Hi, there has got to be a better way.

[dbmcguinness]

Hi IV,
no I agree it was right for her to ask.  It wasn't anything to do with pop culture, it was purely situational and it was good that she wanted to learn.  Another experience I had was watching youtube videos of comedy shows from her home and not being amused while she was laughing uproariously; so that also made me wonder to what extent humor was just so cultural that it didn't translate (at least for US to China / Japan).  I am making jokes when chatting on the internet with colombian women and I am at least being greeted with jajajas, and am being humorously amused by them, so hopefully that will continue to be my experience.
So my experience went beyond that, and another friend (female) experienced it with her Asian friends, sometimes they would start laughing and nothing discernibly funny had occurred.  In discussing it with my friend we both kind of wondered if they were laughing when they thought it appropriate rather than that they actually found something humorous (which is polite and nice of them) but unfortunate for them that they were having to act and made us wonder if when things we found humorous and they laughed, if they were actually getting any enjoyment out of it.
As you say maybe with time I could have got on the same wavelength with them.  But it would have been a shame if that never happened as I enjoy amusing other people and being amused by them with humor.

[Jeff S]

Don't worry, some things she finds funny you won't, some things you find funny, she won't, but overall you'll have plenty to laugh about together. Personally I think British humor is pretty odd - which might explain why Benny Hill was a hit in the US, but the Brits didn't care for it much.


Part of the appeal in going overseas is the exotic - finding cultures very different from the one you grew up in. Some things you'll find irritating and some you'll find refreshing. For me, that falsetto voice used in Japanese cartoons grates on me like fingernails on a chalkboard. On the other hand the formal rules of politeness in the Japanese society are a refreshing change from the rudeness that seems to have overtaken much of the US. It's all part of the game.

[InnocentVixen]

I see, well do take in mind that humor can also vary depending on the area, for example I've mentioned before that I have so much fun when having a conversation with american men born and raised in the east coast even if they are not living there, that doesn't mean that I am attracted to all or exclusively to them but I do find it easier to connect if that makes sense.



So if it is possible once you choose a country maybe you could go to different areas and see where you fit in the most? or talk from ladies from all over just to get an idea, there are plenty of comments on the board about the big difference between city girls and costeñas from Colombia, I would guess their sense of humor is different as well.

[Bob_S]

I have thought about Asia, but have dated a few women born in Asia, that are now living in the US and there seemed to be a humor gap between our cultures.  (It wasn't just my lame humor either, we could be watching a comedy and I would be asked why such and such was funny - despite being fluent in English).  I thought I would ask since you made other observations on the different personalities of Asians and Latinas.  Have you ever noticed this?  Any comments on a humor gap between Colombians and Americans.
Thanks

Oh, yes, definitely.  Humor is real subjective.  Some things just don't translate well at all.  Slapstick is generally understood, but beyond that, it can get real specific with regards to language and shared culture.  And situational humor can vary.  What is regarded as cruel and humiliating in one can be seen as funny in another.