People: When You Are In Foreign Countries, Do Not Act Like This Guy

Dear people who live in rich countries,

I was standing in the Park St. Metro station at rush hour a couple days ago. The Kolkata metro is very nice and clean and air conditioned. It is also extremely cheap, so except for the fact that there is only one line, it is the ideal mode of transportation in the city. I don't know if you've ever seen pictures of Japanese trains, where people are packed together in the cars, but that's pretty much what it was like. There are a lot of very friendly people very very close to you.

Thus far in my trip, I had seen exactly 2 other white people; a couple, probably German, staring up at something. I saw them from a cab. So Kolkata is not exactly tourist central. So, it was to my great surprise that I turned around to see, next ot me on the train platform, a white guy. He was tall, with kind of floppy red hair and trendy facial hair, carrying a smallish hiking back pack. I leaned over and said,

"Do you think anyone here would believe that we don't know each other?"

"Slow down, I'm French," he said. I apologized and repeated my joke. He then launched into a bizzare rampage about how his month in India was too much for him to take, and everything was so dirty and people were always trying to rip him off. He did this for 4 minutes--I know, because I watched the clock behind him. I was struck with absolute horror, and I watched the people around us slowly edge away.

"And the food, it's so dirty! I can't find any where to eat! I just want to go back to France. Everyone is so dirty when they prepare the food...."

I tried to be lighthearted by saying, "Oh come now, I like it here! The food I've eated has been perfectly fine..." and providing basic travel tips. He, though very friendly, would have none of it.

"You're staying for three months? How can you stand it?"

It was horrifying. I'm only lucky that the Indians around us displayed standard Indian tact and pretended (more or less successfully) not to notice. I, for one, rather like India--and it's dirty and polluted and crowded, sure. But it's also beautifult and complex and fascinating. And the people are really wonderful. So, for me, can we all try to see the sunny side of life when we're visiting in foreign countries? And, if not, can we at least shut up about it?

Sincerely,
Sam