Foreigners

Me and my Irish friend, Zoe

Last night I bid farewell to my friend Zoe, an Irish native who I became close with during my time working as a hawker for my previous job with the charity. Myself, along with her, her boyfriend, and another friend went out for drinks and played some pool (actual pool, not billiards). At the end of the week she is off to Alice Springs and then Perth. It got me thinking about how odd it is to know that you will very likely never see someone again, but how common it has become for me. You see, in my travels I have been meeting and making friends with many "backpackers," (as us non-Aussies travelers are often called). You get close to people, and then with the matter of a few days you bid each other good-bye and that is it. We all move on to the next place, the next adventure, and the next destination. It was the same with Stuart from England, Lisa from Germany, etc, etc, etc.

However, I have also been thinking about all these other backpackers and my interactions with them. As I am now working for as a laborer for a staffing agency, I have met many different people from all over the world on a very frequent basis. The agency, called Down Under Employment, will hire out anywhere between 3 and 20 backpackers to do basic labor jobs, such as moving furniture or other tedious manual labor jobs. (Its not the most glorious work, but at least it keeps me busy.) Anyway, when taking these jobs you almost never work with the same people more than once or twice so you always have occasions to get to know new and strange foreigners. In my interactions with them I have learned a few things and their opinions of Americans.

First off, there are not many Americans in Australia. So right off the bat, I usually get one of two questions. "Are you Canadian?" (Most people guess Canadian first, because apparently the Canucks, get very insulted if you call them American.) or "You seem like an American." (To which I usually respond "thank you," which seems to confuse people a bit). After we establish that I am not Canadian the conversation turns to where I am from, with my usual response being, "just outside New York City on the Jersey side of the Hudson." This of course usually causes them to launch into a great and long explanation how they have always wanted to go to New York, or how they have been to New York.

The funny thing about people from other countries, if that whatever they think of Americans, they always dream of seeing America. Almost anyone you ask has a list of places they want to see in America, from Hollywood to New York, Las Vegas to New Orleans. I believe this has a lot to do with American movies. I have mentioned before how America exports so much in the way of American cultures and lifestyle through our TV shows and movies, that many people around the world they irrevocably associate our country (or parts of our country) with their favorite movies. I have heard foreigners go on about every American movie from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas to Cool Hand Luke to Ghostbusters all of which cast certain parts of our country in different lights. So what I really find during my interactions with other backpackers is there belief that America exists like one big movie set.

When people talk about New York they reference 80's movies, like Ghostbusters or even Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, during the pre-Giuliani, and they forever get the image of steamy sewer vents, muggers and bums around every corner, and a city flooded with angry crowded people. (So basically its an accurate picture, except now there is a lot less steam and bums.) Or when foreigners talk of New York they tall about Seinfeld or Friends. They want to see the diner where Jerry and George go to, or they want to find Central Perk (which I try to explain is not a real place, as Friends is probably one of the most inaccurate portrayals of of New York Life. I mean seriously, Joey is an out-of-work actor. There is no way he can afford that apartment.) When we talk of Vegas they think it is all Ocean's 11 or The Hangover. San Fransisco is gay, Washington State is filled with vampires, Texas is filled with cowboys, and even Boston is filled with Leonard DiCaprio.

Probably the most common question I get asked is, "So you went to an American Uni (college)?" When I say yes, they usually smile a big grin and nod with visions of American Pie and Animal House running through their heads. I of course try to explain to them, that as much as I love my country, we are all not lovable sitcom characters, hell-bent action heroes, solitary cowboys, lovable sidekicks, singing newsies, drunk fraternity brothers, cunning but honorable criminals, or Paris Hilton. Movies are an exaggeration and when it comes right down to it, we are as human and as ordinary as anyone in their own country. They of course understand that, but I know that on some level they hold onto their allusion of America as a place of dreams and fantasy, as we all hold onto our allusions about places and people we have never met or seen first hand. (Says the man who wants to go to New Zealand and try to find a Hobbit.)

Most foreigners are very nice to me and very interested in talking to me, as there are not many Americans to talk with. However, you do meet some who for the most part are turned off by my American-ness. (These are the people that are surprised that I take being called an American as a compliment.) They are never mean or even rude, they just usually nod when I talk and then move on after we have exchanged a few customary greetings. I know they too have their own allusions about America and Americans, and I don't think I could persuade them from their beliefs anymore than I could persuade the others that Hollywood is not America. Ironically, the one thing most foreigners agree upon is that they love Obama. This is reinforced that he is on the news over here as much as Australia's own prime minister, or almost as much as Charlie Sheen.

Apparently, the people of other countries see our current President as a person more open to diplomatic relations. They see him as a person who will be a friend to their country and someone who is approachable on the international level. So for whatever faults Obama has (and he has a few in my opinion), I am grateful to him for at least this one part. He has actually given America a more favorable image to the rest of the world, which I believe has made my life traveling a bit easier. It is also worth mentioning that this is good, because American new dominates in Australia as much as Australian news does. Every day when I open the free paper I get on the train I see more than a dozen stories about the US, and not even the important ones. I see stories about a man in Utah that survived being electrocuted while on the job with the power company, or a story about an 11 year old Nebraska boy who miraculously being run over by a train. More than anything, I have heard people say that America is very American-centric with our news, but the truth is, it seems like we are not the only country who is.

However, I am digressing. As for my interactions with this second group of people I also blame the media and Hollywood. I have been saying for years that we need to watch who and what we export to the world, and right now all we are truly giving them is garbage. Everyday there is another story about Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, or some other ridiculously horrendous non-celebrity who has once again embarrassed themselves and America. More and more these stars and the types of reality shows that we air are being associated with our country. So much so that I was having a conversation with an Aussie the other day and we got on the subject of Mel Gibson. "He's crazy," said the Aussie. "Well, he is yours," I replied. "He hasn't been Australian since Lethal Weapon. He's American," was the reply that I found hard to argue. I had a similar conversation with a Brit about David Beckham and Posh Spice. Apparently, once oversees celebrities embrace that sort of celebrity persona and lifestyle, they become irreparably American.

So in a way I cannot blame foreigners for the views they have on my home country, both good and bad. I mean let's face it, how often do we look at the magazines in the supermarket line or watch some stupid news piece of the Entertainment Network and just shake our heads. It kind of makes me wish we were all Peter Parkers, Indiana Jones, or even John McClanes. Still, I endeavour to be as good of an ambassador of America as I can all the people I meet. I guess in a way that may make me the plucky hero determined to overcome our own short comings... I just think it will take me longer than the span of 2 hours.