The West is "divided by a common language". Not just us and the Americans. English is the "lingua franca" for many nations. Not only pronunciation varies, so does meaning & understanding.
There were various nations cruising on the Silver Spirit & it was interesting to watch the interaction, or lack of it, between different nationalities. We all, it seems, are most comfortable with our own "kind". So by the end of the cruise, although there were interchanges between nations, mostly the friendship groups which developed seemed to be national.
It is interesting too that behaviour has a cultural dimension. What is tolerated or even normal by some nationalities is considered highly rude by others. I realise that this can lead to sweeping generalisations. The Italians are terrible drivers, the Mediterranean countries let their women do all the work, the Spanish are loud, the French are arrogant & aloof, the Americans are brash & like poor wine don't travel.....Brits, I'm pleased to say, are "damned with the faint praise" of being too polite.
There is some truth in all of this. Misunderstanding can arise because something said or done / not said or not done can cause offence. You don't expect to make deep and meaningful relationships on holiday. By definition most conversations are superficial. The danger is that the opposite can easily happen & friendship can be irrevocably be ruined by such close proximity.
I'm not sure how well it is possible to really know someone. We all keep a part of ourselves back. You have to tolerate things you don't want to & you certainly can't tell the truth all the time without hurting people. Human beings are infinitely diverse. You just have to decide what is important to you & what you are prepared to put up with from others.
Now I'm officially an old lady I think I've mellowed. Or maybe I just don't think the confrontation is worth it. I tolerate things I would not have done a decade ago. Anyone who mistakenly thinks I'm a pussy cat & will roll over when it really matters is hugely mistaken though. There are "lines in the sand" both on holiday and at home.
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