give you a few generalizations about other nationalities as I hear them from people:

The French are rude and arrogant and don't speak English.

The British are lager louts who drink all the time.

The Germans are unfriendly and picky and bossy.

Israelis are rude, arrogant and like to fight. As well as kii-nio.

Scandanavians are all alcoholics. And of course, the Swedish girls are into free love

[kat]

Of course, I'm not going to deny, that there are arrogant, obnoxious Americans. They get on my nerves as well. And every once in a while, I have to put a lid on myself when I feel I have become one of them. I am far from any idea of perfection. And all countries have national traits with positive and negative sides.

But I cannot stand being put in a sealed box before people even know what or who you are. Especially when it is done according to people's own unexamined biases and hypocripsy.

By the way, I have always like Canadians. They have always been nice to me

[ZOVOX]

Alright, I've been hearing again how westerners suffer the stereotype of being walking wallets, degenerate bargirl chasers, etc, etc. Thats more of less a view of all forgieners in general by some Thais, and even many forgieners.

What we don't hear as much is how you get stereotyped by your individual nationality in addition to just being a 'falung'. Try as I might to flush these stereotypes out of my head, I still can't shake them. I won't elaborate on any of them, but I'll tell you some of the ones I put up with.

Canadians can assume people think:

- We're Americans.  (I've been called much worse...it's just the principle)

- It snows all year back home.

- We all speak French.

- We have trouble with bears coming into the backyard.

- We're Americans.

- We know all the rules of hockey.

- We can answer any questions they have regarding moose. 

- We all love Celine Dion. 

- We're Americans.

- We are always in need of a beer. (Ok, that one may have a kernal of truth)

Okay, Pommies, Yanks, Fritzes, etc...... what do you deal with in particular? 

cv

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I once heard on a train an American saying: 'All Canadians are wanna be Americans' - insulting or what !

[marquess]

I suppose that there are less assumptions made by Thais, when one is from Britian. Perhaps because there is less that is known about the country. Though football is never too far away in any conversation.

[ProfessorFart]

As a Brit I've found Thais also associate us with having a Monarchy.

[joe strummer]

Many Thai people believe that all Caucasians are rich and many Thai gay men think that Caucasians are hung like horses.

[jackr]

Living in a touristy area I can give you a few generalizations about other nationalities as I hear them from people:

The French are rude and arrogant and don't speak English.

The British are lager louts who drink all the time.

The Germans are unfriendly and picky and bossy.

Israelis are rude, arrogant and like to fight.  As well as kii-nio.

As generalisations go, sbk, those are pretty much spot on. I'm British and having grown up in the environment of 'The Pub' as being a very sociable part of British life over the last several hundred years, I can relate to us being labelled as lager louts and wouldn't find it offensive, except maybe for the fact that lager is a poofs drink and men should grow out of drinking it by their mid-20s? Guinness/stout is a man's drink

The most apt generalisation on your list has to be the rudeness of the Israelis. I've done a lot of travelling and not one single time when I've encountered a group of the aforementioned have I found them in any way courteous.

[poolcleaner]

[

The most apt generalisation on your list has to be the rudeness of the Israelis. I've done a lot of travelling and not one single time when I've encountered a group of the aforementioned have I found them in any way courteous.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Amen to that!

That's one bunch of people who shouldn't get tourist visas.

[gburns57au]

I have found the Thai Bar girls generalizations on the different nationalities to be amusing and so close to the mark.

Americans......Loud and stupid with money

Brits.....drink and fight too much

Germans...drunk, loud and sweaty

Aussies....drink too much and talk too much, oh yeah we also fall asleep more after drinking....LOL

Swedes,Danes etc....get drunk too quick and speak funny

Arabs....not going there, I did ask a number of girls but decline to put the answers here.

They like....

American.... generosity....even if they think they are money wasters. Yanks are more likely to accept paying for the whole family to sit and have a meal than other guys.

Brits... sense of fun and adventure....sure they fight a lot but they do enjoy themselves doing it...LOL

Germans....also a generosity thing here but not as much as Americans.

Aussies....they like the "she'll be right" attitude as it fits in with their own views.

The others dont count except for getting out of Thailand.

[Axel]

So much wisdom can be obtained from BG's and they do go to the root, so to speak, of the problem.

[Insight]

A few Thais in the office view English people as being snobbish and full of self-importance - when I ask them about this they've mentioned it's the experience they've had when dealing with English language teachers.

Thankfully, I know this because they say I break this trend

[jackr]

A few Thais in the office view English people as being snobbish and full of self-importance - when I ask them about this they've mentioned it's the experience they've had when dealing with English language teachers.

Thankfully, I know this because they say I break this trend

Don't they realise that not all English teachers are English

[Insight]

Don't they realise that not all English teachers are English

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It's a view based on the English English teachers, comparing them to the US/Aussie/whatever English teachers.

[Boon Mee]

Many Thai people believe that all Caucasians are rich and many Thai gay men think that Caucasians are hung like horses.

Well, we are. Compared to Asians.

But then some are hung more than others!

[sbk]

And here I thought you were talking about the rich part of the comment

As for the hung like horses bit, well, I guess it depends on the guy doesn't it?

Let's not forget the Irish! Drunken and happy go lucky.

[ZOVOX]

Many Thai people believe that all Caucasians are rich and many Thai gay men think that Caucasians are hung like horses.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well, we are. Compared to Asians.

But then some are hung more than others!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thai women also think that farang men are hung horses, which may be true insome cases, but the word amongst thai women is that farang men can't keep it up for very long, especially after a few bers !!

[samran]

Aussies....they like the "she'll be right" attitude as it fits in with their own views.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I've always thought that Thai's 'Mai Pen Rai' attitude was very similar to Australia's 'she'll be right' or 'no worries' attitude.

I actually will go one step further to say that out of all the regions, Southern Thai's are most similar to Australians.

[Plato]

many Thai gay men think that Caucasians are hung like horses.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

How do you know, Joe?

No wonder you do not like Thai girls, whatever it means for you...

[TizMe]

Aussies....they like the "she'll be right" attitude as it fits in with their own views.

I've always thought that Thai's 'Mai Pen Rai' attitude was very similar to Australia's 'she'll be right' or 'no worries' attitude.

I actually will go one step further to say that out of all the regions, Southern Thai's are most similar to Australians.

And if you go even further south, say 7500 kilometers, everyone seems be just like Australians...

[350torana]

Being Australian the most frequent and comment I get from Thais is kangeroo, or 'Jing jo'(spelling) amazed they even have a word for kangeroo.

I get tired of explaing that Tasmania is not in Africa , and we do not have critters who spin around in tornadoes chasing Bugs Bunny all day Even some Aussies think u need a passport to go there

[cdnvic]

I get tired of explaing that Tasmania is not in Africa , and we do not have critters who spin around in tornadoes chasing Bugs Bunny all day 

Didn't the drop bears kill them all off?

cv

[samran]

I get tired of explaing that Tasmania is not in Africa , and we do not have critters who spin around in tornadoes chasing Bugs Bunny all day 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Didn't the drop bears kill them all off?

cv

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

drop bears killed most of them off, but some escaped across the bridge to New Zealand.

[maniac]

Don't they realise that not all English teachers are English

Dont they realise that not all people from English can speak english.

[Boon Mee]

many Thai gay men think that Caucasians are hung like horses.

How do you know, Joe?

No wonder you do not like Thai girls, whatever it means for you...

That's OK - leaves more of 'em for the rest of us!

[Jeff1]

Most of the time when I tell them im an American , they reply " thats better " I guess there looking Forward to me taking the family out to dinner .

Maybe you can help me , How much does a moose weigh ?

[igotworms]

Most of the time when I tell them im an American , they reply " thats better "    I guess there looking Forward to me taking the family out to dinner .

Maybe you can help me , How much does a moose weigh ?

Moose (aka swamp donkey)

Life span: 15-25 years

Weight: 550-700 kg (1200-1500 lbs)

Body length: 2.5-2.7 metres

Moose are large even-toed herbivorous mammals, the largest of the deer family. Height at the shoulders generally ranges between 6 ½-7 ½ feet (over 2 metres).

[igotworms]

A full grown Bull moose totaled my sister-in-law's car a couple of years ago. They are quite the road hazard on Canadian highways during the winter, as they like to lick the salt off the roads. In the summer, they make their way to roads and highways in a vain attempt of escaping the swarms of flies that pester them.

I've nearly hit one, and a few black bears.

Canadians can assume people think: We have trouble with bears coming into the backyard

I've seen a black bear walking up my street one late summer night. One broke into my friends house through his patio door and raided his kitchen when he wasn't home. It came back the next day for seconds and he had to shoot it from his bathroom window. Problem bears are incurable.

[Darkling]

I went out with an Israili girl a while ago I told her she wasnt very tight for a jew she replied i wasnt very thick for an irishman