First Impressions
Sep. 26th, 2010 11:36 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
frau_germaniaI always think it's amusing when I listen to people who have visited any of the German-speaking countries of Europe. They always come back with a gripe about how the locals react in an icy way upon initial encounters.
All I can do is look at them and say, "Yes, and?".
What would you do if you were in your own country, and someone came up to you and started rambling away in some other language besides yours, without even trying to speak the local language?
I imagine your reaction would initially involve a rather blank facial expression and a quizzical look, followed by frustration and an obvious set of questions; "Do you speak English?" etc.
Of course the foreign person is already frustrated and even feeling a bit vulnerable, so anything will make them feel as though everyone and everything, is against them.
Turn the tables on the tourist in Europe. Same thing.
While many Europeans speak english, especially the younger generation, many consider it rude to just assume everyone does. I personally don't just walk up to someone without trying to ask a question in their own language when visiting a foreign country. I especially try to speak the language with the earlier generations, as a sign of respect for my elders, more than anything.
I think the understandable chilly reaction to the tourist in Europe, comes more often from the earlier generation's reaction to the sudden and seasonal influx of a large number of tourists and immigrants. They come from all over the world to visit many of the tourist hot spots; Munich/Koln/Berlin Germany, Vienna/Salzburg Austria, et all.
All of these 'visitors' have various cultural predispositions to how they approach others. Often times, their behavior can either be misunderstood as rude...or the visitor's culture is just intentionally rude altogether.
After a while, locals just give up on being smiley, happy and nice right off the bat. They might choose to adopt a totally neutral, or even cold, countenance toward strangers for the first few seconds or minutes of an encounter. While a knee-jerk reaction, it's a protective barrier against the stresses of dealing with rude and pushy strangers in your city, that you cannot escape.
I personally tend to react the same to people, unless I'm being introduced by a friend. At work, my initial reaction is simply neutral. I don't go out of my way to be cold or shut people down, unless someone approaches me with a confrontational attitude.
In my personal time I'm not mean or cold, I just don't jump into conversation or 'buddy' behavior easily with people I don't know. Especially those who approach me at random.
Being of German-Bavarian blood, perhaps it is a cultural and-or genetic predisposition to react this way to strangers. 99% of the time however; I've found out I have good reason.
Sad, but true.
All I can do is look at them and say, "Yes, and?".
What would you do if you were in your own country, and someone came up to you and started rambling away in some other language besides yours, without even trying to speak the local language?
I imagine your reaction would initially involve a rather blank facial expression and a quizzical look, followed by frustration and an obvious set of questions; "Do you speak English?" etc.
Of course the foreign person is already frustrated and even feeling a bit vulnerable, so anything will make them feel as though everyone and everything, is against them.
Turn the tables on the tourist in Europe. Same thing.
While many Europeans speak english, especially the younger generation, many consider it rude to just assume everyone does. I personally don't just walk up to someone without trying to ask a question in their own language when visiting a foreign country. I especially try to speak the language with the earlier generations, as a sign of respect for my elders, more than anything.
I think the understandable chilly reaction to the tourist in Europe, comes more often from the earlier generation's reaction to the sudden and seasonal influx of a large number of tourists and immigrants. They come from all over the world to visit many of the tourist hot spots; Munich/Koln/Berlin Germany, Vienna/Salzburg Austria, et all.
All of these 'visitors' have various cultural predispositions to how they approach others. Often times, their behavior can either be misunderstood as rude...or the visitor's culture is just intentionally rude altogether.
After a while, locals just give up on being smiley, happy and nice right off the bat. They might choose to adopt a totally neutral, or even cold, countenance toward strangers for the first few seconds or minutes of an encounter. While a knee-jerk reaction, it's a protective barrier against the stresses of dealing with rude and pushy strangers in your city, that you cannot escape.
I personally tend to react the same to people, unless I'm being introduced by a friend. At work, my initial reaction is simply neutral. I don't go out of my way to be cold or shut people down, unless someone approaches me with a confrontational attitude.
In my personal time I'm not mean or cold, I just don't jump into conversation or 'buddy' behavior easily with people I don't know. Especially those who approach me at random.
Being of German-Bavarian blood, perhaps it is a cultural and-or genetic predisposition to react this way to strangers. 99% of the time however; I've found out I have good reason.
Sad, but true.