Musings are thoughts, the thoughtful kind. For the purpose of these articles, a-musings are thoughts that might amuse, entertain and even enlighten.
[dropcap]H[/dropcap]ere’s a list of 16 nationalities and 16 stereotypical descriptions that may, or may not be true. Match them if you can.
Brazilians, Frenchmen, Danes, Arabs, Canadians, Bangladeshis, Colombians, Dutch, Argentines, Chinese, Belgians, Australians, British, Bulgarians, Finns, Germans.
And when you have finished, check out our neighbours. How would you characterize Antiguans, Barbadians, Dominicans, Vincentians, Trinidadians, Grenadians, and Kittitians?
1. Intelligent; modest; insecure; anxious; impulsive; men wear beards and are womanizers; subservient and repressed women wear burka or headscarf; “play and pray” attitude; love ceremonies.
2. Disagreeable; megalomaniac; warm and friendly people; can be vain and arrogant; beautiful women; cultured society; lazy; disrupting protesters.
3. Party animals; nature lovers; surf all day, drink all night; neurotic; extroverted; shallow but honest; open-minded; free spirited; jokers; useless dads; uncultured; sports lovers; meat eaters; rednecks.
4. Poor; adaptive; politically inactive; intelligent; poorly educated; productive; inoffensive; corrupt; family-oriented; long hours, minimum pay; friendly to foreigners; younger generation well educated.
5. Good beer; poor hygiene; good at math; dishonest; bad lovers; penchant for garden sheds; distrust of authority; tax evaders; introverted; modest; patriotic; lots of neighbours; multi-lingual; all own diamonds.
6. Live off tomato, cucumber, goat cheese; colourful festivals; open-minded; sun-worshippers; love bear-dancing; nationalists; tolerant; feeble religion; disciplined; highly qualified; drama kings and queens.
7. Body-centric; party animals; impulsive; women, super-models; men, gay or machos; always late; addicted to carnival, soccer, coffee, meat; beach and sun; always outwit government and regulations.
8. Drinkers; lousy food; stiff upper-lips; ultra-traditional; bad teeth and hygiene; rude; scruffy hair; swear all day; artistic; “fashionable”; deep thinkers; intelligent and articulate; boastful; anti-American.
9. Submissive; neurotic; agreeable; modest; open-minded; progressive; efficient; straight-forward; polite; respectful; law-abiding; orderly; tolerant; multi-lingual; moderate; don’t like successful people; anti-American; passive; boring; socialist mindset; eat blubber; live in igloos further north.
10. Impulsive; aggressive; violent; kidnappers and narco-traffickers; merengue dancers; passionate; educated; hard-working; caring and listening people; nature lovers.
11. Noisy spitters; fast-learners; materialistic; great at math; can’t hold liquor; bad drivers; arrogant; “short privates”, bigger than Japanese; wear glasses; pirate everything; drink green tea; eat everything.
12. Open-minded; sombre; introverted; prudish; cold-resistant; decadent hedonists; urban; jovial; beer-drinking; vaguely unhygienic; profoundly disorganized; sociable and relaxed; easy-going.
13. Open-minded; well-travelled; efficient; harmless; stubborn and mean; devious in business affairs; formidable merchants; “Where one has passed, not even grass grows” a Japanese saying goes.
14. Vodka-lovers; modest; sombre; introverted; honest; trustworthy; quiet; serious; diligent and humble; melancholic; very tall and blond; love nature; frugal; calm; sturdy; sauna fans; attractive women.
15. Good lovers; best cuisine; chaotic; irresponsible; introverted; cultured; social “players”; don’t work, prefer to strike; always surrender; don’t speak English; rude to tourists; anti-American; don’t use soap.
16. Mechanical; organised; boring; no humour; conscientious; beer-bellied; hand shakers; eat sausage and sauerkraut; women are icy; legendary bureaucracy; never late; follow rules.
