Ten Things Not to do When Visiting a Foreign Country

~ John W. Howell

 

 

 

 

This list was inspired by watching some tourists on both sides of the Atlantic and Pacific. This advice applies if you are a visitor here or are visiting over there. I hope you enjoy

Ten Things Not to Do When Visiting a Foreign Country

10 If you are visiting a foreign country, do not assume everyone who does not understand what you are saying is stupid. If you do, At best you will get no help. At worst, you will find people going out of their way to make sure your visit is a nightmare.

9 If you are visiting a foreign country, do not continue to believe you will find the same food you have at home. If you do, at best you will deny yourself a learning experience. At worst, you will get very hungry and tired of eating the snacks you brought with you.

8 If you are visiting a foreign country, do not openly compare the rooms and sights with those you have at home. If you do, at best foreigners will think you ignorant. At worst, you will not appreciate what you are seeing and could cause an international incident.

7 If you are visiting a foreign country, do not take pictures of anyone without their permission. If you do, at best you will have nothing but frowning people in your pictures. At worst, that little hand gesture flashed by the last reluctant model just maybe a curse upon your house for ten thousand years

6 If you are visiting a foreign country do not pick up souvenir rocks from sacred sites. If you do, at best you will be asked to give them back. At worst, you will carry the rocks home only to find a little Friday the Thirteenth effect since they have an ancient spell cast by a prehistoric resident wanting to ward off hairless apes from attacking the garden.

5 If you are visiting a foreign country, do not to dress as if you were paid by several manufacturers to be a walking billboard. If you do, at best the only thing you will broadcast is a low IQ (whether deserved or not). At worst, the messages on your clothes might be mistaken for a political or sexist statement which you may find difficult to explain to the magistrate

4 If you are visiting a foreign country, do not wrinkle your nose to each strange smell. If you do, at best the country residents will believe you find their country offensive. At worst, you may run across a disgruntled resident who will be willing to explain how disgusting it was to visit your country and offer to settle the situation with a duel.

3 If you are visiting a foreign country, do not assume the rules in your country are the same rules in the country you are visiting, If you do, At best you will be only a little wrong when the authorities  point out your mistake. At worst, you may be a lot wrong as the authorities prepare you for the punishment phase of your trial for what you thought was a small infraction.

2 If you are visiting a foreign country, do not make everyone aware of where you came from by your stereotypical behavior. If you do, at best you will be mocked behind your back. At worst, you will fortify the belief that everyone from your country behaves the same as the stereotype and will not be able to shed that image nor the resulting scorn.

1 If you are visiting a foreign country do not make a mess of the places you visit. If you do, at best people will ask you nicely to leave. At worst, the authorities may ask you nicely to clean up after yourself prior to being a guest in one of their fine, historically chic, damp and moldy holding tanks prior to deportation.

30 thoughts on “Ten Things Not to do When Visiting a Foreign Country”

  4. Great list, John! You can even apply this list to people visiting the various of the US. When my northern relatives visit the southern state I live in, I usually get a big dose of #8 and #2 😉

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  6. All I could think about was the horrible gypsy woman from “Drag Me to Hell” and the curse she put on that girl. You do NOT want that curse.

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  7. I would add…make an effort to learn the language or how to pronounce certain words. For example, Americans or Canadians struggle to say Leicester Square and it immediately picks you out as a tourist. In regards to language, I see it as a sign of respect to make an effort to communicate with them in their language. 🙂

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    1. Yes, very true. Of course, I find that a few other things tend to give Americans and Canadians away like stepping off the curb looking to the left and then being run over by a taxi coming from the right.

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  8. But if everyone followed number two you couldn’t play the guess where the tourist is from game. I must be guilty of at least a couple of these, but I’m claiming holiday rules. Maybe tourists should arrive with a warning sign: The excitement of being somewhere different may cause unpredictable behavior.

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  9. I’ll add my rant, since I just returned from a foreign country last night…….do not visit a foreign country and expect it to be home. You’re there to experience the differences, so DO THAT. Don’t fly halfway around the world and complain about all the ways it’s foreign.

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  11. This is a great and inspiring list! I actually composed a counter-point to this list for myself, entitled “10 things to Make Sure and do when visiting a foreign country” 🙂

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