Necessary Evil by Donald Hanley

Author:Donald Hanley
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Published: 2019-05-01T04:00:00+00:00

15

Between school and Dad’s work schedule, the furthest I’ve ever been from home was that weekend we spent in New Braunfels a couple of summers ago. Being cooped up in the back of a minivan with Susie for four-and-a-half hours pretty much soured me on road trips but I’d like to see more of the world someday. Melissa invited me to tour Europe with her and her mother after we graduate. If she’s still speaking to me by then, that might be fun.

American tourists tend to have a poor reputation overseas, unfortunately. We seem to expect everyone to speak perfect English (as if we do), US currency should be accepted everywhere, and there darn well better be a McDonald’s within walking distance or else. We love visiting other lands and immersing ourselves in other cultures, as long as they’re exactly like home.

That’s an exaggeration, of course, but there’s still a grain of truth in it. Most people are uncomfortable when they’re thrust into a situation where they can’t speak the language, read the signs, or understand the unspoken rules. Repeating yourself loudly and slowly isn’t the way to get someone to help you out, as it turns out. You have to at least try to fit in, even if it’s painfully obvious you have no idea what you’re doing. Most of the time, the natives appreciate the effort and they’ll try to meet you halfway, even if they still won’t accept your perfectly good dollars for that souvenir.

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