Letting your country down abroad.

Lando Griffin

While on a recent holiday to San Fran, myself and the OH organised a day trip to Muir Woods and to Napper Valley wine tasting in a few vineyards.
The night before we met up with my American cousin who brought us on a drinking session across San Fran that and we ended up at a party until 6.30am.
Footless we made it back to the hotel just in time for the bus ( a 16 seater ) and being a thin line between bravery and stupidly we embarked on our day trip.
The bus driver took one look at us as we fell onto the bus, and asked us where we were from to which I replied “Ireland”. He asked us were we in good health for the trip and we said “drive on”.
We sat in the back seat, and observed a couple from Porto Rico mauling the face off each other the whole way to the woods, they couldn’t stop, and we aptly nicknamed him Romantico.
We got to the woods the hangover and sickness struck us.
A bus of Japanese tourists pulled up and followed us behind, the racket the made unbearable. A park ranger jumped out of nowhere and told us come here quick.
We talked about Ireland and he told us about relations he had there.
He brought us off the beaten track talking tree talk then stopped and showed us a colony of lady birds, thousands of them crawling on a tree stump.
My OH went “Jesus” turned around an spewed all over over the place.
The ranger went ballistic and we had to get out of there.
We then embarked for the wine tasting where I had a gut full because on the last stop the people presenting made me drink every glass they poured, and that is where my memory gives up.
All I can remember was waking up being linked by the bus driver and Romantico into the hotel, shouting “I want a snake box, bring me to a curry snack box” They dumped me into my bed where I woke up the following, feeling the rath of the OH.
Have you ever let your nation down, or lived up to your national stereotype?

AnonoBoy

I always try to let my country down gently when I'm abroad.

I tell it, "Look I'm in France now, it's not a better country, just different. It's not you Ireland, it's me - I just needed a change, ok?"

Ireland's always disappointed but she takes me back every time.

Hasmunch

Fupin English...

hobochris

Lando Griffin wrote: »

While on a recent holiday to San Fran, myself and the OH organised a day trip to Muir Woods and to Napper Valley wine tasting in a few vineyards.
The night before we met up with my American cousin who brought us on a drinking session across San Fran that and we ended up at a party until 6.30am.
Footless we made it back to the hotel just in time for the bus ( a 16 seater ) and being a thin line between bravery and stupidly we embarked on our day trip.
The bus driver took one look at us as we fell onto the bus, and asked us where we were from to which I replied “Ireland”. He asked us were we in good health for the trip and we said “drive on”.
We sat in the back seat, and observed a couple from Porto Rico mauling the face off each other the whole way to the woods, they couldn’t stop, and we aptly nicknamed him Romantico.
We got to the woods the hangover and sickness struck us.
A bus of Japanese tourists pulled up and followed us behind, the racket the made unbearable. A park ranger jumped out of nowhere and told us come here quick.
We talked about Ireland and he told us about relations he had there.
He brought us off the beaten track talking tree talk then stopped and showed us a colony of lady birds, thousands of them crawling on a tree stump.
My OH went “Jesus” turned around an spewed all over over the place.
The ranger went ballistic and we had to get out of there.
We then embarked for the wine tasting where I had a gut full because on the last stop the people presenting made me drink every glass they poured, and that is where my memory gives up.
All I can remember was waking up being linked by the bus driver and Romantico into the hotel, shouting “I want a snake box, bring me to a curry snack box” They dumped me into my bed where I woke up the following, feeling the rath of the OH.
Have you ever let your nation down, or lived up to your national stereotype?

Sounds like you got the level of diplomacy required for these type of situations spot on.

When worried about tainting the national reputation abroad, just tell the locals you're english when asked, works a charm

Cookie_Monster

I feel I've let down the country if I don't make a drunken mess of myself at some point on holiday

karlog

I let myself down when i drink nevermind my country.

Sykk

Back from Tenerife there last week. I remember me and 5 of my mates sprinting through main street, Las Americas 6 AM, after some little scrawny Spanish fella.

He tried to swipe my mates wallet. But all the drunk people sitting on the side of the road eating their chips didn't know that.

kfallon

Lando, I salute you good sir!

Brendog

Yeah I always just try and let my country down gentle and assure it we can still be friends...when in reality I just want to be in other countries

Conor Bourke

In London last September I did a spectacular job of living up to the national stereotype..

I was there from Friday to Tuesday, and on the Monday night I had arranged to meet a friend for dinner, except we forgot about dinner, and the only thing we had for soakage was a pack of crisps between three of us. My friend is half Irish, half Polish, born and bred in London, her boyfriend is Irish but living over there for about 10 years now. We were being reasonably respectable until her boyfriends dad and brother joined us, then for some reason the shots started, followed by champagne and a few more pints to help things along. We suddenly became "those annoying loud drunk people" that everyone else hates, but we were having a great laugh so we didn't care. We discovered that the bar man was not only Irish but from Sligo (where I and my friend's dad are from), we were roaring and shouting at our new best friend, I can vaguely remember a look in his eyes which appeared to be a mixture of fear and distaste.

At about 11pm I realised I needed to go get the last tube back to the house of the friend I was staying with. I had planned out the route I needed to take before I went to the pub, but in the state I was in I couldn't remember much of it. I managed to get on one tube and complete a changeover to another line (impressive!) I proceeded to doze for a few minutes at a time, snoring and drooling, then all of a sudden I'd wake and let a shout "HEY! WHO STOLE MY SHOES?!" (I had bought a pair of quite expensive Converse runners earlier in the day, and had them in their bag at my feet but I was convinced they were going to be stolen). I rememeber quite a few people getting up from beside me to move slightly away as I was probably scaring them

Eventually I got off at my 2nd last stop, where all I had to do was cross the platform to get on an overground train but for some reason I decided I wanted to get a taxi. I stopped a passer-by and asked/slurred "how much would a taxi to Romford cost?" He reckoned about £30, I had £40 in my purse, so it was game on! Hopped in a cab, off to Romford with us, me in the back trying not to puke. My friend kept ringing me asking where I was, the sensible answer in my head was "I don't know", neglecting to mention that I was en route in a cab, just not sure where we were in relation to her house. As we neared Romford the driver asked where my friend's house was. Again the answer was "I don't know", he advised that I'd need to be somewhat more specific, so I said that it was near a roundabout. Apparently there are 7 roundabouts in Romford, so far, so vague. Luckily I spotted a sign for the hospital where my friend works and announced this at the top of my voice. The driver asked if my friend was a nurse "YESH!", did she live in the nurses accomodation "YESH!" feeling ever so proud of myself for remembering all this vital information. Got dropped outside the door, my friend came down to bring me up into the apartment as I was unable to negotiate the lift. She went to make me tea and toast but I fell asleep across the kitchen table (apparently I loudly protested that it was the only way I could get comfortable).

Woke up in the morning feeling extremely dodge but managed to make it to my flight and got home without too much hassle, but man alive was I mortified at the memory of my antics. Irish abroad, eh?

uncle-mofo

I've come to the conclusion that Irish people are normal, and the rest of the world are big dry arses.

maninasia

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJVGuxj7AWQ

HalloweenJack

In Madrid, I remember seeing a bunch of Irish rugger buggers taking their shirts off and having drinking competitions after Ireland beat England in the rugby earlier this year. It was really embarassing, but that's what I get for wandering into an Irish pub abroad.

Again in Madrid, I overheard an Irish guy chatting up a Spanish girl. She only had a few English phrases and this guy refused to believe the reality that all Spanish don't speak fluent English. He was actually getting really angry about it so her and her friend just walked off.

RMD

A friend of mine climbed into the Trevi fountain in Rome and walked across to the big central piece. Did some drunken stuff for a while and then K0'ed on the fountain main piece if I remember right. Eventually the police showed up and realised there was no waking him up so they had to get in the fountain, climb up to him and pull him out.

All this time he was half-naked with an Irish flag tied draped over his back.

Dravokivich

I haven't really ended up in weird... places...

But.. you know the way people do Zippo Tricks? well... managed to get invited to a VIP shindig for a convention in Chicago once and was doing all manners of tricks opening bottles of beers off Tables... Cheers... presses... lighters... then later on some bollox came over an told me they all had "Twisty Caps" on'em...

In another hotel I was noticed on several occassions to be walking around with the Jug for the coffee machine in my room and drinking whiskey out of it...

I think that was a fun holiday :S

SEANYBOY1

Was on a weekend to Liverpool a few years ago. There was 3 couples, so you'd think that would put manners on the trip. Anywho once we got to the hotel it was too early to check in, it was about 11:30am. So the girls said 'sure we will go shopping' and the lads said fine we will just go walk about.
Well after 5 minutes we ended up in some kip of a boozer. We proceded to down a bottle of 'Mickey Finn's between us coupled with copious ammounts of Wife Beater (Stella Artois). Well after a few hours we got vertical and walked out into the fresh air. We were stinking. Then I remember walking up on the hotel bed.
Its the bit in between that I could'nt remember. Apparently, APPARENTLY, (cough, cough) I ran a mock in the hotel, abusing staff at the reception had a massive fight with my better half in the room and up and down the corridor, was even told that there was an iron involved, probably ripped from the wall. Was shown pictures of us on the way home from the pub swinging out of coppers for a picture. My only saving grace was the look of complete bewilderment as I came through, so if I could'nt remember it it never happened, right?

listermint

My buddy did the same thing last year. Night out followed by wine tasting - on an empty stomach. ...... Needless to say not the best idea :D

Itsdacraic

Some right "mad" yokes on here all together

Pauleta

Ireland football fans seem to be one big roaming stereotype. Bunch of muppets imo.

upmeath

On J1 in San Diego a few years ago, we headed out on a Wednesday night around 11pm, hoping to make Tijuana by midnight. Brought drinks on the train with us. The train service was discontinued from the city centre south to the border, so we'd to get a transfer on city bus, ended up adding an hour on our journey time. By the time the train stopped in the city one of the girls had been a little anxious to get to a toilet but the last bus was due to go any minute, and represented our only hope of getting down to the Mexican border at all that night. After half an hour on the bus, said girl had reached bursting point and made a move towards the "rear" door on the bus (more or less the very middle of the bus). The crowd on the bus was about 60% sensible American commuters, 40% rowdy Irish. 40 minutes into the journey she could take no more and ended up going on the step at the door. Either through drunkenness at the time or absolute shame in the aftermath, she's wiped it from her memory. A sad night for Ireland nonetheless.