I went to Turkey two years ago and I had many people wanting to have a conversation with me. Where are you from? was usually the first question. When I said, the United States, their next question was, "What do you think of Bush."

This became old after a few days. Afterall, I'm on holiday, I would like to meet the locals--especially since they speak English quite well, so I decided to say, "I'm from Miami." Well, not really, but I did fly out of the Miami airport.

"Where are you from? I was asked?" I said, Miami. The response was, "Wow, Miami Beach. I want to go there. What are the beaches like?

If I say I'm from Florida, they talk about Hurricanes. If I say I'm from Orlando, it's Micky Mouse, and Miami, they think of the beaches and the clubs.

Where am I from? It depends on what I want to talk about.

Unfortunately, if I say, "I'm from Austin," I'd probably still get, "What do you think of Bush?"

Say it in the UK, and people will reminisce to you about cars....

Wow...if I say Wisconsin will they want to talk about Cheese...

If I say I'm from Illinois, they assume I'm from Chicago. If I say I'm from St. Louis (I live in Illinois, near St. Louis...believe it or not, there is life in Illinois outside of Chicago!), they usually don't know where that even is. Its usually easier to just say Chicago.

Tracy

Tcreath..

I know what your saying is true...I lived in Waukegan for many years and no one had a clue.

I think you have a great suggestion, Wally. Thanks. (I wonder if they've heard of Iowa?)

So what do you thoink about Bush?

It used to be that when I said I'm from Minnesota, I either got asked if I live on a farm or if it is part of Canada. Now, I get asked if everyone I know works at the Mall of America.

VBL - Are you wearing your cheesehead hat when they ask you that question?

I was in Ireland at a pub and got to talking with a local businessman. He asked where I was from, and when I told him New Jersey, he said he had a cousin living in Conneticut and proceeded to give him name and asked if I might know him. It's a small world, but not that small.

Yeah, we're from Texas, so it probably won't help. Maybe I need to learn to say "I didn't vote for him" in Italian.

It's true ... you say Chicago and people respond with Al Capone, Michael Jordan, Oprah, pizza, and wind. Once, in Slovenia, I got "Da Bears". Personally, it seems that it's easier for many people to find common ground as a good icebreaker, which leads to other (better) conversations topics (like "what do you think of Bush"? - just kidding).

You're on to something. I say, "San Diego" or "California" and people will either tell me about their trip to So.Cal including Vegas or how they would love to make that trip.

When we say we're from Seattle...

US - "Rains all the time, right?"
UK - Nirvana (yes, still)
Europe - Bill Gates, Starbucks
Oz - "Where's that, Canada?"

cls2paris...

I'm not from Wisconsin..born Chicago moved to the burbs raised in Mich and Colo and now live in Florida...

So when people ask me where I'm from..I'm at a loss...do they mean originally or now or inbetween

also lived in various other states thru different marriages...

I don't think they do all that moving around in europe so I don't think they would understand.....

So from now on I think I will just pick a city from anywhere and see what they say....

Minnesota? Do you live in an igloo?!!!! When my daughter got married here in Minnesota in January everyone thought they'd have to ride to the ceremony and reception on a reindeer or a moose!!!

When I say I'm from New Hampshire, most Europeans don't have a clue where or what New Hampshire is, so I usually say 'between New York and Canada'.

I wonder what they would say about Dijon ;-)

I once told someone in France that I was originally from Ohio, and she said, "that's round at both ends and 'hi' in the middle". I nearly fell off my chair. I hadn't heard that since I was knee high to a grasshopper. I think it was the only think she knew about Ohio.