Save that for some other form of international relations. What I'm talking about is speaking a foreign language. When you travel to another country, not England, you should try to speak like the locals. Don't assume that everyone can speak English. Even if they can it's still nice to try out the basics. Need I remind you again? Hello, Good Bye, and Thank You!
I was in France this past summer with a dear friend of mine who is extremely smart and well educated but doesn't speak French. Unlike me of course. In any case, everywhere we went he spoke English to shopkeepers, waiters and strangers as if they could understand. Sometimes they did, but more often than not, they appeared confused and put off. Of course they would, can you imagine if someone came up to you and just started speaking to you in some other language?
A couple of weeks ago, I was in this upscale pet store, zoomies, with my daughter and our little dog. An elegant, bejeweled older woman started speaking to me in Portuguese. She was smiling big time so I knew she smiled back thinking,, "Um, yeah, you're in New York so you need to speak English." I'm not some xenophobic populist. I just didn't understand what she was saying and didn't think that I really should have to know Portuguese in addition to the three languages I can already speak, quite competently I might add! When I told shook my head and said sorry I don't understand, she called upon her daughter, also bejeweled and tanned in a very I have lots of leisure time kind of way. Her daughter, clearly not wanting to get involved, told me that her mom really liked our dog and was wondering if he was some kind of English something or another. I, not having so much leisure time, explained that he was a long haired chihuahua. They were less than impressed. He is rather big for a but I have papers! Ok, the point is that what if someone came up to you in your hometown and started speaking to you in a foreign language? Wouldn't you feel a bit put off? So don't do the same if you have a passport unlike a certain vice presidential candidate (oh sorry, she got one two years ago?) and choose to travel abroad. Be a world citizen not just an American citizen.
Oh yeah, for the record, I am a proud and patriotic American.
Learning a foreign language, even if it's just for basic conversations, may be one of the most enjoyable aspects of going abroad. It doesn't even matter if you say it wrong, so long as you're showing that you're game! Locals may even be kinder to you for going the extra mile.
Posted by: Harper Cosper | June 01, 2011 at 13:02