Worried About Traveling Abroad? Pretend To Be Canadian

[Champ]

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Want to travel abroad but don't want to be tagged as an American? A New Mexico T-shirt company suggests going Canadian.

For $24.95, T-shirtKing.com offers a "Go Canadian" package that includes a Canadian flag T-shirt, a Canadian flag lapel pin and a Canadian patch for luggage or a backpack.

There's also a quick reference guide -- "How to Speak Canadian, Eh?" -- on answering questions about Canada.

The "Go Canadian" idea emerged after a staffer had heard about someone being harassed about U.S. politics during a recent overseas trip.

T-shirt-King.com President Bill Broadbent said it's not meant as a slight against either the United States or Canada. But since the package went up on the Web site last month, a couple of hundred have been sold.
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/travelgetaways/3976904/detail.html

[mr_hat]

1. Yep. I sewed a Canadian flag on my backpack

when I was Eurorailing around, way back in the '70s.

The only drawback was running into real Canadians

[KurtNYC]

2. But only Americans wear flags on their lapels

When I see someone with a shirt on that says (name of place here) I simply think they are a tourist who went to that place. Local people don't walk around with t-shirts saying in effect 'I am from here.' I guess this is a kind of joke although for $24.95 it is less funny.

The real way to be mistaken for a Canadian: Be nice. Be good looking. Wear a hockey jersey (Edmonton, Montreal or Toronto). Call the bathroom a "watercloset," call the last letter of the alphabet "zed." (and save your $25)

[AllegroRondo]

3. and spell "color" with a U

colour

[Railroader]

6. Watercloset???

Washroom maybe

[meisje]

4. Aye?

[WMliberal]

5. sounds like what i do to marine recruiters

I tell them i'm gay.

Next time i'm abroad, though, I'll remember that one. Unless I'm drunk and belligerent and feel like doing some Bush bashing.

[American Tragedy]

7. Actually, you hardly need to go to that much trouble

I didn't make any special effort to conceal my nationality when I was in Germany, but if I had wanted to pretend to be from elsewhere, it would have been incredibly easy.

At least in my experience, most people seem to have trouble distinguishing different anglophone accents, especially as applied to a foreign language.

In fact, practically none of them were apparently able to tell that I was from North America, much less the United States - or if they did, they never said so.

A few Germans asked if I was British, a couple thought I was Dutch, and others guessed I was Scandinavian or from some other part of Europe.

[Aiptasia]

9. I agree..

When I travel to Germany or The Netherlands, they can hardly ever tell i'm a born and bred yank, except maybe by my clothing.

[Aiptasia]

8. Oh puh leeze

I travel abroad all the time, and I think the average person in the world is able to understand that there's a difference between individuals and "Americans" as a whole.

As long as you don't scream "American" or act like an asshole (ex: "Hey, i'm an American dammit") you should be just fine. In fact, travelling and learning about new people and new cultures should be everyone's prerogative.

In fact, the more I think about it, the freepers actually are a lot more isolationist than us libs. Remember when Pat Buchannon wanted to build the great wall of Mexico back in the late 80's?

Travel the world, learn some of the local language and customs, show the world that there are rational liberals living in the USA and you'll do fine. Be a liberal ambassidor to the world!