Aren't Americans funny?

Question

An elderly American lady came into my office yesterday, announced that she had a "deep emotional connection" with the Irish people and said she could stare at me all day.
They walk around my town (in Ireland) asking random people to tell them about the history of whatever building or castle they happen to be standing in front of.
They take photo's of EVERYTHING that looks a few years old.
Does anybody else experience this?

I'm not complaining by the way. These are normally elderly tourists and they really are nice folks.

Answer 1

Yeah, they sound nice, kind of searching for something. Who knows, their ancestry maybe Irish and they feel the pull...

Answer 2

Well, I can tell you as an American, that we are all human, and maybe that elderly woman just has not been out of America, and find that Irish people are just wonderful (by the way I AM Irish just born and raised here in America) I could stare at you all day, and I LOVE an Irish accent. And I am positive that if you were to go to a foreign and exotic country, you would enjoy taking pictures as well.

Answer 3

As a fairly new country, American's often like to connect with their "Roots", myself as an Irish & Scottish. Some people are a bit less "cosmopolitan" then others. It's my fellow American tourist's who refuse to consider the complexities and history of a country and it's culture.

My own favorite way to travel is to get out and meet people away from the beaten track, be friendly, try to speak at least some of the langauge and learn.

Answer 4

The same thing happens to me with Irish Toursists in NYC Tourists are tourists that is what they do. If you live in a town that caters to tourists then you will get those types of people of EVERY nationality. Some cultures are more demonstrative about it than others but they all have that deep desire to connect with wherever they are at that is why they chose that place to go to in the first place.

Answer 5

I think it's great that they're interested in the history of something! I loved Ireland when I went. Everyone was always so friendly and helpful.

However, I found the Irish just as funny because I can't tell you how many of them told me they had cousins who were police officers in New York, especially Buffalo, for some strange reason, once they found out I was from NY. Was there a mass exodus from Ireland to Buffalo at one point?!

Answer 6

I don't know about the starring all day, but taking pics and wanting to know the history is what tourist do. That is why they are there touring. If they didn't care, they wouldn't be there in the first place. They do it in America too. I am sure it's not just American's that do this too. I am sure Ireland people and etc... come over here (United States) and do and say the same things. So what is so funny about it?

Answer 7

It is very kind of you not to loose your patience with these tourists. I kind of know how you feel because I live in a town on the Gulf of Mexico that does a brisk tourist trade. The visitors will ask the most ignorant questions. We have to have a sense of humor about it or we could get very hostile. 'Do you live here?' is my favorite, always asked in amazed tones. Yes and I don't spend my days on the beach. We have normal lives with work and other tedious activities. 'Is that what you eat for breakfast in the South?' 'Is that what everyone wears here?' No that's what I wear and I eat.

Oh well. Like you say, they mean well...

Answer 8

I am amused that you are amused, lol. In comparison with Ireland, we have no tangible history in the U.S. A lot (not all, thank goodness) that we did have has been demolished to usher in the newer, "better" culture. The first time I visited the British Ilse, I nearly wept for the proud culture, astounding beauty and the kindness of its natives. I live in Colorado and it is lovely here, but I long for a real pub, good beer and camaraderie. Americans think a gal is a pick-up if she chats to a stranger and "we" are suspicious of even the kindest of gestures. Your culture is refreshing.

I ran into some Irish tourists in a mining town in Colorado...cute story...my ex-husband hand-crafted an authentic American Indian costume, intricately beaded and woven with porcupine quills. He also had his face painted and was wearing a headdress of fox. We were in the mountains to take pictures in an authentic setting...a car pulled over and four people from Ireland piled out and asked to take pictures of the Indian... He was from Norway, but we didn't tell them.

Answer 9

I think you are mistaking the Americans you have met for all 300 million Americans (a very "British", small island nation thing to do, by the way! Sorry, but it's true!). I am an ex-pat Englishman living in America, and I would be appalled if Americans used Benny Hill or "Dusty Bin" as their model for how all citizens of the UK behave, wouldn't you? LOL

If you CAN generalize about Americans impressions of Europe, most of then are astonished at how old everything is; This whole culture is only 200 years old, about the same age as my "new" local was in Chiswick!

Cheers...

Answer 10

Kind of like the Japanese tourists who come to America wearing Hawaiian print shirts and wearing cameras around their necks. Too funny!

Can I ask you a question though? When you kiss the Blarney stone, don't you have to sort of lean over backward? How do you not fall off? Has anyone ever fallen off??

Answer 11

I think it sounds like these people are really interested and curious as a young child is at the world around them. It's not everyday you can go visit other cultures and these elderly are probably just taking good advantage of the chance they are getting to go see other places. :) It's alot like over excitment if you see someone overly excited about something, they show much eagerness.