When Cultures Collide (in the Porta-John)

As countries rise to economic affluence, more of their citizens are enabled to travel abroad, bringing two cultures into contact. Often, with a host of frustrations. 

Sixty years ago, it was the rise of American affluence and the birth of the "ugly American" - a loud, demanding, oblivious world traveler who rubbed almost everyone he (or she) came into contact with the wrong way.

Not long after that, the rise of the Soviet Union paralleling the US gave way to a wave of Russian globe trotters, who brought the same abrasiveness and lack of cultural awareness.

Over the last 30 years, travelers from the US and Russia have learned to listen, tone their own cultures down a bit, and study up on cultural cues before traveling. And we also handed the baton of "ugly traveler" off to the Chinese.

For the last 5 years or so, the growing Chinese middle class has been venturing past their borders, but often they are "first generation wealthy" who have rocketed up from village poverty to cosmopolitan riches. As they enjoy their new-found wealth, they often expect those around them to accommodate their preferences and "village mentalities," leading to a host of (often comical) misunderstandings.

Exhibit A, from Sydney, Australia (a favorite destination for Chinese travelers):

Apparently, the Aussies are not fans of the… collateral damage… caused by Chinese tourists trying to use toilets as squatties.