Post: #1

For all the older Americans - how was it traveling around in the 90's? Were you able to get some ass just from telling girls you're from America? I bet things were a lot different back in the day...

Post: #2

Back in the mid-90's I graduated high school and went overseas I got a lot of attention in Europe, even in England, for simply being American. America was much more well-liked back then and the world seemed bigger (Internet wasn't available nearly like it is today). Some of the people I talked to in Europe had never met an American before.
I definitely pulled ass for being American.
In mid-size to smaller towns in Germany (for example), people still get excited to talk with you if you are American. They want to try their English out on you (if they know it). But, with the Internet, I think the world has gotten smaller, people have the means to talk with 'foreigners' without ever meeting them in person, and there are so many travel tools at our disposal to make a round-the-world trip much easier to plan/execute.

Post: #3

Well...it was in Toronto back in the day

1) No B.E.T. cable channel = no negative American culture/trends in thinking
2) No NBA team = No American players bringing their friends to visit = American male was still a novelty

For about 50 visits, me and my boys would:

- Leave work around 2pm on a Friday
- Leave DC around 3pm
- Arrive in a Toronto nightclub around 11pm
- Pull out chicks around 1am

Sometimes we didn't even use the reserved hotel for the Friday night because the chicks would take us to their homes. We would check in Saturday (often begging the hotel to let us check in early) so we could prepare for new chicks for Saturday and Sunday.

We would actually goto the club just to party on Sunday night (usually at Club Phoenix) and leave the club at 1am and drive back to DC and go DIRECTLY to work Monday morning.

Ahhh, the memories.

Post: #4

I should add that the UK was almost like Toronto during the 1990's but it was usually outside of London.

I won't count the Caribbean or Central American or South American nations because of the economic factor.

Post: #5

Here were the main differences:

Americans were loved. (Clinton)

Traveling was harder in some ways (no Internet).

However, this arguably made things better as well. Less American fools traveling. (Which again, made people love us. The people who traveled were more "G").

For instance, to find a secret beach in Panama, you really had to know someone that had been there before.

I remember sharing "maps" with other cool cats written on cocktail napkins.

Dollar was stronger.

Also with no Internet, you would lose "touch" with America. This was a good thing in my mind, especially when I was younger.

You would go on a four month trip, and come back to America and you would have no idea what people would be talking about.

Culture shock was heavier upon return.

Also, countries were very different in terms of music you would hear in bars.

Nowadays, you go to a bar in Madrid, London, Bogota, Buenos Aires, Latvia or Los Angeles and you hear the exact same music more or less.

Post: #6

Well, as I have written many times here...Sweden was the muthafukkin' shiznet for Afr-Am guys back in the '80s thru most of the '90s (particularly, the early part of the decade). I could write a book. Daygame, nightgame, clubgame, ect. -- like picking low lying fruit off a tree.

Moma told me days like that wouldn't last. She was right.

Post: #7

(09-22-2011 01:09 PM)Global Baller Wrote:  Moma told me days like that wouldn't last. She was right.

Moma is a woman? It all makes sense now! ! !

Post: #8

Nima sounds like mom, his mom?

Post: #9

For those of you who wish you got to live in an older time, I highly recommend the movie Midnight In Paris.

Post: #10

(09-22-2011 10:19 AM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  Here were the main differences:

Americans were loved. (Clinton)

Traveling was harder in some ways (no Internet).

However, this arguably made things better as well. Less American fools traveling. (Which again, made people love us. The people who traveled were more "G").

For instance, to find a secret beach in Panama, you really had to know someone that had been there before.

I remember sharing "maps" with other cool cats written on cocktail napkins.

Dollar was stronger.

Also with no Internet, you would lose "touch" with America. This was a good thing in my mind, especially when I was younger.

You would go on a four month trip, and come back to America and you would have no idea what people would be talking about.

Culture shock was heavier upon return.

Also, countries were very different in terms of music you would hear in bars.

Nowadays, you go to a bar in Madrid, London, Bogota, Buenos Aires, Latvia or Los Angeles and you hear the exact same music more or less.

You could go ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD AND AMERICANS WERE LOVED JUST BECAUSE CLINTON WAS PRESIDENT. not. Gmanifesto, tighten you shot group. You perhaps chose places that was on the brochure. There was hate in plenty of places. Don't paint a rose garden brother.

Post: #11

Good thread, I often found myself put off by landing in the tourist traps of a foreign country and seeing the oversaturation of my fellow countrymen lol.

Post: #12

In 1973, the average American was 20 times richer than the average Chinese person. Now the ratio is 1 to 5 and soon it will be 1 to 2.5. (According to a Ted talk). A similar story applies to most developing nations.

That said, it's my understanding that the poorer a society, the more socially conservative it is. I think that back in 1973, the world was probably more socially conservative.

I dont know how things were back in the day -- I could see it either being easier or harder.

BTW, I went out on a date tonight with a Ukrainian girl who said that 30 years ago, a couple out on a date in Ukraine would not even hold hands in public. Now they often put out on the first date (or so). This girl unfortunately did not put out on this date. : (

PS, here is the Ted talk that I referenced, it's not bad:
http://www.ted.com/talks/niall_ferguson_...erity.html

Post: #13

(09-22-2011 08:20 PM)Aliblahba Wrote:  

(09-22-2011 10:19 AM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  Here were the main differences:

Americans were loved. (Clinton)

Traveling was harder in some ways (no Internet).

However, this arguably made things better as well. Less American fools traveling. (Which again, made people love us. The people who traveled were more "G").

For instance, to find a secret beach in Panama, you really had to know someone that had been there before.

I remember sharing "maps" with other cool cats written on cocktail napkins.

Dollar was stronger.

Also with no Internet, you would lose "touch" with America. This was a good thing in my mind, especially when I was younger.

You would go on a four month trip, and come back to America and you would have no idea what people would be talking about.

Culture shock was heavier upon return.

Also, countries were very different in terms of music you would hear in bars.

Nowadays, you go to a bar in Madrid, London, Bogota, Buenos Aires, Latvia or Los Angeles and you hear the exact same music more or less.

You could go ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD AND AMERICANS WERE LOVED JUST BECAUSE CLINTON WAS PRESIDENT. not. Gmanifesto, tighten you shot group. You perhaps chose places that was on the brochure. There was hate in plenty of places. Don't paint a rose garden brother.

I am going off my personal experience. Everyone I know who has traveled extensively during both periods would agree with me.

I wasn't seeking out places where Americans were hated and I never said, "ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD". And I never said, "AMERICANS WERE LOVED JUST BECAUSE CLINTON WAS PRESIDENT"

I was giving a frame of reference with the time period.

Were Americans loved more in the 90's than last decade?

Yes.

To answer Houston's questions:

"how was it traveling around in the 90's?"

Better.

"Were you able to get some ass just from telling girls you're from America?"

More or less, yes.

If you had a different experience, Break it Down.

Post: #14

I'd bet it applied mostly for ex-communist states, because western europeans have always had the money to be able to travel to other countries.

Post: #15

(09-22-2011 01:15 PM)Vicious Wrote:  

(09-22-2011 01:09 PM)Global Baller Wrote:  Moma told me days like that wouldn't last. She was right.

Moma is a woman? It all makes sense now! ! !

Fcuk outta here LMAO!!!

Post: #16

(09-23-2011 01:48 PM)Moma Wrote:  

(09-22-2011 01:15 PM)Vicious Wrote:  

(09-22-2011 01:09 PM)Global Baller Wrote:  Moma told me days like that wouldn't last. She was right.

Moma is a woman? It all makes sense now! ! !

Fcuk outta here LMAO!!!

But your nickname would fit to a black-american female lol (just kiddin).

Post: #17

(09-23-2011 12:37 AM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  "Were you able to get some ass just from telling girls you're from America?"

More or less, yes.

If you had a different experience, Break it Down.

I agree with this. I know a guy from Brooklyn who came to the UK and rinsed five Spanish lizard roommates and ran a battery on a housewife. I saw him in action swooping and his game was no different from any other London cat. He just had that immediate DHV because of his American accent.

I guess it's the same for me in U.S.A so I ain't mad at him.

Post: #18

(09-23-2011 01:55 PM)Clockwork_Orange Wrote:  

(09-23-2011 01:48 PM)Moma Wrote:  

(09-22-2011 01:15 PM)Vicious Wrote:  

(09-22-2011 01:09 PM)Global Baller Wrote:  Moma told me days like that wouldn't last. She was right.

Moma is a woman? It all makes sense now! ! !

Fcuk outta here LMAO!!!

But your nickname would fit to a black-american female lol (just kiddin).

It's all good, brah, I got thick skin, anyone who can't take a joke is a lizard. We all fam here

Post: #19

(09-23-2011 01:43 PM)Clockwork_Orange Wrote:  I'd bet it applied mostly for ex-communist states, because western europeans have always had the money to be able to travel to other countries.

Western Europe has not been perpetually wealthy. Some places like Portugal were downright dumps not too long ago. Even places like Britain and Ireland were considered a mess as late as the 80s.

From the conversations I've had abroad, the brutal drop in the value of "I'm an American" was triggered by George W. Bush and the policies of his administration.

For my part, I think Europeans are too political, anyhow. Several girls in Europe just completely ruined nights for me by refusing to let political conversations die. And I'm a fuckin liberal Democrat! What exactly more did they think I should do?

I will say it's not entirely about politics. The Euros don't like to admit it, but a lot of their shitty attitude toward America is because their time is over. For the more old school, it's about envy of American power and prestige. For the hipper group, it's the realization that every year more and more Americans decide they want to go to Singapore and Mumbai and fewer and fewer decide they want to go to Paris and London.

The Europeans know they're being left out of the 21st Century and it pisses them off. And the only people who even hear them are we Americans. So, we get to hear a lot of the blame.

Post: #20

(09-23-2011 02:01 PM)mycleverid Wrote:  From the conversations I've had abroad, the brutal drop in the value of "I'm an American" was triggered by George W. Bush and the policies of his administration.

1. For all the other stuff I have a hard time believing - I think people in general want to think their country is the best - we have a strong tradition of patriotism in the West, and old habits die hard.

2. European intellectuals have always looked down on America. Nothing new. In 1940, media was not as good at showing all the flaws of the US, and the US (and Canada) also had the world's highest per capita GDP - a good 30% over most European countries. Americans were well-fed, rich (by European standards), tall and also the most powerful country in the world and getting bigger - and they were also the world's largest creditor. Having a US passport meant you were in a very powerful club, indeed. American popular culture was also immensely popular - hard to say if it was because of the economic might or on it's on, but hey - we had Hollywood.

3. After WWII, Europe catches up, the US gets its nose bloodied in Vietnam and communists and the new-left in Europe do a very good job of taking over the intellectual debate in most European circles - the New Left is probably the biggest reason for the intellectual snobbery of Europeans and their liberal Democrat cousins. In any case, for about 40-50 years progressives have run most of the main schools and played a major part in shaping the public debate in most Western countries. So much that so-called neo-conservatives are just a strange mix of libertarians and progressive opinions - a weird bastardization of political ideologies. Case in point: trying to create a modern democracy in countries without any tradition of modern statehood.

These same progressives and their opinions are same legion of academics Roissy and Roosh love to bash, and are the reason for the success of things like feminism, Obama, the War on Poverty. In other words, the idea of a Utopia/Heaven-on-Earth - whatever the price (including multi-trillion dollar deficits, massive unemployment, the destruction of the family unit and Christianity, progressive wars, yada yada).

George Bush's problem was his unwillingness to cater to these folks in speech, while being perfectly willing to do it in action (government spending rose dramatically under GWB). Bill Clinton was better at doing it in speech, but facing reality in action (BC enacted major welfare reform, and enjoyed the first and last budget surpluses in many years). But no one is perfect.

Post: #21

(09-23-2011 02:16 PM)ElJefe Wrote:  George Bush's problem was his unwillingness to cater to these folks in speech, while being perfectly willing to do it in action (government spending rose dramatically under GWB). Bill Clinton was better at doing it in speech, but facing reality in action (BC enacted major welfare reform, and enjoyed the first and last budget surpluses in many years). But no one is perfect.

Lesson: people reward bullshit peddlers.

Clinton has a gift for peddling bullshit. I've seen the guy speak in person and was only a few rows back. The crowd eats that guy's bullshit up. And no matter how diverse the crowd, they all think he was talking to them. You could have a conservative CEO next to a liberal teacher, and the CEO would walk away applauding Clinton for his business policies and the teacher would walk away applauding Clinton for his education initiatives.

Clinton was a white buffalo. A genuine exceptional bullshitter. Who also lucked into the easiest period to be president in modern history. Don't get me wrong, he didn't piss away the good luck he was given. But, there was some luck in there.

Post: #22

(09-22-2011 02:34 AM)houston Wrote:  For all the older Americans - how was it traveling around in the 90's?

Maybe it was because I didn't have money, but traveling was a lot more expensive in the 90's. Flights anyway.

I went to college from 1994 to 1998 and my base was either St. Louis or Honolulu. To fly between the two was $1500 to $2500 easy. That's first class fare now. I remember I paid $3k from St. Louis to London once in that era.

The cost factor might come down though, because as I recall, they were a lot more liberal with the frequent flier things. For every four round trips from HNL to STL I got a free one, or a ticket somewhere else. You could do a lot more with the free tickets, too. One I used from New York to freaking Egypt. I don't recall credit cards giving out miles in those days. The airline rewards were all based on use of their company's services.

As far as Americans being loved, things were way different than they are today. I think because it was more expensive to travel you got a better class of folks abroad. Today since it's cheaper, and a redneck that runs his plumbing business all through credit cards heads to Europe and gets wasted, and is hard to forget.

Early Bill Clinton had some to do with it, but I remember going places during the Lewinsky thing, and people were laughing. In Japan, I remember girls that couldn't get out the word "Clin-tonsan" without giggling. In Europe I ran into people that were mad about that.

It's nothing like I read about you guys dealing with now. I don't really encounter it, I just say I'm from Hawaii.

Aloha!

Post: #23

(09-23-2011 04:39 PM)Kona Wrote:  

(09-22-2011 02:34 AM)houston Wrote:  For all the older Americans - how was it traveling around in the 90's?

and a redneck that runs his plumbing business all through credit cards heads to Europe and gets wasted, and is hard to forget.

ouch

Post: #24

(09-23-2011 04:44 PM)redneckpunk Wrote:  

(09-23-2011 04:39 PM)Kona Wrote:  

(09-22-2011 02:34 AM)houston Wrote:  For all the older Americans - how was it traveling around in the 90's?

and a redneck that runs his plumbing business all through credit cards heads to Europe and gets wasted, and is hard to forget.

ouch

Hey you know what I mean brother.

Aloha!

Post: #25

haha, i know im just messing around

i think the 80's was the prime time to travel for an american, 90's things were on the decline and the last 10 years have been a death spiral.

But it can easily be overcome, stereotypes will never disappear, act cool and u will be rewarded.