I’m going to Europe this summer, so i have to get a passport. I’m super excited, and was wondering if anyone wanted to share stories about Europe, particulary culture clash stories from americans who got there and were surprised.
Whenever I meet any Americans on holiday over here, I open the conversation with “Oh hey, I know an American! His name is Dave! Do you know him?”
Just to confuse them.
That’s pretty good. My mom’s best friend from high school now lives in the Netherlands, so he had a lot of funny stories about when he first moved there and how he was so freaked out by the fact that nudity is no big deal. He said it took him a while to realize that Euopeans don’t equate nudity with sex like Americans do.
I stayed in Italy and Austria for 2 weeks a couple summers ago. It was a ton of fun. I was there with the band.
I went to the FLUCK competition in Denmark this summer (last summer?). It was a lot of fun. I wouldn’t say the culture was too shockingly different or anything… Just a little strange. 
Being a uni convention, there were people from something like 52 different countries, I think. Luckily almost everyone could speak english, even if it didn’t sound like english sometimes…
Pretend to be Canadian.
number one tip: don’t talk about europe like it’s a single country.
THAT WAS YOU??? Fuckin’ PHLAMPH!
We were in Wales a few years ago visiting an ancient Abbey. It was lovely. The tavern attached closed at 2:00 and we ran in at about 1:55. They served the locals ahead of us but refused to throw a couple of gristle pies our way. So we went to a grocery nearby and got a few “sandwiches” and bags of crisps and had our meal at a picnic table in the parking lot of the Abbey. After we ate it started to rain. As we pulled out there was an entire family sitting at the table in the pouring rain having what I guess is a typical picnic for the area. They were even wearing umbrella hats. It was glorious.
haha I went to Alaska a few years ago and I was talking to this guy on a ferry and he said “hey I know a Saskatchewani… saskatch… A guy from Sask.” To my sup-prize he was talking about my cousin’s friend in Regina and I actually knew who he was talking about.
But I guess there are 300 times as many Americans.
I understand the logic of pretending to be Canadian but it bugs the hell out of me when people do that, almost as much as people who say “God Bless America”
It’s just because some of us are ashamed of our nation and wish we were as good as you guys.
where in Europe are you going? I’ve only been to France, it was AWESOME though.
I hate when people do that.
Anyway, I only clicked on this thread cause I thought it was about the band Europe. Phlamph indeed, Raph.
Thank goodness we’re British and not European then!
if it were only for this reason :o
England is sometimes drifting away from Europe, sometimes Europe is drifting towards England … curious to see where continental drift will end up 
good news: there are excellent english cooks!
now when it comes to american bashing uk is definitely an European leader! (conclusion drawn from corporate experience).
welcome to Europe! now you can have good english restaurants, warm client-friendly french hotels, funny german happenings and well-organised Italian meetings! too bad the Euro is so expensive.
Having lived in a couple states as I had traveled to Europe a few times. I found that when I was living in New Jersey, I would get some people who didn’t know where that was, and some people had been there.
When I was living in Kentucky, If I said I was from Kentucky I would pretty much get ignored from that moment on.
When I am living in California, which is where I grew up, They get so excited and want to know ALL about California! Just say Dude and Sweet a lot, and people will love you!
kidding on the dude and sweet part. But I have found that California is the best state to be from if you are traveling to Europe, as it seems like out of the people I have met in a few countries, they seem to really like Cali.
Fascinating! What exit? Did you know a guy named Dave?
Also, did you ever live in Scranton or Cleveland?
NJ doesn’t seem to be a well-respected state and is increasingly becoming the butt of humor, like Cleveland and occasionally Scranton, Pennsylvania
HAHAHAHA!! Yes, I knew a few Dave’s actually.
Lived off exit 9, good ol’ New Brunswick.
Never lived in Scranton or Cleveland, so I have no right to make fun of those places. 
But yes, I know what you mean about Jersey being the butt of humor. And its not Joisey, its JeRzy!
I just noticed you have Strongbad as your avatar! haha! I need to go back to that site, I haven’t been there in years! www.homestarrunner.com for those you who haven’t heard of it.
Is the UK part of some other continent, then? Reminds me of how residents of Brooklyn and Queens, New York (two of New York City’s five boros) always insist they don’t live on Long Island. Apparently the chunk of land called Long Island is surrounded by water on three sides, and by the NYC border on the western side. Most of NYC is on islands. The only part that isn’t is the Bronx.
Do any of them still work in England?
How to be an American in Europe (or anywhere outside of America):
- Respect the people, and the culture.
- Don’t expect everything to be the same as home.
- Remind yourself that the U.S. is a relatively new country. The country you’re in is probably several times older. Just because you grew up doing things a certain way doesn’t make it the right way, whether or not it’s the typical “American” way.
- Your country isn’t “America” though people may call it that.
- Talking louder doesn’t make English any easier to understand.
- Not everyone is supposed to know how to speak English.
- Talking with a fake English accent often does make you easier to understand, at least if you’re any good at it. Some people have trouble with American accents because they learned English from English people.
Hope those are useful…
We? Tell me; what’s so wrong about not equating nudity and sex?
Why would we need such hypocrity like Janet’s nipple-gate?
(‘damaging kids lives’, while in reality nipple’s are used to let kids grow healthy).
They pretend so, untill the EU subsidies (or taxes) are under discussion.
Not without a reason certain countries vote a firm no against further merging.
And when I’m in the UK I’m often named “Euro” to emphasize an apparent difference and apathy against Europe.
it is a bit more complex than that; I teach in English throughout Europe and try to adapt my English to local pronunciations (that’s easy for me because I naturally mimick accents). When I teach to brits I have sometimes problems to understand what they are saying because many tend to speak “without opening their mouth” (an author pretended that to speak english with a proper accent you need to keep a pipe in your mouth). -btw my nightmare is about pronunciation of letter “i” (example “hierarchy” :o ).
So when in London I tend to use an arabic/indian accent a good excuse for not using words properly .
other topics to add to JohnFoss list:
- please note that meal hours differ (Spain is late, Netherland early and France in between).
- try local food but do not order a Coke with your lobster: the chef will break your skull!