10 Things I love about the USA

[socaldiver]

I too would like to echo my appreciation of your comments about our great country. I have been around the world as well as some other posters and am thankful to come from the USA. If people fromour country would visit other places I think they would appreciate what we have a little more.

On theother hand, a few years ago we hada "heated discussion" about how most Americans didn't have passports and this was construed to make it seem that we were not educated into the ways of the world (or at least something to that affect). I chided in statingthat there is so much to see and do here in the States that one does nothave to leave here in their lifetime. I have 3 states in the Northwest to see to have all states covered.

Alaska is an amazing place to visit, pictures and videos do it no justice.

Finally, couldn't agree with you more on Abita beer. Not a big beer drinker but this is an exception.

 

[Deefstes]

I chided in stating that there is so much to see and do here in the States that one does not have to leave here in their lifetime.

That is a good point but it misses a very valuable aspect of world travel, which is to broaden your cultural horizons. As far as I'm concerned, the sights that you can see while traveling the world is a relatively minor aspect of the joys of travel. It's how it opens up your mind to other cultures, other foods, other ways of thinking, other values etc. that I find most rewarding.

In terms of sights and scenes South Africa also has a tremendous amount on offer, surprisingly great for the relative small size of the country. I have been just about everywhere in South Africa and I have still not seen half of it. It would take a lifetime to just explore South Africa also. But I would feel a poorer man if I've seen all of South Africa but don't know the first thing about the American culture and way of thinking. I can't say that I know it now, having been there three times, but I'm glad to have seen and experienced some of it at least.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

That is a good point but it misses a very valuable aspect of world travel, which is to broaden your cultural horizons. As far as I'm concerned, the sights that you can see while traveling the world is a relatively minor aspect of the joys of travel. It's how it opens up your mind to other cultures, other foods, other ways of thinking, other values etc. that I find most rewarding.

Thats partially the point.

The US is huge and encompasses a vast array of cultures, foods, other ways of thinking and widely differing values. For example, a rancher from the northern plains has little in common, politically culturally or in terms of food preferences from a person from mid town manhattan and both differ significantly from a Creole shrimp fisherman in Loisiana, or a factory worker from the rust belt.

Then there is there is the relatively open immigration policies in the US combined with relatively poous borders and large numbers of illegal aliens. The often cited "America - the melting pot of the world" concept really no longer applies as not much melting occurs anymore and many foreign cultures exist relatively intact in many areas of the country. I live in a neighborhood where the population is 80% asian or hispanic and it is not considered to be all that unique or "ethnic" for the area. But I can get an enourmous range of various ethinic foods within a 15 minute walk from my front door.

And we have older "unmelted" cultures including indigious cultures that are finding a much larger degree of resurgance in nolder cultureal traditions and religious based cultures such as the Amish and Hutterites that have remained very distinct.

So does the average American lose some exposure to different cultures by not being a wold traveler - absolutely. But the degree of loss is not as much as it would be in many if not most other countries.

 

[Deefstes]

I see your point but I'm not sure I can fully agree. To everyone their own country will seem diverse. In South Africa for instance we have cultural influences from Britain, France, Holland, Germany, Malaysia, India, Pakistan to name the major ones plus the numerous African tribal cultures. We have 11 official languages! I actually think it can be argued that South Africa have more cultural variety than the States.

That is not the point though. My argument revolves around the bigger nation-wide (or shall I say regional) culture that, for the most part, is consistent between the Xhosa living in the northern Cape, the Afrikaner living in Pretoria, the Indian living in Durban and even the Zimbabwean or Namibian living in our neighbouring countries. In the same way the rancher from the northern plains, the city slicker from Manhattan and the shrimp fisherman from Louisiana all have more or less the same expectations and innate sense of responsibility etc. They all agree that it is customary to thank someone for a favour received, agree that it is bad manners to interject when another person is speaking and agree that a man should have no more than one wife. I'm not commenting on whether every individual adhere to these but the nation-wide culture does. Different such cultures prevail in other regions where, for instance, you don't show the sole of your foot to another person, where you don't hand someone anything with your left hand and where a younger person do not address a senior without being spoken to first.

These are just simple examples that I can quickly think of but I'm sure with time I'll be able to come up with better examples of how the entire spectrum of cultures in America still adhere to a similar set of values which is not the same as those of another region.

I live in a neighborhood where the population is 80% asian or hispanic

Which is wonderful I think but it does not mean that you have been exposed to asian or hispanic culture necessarily. You have been exposed to asian expat and hispanic expat cultures - which is a very different thing altogether.

I bet that if you'd go spend a few weeks in Okinawa you'd discover an entire new way of thinking altogether - as would the very asians who live next door to you.

 

[gypsyjim]

Quite true that dealing with different cultures and ethnic groups here in the States is a very different experience from trying to navigate within another culture, where you not only have no idea what is normal or polite (or rude!), but you are not fluent in the language, and struggling to communicate threw a language dictionary!!!

Traveling outside of our own culture is an eye opening experience, for sure!

 

[Deefstes]

Well put, that's what I was getting at.

 

[Abidon]

Quite true that dealing with different cultures and ethnic groups here in the States is a very different experience from trying to navigate within another culture, where you not only have no idea what is normal or polite (or rude!), but you are not fluent in the language, and struggling to communicate threw a language dictionary!!!

Traveling outside of our own culture is an eye opening experience, for sure!

Especially when you watch TV in a foreign country.

 

[on_two_wheels]

Deefstes....while I'm glad you enjoyed some great things about the US. Care to share at least a few things that you like better about your homeland? Might surprise some people about our country here or make them appreciate it more.

 

[socaldiver]

Deefstes,

Like you I also feel it is better to travel outside of your country and experience the cultures of different countries. I have done so and on many occasions have taken other family members to do the same. My wife and I try to visit a "foreign" country every other year, next year is hopefully the UK.

My original response to your post was meant to be just a generalization of some citizens of this country not wanting, needing or possibly not able to afford traveling to other parts of the world.

Like you I find traveling exciting and the icing on the cake is to visit sights of historic signifigance to the country and to experience the culture in it's true form. IMHO, when you have immigrants living in your country the culture, over the years, becomes diluted and adapts more to the new surroundings.

 

[Deefstes]

Deefstes....while I'm glad you enjoyed some great things about the US. Care to share at least a few things that you like better about your homeland? Might surprise some people about our country here or make them appreciate it more.

Hmm, tempting but I'd rather not. There are a number of things that I can list which I prefer about my home country but I started this thread having already made a few less than complimentary remarks towards the States and wanted to assert that my experiences of the States really were mostly positive and only somewhat negative. If I list the things I don't like I might negate that notion

If you really want I'd be happy to list some things that I don't like about the US or that I prefer about South Africa but then in a private message or if it has to be public, at least in another thread.

IMHO, when you have immigrants living in your country the culture, over the years, becomes diluted and adapts more to the new surroundings.

Indeed. I think the very fact that they are in your country already means that on some levels they prefer your country's innards and mechanics better than their own. I would argue that they are therefor willing to conform from the get go.

An ex-pat is a unique thing. I've been one myself in Ireland for some years and there is no doubt that an ex-pat South African acts and thinks differently from a true South African. By the way, I like being a true South African better