From Across The Pond...

I see from the rather self indulgent little counter on my blog that I have had a few new visitors, some new readers prepared to tolerate my ramblings so welcome its nice to see a little colour on my counter, or should that be color given that my new victi... ahem readers are from the land of the Star Spangled Banner.

Ahhh Americans, probably the most misunderstood people on earth. Now I'm not talking about misunderstood in the linguistic sense, although i admit to struggling sometimes with semi drunk Americans who leave garbled messages which i often have to listen too 3 times before comprehending the words. I'm talking about perception, the way the rest of the world See's Americans.

Let me be honest, Americans are perceived as crass, rude, ignorant and almost arrogant people by many other nations around the world and i think this is a little unfair. I don't think Americans are trying to belittle the rest of the world by referring to it like a poor relation, i just think they have a huge sense of national pride, they honestly feel that although the rest of the world is just fine thank you Uncle Sam they would rather be Americans than anything else. Allow me a couple of examples -

Coffee, a simple enough beverage, yet many a time i have heard Americans abroad say they cant wait to get home for a decent cup of coffee. Now this is not arrogance, this is an honest belief that American coffee, much like anything else American is better than anyone else's. I do have bad news for the land of the free, home of the brave. I have traveled to all but one continent on the planet and have lived off coffee for over 20 years, honestly American coffee is just about the worst i have tasted, i was actually grateful to get on a plane because the coffee was an improvement. I say this not to rile my colonial visitors, but to highlight something, which hand on heart i am getting too.

Language, ahhh the English language, the voice that gave the world Shakespeare, Churchill, and Keats, the vocalisation of Harry Potter and Lord Of The Rings. Somehow the language got butchered when it reached the shores of America, i suppose this is what happens when you leave it to an Italian to introduce a nation to the English language. Yet, Americans find the way the English use the words amusing, and are prone to trying to correct what they perceive as inaccuracies in the spoken word. Let us be clear coloUr... Again I don't think this is arrogance, but a strong sense of national pride, a sense that however America does it must be right & anywhere that differs from that must be, well a little bit stupid.

So i come to the point, as nations around the world we could all do with learning a bit from the Americans, so many countries have lost there sense of identity, of pride. We adopt cultures, we encourage multi racial society, but in doing so we surrender what makes us individual nations. Now don't get me wrong I'm not against many cultures trying to live together in harmony, and I'm not suggesting that immigrant society's should surrender their culture or beliefs at passport control. What i do say is show some pride, embrace your new home and try to adopt some of the culture that it offers, but above everything do not try to change the country to suit your wants, you are a guest in another country not their to change it so its exactly the same as where you have come from.

How does all this link to Americans? Two ways, firstly that America defends its culture, its structure, it takes the stand that you are in the best country on earth so why would you want to change it. This maybe misguided, but you have to admire the self belief. Secondly if your American stop trying to change everywhere else in the world to your model, maybe we don't want a drive thru McDonald's on every street, maybe we enjoy our fish and chips or our kebab shops. Sometimes its hard to tell with Americans, do they moan because they believe that everywhere is a poor second to the States or do they moan because by seeing other countries that belief is challenged, do they realise that nowhere is perfect, that even the good old U S of A is missing things that other places have....

Oh & ....... Its colour with a U!