http://saltwatersteve.com/travel/2007/05/03/american-traveler/ the worldwide wanderings of Meghan and Steve Thu, 16 Apr 2026 20:31:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 http://saltwatersteve.com/travel/2007/05/03/american-traveler/#comment-88 Sun, 06 May 2007 01:17:26 +0000 http://saltwatersteve.com/travel/2007/05/03/american-traveler/#comment-88 Hi Meggie and Stephen! Of course I had to reply! You all have done a great job of trying to be the best of the touristas! I can certainly identify with using a different language while traveling.....and making mistakes. Luckily for me, most of my mistakes have been the source of a good laugh.....and there's a waiter in a café in Trouville, in Normandy, who may still be wondering if he knows me, since I used the familiar "tu" back in 2001. I believe that Americans traveling in foreign countries would be much more respected for even trying to use the language than assuming, as so many Americans do, that "everyone should speak English". One of the best solutions to the world's problems, in my opinion, would be for more of "us".....all of us, everywhere.....to travel and experience what you all have experienced. No matter what the governments are saying, no matter what the tensions may be at the time, the people really are able to relate on a human, social level and that can over-ride so many other problems. So you two are, in effect, ambassadors for the U.S. no matter what you feel about Bush, or anything else. And as you've seen, you have made friends from all around the world...... I'll quit gushing, but I hope you know what I mean....can't wait to see y'all in about a month! Love, Mom (to be) Hi Meggie and Stephen!
Of course I had to reply! You all have done a great job of trying to be the best of the touristas! I can certainly identify with using a different language while traveling…..and making mistakes. Luckily for me, most of my mistakes have been the source of a good laugh…..and there’s a waiter in a café in Trouville, in Normandy, who may still be wondering if he knows me, since I used the familiar “tu” back in 2001. I believe that Americans traveling in foreign countries would be much more respected for even trying to use the language than assuming, as so many Americans do, that “everyone should speak English”.
One of the best solutions to the world’s problems, in my opinion, would be for more of “us”…..all of us, everywhere…..to travel and experience what you all have experienced. No matter what the governments are saying, no matter what the tensions may be at the time, the people really are able to relate on a human, social level and that can over-ride so many other problems. So you two are, in effect, ambassadors for the U.S. no matter what you feel about Bush, or anything else. And as you’ve seen, you have made friends from all around the world……
I’ll quit gushing, but I hope you know what I mean….can’t wait to see y’all in about a month!
Love, Mom (to be)

]]> http://saltwatersteve.com/travel/2007/05/03/american-traveler/#comment-87 Fri, 04 May 2007 03:23:13 +0000 http://saltwatersteve.com/travel/2007/05/03/american-traveler/#comment-87 Don't forget about how I tried to blend in. I grew my mustache out before we got here. I thought the local latinos would respect it. I ended up hating how it looked in pictures and started playing with it too much (nervous habit) and when you're on a boat on the amazon for 4 days and you haven't had a shower this behavior tends to yield you a nice red <strong>zit mustache</strong>. So I cut it off with my camping scissors on the back of the boat in Brazil one morning. So much for that. Don’t forget about how I tried to blend in. I grew my mustache out before we got here. I thought the local latinos would respect it. I ended up hating how it looked in pictures and started playing with it too much (nervous habit) and when you’re on a boat on the amazon for 4 days and you haven’t had a shower this behavior tends to yield you a nice red zit mustache. So I cut it off with my camping scissors on the back of the boat in Brazil one morning. So much for that.

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