>Reached for comment in Brussels, U.S. Ambassador to NATO Nicholas Burns said, >"Qing wen, ren min gong yuan zai na li?" "Would you please tell me where the People's Park is?". > This one I even passed along to a group of my friends. Thanks.... er... > I mean, Danke. > > Carrol Cox wrote: > > >State Department Warns Americans Not To Act Like Americans > >By R.O. Whatley (Washington, D.C.) > > > >In what is believed to be its strongest travel advisory ever, the U.S. > >State Department warned Americans abroad not to act like Americans. The > >advisory was issued simultaneously in Washington by State Department > >spokesman Richard Boucher and in The Hague by a man who, in halting > >Dutch, denied he was U.S. Ambassador Clifford Sobel. Unlike previous > >alerts, which have warned Americans to keep a low profile or avoid > >certain destinations, the new advisory notes that it is now unwise to > >come across as American at all. As a result, the State Department > >cautions U.S. citizens to avoid behavior that could cause them to be > >singled out as obviously American. > > > >This includes: > >- the wearing of white socks and tennis shoes. > >- complaining if asked to share a bathroom. > >- threatening to sue over bad service, television reception, > > or weather > > > >In addition, U.S. citizens attempting to speak a foreign language are > >urged to curb their Americanisms. > > > >For example: > >Correct : Est-ce que vous l'avez aux autres couleurs? > >Incorrect: Est-ce que vous, like, l'avez aux, like, autres > > couleurs? > > > >The advisory immediately created turmoil overseas, particularly for U.S. > >military personnel, who pretended to > >be French and were forced to surrender. > > > >In an apparent response to heightened fears of terrorist attacks by > >Islamic militants, the U.S. embassies in > >Islamabad, Jakarta, Manila, Kuwait City, Riyadh, Bangkok, Saana and > >Jordan were all proudly displaying the red, white and blue flag of > >France. > > > >The alert also caused confusion at home, as it seems to contradict the > >U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which has warned Americans not to > >act un-American. In a press briefing this afternoon, White House > >spokesman Ari Fleischer attempted to unravel the paradox. "What we are > >saying is, when you are in America, you need to behave like an American, > >particularly if you are not American...or are Colin Powell. But when > >you are outside America, you should not behave like an American, unless > >you are not American, in which case we urge you to act American. Here I > >refer specifically to the NATO representatives from Germany, France, and > >Belgium." > > > >The advisory," Fleischer added, "applies to all Americans, including > >President Bush. When the President is traveling abroad, he will only > >act American while aboard Air Force One or in the company of U.S. > >media. At all other times, he will attempt to come across as Kosovian > >or Grecian." > > > >Reached for comment in Brussels, U.S. Ambassador to NATO Nicholas Burns > >said, "Qing wen, ren min gong yuan zai na li?" > > > > > >