May 17, 2108 - What's it Like When the Inevitable Happens? Allmar Hostel, Sines, Portugal

Traveling as an American in Europe seems to be different than traveling in Latin America. But I'm glad to begin my journey in such a quaint venue without a lot of tourism for a whole month. I am meeting some interesting people. They come in spurts, to where the last couple of nights we were up into the wee hours visiting.


A fellow American and myself may have experienced a bombardment from someone last night who I think may have been under the influence of alcohol because the night before she seemed fine. She is from Portugal and was very persistent that Europeans do not like Americans and how she needed to tell us what was wrong with us. It was however an example of how generalizing and stereo-typing (Americans, Europeans, liberals, conservatives, Christian, Muslim etc) seems to be at the core of division and arguments. This became painfully obvious last night during this group discussion. But it made me realize how I it do it as well. But thankfully because I wasn't drinking, I wasn't as overbearing about it; however affected nonetheless.


Thankfully the other American kept a very level head, but afterward stated she was shaken and surprised as well. We both decided it was definitely the alcohol talking. But what was very cool, a young Frenchman, who was just listening throughout the soiree and not saying much, came into the kitchen afterward, where we were cleaning up and wondering what just happened, and bellowed an invitation to the balcony where they drank wine and we proceeded to laugh and talk and listen to music (the instigator had retired for the evening so the air cleared and spirits were lifted).