1. Most if not all of those I met not from the West, the = Chinese, Malaysians, Tibetans, and some Singaporeans, do not know where you are from if you say "America" or "The United States" or especially "The States". Whenever I said one of these places, in return I got a blank look and a comment about not knowing where that is, (but, "it sounds nice.") People in the East know the United States as "The US" or "USA".
2. I was inundated with positive comments about our World Cup team and how improved they were this go around. If I were to have counted, I imagine at least thirty people made affirmative comments about moving in the right direction here.
3. American exceptionalism is on its last breaths, if it isn't already history. To most of the people I met, those from the East and the West, America is an important country in the world, but is not more than that. Hardly ever did I receive the impression that the US is the sole remaining superpower, as we're often led to believe! In fact, this stings a little to write, but I found that not only did most not concern America "number one forever", other countries are more often mentioned in daily discourse. China, for better and for worse, is a frequent topic for discussion, as was Australia.
4. On the other hand, foreigners from the East and the West still love our movies, music, and television. Lost, 24, and Glee were oft-mentioned, I heard Lady Gaga on subways and in restaurants, and nineties pop music is ubiquitous throughout the region (less in China, more in Singapore).
5. Traveling far overseas made me feel unimportant as a science teacher back in the old 'states, while simultaneously making me proud of the boldness and quirks of America. The world is fine without us. The world has benefited from us. And the world is also made worse from us. I gained many perspectives on the world and my place in it (I sound like I'm writing a school essay) and it will take time for me to reconcile the thoughts running by me now.
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