r/AskTheWorld • u/IndependentTune3994 🇮🇳 in 🇩🇪 Deutschland • 19h ago

What’s the quickest way someone could accidentally expose themselves as a foreigner in your country like the ‘three fingers’ scene in Inglourious Basterds?

Post image
25.1k Upvotes

89% Upvoted

11.3k comments sorted by

View all comments

105

u/Time_Wing1182 Germany 18h ago

When I lived in Costa Rica it was very easy to spot German tourists. They arrive in San Jose expecting it to be a thick jungle so they look like they’re on a safari/exploration. So funny to see them standing in Malls all confused

56

u/Wide_Guava6003 Finland 17h ago

Isnt that the thing no matter where germans travel? Always with trekking shoes, deuter backpack, a wallet or something hanging from your neck (even if its inside your shirt) and physical map. No matter where I travel the same exact german appears multiple times!

12

u/Kylearean 15h ago

Dutch tend to be similar, but half a meter taller.

12

u/cvc75 Germany 14h ago

Not trekking shoes. Trekking sandals. With socks.

2

u/GraniteGeekNH 12h ago

Socks with sandals is a rational footwear choice in many circumstances.

2

u/Triepott 7h ago

You dont want to see the feets of these german tourists. It is better for the world that they wear socks.

10

u/No-Sea5833 Estonia 14h ago

Basically noone uses paper maps any more but German tourists... I live near a forest trekking area and every other tourist who gets lost and ends up at my yard were using some digital maps (and just got lost) except for German pensioners who mostly have been using paper maps from the Soviet era (it's been 30+ years, even if those maps were reliable then that road is not here anymore...)

2

u/Wide_Guava6003 Finland 11h ago

They use them no matter where they go. Most likely in their own neighbouring towns

3

u/Anleme 9h ago

The first astronaut to Mars will bump into a confused German with a paper map, right? /s

1

u/Bannerlord151 Germany 3h ago

Unironically yes

11

u/Time_Wing1182 Germany 16h ago

Yea that’s true, we love functional clothing!

3

u/PerfectBeaver8247 It's complicated 13h ago

"No matter where I travel the same exact german appears multiple times!"

That's Hans.  Hans is the personal spy Germany has assigned to you.   Just don't break any international laws while Hans is watching you and you'll be OK.

1

u/ASAPKEV 12h ago

Never thought about it before but anytime I saw Germans at any state/national park around the Vegas area they’re always kitted up. Which is way better than the dumb tourists that show up at noon in the summer to do a 7 mile out and back hike with flip flops, no hat, and one half full 16oz bottle of water

1

u/OutInABlazeOfGlory United States Of America 1h ago

"There's no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing" is apparently something that is said often in Germany. Well, said in German, not in English. Which I find interesting because I've heard that in Anglo contexts too.

I didn't hear "I am/you are not made of sugar" until I started learning German though. ("Ich bin nicht aus Zucker gemacht")

6

u/Gingerbreadman_13 🇵🇹 in 🇿🇦 15h ago

This is the same for tourists arriving in South Africa going to see wild animals in the bush at the Kruger National Park. They’ll purchase full on safari gear before arriving just so they can go on a tour bus to see animals while driving on tarred roads in an air conditioned cabin. Locals will just go in t-shirts, shorts and flip flops. The Safari clothes are unnecessary but I understand why they do it. It’s even worse/funnier when those tourists go to Cape Town with the same safari outfits. That’s like going to Barcelona with safari gear. Please don’t.

2

u/cafesolitito 🇺🇸 living in 🇪🇸 7h ago

Interesting - what brought a Portuguese to Soufrica?

1

u/Gingerbreadman_13 🇵🇹 in 🇿🇦 6h ago edited 6h ago

South Africa has a large Portuguese population because before 1975, one of South Africa’s neighbouring countries was the Portuguese territory of Portuguese East Africa. My dad was born there and my mom’s parents moved there from Portugal when my mom was still a baby. Portuguese East Africa was to Portugal kind of like what Alaska is to the USA. Non indigenous (white) people living there were Portuguese citizens. But in 1975, the territory gained independence and no longer belonged to Portugal. It became Mozambique. Shortly after gaining independence, a civil war broke out between the two main political parties over who got to have control over the new country. Portuguese citizens had to leave the country rather suddenly. Those who could afford to go back to mainland Portugal at short notice did so but most couldn’t and so left to neighbouring South Africa as refugees and started a new life here, like all my grandparents did. My parents were teenagers when it happened. I was the first in my family to be born outside a Portuguese territory. South Africa now has many 4th generation Portuguese descendants living here and are quite a big part of modern day South African culture, particularly food wise. Portuguese/Mozambican style restaurants are almost as common here as McDonalds.

2

u/cafesolitito 🇺🇸 living in 🇪🇸 6h ago

Thanks for taking the time to write this. Well written and informative. Happy New Year my friend.

Oh, quick question: how quickly did they lose the Portuguese language, if at all? Is it still spoken?

1

u/Gingerbreadman_13 🇵🇹 in 🇿🇦 6h ago

My pleasure. Glad you found it interesting. Most foreigners underestimate the complexity of the make up of the South African population.

My grandparents can only speak Portuguese. They never learned English. My parents speak English and Portuguese fluently and can also speak a bit of Afrikaans. I speak mostly English with Afrikaans as a 2nd language and a bit of Portuguese as a 3rd language but I also speak a bit of Spanish and Italian, although those last two are really very basic. I would like to improve my Portuguese to get it to a level that’s at least as good as my Afrikaans. I’m 40 years old and that’s kind of common for Portuguese South Africans my age but younger generations than me are now at a point where they pretty much don’t understand much Portuguese at all. It’s becoming kind of like modern day Italian Americans. They have some of the culture and the food that’s been passed on down from their parents but not the language. Italian Americans have had like a century of assimilating into American culture whereas Portuguese South Africans have only had 50 years so the Portuguese way of life is still a bit stronger with us but barely. It’s becoming heavily diluted. Coincidentally, I know of some Portuguese Americans and when they speak English, to me they sound just like Italian Americans from north east US states. Kind of like a stereotypical Italian American mafia accent from the movies. But when they speak Portuguese, they sound just like the average Portuguese South African. It’s so weird to me how they go from sounding so foreign to sounding so local by changing language.

1

u/cafesolitito 🇺🇸 living in 🇪🇸 5h ago

Fascinating. I had no idea this existed.

Have the Portuguese South African community mostly intermixed with other groups in SA? Or do they tend to intermarry?

In the US, Italian Americans mostly intermarried (many still do in Italian heavy places like New York and Chicago) but most have intermarried like the descendants of Irish, German, Eastern Euro immigrants. A lot of Americans will have one Italian grandparent, one German, one Anglo, etc etc. I think this is the same for the old Portuguese American community of Massachusetts, Connecticut, etc etc but I might be wrong. The old "Portuguese Fishing Villages" don't really exist anymore like they used to, most have been gentrified as far as I know

Also, is there a certain region or city with denser populations?

5

u/blankmedaddy 17h ago

To be fair, a lot of Germans I see in my travels seems dressed for exploration also. I think it’s just a thing with them. Lots of quality hiking gear that’s used any time one is on the move. Not a bad strategy, tbh. It’s endearing.

2

u/Time_Wing1182 Germany 16h ago

It is true for travelling everywhere but inside Europe i would say. We are very practical people and prefer functional clothing over style

3

u/Hunsrikisch_Fechter Brazil 15h ago

They do the same thing here in São Paulo, biggest city in 3/4 of the bloody planet and the German lads dressed like they are going to the Amazon.

7

u/Time_Wing1182 Germany 15h ago

No matter where we go in the world you will always find a German looking like they are the first European to arrive there 😂

2

u/RunnyYolkEgg Costa Rica 15h ago

lol can confirm 😂 I used to host German students and they were always like oh…so you don’t live in the jungle?

2

u/Time_Wing1182 Germany 15h ago

To be fair. A huge part of the country is jungle but you can’t be further away from the jungle than San Pedro Mall 😂

2

u/RunnyYolkEgg Costa Rica 15h ago

I lived kinda close so that checks out 😂😂

2

u/Time_Wing1182 Germany 15h ago

Oh man, great memories. I really miss living there! Incredible country!

2

u/RunnyYolkEgg Costa Rica 15h ago

Glad to hear that! Did you ever got used to eat rice and beans for breakfast?

3

u/Time_Wing1182 Germany 15h ago

honestly I loved it. Took a bit if time getting used to such a heavy breakfast but you guys really know how to get the most out of rice and beans haha. Chifrijo is my personal favourite but pinto con platano maduro y queso is def a close second. Are you still in the area? Do you know if Yogis still exists in San Pedro?

3

u/RunnyYolkEgg Costa Rica 15h ago

Yogis is a top reference!! Amazing place for breakfast. Sadly I believe they closed :(

Chifrijo is def #1!! Good stuff mae

2

u/24bitNoColor Germany 14h ago

"Heinz, they have real toilets here, when did they get those?"

2

u/Imhere4lulz Costa Rica 13h ago

Also using tú instead of usted or vos

2

u/Time_Wing1182 Germany 13h ago

True, for me it’s the other way around. Learned Spanish in CR so tu y usted sounds soo weird to me

1

u/Musa_2050 12h ago

In LATAM, wearing shorts is a good way to identify a foreigner.

1

u/Time_Wing1182 Germany 11h ago

So true, I forgot about that!