Attitudes about Americans

Every response about me being American has been positive that I can remember. All the guys my age that I meet ask where I am from as one of the first question. 99% of the time, the conversation goes like this:

Durbanite: So where are you from? (keep in mind they have not heard my "accent" at this point)

Me: America

Durbanite: [unbelievingly] America?!? Really?

Me: [laughing] yeah

Durbanite: Where in America?

Me: Ohio, it's sorta in the middle

Durbanite: Thats so cool (having never heard of Ohio before), I wish I could go to America...my (insert some type of relative here) is from America

I have talked politics with some of the people here, and the general consensus is that Bush was a jerk, Obama is a god-send, and Zuma is a crazy, tyrannical man with way too many children and the wrong priorities. One of the funnier exchanges I had was when Kelly mentioned online banking.

Kelly: I am so angry they switched to online banking!

Me: What's wrong with online banking?

Kelly:....Don't you mean "What's wrong with online banking in South Africa"?

Me:....oh...you have a point.

I find the most interesting conversations I have with people is about the differences between countries. Last week I had to pay to use the toilet, and today I found out that waiters are not only not paid other than tips, but if an order is messed up, they must pay for the new food with their own money. My South African friends find it quite funny to hear me say lekker (good), bakkie (pick-up truck), jolling (partying), now-now (very soon), and as well (I now say it AS-well instead of the American as-WELL). Also amusing to them is my apparent rolling of my R's and "funny" pronunciation of my vowls. I once asked a man where the bathroom was, and when met with a puzzled face, I rephrased and asked for the bahhhhthroom (SA pronunciation), to which he smiled and said something about my funny accent.