One thing I have really enjoyed about living abroad has been meeting people from different cultural backgrounds, and really trying to get to know those people and connect with them on some sort of common ground. It's been fun, easy, difficult, annoying, interesting, but most of all: a learning experience that I'll never forget. I always hoped that once I got the chance to visit foreign places and met the people from these places that I've heard so much about, that the stereotypes I've heard would be proved wrong and I'd get to know the 'better' side of that culture. And... there is always a better side! Always. There are amazing, great people from everywhere in the world. However, every country in the world also has a citizen who is completely 'A-typical' and is the case in point reason for all of the stereotypes that have been cast for that culture (I mean they had to have been formulated from somewhere, someone, right?) Let me list a few horrible generalizations with which I have come in first hand contact with:
Americans: Fat. Loud; Closed minded; Think the world revolves around them.
British: Bad teeth; Pompous.
French: Arrogant, Nationalists
German: Mechanical; No sense of humor.
Italians: 'Slimey' men; Manipulative
Greeks: Arrogant; Proud; Lazy
Chinese: Bad drivers; No sense of personal space, Idiot savants.
Scots: Drunks
Canadians: Submissive.
Polish: Intolerant; Neurotic
Russian: Aggressive; Rude
Dutch: Direct, in your face.
Please note that I listed my own culture (American) because I don't want to come off like a complete bigot and asshole. I want to stress the point that every country has their stereotypes. Every country has citizens who cause these stereotypes to form.
The whole point to this is... comprehending stereotypes, accepting the particular culturally different person, and looking deeper into the society for the better. It's been such a journey for me meeting people from all walks of life. Some of those people have been an absolute joy, and others have been a little more difficult to connect with from the beginning. But with a little time and self reflection, I've realized that we all have our "faults". There are geographical, cultural, and religious reasons for these "faults".... but we all also have our strengths. Every person and culture has a beautiful side to them, you just have to be patient and curious enough to experience it.
AND ALSO! ... You have to continuously work on your own "faults"... becoming more self-aware is a journey in itself. And if I was a better writer, I could have tied that into this post with eloquence... but I'm not, so you just get a footnote. :-P
