Summary:
[[Image:Tourist.jpg|630px|thumb|left|Not fooling anyone. Photo by Ed Yourdon/[http://www.flickr.com/photos/yourdon/3074128353/ Flickr]/CC]]
Dressing and acting exactly how you like, at whatever volume you like, may be an inalienable right granted to all Americans by God, Abraham Lincoln and the Constitution. However, you will find that your time abroad will be more enjoyable if you take some time to blend in. Blending in makes it easier to visit places off the beaten path. It can also help protect you from pickpockets and harassment. Here are a few items to think about if you?re traveling abroad in the near future.
==Consider your wardrobe==
When packing for your trip, leave out all items with visible logos: No sports teams, college sweatshirts, or T-shirts screen-printed with Barack Obama giving a high-five. Unfortunately, apparel associated with comfortable travel in the United States?like flip-flops and cargo shorts?are all too easily identifiable as tourist gear in every other country. If you have the budget, consider purchasing clothes on your trip. You can save money in luggage fees and you don?t have to worry if your mom?s old scarf is appropriate for visiting a mosque. Clothes also make great souvenirs. Just avoid the ?Paris is for lovers? T-shirts at the airport.
==Handle your money and important documents in private==
If you exchanged a big wad of cash at the airport, carry only a few bills in your wallet and leave most of it, along with important documents like your passport, locked in your hotel room or luggage. Learn how and where the notes are denominated so that you don?t find yourself standing in a public market, laboriously picking through a fistful of wadded lira. If your passport only fits in your neon green fanny pack, consider purchasing a [http://travel.state.gov/passport/ppt_card/ppt_card_3926.html passport card] if you need day-to-day I.D. overseas. They?re much less obtrusive than the passport booklet, even if most countries don?t accept them as valid identification for international travel by air.
And for the love of smartphones, don't whip out a map anywhere public.
==Learn the language==
Picking up foreign languages may seem like a superpower, but it?s one that everyone has the ability to develop. A few basic phrases from a guidebook will get you started. Once you?re out and about and talking to locals, compare your requests to their translations. If you ask a waiter for a glass of water and he shouts, ?Bir su!? to the bartender, it?s safe to assume that one of those words must mean ?one? and ?water.? If you?re with friends who speak the language, listening for your name in their rivers of gibberish can give you clues as to verb and noun placement. Signs are your friends; they?re the quickest ways to learn how to say ?please,? ?thank you,? and ?Stop! Falling rocks!? And whatever you do, don?t be afraid to sally forth and speak up. Most people are thrilled when foreigners attempt to speak their language, and you will learn far more quickly by interacting with people than by keeping your mouth shut. And chances are, if they find your efforts so painful they can't bear it, they'll switch to English instead ? just don't rely on that expectation.
==Observe local etiquette==
In some countries, entering a church with your head or limbs uncovered is a grave breach. In others, eating with your left hand is disgusting. Other countries frown on open displays of affection, or propping your feet up on furniture. Do your research and be respectful. Most importantly, don?t neglect common courtesy, which is the same the world over. If you?re carrying a camera, ask permission before you start snapping photos of that exotic sari or headdress. Don?t openly laugh at foreign words that might sound rude in English, and keep the volume level down in public places.
''Article by Adrienne So, Wired.com.''
Dressing and acting exactly how you like, at whatever volume you like, may be an inalienable right granted to all Americans by God, Abraham Lincoln and the Constitution. However, you will find that your time abroad will be more enjoyable if you take some time to blend in. Blending in makes it easier to visit places off the beaten path. It can also help protect you from pickpockets and harassment. Here are a few items to think about if you?re traveling abroad in the near future.
==Consider your wardrobe==
When packing for your trip, leave out all items with visible logos: No sports teams, college sweatshirts, or T-shirts screen-printed with Barack Obama giving a high-five. Unfortunately, apparel associated with comfortable travel in the United States?like flip-flops and cargo shorts?are all too easily identifiable as tourist gear in every other country. If you have the budget, consider purchasing clothes on your trip. You can save money in luggage fees and you don?t have to worry if your mom?s old scarf is appropriate for visiting a mosque. Clothes also make great souvenirs. Just avoid the ?Paris is for lovers? T-shirts at the airport.
==Handle your money and important documents in private==
If you exchanged a big wad of cash at the airport, carry only a few bills in your wallet and leave most of it, along with important documents like your passport, locked in your hotel room or luggage. Learn how and where the notes are denominated so that you don?t find yourself standing in a public market, laboriously picking through a fistful of wadded lira. If your passport only fits in your neon green fanny pack, consider purchasing a [http://travel.state.gov/passport/ppt_card/ppt_card_3926.html passport card] if you need day-to-day I.D. overseas. They?re much less obtrusive than the passport booklet, even if most countries don?t accept them as valid identification for international travel by air.
And for the love of smartphones, don't whip out a map anywhere public.
==Learn the language==
Picking up foreign languages may seem like a superpower, but it?s one that everyone has the ability to develop. A few basic phrases from a guidebook will get you started. Once you?re out and about and talking to locals, compare your requests to their translations. If you ask a waiter for a glass of water and he shouts, ?Bir su!? to the bartender, it?s safe to assume that one of those words must mean ?one? and ?water.? If you?re with friends who speak the language, listening for your name in their rivers of gibberish can give you clues as to verb and noun placement. Signs are your friends; they?re the quickest ways to learn how to say ?please,? ?thank you,? and ?Stop! Falling rocks!? And whatever you do, don?t be afraid to sally forth and speak up. Most people are thrilled when foreigners attempt to speak their language, and you will learn far more quickly by interacting with people than by keeping your mouth shut. And chances are, if they find your efforts so painful they can't bear it, they'll switch to English instead ? just don't rely on that expectation.
==Observe local etiquette==
In some countries, entering a church with your head or limbs uncovered is a grave breach. In others, eating with your left hand is disgusting. Other countries frown on open displays of affection, or propping your feet up on furniture. Do your research and be respectful. Most importantly, don?t neglect common courtesy, which is the same the world over. If you?re carrying a camera, ask permission before you start snapping photos of that exotic sari or headdress. Don?t openly laugh at foreign words that might sound rude in English, and keep the volume level down in public places.
''Article by Adrienne So, Wired.com.''
Source: http://feeds.wired.com/~r/howtowiki/~3/BwLkwRet428/Blend_In_in_a_Foreign_Country
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