- F*** that culture I'm from the best country in the world (this is not limited to Americans)
- I'm in love with this culture I want to be this nationality
- Don't mind me just passing through
I've seen all of these approaches and let me tell you they all make you friends and they also come with enemies.
F*** that culture approach: This is often seen from the fresh out of college crew who get the easy to come by jobs in Asia (Currently this is the ROK's problem) and they haven't really put any investment to learn about where they are going. They go with the stereotypes they were brought up on and not much else.
Pros: These types are great people being the loud spoken jokers who don't really care what the locals think of them when they are having a good time. They are usually pretty good when you are feeling grumpy and just hate where you are because chances are they hate it too. They like to explore the touristy places and take fun pictures and party hard into the night with some drinking as a bonus.
Cons: The downside of this fun loving bunch is that they are often immature and not grown up. As stated before they DO NOT care what the locals think and if you want to take the other approaches being associated with them could cause problems. At work you may see some unprofessional behavior that upsets you. Being immature they can be gossips and drama llamas and let's face it if you have your own problems, do you really need them making more?
I'm in love with this culture I want to be this nationality: Ah the people who have fallen in love with a culture, often do to the public face they show outsiders and has never actually been there. They go by many names in different social groups and regional places, but we all know them and have our own takes.
Pros:Usually these are the best people to go to for language study help or etiquette tips just in case you don't want to inadvertently offend your co-workers or the population in general. They can be great friends with the catch of being an introvert, but hey sometimes introverts are the best kind of friends.
Cons: They are almost obsessed with the culture and often times are obsessed with getting with the natives. So if you befriend them expect to be included on this get a native significant other quest and it is not always pretty. The country of their obsession can do nothing wrong, it could be killing babies in the street and they would say "Hey it is their culture" (that was an over dramatization btw). So your gonna have to stomach a lot to hang out with them.
Don't mind me just passing through: I feel like these people make up the bulk of the work force because they've come here for a job and not necessarily the love of a country. I find myself currently in the category so I feel like I can't really rate the pros and cons of them objectively. I will say that language learning is not always at the top of our list, but we will give it the college try to make our time easier. While we try not to blatantly offend the natives, we can't be expected to know every little gesture to make in every situation to keep things agreeable.
Anything to add? Feel free and I will edit these to include input.
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