Some thoughts

[Kritter]

One of the things I did find quite amusing was the fact that my norwegian ways apparently differs a lot from many US and Canadians. The swimming for one thing. I was amazed how many people who just stood in the water, thigh high. We don't do that in Norway, we get in the water and out to the deep end. And then we hang around there. And if we decide to just stand in the water, we stand neck high in it. I don't mean there's anything wrong with keeping your bikinis dry, it's just an cultural observation.

Some of your points are valid observations .... but, I'd say you're on a slippery slope making very 'broad, sweeping generalizations' about North Americans. I've seen a lot of people in the water ..... go neck-high, and go all the way under ...... and I'm having a hard time believing that they're all Norwegians. Good god .... as a North American, I've never 'just' stood in the water thigh-high, where I didn't get into the water ALL the way at some point. And every travelling partner I've ever brought with me to Jamaica from North America and South America has also gone in the water ALL the way. Matter of fact, of all the North Americans I know, less than a handful get just their legs wet (perhaps they never learned to swim?) ...... but most everyone I know tends to swim, dive, we get wet and go for it!!!! A lot of times it's not just neck-high - it's jumping off the cliff, or diving into the deep water from a boat. This is not a cultural difference unless you want to make it one (which borders another slippery slope of racism, unless you asked each of these North Americans why they were knee-high and ascertained that they indeed had the ability to swim). And peeing in the bushes ... this is not a cultural difference either .... It's going to come out one way or the other ..... if you waited too long, or were too indifferent to find a bathroom (they're all over in Negril) .... that's not Norwegian ... that's being human .... even North Americans will 'go' when the body says 'go'.

[tfw73]

Some of your points are valid observations .... but, I'd say you're on a slippery slope making very 'broad, sweeping generalizations' about North Americans. I've seen a lot of people in the water ..... go neck-high, and go all the way under ...... and I'm having a hard time believing that they're all Norwegians. Good god .... as a North American, I've never 'just' stood in the water thigh-high, where I didn't get into the water ALL the way at some point. And every travelling partner I've ever brought with me to Jamaica from North America and South America has also gone in the water ALL the way. Matter of fact, of all the North Americans I know, less than a handful get just their legs wet (perhaps they never learned to swim?) ...... but most everyone I know tends to swim, dive, we get wet and go for it!!!! A lot of times it's not just neck-high - it's jumping off the cliff, or diving into the deep water from a boat. This is not a cultural difference unless you want to make it one (which borders another slippery slope of racism, unless you asked each of these North Americans why they were knee-high and ascertained that they indeed had the ability to swim). And peeing in the bushes ... this is not a cultural difference either .... It's going to come out one way or the other ..... if you waited too long, or were too indifferent to find a bathroom (they're all over in Negril) .... that's not Norwegian ... that's being human .... even North Americans will 'go' when the body says 'go'.

Thank you for saying this! I swim, dive, and have been known to use the facility when it's been an emergency!