"most foreigners" are just normal people and are not making any fuss that stands out as particularly positive or negative, it's the few arses that stand out as negatives, and like the arses there is also some that are more actively being good ambassadors. 

but then again. because of the nosy people in this country, you might end up as a bad cultural ambassador because of what is in your shopping cart rather than your general behavior. 

And did anyone tell you that it's rude to listen to other people's conversations? If you understand Chinese, you'll also hear every detail about sexual trysts and the grossest details of bodily functions gone awry. Ambassadors get treated with an elevated level of respect, dignity and grace...dancing monkeys, on the other hand...

At least, I am not

I swear I posted a answer here about a hour ago . Did anybody see it ? did it get harmonized ?  well just in Case I am loosing what is left of my mind here we go.   We had the same problem in Australia with over sexed Americans during WW2 . the general opinion was  that the Yanks were the biggest D***s.  what could I have possibility said to be harmonized  

?

Ive worked with several guys who were the type that give us a bad reputation, but the reason people from other countries are still invited and generally liked is because the vast majority are good people who are all here for various reasons.

But the bad apples get more attention because everyone loves to see something controversial or have a place to point a finger. Makes better conversation.

I'm probably not the best representative of the USA. I nearly live in a lab, when I do go out it usually results in public drunkenness followed by semi-public urination. Also, I have a strong love for the F- word in all its various forms and translations: Especially using the F- word in Cantonese [I live and work around HK/Guangdong]. In-fact, sitting in a cafe now with my gf, I just called a nearby patron a MF-er in Cantonese for staring at me.

REPRESENTIN' 

I know I'm not.  anyway, I do well enough worrying about myself, I don't have the time, energy, or inclination to worry about how I am 'representing' the USA.  I do, act, say, think what I want/feel.  Good enough for me....

  I don't know about most foreigners but I honestly try my best to be. Boring answer but it's the truth. I just know that my bad behaviour can get smacked back in some other poor soul's face. For example I knew a Chinese bloke who told me he once got a phone call from a friend who said, "Come on, i'm going out to find a foreigner and beat him up." Seems the guy had had some kind of altercation with a foreigner and come out the worse for it. So yeh, I do try to set a good example. I'm not a bleedin' saint and I don't go around kissing arse, but I do try to be decent and understanding of the fact that people are quick to judge and even quicker to tar their fellow man with an unfavourable brush.

Let's not forget the mainstream of our culture are the people back home who don't care about China at all and may not even have heard of the cities we're in. How to represent that. I think what other people think of me is beyond my control, and here quite often beyond my imagination as well. People may think me weird while others may simultaneously  think me great for exhibiting that behavior/wearing those clothes/talking that talk. Good and evil is what we all are, dancing of destruction and creation at the same time and who is to judge which is which? Just be yourself, the Chinese do the same and in that  way we meet and learn to know who our friends are, and who our enemies.

I have decided to separate my garbage. A strong plastic bag for the contents of the ashtray, a box for paper, another plastic bag for organic waste and the last one for plastic and whatever else there is. I guess some of the people outside with the heavy gloves and the low incomes will be happy with that.

Depends on what you're trying to ambassadorize.

For example, I am a good ambassador for the nut houses in the states.

  I certainly can't say that many foreingers are bad.  I have seen a few bad apples but for the most part many of them seem very responsible and well mannered.     I will say this,  I think in many cases the foreingers are better ambassitors than the local Chinese.      However, there are many more good Chinese here than bad.      I think the question here shouldn't be are we good ambassitors of our home country but are we good ambassitors for Jesus Christ.   If I was honest with myself I would say I have not been such a good one.  Peace

Americans are not exactly noted for their good manners.

not when they dumped their chinese gf/bf

I had always tried but I stopped trying to be a good 'ambassador' a few weeks in China after a little scene at work. 

Our contracts all stipulated a trial period of X weeks in which we got paid less but could leave/be sacked with just one week notice on either side. When we got there, there was a guy who'd got there maybe a week or so before us, and just couldn't handle China. Nonetheless, he did the best he could and actually gave two weeks notice with a job lined up in SE Asia.

Oh lordy, the stuff they were all saying about him: bad country, selfish, rude, undutiful, bad culture... he hadn't done a damned thing wrong, followed the contract to the letter. They decided not to pay him out of sheer offence that he might want to live somewhere else and continued to feel aggrieved. It was unbelievable, and I learned a very valuable lesson about looking out for number one in China. 

I can't begin to imagine what people were saying about my partner and I after we left!

I agree with Miss A above. I deal with everyone here with courtesy and politeness, not because i feel i am an 'ambassador', but because i would do normally. I have encountered the back-stabbing and bad-mouthing that goes on amongst the local staff towards the foreign staff - one good local friend told me that because the head of my Department (last job, not current one) was actively undermining the foreign staff, particularly the fact they didn't teach in a 'Chinese style', all the other staff members followed suit.

How the hell should I know?

I try to be as well. I'm proud to be where I'm from and see myself as an advert for the country I come from.