Question: What about… Foreign Friendships?

by The Mighty F

I’m way out of my comfort zone today. Being on an Australian blog, surrounded by all these non-F topics, I’m a bit nervous.

I’ve also heard some things about Australia that make me a bit uneasy (bloodthirsty wallabies, your toilets flushing the wrong direction, Savage Garden), but I’m stepping out in the name of something noble: foreign friendship.
With the Olympics upon us, what better time to reach out across borders and touch your fellow man? That came out wrong, sorry, no one touch anyone please.
See, I’m an American. And Americans like American things: freedom, monster trucks, karate, tacos, etc… I suppose this is normal.  We all tend to seek out people who look, speak and act like us. But the older I get the more I realize, man, there are loads of awesome folksout there doing awesome things.
But how do we go about befriending such a diverse planet?

Americans love lists and formulaic answers to complex life issues, so let me give you two key F’sto cultivating foreign friendships:
1. Find Common Ground. There are around 200 countries in the world, so I’ve developed an opening line to break the ice with anyone from any country. My intro for Aussies is a hearty, “Hey there mate, G’day!”  followed by a bit of pretend kangaroo boxing. You see what I did there? I used your expression for friend, even though in America, ‘mate’ is the term we use for when animals get it on. Friends find common ground!
2. Fly Somewhere. The best way to really find out about a place and make foreign friends is to travel. There are many countries out there with a bad rap, but I guarantee you there is something redemptive about every country in the world. Somalia – warm weather. North Korea – remarkable choreography.  Canada – lots of land!
So your exhortation for the day is to be like B for Bel, which is to say delightful, welcoming, and willing to reach out and make friends with all sorts of different people around the world.  Your life and the world will be better for it!

About the author:
The author blogs at themightyf.wordpress.com, the world’s premier source for all news and things (that start with F).  

{Top image via Cute Overload, Breakfast Print via Society 6}