I am in my yearly snit. Now my wife would contend that I am in a snitty mood daily and sometimes more often than that. However, I am in my Yearly Snit-it's the Tourist Season.
The tourists flooding into Guanajuato is not news, I guess. We have them all year round. In the month of October, the month of the infamous-you can only find it here-Festival Internacional Cervantino, there is an influx of 50,000 plus tourist who stay for the entire three weeks this hardy-party lasts.
What I am talking about, is the time of the year, the summer, when AMERICAN tourists coming pouring into our adopted city throwing money around like it was pigeon feed, and expecting the locals to bow and scrape before their American presence, kissing their rings, and whatever else they would like the locals to kiss.
Now, if you think I am at all exaggerating this let me tell that once I had a conversation with a woman from America about his very issue. She wanted to know why she felt, "under the eye", or "looked down upon" in San Miguel de Allende (another little colonial town not to far from where I live but much more infected with American tourists). I told her exactly why. It wasn't received well. She acted as though I had just made several obscene gestures and cast doubt as to the true source of her paternal origins.
Her "coming-un-glued" response was this,
"Well, these people should be thankful that we are here throwing money into their faces".
Let me warn you that I am about to make a huge generalization here and I do so without the slightest hesitation. I have lived in this country long enough to make the anecdotal observation (not to mention the thousands of stories I have been collecting from third parties accounts) that Americans-tourists and some expatriates-generally haven't a clue how to act in someone else's culture.
What I am really thinking is that the vast majority of Americans act abroad the very same way they act at home-like jackasses. I am referring to the majority of the twenty million or so tourists who come to Mexico each year infected with the Ugly American Syndrome and in some cases terminally so.
I've recently begin wondering, from reader's email I get, if some of these 20 million are also infected with "TMPS" (The Minuteman Project Syndrome).
If you want to read about The Ugly American Syndrome here in Mexico go to www.lulu.com or www.amazon.com and write my name, Douglas Bower, into the search engines to find my books with plenty stories of how American Tourists act when they come to Mexico. Be sure to buy as many copies as you can afford and give them out as Christmas presents.
In the meantime, if you are cash strapped, go to this web site and read an account by friend, Dane, who made a blog entry on an example he ran into of The Ugly American Syndrome. He is currently studying in San Miguel de Allende, where The Ugly American Syndrome is so rampant, so prevalent, that there is not even the remotest possibility the behavioral disorder ever being extinguished.
Check out Dane's blog at: http://www.zyworld.com/theolog/Home.htm His blog report from San Miguel is what got me in my current Snit. Do you think there is a Snit therapist out there somewhere?
Doug Bower is a freelance writer, Syndicated Columnist, and book author. His most recent writing credits include The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Houston Chronicle, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and Transitions Abroad. He is a columnist with Cricketsoda.com and more than 21 additional online magazines. He is also a writer with EzineArticles.com with a readership of almost 6,000. He lives with his wife in Guanajuato, Mexico. His newest books, Mexican Living: Blogging it from a Third World Country can be seen: CLICK HERE: http://www.lulu.com/mexicanliving
home sanitizing services Deerfield ..A Fabulous Guide to Florida's Best Rentals: Condos for rent,... Read More
If you are thinking about renting a condo in the... Read More
For many decades Gatlinburg has been a favorite resort getaway... Read More
As a family, we have been visiting Orlando since 1998,... Read More
Considering a romantic or family Costa Rica vacation? You're choosing... Read More
Seasoned travelers often tire of the standard routine of airplane,... Read More
More than one million tourists visit Costa Rica each year.... Read More
Holiday time is around the corner and its time to... Read More
Thailand is a popular golf paradise and home to many... Read More
The typical scenario goes something like this: your casual mention... Read More
A chalet is a traditional Swiss style house with a... Read More
Once you make up your mind to on a vacation,... Read More
Orlando is calling to you and your family to come... Read More
Have you ever done something spontaneous? Are you in love... Read More
Bahamas vacation villas are the way to go if you... Read More
Gloucestershire, pronounced Glostershire, is a pretty English county located south... Read More
Of course you are anxious to take a vacation this... Read More
This article is meant to be a guide for those... Read More
Stand by the shores of Casco Bay on the coast... Read More
Tip #1 : Buy a beach front Caribbean villa! ... Read More
Love the outdoors, looking for adventure, a romantic getaway, or... Read More
After France, Spain is Europe's most popular holiday destination, and... Read More
Those looking to invest in real estate should not overlook... Read More
The largest barrier island on the Atlantic coast between New... Read More
When it comes to shopping for something on-line, we tend... Read More
trusted cleaning company Wilmette ..How to find a Town Houses that will make your... Read More
Many times, when we plan a vacation, we know where... Read More
I had always been told that if you wanted to... Read More
Scam artists pose as potential renters everyday on many different... Read More
Spent a fantastic trip going down the Oregon Coast to... Read More
As a family, we have been visiting Orlando since 1998,... Read More
When vacation time rolls around, some people choose to stay... Read More
People often ask me why we keep returning year after... Read More
So you decided on Orlando Florida for your family vacation... Read More
Sunscape The Beach Punta Cana is located on the north... Read More
Traveling with children will be a memorable event ? the... Read More
Five Affordable World Travel Destinations Locations That Offer... Read More
Car rental insurance has to be one of the most... Read More
Just drive out to one of these delightful wine estates... Read More
Family Vacation in Costa RicaYou will not have any problem... Read More
Destinations such as Aruba, Cancun, St. Thomas, and Bahamas have... Read More
Many people believe that the first thing you should do... Read More
Surrounded by the romantic and beautiful Smoky Mountains, a Gatlinburg... Read More
I am in my yearly snit. Now my wife would... Read More
The real secret to cheap family vacations is to be... Read More
An Award Winning Vacation, Golf, Tennis and Beach ResortIf you... Read More
Hilton Head Island is a vacation destination for over two... Read More
We are planning a family trip for just a few... Read More
With India being a major world tourist in the world,... Read More
Lake Tahoe cabin complexes rangein size from small, six-unit, luxury... Read More
Vacation Rental |