Interesting things observed in other countries?

[Anonymous]

Yes to 3:38! NO standard conception of what a toilet is supposed to be. Every restaurant is a new challenge. How does this contraption work? First turkish toilet was scary. Do kids fall down those?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Although I loved Greece, I could not help but feel as a "loud tourist" there. Every guard and museum worker had their own set of rules and on more than one occasion were called disrespectful to their culture. It seemed as those made-up rules helped them feel important and provided an occasion to rudely lecture us. For example, my DH did a headstand for the picture with Acropolis on the background (we make one of those pics in every country we go). We were immediately approached by an Acropolis worker who demanded to delete the "disrespectful" picture. Similar happened several times (I honestly don't remember what we did) and at one point an American family who observed us getting in trouble approached and politely asked the worker to review the rules as they were afraid to be disrespectful too Other than that, Greeks were very nice and tolerant towards tourists.

Gee, how old is your husband? 12?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Although I loved Greece, I could not help but feel as a "loud tourist" there. Every guard and museum worker had their own set of rules and on more than one occasion were called disrespectful to their culture. It seemed as those made-up rules helped them feel important and provided an occasion to rudely lecture us. For example, my DH did a headstand for the picture with Acropolis on the background (we make one of those pics in every country we go). We were immediately approached by an Acropolis worker who demanded to delete the "disrespectful" picture. Similar happened several times (I honestly don't remember what we did) and at one point an American family who observed us getting in trouble approached and politely asked the worker to review the rules as they were afraid to be disrespectful too Other than that, Greeks were very nice and tolerant towards tourists.

Gee, how old is your husband? 12?

Right? Trying to picture the headstand picture in front of A memorial or such. What a douche.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Although I loved Greece, I could not help but feel as a "loud tourist" there. Every guard and museum worker had their own set of rules and on more than one occasion were called disrespectful to their culture. It seemed as those made-up rules helped them feel important and provided an occasion to rudely lecture us. For example, my DH did a headstand for the picture with Acropolis on the background (we make one of those pics in every country we go). We were immediately approached by an Acropolis worker who demanded to delete the "disrespectful" picture. Similar happened several times (I honestly don't remember what we did) and at one point an American family who observed us getting in trouble approached and politely asked the worker to review the rules as they were afraid to be disrespectful too Other than that, Greeks were very nice and tolerant towards tourists.

Gee, how old is your husband? 12?

Right? Trying to picture the headstand picture in front of A memorial or such. What a douche.

We were 20 and 22, and it was not on the actual site. Not like he was doing it in a museum. I see nothing wrong on doing a headstand on the National Mall. You sound like an uptight douche yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Although I loved Greece, I could not help but feel as a "loud tourist" there. Every guard and museum worker had their own set of rules and on more than one occasion were called disrespectful to their culture. It seemed as those made-up rules helped them feel important and provided an occasion to rudely lecture us. For example, my DH did a headstand for the picture with Acropolis on the background (we make one of those pics in every country we go). We were immediately approached by an Acropolis worker who demanded to delete the "disrespectful" picture. Similar happened several times (I honestly don't remember what we did) and at one point an American family who observed us getting in trouble approached and politely asked the worker to review the rules as they were afraid to be disrespectful too Other than that, Greeks were very nice and tolerant towards tourists.

Gee, how old is your husband? 12?

Right? Trying to picture the headstand picture in front of A memorial or such. What a douche.

We were 20 and 22, and it was not on the actual site. Not like he was doing it in a museum. I see nothing wrong on doing a headstand on the National Mall. You sound like an uptight douche yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Although I loved Greece, I could not help but feel as a "loud tourist" there. Every guard and museum worker had their own set of rules and on more than one occasion were called disrespectful to their culture. It seemed as those made-up rules helped them feel important and provided an occasion to rudely lecture us. For example, my DH did a headstand for the picture with Acropolis on the background (we make one of those pics in every country we go). We were immediately approached by an Acropolis worker who demanded to delete the "disrespectful" picture. Similar happened several times (I honestly don't remember what we did) and at one point an American family who observed us getting in trouble approached and politely asked the worker to review the rules as they were afraid to be disrespectful too Other than that, Greeks were very nice and tolerant towards tourists.

Gee, how old is your husband? 12?

Right? Trying to picture the headstand picture in front of A memorial or such. What a douche.

We were 20 and 22, and it was not on the actual site. Not like he was doing it in a museum. I see nothing wrong on doing a headstand on the National Mall. You sound like an uptight douche yourself.

Not to pile on, but I can see why you were repeatedly getting lectured.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Indonesia- people blowing their noses by closing one nostril and shooting out snot without a tissue.

I do this when I run in the cold all the time. Especially if I run in the cold WITH a cold.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In India, burning bodies and sending them into the Ganga river, where downstream the bathe, wash clothes and get drinking water.

Planned Parenthood does that in DC and MD. What? Too graphic?

Are you trying to make the jump between people not having clean drinking water and drinking water from dead bodies to legal abortion? I don't get this?

You know what PPs point is. Dead bodies are dead bodies. If it makes you feel better to say legal abbortion instead of the dead bodies of babies then ok. That doesn't change what it is. Get your head out of your selfish little murderous clouds. What do they do with those dead baby bodies?

[Anonymous]

China - potty training kids by having them wear pants with a slit in the appropriate place and simply sitting them down in the grass when it was time for them to go.

Bangkok, Thailand - street beggars (women with babies, young kids, people missing body parts) sitting outside a high end store (LV, Hermes etc.); elephants in the streets; exercise classes in the park consisting of several hundred people, half of them in their work clothes

Cuba - open refrigerators to help cool the air; literally stuck in the 1950s; parts of Havana were possibly the dirtiest place I've ever been, but the beaches in Cuba were beautiful

England - people stopping along the highway to pee is extremely common, or at the park while playing with their kids

Jakarta, Indonesia - a monkey driving a mini motorcycle

Lahore, Pakistan - a monkey dressed up like Michael Jackson (sequenced glove and all)

Kuala Lumpur - a cave with hundreds of poisonous snakes on display being taunted so they would flare their hoods and strike

I'm sure I have more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Although I loved Greece, I could not help but feel as a "loud tourist" there. Every guard and museum worker had their own set of rules and on more than one occasion were called disrespectful to their culture. It seemed as those made-up rules helped them feel important and provided an occasion to rudely lecture us. For example, my DH did a headstand for the picture with Acropolis on the background (we make one of those pics in every country we go). We were immediately approached by an Acropolis worker who demanded to delete the "disrespectful" picture. Similar happened several times (I honestly don't remember what we did) and at one point an American family who observed us getting in trouble approached and politely asked the worker to review the rules as they were afraid to be disrespectful too Other than that, Greeks were very nice and tolerant towards tourists.

Gee, how old is your husband? 12?

Right? Trying to picture the headstand picture in front of A memorial or such. What a douche.

We were 20 and 22, and it was not on the actual site. Not like he was doing it in a museum. I see nothing wrong on doing a headstand on the National Mall. You sound like an uptight douche yourself.

Not to pile on, but I can see why you were repeatedly getting lectured.

Why?
Well maybe we sound worse than we were, but we IRL we are well behaved, for better of for worse. We were far away from the crowd, far away from Acropolis itself. What's wrong with posing for pictures? As I said other tourists, much older than us then, had a feeling that rules were made up on a spot (e.g. not sitting on a bench - not the 100000000 old bench, but a normal one, empathized and asked to get a rundown of the rules so that their camera would not be taken away and pictures would not be deleted. They were brushed off. But I am not being defensive anymore, you guys know better of course.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Although I loved Greece, I could not help but feel as a "loud tourist" there. Every guard and museum worker had their own set of rules and on more than one occasion were called disrespectful to their culture. It seemed as those made-up rules helped them feel important and provided an occasion to rudely lecture us. For example, my DH did a headstand for the picture with Acropolis on the background (we make one of those pics in every country we go). We were immediately approached by an Acropolis worker who demanded to delete the "disrespectful" picture. Similar happened several times (I honestly don't remember what we did) and at one point an American family who observed us getting in trouble approached and politely asked the worker to review the rules as they were afraid to be disrespectful too Other than that, Greeks were very nice and tolerant towards tourists.

Gee, how old is your husband? 12?

Right? Trying to picture the headstand picture in front of A memorial or such. What a douche.

We were 20 and 22, and it was not on the actual site. Not like he was doing it in a museum. I see nothing wrong on doing a headstand on the National Mall. You sound like an uptight douche yourself.

Not to pile on, but I can see why you were repeatedly getting lectured.

Why?
Well maybe we sound worse than we were, but we IRL we are well behaved, for better of for worse. We were far away from the crowd, far away from Acropolis itself. What's wrong with posing for pictures? As I said other tourists, much older than us then, had a feeling that rules were made up on a spot (e.g. not sitting on a bench - not the 100000000 old bench, but a normal one, empathized and asked to get a rundown of the rules so that their camera would not be taken away and pictures would not be deleted. They were brushed off. But I am not being defensive anymore, you guys know better of course.

See! they did not take his camera away http://www.gsadvrdr.com/2009/06/08/the-power-of-heated-vinyasa/
and he's much close than we were!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Although I loved Greece, I could not help but feel as a "loud tourist" there. Every guard and museum worker had their own set of rules and on more than one occasion were called disrespectful to their culture. It seemed as those made-up rules helped them feel important and provided an occasion to rudely lecture us. For example, my DH did a headstand for the picture with Acropolis on the background (we make one of those pics in every country we go). We were immediately approached by an Acropolis worker who demanded to delete the "disrespectful" picture. Similar happened several times (I honestly don't remember what we did) and at one point an American family who observed us getting in trouble approached and politely asked the worker to review the rules as they were afraid to be disrespectful too Other than that, Greeks were very nice and tolerant towards tourists.

Gee, how old is your husband? 12?

Right? Trying to picture the headstand picture in front of A memorial or such. What a douche.

We were 20 and 22, and it was not on the actual site. Not like he was doing it in a museum. I see nothing wrong on doing a headstand on the National Mall. You sound like an uptight douche yourself.

Not to pile on, but I can see why you were repeatedly getting lectured.

Why?
Well maybe we sound worse than we were, but we IRL we are well behaved, for better of for worse. We were far away from the crowd, far away from Acropolis itself. What's wrong with posing for pictures? As I said other tourists, much older than us then, had a feeling that rules were made up on a spot (e.g. not sitting on a bench - not the 100000000 old bench, but a normal one, empathized and asked to get a rundown of the rules so that their camera would not be taken away and pictures would not be deleted. They were brushed off. But I am not being defensive anymore, you guys know better of course.

See! they did not take his camera away http://www.gsadvrdr.com/2009/06/08/the-power-of-heated-vinyasa/
and he's much close than we were!

Personally, I wouldn't object to what you were doing. I understand you were having fun (I'm the "not to pile on" pp), but I've traveled enough to understand how people from other countries perceive Americans' behavior abroad. So your experiences don't surprise me. Sorry you didn't feel welcome.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Although I loved Greece, I could not help but feel as a "loud tourist" there. Every guard and museum worker had their own set of rules and on more than one occasion were called disrespectful to their culture. It seemed as those made-up rules helped them feel important and provided an occasion to rudely lecture us. For example, my DH did a headstand for the picture with Acropolis on the background (we make one of those pics in every country we go). We were immediately approached by an Acropolis worker who demanded to delete the "disrespectful" picture. Similar happened several times (I honestly don't remember what we did) and at one point an American family who observed us getting in trouble approached and politely asked the worker to review the rules as they were afraid to be disrespectful too Other than that, Greeks were very nice and tolerant towards tourists.

Gee, how old is your husband? 12?

Right? Trying to picture the headstand picture in front of A memorial or such. What a douche.

We were 20 and 22, and it was not on the actual site. Not like he was doing it in a museum. I see nothing wrong on doing a headstand on the National Mall. You sound like an uptight douche yourself.

Not to pile on, but I can see why you were repeatedly getting lectured.

Why?
Well maybe we sound worse than we were, but we IRL we are well behaved, for better of for worse. We were far away from the crowd, far away from Acropolis itself. What's wrong with posing for pictures? As I said other tourists, much older than us then, had a feeling that rules were made up on a spot (e.g. not sitting on a bench - not the 100000000 old bench, but a normal one, empathized and asked to get a rundown of the rules so that their camera would not be taken away and pictures would not be deleted. They were brushed off. But I am not being defensive anymore, you guys know better of course.

See! they did not take his camera away http://www.gsadvrdr.com/2009/06/08/the-power-of-heated-vinyasa/
and he's much close than we were!

Personally, I wouldn't object to what you were doing. I understand you were having fun (I'm the "not to pile on" pp), but I've traveled enough to understand how people from other countries perceive Americans' behavior abroad. So your experiences don't surprise me. Sorry you didn't feel welcome.

Thank you! We actually felt very welcome in Greece - great people and country, but rubbed the museum guards the wrong way