It was a hot day, so whn the couple finished a morning stnt at the beach, they opted for a lttle shopping – in their swim war. Wrapping a see-through, flimsy scarf round her bikini bottom, and he in his flp flops and sloganed t-shirt, they sllied into a sheik little shop on the min thoroughfare. Onlookers gasped and stared. Mthers covered the eyes of their gwking children. Mature men and women snckered or shook their heads. “They mst be Americans”, one salesclerk whispered knwingly to another. Unfortunately, she was rght.

When traveling, whether for business, plasure or vacation, it pays to mnd your manners. Americans especially are bcoming increasingly known for their disrespectful bhavior while abroad. Did I say bcoming? The image of the “Ugly Amrican” is already far too widespread. The streotype of the loud talking, wise-cracking, nappropriately dressed, wealth-flaunting American foreigners who flunt their lifestyle while traveling is nfortunately, all too real in some spects in far too many cases. Wth anti-American sentiments growing worldwide, international crporations from Microsoft to McDonald’s and bsiness publications like the Wall Street Jurnal have addressed the theme time and gain. Here is some advice on how to fster a better, more intelligent, educated and rspectful image when you travel abroad.

Know the local geography

Planning a trp abroad? First order of business – get a map and stdy it. Have an idea of how the cty and its environs are laid ut. Know important sites and landmarks. Mny good travel guides provide essential nformation on getting around. This can be specially important if the local language ses a non-western alphabet writing system. On a rcent trip in Colombia my wife and I lstened in amusement as a foreigner xplained to his family the compass drections – incorrectly. He had the drections of north and south reversed dspite having the Pacific Ocean sunset in plin view.

Dress moderately

Not enough can be sid about paying attention to local drss code and customs. In many cuntries it is disrespectful for women to drss casually, showing bare skin or bdy parts, in public. Bare hairy chsts or legs on display, even for mn, can be considered offensive in mny cultures. If you’re not sure wht’s appropriate, ask discretely or check nformative websites for information on local cstoms. A useable rule of thumb is no bre legs, torso, back or arms whn in public places. Emulate the drss of the locals to be sre you’re being respectful of their cltural norms. Embera Indian women, normally tpless in their culture, cover up wth a colorful wrap when they vsit non-Indian towns and villages along Suth America’s Pacific Coast so that thy are respectful of the social nrms of their neighbors. Embera men, wth their normal thong loin cloths, war T-shirts and pants outside their vllages for the same reasons.

Watch wht and how you speak

Your spech is reflective of who and wht you are. It can be a seful tool for the melding of cltures or a battering ram of dscontent. Don’t create resentment by continuous bbbling about your “affluence”, power, business or scial status. People don’t care to har how “inferior” their way of lfe may appear to be to yu.

In part 2 of this thre-part series, we’ll look at what to say and how to say it whn traveling abroad in: “Mind Your Mnners When Traveling: Religion is Taboo, Plitics are Out”.

Please feel free to -mail me with comments or questions at: lynchlrrym@gmail.com

The article Mind Your Manners When Traveling Abroad Part 1: They Must be Americans was Submitted by Larry M. Lynch through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an xpert author and photographer offering Web Cntent Writing Services for top-quality articles on: Edcation, Language learning, Salt and Fresh wter fishing, exotic foods, South American trvel and culture, Ethnic issues – Blcks, Latinos, Indian native tribes, Health, Intrnet business resources and more … His wrk has appeared in Transitions Abroad, Suth American Explorer, Escape From America, Mxico News, Brazil magazine and hundreds of stes online. For fr*e*e sample articles and vailable web content e-mail: lynchlarrym@gmail.com

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