Re: [Leica] photos in europe....

["C.L.Zeni" <clzeni@mindspring.com>]

At 04:17 AM 10/24/2001, you wrote:

>Actually I don't know of anybody in my vicinity who dislikes Americans as
>such. (At times black Americans invite longer stares - we haven't seen too
>many of them around as of yet.) But to speak of hatred - sorry! Or is it
>another joke I don't get??

Being a native Southerner here in North Carolina, and having traveled 
rather heavily in Europe, India and Japan, I think I can draw a 
comparison/similarity.

Where I live, our town has grown in 25 years from 14,500 to 100,000 people; 
from 45,000 in 1990 alone.  Nearly all of this growth is from transplants 
from the North coming in.  What irritates natives here is when a transplant 
will criticize by saying something like, "We didn't do it like that where I 
come from."  What I noted can irritate Europeans is when an American says 
the same thing.  In both cases the criticizer is showing a lack of respect 
for the local customs and culture.  Americans who perceive dislike of the 
locals while in Europe have likely done something like this.  Or maybe run 
into somebody having a bad day.  Either way, I do not believe that a 
'hatred' of Americans is the norm, or even a substantial minority, in 
Europe, no more than there is a similar hatred for Northerners in my 
area.  If a Northerner comes in  huffing and blowing about the local ways 
being the ways of rubes and hicks, well sure he's going to catch a lot of 
hell from locals.

If one travels someplace different, respect for local customs and culture 
will gain one many many friends in that place.  Or as my momma taught me, 
you get more bees with honey than you do with vinegar.

- --
Craig Zeni - REPLY TO -->> clzeni at mindspring dot com
http://www.trainweb.org/zeniphotos/zenihome.html
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Some mornings it's just not worth chewing through the leather straps.

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