Why?!!!!

The view of Americans overseas is not really a good one. And I think it comes as a shock to many Americans that people would think badly of them for any reason. But being an American is so very different than being any other nationality and as we're so insular, we can't see how what we say or do could be seen as either odd, insulting or otherwise not good.

Here's an example of why Americans are made fun of over here and looked at with distain:

(From coverage on the Riders Cup) Lehman packed his golf bag with hundreds of bags of corn tortillas and has made sure that his team have tomatoes to make the necessary salsa. “I swear to God this is the truth,” Lehman revealed at a damp and dreary K Club yesterday after his team’s arrival was delayed by several hours — because his bag was loaded down and could not be moved.
“We live in Arizona and it is the land of the Mexican food. When we were last over here it was very difficult to find good chips and salsa, so we decided to bring our own. I must have loaded 200 bags of tortillas into my golf bag. No wonder they couldn’t move it. They are on a one-way trip, absolutely, because we are going to eat those babies.”

To Lehman and company - you are in a foreign country for 3 whole weeks. You will be back in Arizona soon. It is seen as an insult to the country you are now in that you had to bring over AMERICAN FOOD to 'survive' those three weeks. Darn it man, take advantage of the fact that you can get the best potato products over there. Enjoy eating something that isn't from Arizona.

Yes folks, this is what happens when tourists come from America (not all but enough). They want what they have at home. They don't want to try the new foods of the country that they're in. They expect everything to be like home. And complain loudly when it's not. Dudes - you're in a foreign country...take in the new experiences, try the new food and don't continue to give Americans a bad name...you're coming across as people who can't see beyond your own faces...who aren't willing to move beyond your own borders...who aren't willing to compromise. And it's a shame. There's a lot we can learn from other countries. Differences aren't bad - just different!

So Lehman. I appreciate you like your chips and salsa. But I wish you had left them at home. It's sometimes hard enough to be an American living overseas with the president we have - he gives people enough fodder to go on about...we don't need any more excuses for people to take the mickey. And about those outfits...