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by iwnit on November 9th, 2009
1) Sehr merkwürdig...
2) I have one typical experience, but it is not exceptional. Often, when I am travelling in a foreign country, some people of that country start to talk to me in their language. That is, they don't assume that I am a foreigner.
3) Another experience is that people often guess that I am from a different country than my country of origin.
Foreigners of various countries even often guess that I am from their own country. However, they very rarely start to address me in their language, except in the above case where I am visiting their country.
by Jadey - Vive la difference on November 9th, 2009
More times than I can count.
Mostly it has been when working as a waitress in London. French and from the former USSR were the most common. Although the last time it happened I was on the tube and a man started talking to me in Greek. Even after it was clear I had no clue what he was saying, and he had switched to English, he didn't believe I wasn't Greek, and had the cheek to suggest maybe the man I thought was my Dad wasn't my dad.
I know that I must not look English since people always assume I'm foreign.
by Bugler on November 9th, 2011
Lindy, you never know whether or not to take comments on AB at face value or not do you? People are upset if you disbelieve them, and yet it make the reader a brainless idiot when he uncritically accepts whatever is thrown his way.
But I happen to know this kind of thing does happen, because it happens to me.
What I have got time and again is being called Peter, which is not my name - no other wrong name, just Peter. It is always delivered with unwavering confidence too, no hesitation whatsoever - there is no doubt in their minds who I am - they just have the wrong person.
It has been happening on two continents and I can't even guess how many times it has happened over the years - one doesn't think to keep track of such things until it is too late.
The phenomenon is very suggestive that something curious is going on, far more than simple coincidence would allow I think. Hard to conceive what though.
What would you do when your mom is gone?
by XT on January 30th, 2012
| 2 people like this
What country could I move to that has a much less corrupt government then the US but life styles are kinda similar?
by Hello on January 25th, 2012
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What is your best travel destination?
by Novalja,island Pag on February 1st, 2012
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When is it ok to go backwards?
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www.tirupatidarshan.org is launching initiative services for pilgrims those who are eager to tirupati darshan so , Will you vote for it ?
by forexreviews on February 3rd, 2012
| 1 person likes this
You're reading Has anyone ever come up to you and start speaking to you in a different language? Not because they don't know English but because they think automatically that you are from somewhere else. I keep getting people coming up to me and speaking German!
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Comments
Ive never been out of the United States, except for Mexico! It happens quite often that people think I am from Germany or speak German. I am not even sure what people from Germany are supposed to look like! Im adopted and all of my family are Irish.
by Lindy on November 9th, 2009
Lindy: thank you for your feedback.
Do you have any kind of information about your biological parents?
Although France and Germany are neighbors, French people are often able to recognize the typical German people. That would be those who would correspond to a particular stereotype. This recognition bases on physical traits, but also on some things like way of walking and other behaviors.
However, not all Germans are "typically German".
You can find some pictures of German people here:
http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&um=1&sa=1&q=German+people&aq=f&oq=&aqi=g3g-m2&start=0
http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&um=1&q=typical+German&sa=N&start=36&ndsp=18
(warning, there are some other people there too)
by iwnit on November 9th, 2009
Oh iwnit,
you are going to destroy a national bias of all British and all Americans.
Of course Germans all look the very same and of course they all behave the very same way.
What the SUN and Daily Mirror daily write about the German sas well as you can see in so many Hollywood movies is nothing but the truth.
So I am very grateful that in English speaking countries people are very well educated and told to be cautious with the Germans.
I just deeply regret that in Britain and America they do not eforce their bias and prejudices because this keeps this people away from us.
Nobody mises anything if he is not confronted to hateful American or aggresive British.
People of both nations usualy are the most aggressive and hateful people I ever met in the whole world.
by Frederik on August 2nd, 2010
Frederik: I am sorry for you that you had such a bad experience.
by iwnit on August 3rd, 2010
No problem. These problems you have as a German with each American and each British. The can not do without an extreme kind of hate, hostility and malicious despise against Germans.
And because they all are offensive too, most people try to avoid contacts as much as possible.
If I hear in bar or a restaurant a single word in English, like most Germans I instantly pay and leave the bar or restaurant because I know that a few moments later the British or Americans would start aggressing you.
Like a vast majority of the German population I very rarely made any positive experience with British or Americans.
I even change the train if there is a bunch of British or Americans. If they are around it means for sure and always nothing but trouble.
At the Oktober-Fest we can see again how they are used to behave towards the people who live here.
The 2 or 3 millions of Italians who use to come are nothing but mere pleasure in comparison to Americans or British.
So I think Americans, British and all other native English speakers should never be allowed to visit our country and we should keep these troublemakers strictly out of our country.
by Frederik on August 3rd, 2010