Quotes from a discussion about travelling in Turkey and Syria.
Other than the times you have to show your passport, you should tell people you are Swedish, Norwegian, or German just to be careful.
Quote from
AHeneen
It's funny. As an Israeli I never thought Danish citizens would have problems anywhere 😊
Qutoe from
yoavbo
In some countries, I tell people I am from whichever European country they seem most familiar with, unless they speak quite well in English. When I was in Kyrgyzstan France and Germany seemed to be those countries. Maybe Sweden, Norway and Germany are the well known ones in Syria.
Saying I am from Ireland, too often is responded to with ''so you are English then''. Too annoying to ignore and too complicated to discuss with a person who hardly speaks any English.
I've heard that Americans sometimes say they are Canadian, to avoid getting the rap for all negative politics the US was involved in.
Reply to this Oh I can hear the ire when they say you are English from here LOL.
Reply to this If people have enough information to realise why a person from Ireland might be English, then I have to wonder how they have escaped having the information to realise that I am probably not.
Also, there are weird incidents such as the guy who made machine gun shooting signs and said that this is what we do in Ireland. Nonsense!, but way too difficult to explain why to somebody who does not speak much English.
Anyway, back to the topic. Anyone else lie about their nationality?
Reply to this No, I have never lied about my citizenship, I feel there is nothing to hide. Infact I feel proud of being what I am. I fully agree that it is too annoying to ignore and too complicated to discuss with a person who hardly speaks any English. Communication channel can be estabished between two only when two people speak same language and understand each other.
Reply to this I am a bit of a radical about my nationality. Unless in a joke - I would never deny my nationality.
Reply to this Unless in a joke - I would never deny my nationality.
When you joke, which country do you say you are from?
I dont so much deny my nationality, as not bother to correct inaccurate guesses.
Reply to this It would depend upon the joke. I am a bit of a brat and love to pull on people's chain to get a reaction. What ever would get them the best. LOL
Reply to this NO I NEVER DID IT
I AM SYRIAN AND PROUD TO BE SYRIAN
Reply to this good morning Mell
i was to.
EYGPT, IRAN, SAUDIA ARABIA , TURKEY, GREECE, CYPRUS, KUWAIT, LEBANON, JORDAN.
Reply to this Good morning. 😊
What if you were in a country where people judge you or discriminate against you, because of what your government does or because of your citizenship, then would you lie about your citizenship to make things a bit easier for yourself?
Reply to this I have never lied about my nationality, but then again I don't come from a complicated country or a country with a bad repuatation. But it does make sense to me that travelers would do this, especially travelers from countries that have strong negative stereotypes. If it's going to get locals to respect and appreciate you more, then I don't see why not to do it! It's difficult for people to realize that not all people from a certain country fit with the stereotype
Reply to this I never lie about my citizenship. Anyways why people wants to hide their citizenship? Is that a big deal?
Reply to this I've never lied about my citizenship, but I sometimes have to explain that Canada is not the United States. This last trip I had people shouting "Obama" at me! I've also heard that some Americans say they're Canadian but I've never known one who did.
Reply to this Anyways why people wants to hide their citizenship? Is that a big deal?
It can be, if you come from a politically complicated country.
I've also heard that some Americans say they're Canadian but I've never known one who did.
Because it is harder to fool you, than it is to fool, those who are less familiar with N. American accents?
Reply to this I have a strange accent, cause I was raised on the reservation. And I slip into it quite a bit. LOL
Reply to this Im a proud Australian and in a couple of years I will be a proud Colombian aswell
Reply to this I'm a proud Filipina 😊 Filipina American actually. but whatever. I never lie about my citizenship...Sometimes I joke around tell people I'm from Kenya, Africa..they don't buy it tho lol.
Reply to this No, but I have been mistaken for many other nationalities. I did have a case when I was travelling in India with my sister and lots of people kept coming up to talk to our guide. When we asked him what they were saying he said they thought we looked very Indian and wanted to know where we were from.... so he told them we were Pakistani. Apparently he found this hilarious!
Reply to this I identify myself as American but I have dual citizenship with Japan. I always tell people I'm American.
However, I sometimes tell people I'm Japanese and whip out my Japanese passport and pretend to be a tourist just to see shocked reactions...this is usually done in small-town America/Canada...like Middle of Nowhere, Oklahoma or something.
Reply to this 
