Sweating (glowing) is fine, smelling is not.. but you know this already..
Nobody on this board would deny a man his right to wear polyester under any circumstances, sweaty or not.
Although I must just go and check the catechism...
- Thread starter Matilda
- Start date
Which nationalities are more culturally adaptable? Are the Brits really that bad?
Sweating (glowing) is fine, smelling is not.. but you know this already..
Nobody on this board would deny a man his right to wear polyester under any circumstances, sweaty or not.
Although I must just go and check the catechism...
"Rude" and "adaptable" are different universes.
The "best" language is the one that creates a bidnez environment of open and honest discourse that all parties can best understand...
For instance, what language should a Russian and Brazilian speak when doing business in Sweden on a contract enforced in Great Britain?
What language should be spoken in the UN in NYC?
But, yes, one should make an effort to speak the language of the host country. Effort may not be fluency.
Yeah, in the end I guess it is what you feel comfortable with and what you are capable of.
I found it easier just to learn the language of mine hosts, but I guess I am lucky that it comes easily to me.
To be honest there wasn't a principle involved, it is just a mixture of respect and convenience.
Cobraboy, for those that struggle, to each his own.
But to answer your question which I highlighted in your quote....
Russian and Portuguese respectively. Always endeavour to negotiate in your strongest language.
"which nationalities are culturally more adaptable?" ..... if you are talking about in the DR, then probably not the british (of which there were thousands here at one semi-official count in the 90s.....it was claimed by the now believed to be defunct british association).
In the world , i think the british, in their own way are very culturally adaptable. whether it be india, the caribbean, an african or arab country...etc.
maybe never the best at adapting though...you will always find chinese and lebanese communities wherever you go that adapt very, very well....just differently to how most of us westerners think they should adapt.
or football (association, rugby or american).
Why? a lot of brits can't stand the english.
In the world , i think the british, in their own way are very culturally adaptable. whether it be india, the caribbean, an african or arab country...etc.
maybe never the best at adapting though...you will always find chinese and lebanese communities wherever you go that adapt very, very well....just differently to how most of us westerners think they should adapt.
or football (association, rugby or american).
Why? a lot of brits can't stand the english.
In our empire days we used to flatten everybody, bend them to our will.
This is not adapting to ones surroundings.
Now we have little empire and we are not actually worth a damn (apart from having nuclear weapons which buys us a seat at the big table, still) we do adapt when travelling abroad - we have to.
Coincidentally, none of the only 4 countries I was happy to settle in were ex-British empire.
They were ex-French and ex-Spanish holdings, mainly.
Not sure if that is relevant.
This is not adapting to ones surroundings.
Now we have little empire and we are not actually worth a damn (apart from having nuclear weapons which buys us a seat at the big table, still) we do adapt when travelling abroad - we have to.
Coincidentally, none of the only 4 countries I was happy to settle in were ex-British empire.
They were ex-French and ex-Spanish holdings, mainly.
Not sure if that is relevant.
I'm from one of the last remaining British colonies (now called dependent territories) and although we have our own culinary traditions we have adopted a few English dishes (the better ones, like Sunday Roast with Yorkshire Pudding, shepherds pie, apple crumble...) and some very British or English habits like afternoon tea, drinking tea with milk, and cricket. When I was in hospital I couldn't believe it when they went round with mugs of Bovril for elevenses. 
It's also the case in former colonies I've visited in Africa and the Caribbean.
As for the question in the OP - maybe the most culturally adaptable nationalities are the ones that are traditionally more tolerant, less nationalistic, and with a less inflated sense of their own importance. On the linguistic side, speakers of minority languages tend to be more receptive to and adept at learning second, third languages.
It's also the case in former colonies I've visited in Africa and the Caribbean.
As for the question in the OP - maybe the most culturally adaptable nationalities are the ones that are traditionally more tolerant, less nationalistic, and with a less inflated sense of their own importance.
On the linguistic side, speakers of minority languages tend to be more receptive to and adept at learning second, third languages.
Yorkshire puddings, roast spuds and decent gravy.....
There is not a country in the world I have been where it was not possible to make these things.
And I have never been anywhere they did not absolutely love these things when it was done right.
There is not a country in the world I have been where it was not possible to make these things.
And I have never been anywhere they did not absolutely love these things when it was done right.
I find it fair enough to say that there are not that many Brits in the DR. I find myself struggling to remember when I last bumped into a Brit outside of a tourist area. But then I struggle to remember when I last bumped into any foreigners when living in Santo Domingo other than the Italian guys that occasionally used to come on short term contract to the mines, or the Mexican electricians that seem to come in surges a few times a year.
Sure you can walk down El Conde and see them all in their American Tourist standard issue uniform of Urban Safari style and leather shoes without socks, or the soloist with his younger Dominican side kick and guide, 50 year old Bobby Brown standing 5'2" in his XXXXL sized t-shirt just there for a weekend breeze through. And the obligatory bohemian beautiful couple I can never place and catch myself staring trying to work it out. But I can count on one hand the amount of British accents I've heard while spending hours of the day drinking over priced beer for the comfort of being around a few foreigners for a change just to people watch on that corner on El Conde.
But then to go on and say Brits don't do languages and are not culturally adaptable is a bit weird. The DR is the American equivalent to our Balearic or Canary Islands, and if you go to those Islands you will only find a few American or Canadians kicking about, if any. Is it a comfort thing, I dunno. Are people comfortable being within a few hours flight to their homeland if they need to? What is the difference really in a 10 hour flight and a 2or3 hour flight, not alot in time but sub consciously maybe there is something in it. I've worked all over the world and I've worked with many Brits abroad, I speak 3 languages and this is pretty normal for Brits who live and work abroad, isn't it. I consider Brits to be some of the most open minded and culturally aware travellers on the planet, rarely do you find Brits stirring a fuss, making waves, standing out, integration is something that is easy if you're considerate, and I'd say typically Brits are, but what is a typical Brit, certainly not me as I've not settled in the UK for 20 years, and so maybe that's why I found myself in DR.
So in the big picture Brits won't be noticed (or is it stand out?) just look at the numbers, it is obviously going to be predominantly Americans USA vs UK comparison on population and size of United states of America and United Kingdom but it is no reason to forget the rest of the world.
And as for others in the UK. When I arrived in Heathrow a couple of months ago I thought I'd flown into Poland by mistake, no one in the airport was speaking English, I felt like I had entered the twilight zone. A bit like the first time you fly into Miami and for a split second need to remind yourself you HAVE entered an English speaking country as all the officials are still speaking in Spanish to me.
As always, just my thought on it.:glasses:
My Yorkshire puds have always ended up like pancakes in DR, I blame the flour, or is it the ovens won't get hot enough! But you are right, I like the eye twinkle a decent gravy gets from an alien to hearty food!
Cobraboy, prophetic words indeed.
Egypt went through it and almost disappeared into the sand.
Greece had a fair stab but look at them now.
China have always been big in Asia
Rome went through it and became the catholic church.
Austrian/Hungarian/Prussian/Soviet etc... poor show all round.
Britain went through it and we are still collapsing gracefully, with a stiff upper lip.
And the prophetic part?
The USA, still figuring that one out....
- Totally because the ovens will not stay hot enough.
- My mum came out and confirmed this.
- She is the Don of Yorkshire puddings.
<<<<word<word>>>>>
WORD
<<<<>>>></word<word>
I think it is also in how you define "success in adapting"; if this is defined as being able to live and work successfully in a different culture than your own then I think that there is a direct correlation to the overall poverty status of the individuals home country. If a person knows that he or she has to stay and tough it out somewhere in order to earn money to send home because opportunities are very limited at home then they are going to tough it out and be "successful" if you define success as being able to hold a job and support yourself in a foreign culture. I think that those that are from countries that offer more opportunities upon their return are more likely to have attitudes and be less accepting of different cultural mores that they find illogical or morally wrong because they know that they have the option to return to fairly good opportunities in their home countries.
Well, when it comes to the Brits, I like Robert and Monty Python.
BTW; the world's thinnest book? Great British Chefs
BTW; the world's thinnest book? Great British Chefs
This is intensely fond and familiar.
This sounds like where I live.
2 things I remember though.
- I just returned from years of working in other peoples' countries.
- Poles are at least as cool as Brits.
Yeah but we have not been invaded for 1000 years.
And when we did it was by the Normans... the Norsemen.. they were ex-Vikings newly arrived from 'the north' in France and kicking ass.
These were not the French as we know them to be now.
No.
The Normans rocked way harder than the virtually illiterate Druidy pussywimps we were at the time.
And before that it was the Romans, and what did they ever do for us apart from pre-empt the dark ages.
When you look at it, Britain is up there with Afghanistan and Vietnam in terms of holding their own.