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
Kalamazoo taxi o'hare .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HareShropshire is England's forgotten county, but it is well worth... Read More
For many people, the Bahamas is a dream vacation site,... Read More
Most of the time, when an individual is planning a... Read More
Did you know that staying in a vacation cabin rental... Read More
When staying in Orlando, you really do have a lot... Read More
The rental market and Vacation Home sale market is unsustainable.... Read More
A trip to the Bahamas does not have to also... Read More
Wiltshire is a large English county situated in central southern... Read More
Hotels are a large component of Pigeon Forge lodging. As... Read More
Are you thinking about a great place to go for... Read More
Timeshare presentations are tricky animals. They can either be an... Read More
No visit to Thailand is complete without visiting the city... Read More
Hilton Head Island is a vacation destination for over two... Read More
Sea Pines Plantation ? The Pearl of Hilton Head IslandHilton... Read More
Vacation packages are a great way for travelers to book... Read More
Planning a Tropical vacation full of lush jungles, secluded beaches,... Read More
India has always been an irresistible tourist destination for people... Read More
Lake Tahoe is a pristine recreational lake area. With high-stake... Read More
As a resident, business owner and frequent skiier at Whistler,... Read More
I love Sussex County Delaware. I am native born, multigenerational... Read More
Bahamas vacation villas are the way to go if you... Read More
Vacation rentals are an option when you plan to go... Read More
Tip #1 : Buy a beach front Caribbean villa! ... Read More
For most of us, the basis of a car rental... Read More
More than one million tourists visit Costa Rica each year.... Read More
Chicago charter limousine service Hickory Hills ..If you're planning a visit to Australia, then you'll be... Read More
A Fabulous Guide to Florida's Best Rentals: Condos for rent,... Read More
Considering a romantic or family Costa Rica vacation? You're choosing... Read More
I have a 17-year-old daughter who is finishing up a... Read More
Choosing a condo in Maui is definitely a great investment.... Read More
Those looking to invest in real estate should not overlook... Read More
Disney Area Lodging DealsThe Orlando area communities of Lake Buena... Read More
Vacation packages are a great way for travelers to book... Read More
Condo hotels, also known as condotels, are a relatively new... Read More
Lodging Hotels in Davenport, FLThere are numerous choices for lodging... Read More
Disneyland became the very definition of a theme park and... Read More
Bahamas vacation villas are the way to go if you... Read More
Real Estate in an area like Punta Cana is hot... Read More
If you're thinking about planning a great winter vacation, think... Read More
RV rental vacations aren't cheap, but they do contain loads... Read More
As our wedding anniversary looms near... and this one will... Read More
Traveling for business or vacationing always has one thing in... Read More
Italy is a popular vacation destination for families because it... Read More
So you may be asking yourself, why would I want... Read More
Within Volusia County, Florida, the small community of Ormond Beach... Read More
This article is meant to be a guide for those... Read More
If you are thinking about renting a condo in the... Read More
Car rental insurance has to be one of the most... Read More
The Algarve, and particularly the areas around Carvoeiro, Albufeira, Praia... Read More
Plan your next vacation where most people call paradise...the Bahamas... Read More
Vacation Rental |