Dear Rudy,
I love your show, but I had to write to remind you
that, if you read the book, you would know that
the "Ugly American" was the good guy, not the bad
one. It's a pity that the nickname has come to
mean exactly the opposite of what it should.
My ugliest American was a guy at H. Stern in Rio
de Janeiro who kept yelling "My god, I'm spending
$22,000 here, can't you at least give me a better
exchange rate than the banks?" at the top of his
voice.
My other complaint is about all the Americans who
have learned to think it's cute to talk about rude
French people. I have traveled to France eight times
and don't ever have any trouble of this sort. Of
course, I expect the French to act like themselves, not like a
funny-sounding version of an American. Come on! Give them a break.
They are very nice and very helpful if you just admit
you need help. They won't insult you by offering
help if you don't know you need it. Try to see it
their way. After all, it's their country. Just
how tolerant are your friends and acquaintances
with people who "talk funny"?
- Pat
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