"The Ugly American"

This past week I attended my first peer adviser meeting for the 2009-2010 school year. My peer adviser group works with the Study Abroad office to help students who are interested in studying abroad. (I did a Maymester abroad in the summer of '08 in Ghana.)

During our meeting, and in other sessions hosted by the study abroad advisers, we discussed "The Ugly American" moments and how to help other students prevent them. To explain, Americans, essentially, have a bad reputation abroad- we are loud, arrogant, unintelligent, spoiled, and obnoxious. Behaving in any such manner that reflects these stereotypes makes you, "The Ugly American."

Thus, we talked about how important it is to be truthful with other students about studying abroad, without scaring them away. For example, not every place in Ghana we went had a modern toilet. However, that did not mean that I was living in the bush, or that Ghanaians are uncivilized, only that I packed a travel roll of Charmin and did not drink much on long travel days.

Now, the fact that many Americans may be turning up their nose at this very moment probably means that they would have been "The Ugly American-" loudly exclaiming how grossed out they are, or demanding someone find them a real toilet. When the truth of the matter is that most people have had to relieve themselves without a pristine white toilet at some point or another, for whatever reason, (Ahem, drunk football fans).

I have to say, however, that students studying abroad tend to be looked at with a little less disdain. Yes, we are in the pursuit of knowledge, but we are also supposedly rich and gullible. For example, "The Ugly American" on my trip paid $50 for a $15 wood carving.

Really the bottom line is, have patience and do not be quick to judge. At least that is what I tell people about studying abroad. I honestly feel that that is the only way to experience a different culture and get all of the good out of it.