This article contains 19 things this particular Australian found interesting about his time in the USA.
He apparently got to travel a lot because I thought it was a pretty wide swath.
(If anyone knows what happened to the old thread I suppose you could link it).
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Out of the blackness and stench of the engulfing swamp emerged a shimmering figure. Only the splattered armor and ichor-stained sword hinted at the unfathomable evil the knight had just laid waste.
There seems to be some exaggeration in there. But then again, I'm not sure.
Stone age banking, he says. Drive-thru ATMs, he says.
I was intrigued by the note about universities. Studying at a university in a different state. ... does it really have anything to do with going abroad or isn't it, like where I'm from, about going to a good university?
My worldview is baffled by his encounter with nice people.
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Yea, esp in the wireless department. Pacific Islands is where you want to be.
They're having a hard time keeping up with the data demands though from what I understand
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Out of the blackness and stench of the engulfing swamp emerged a shimmering figure. Only the splattered armor and ichor-stained sword hinted at the unfathomable evil the knight had just laid waste.
jokulmorder, that study lists the czech republic's internet as being faster? it is, but it's also hideously unreliable. i would take slower and actually working any day. not sure if this is the case for the other countries ...
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my mouth is full of winsome lies -
and eyes are full of death besides
but luckily the soul is wise -
it sees beyond my blindness and
forced failure makes a better guise,
so as i come again alive,
it feels like life's a decent plan
This poor guy's experience of "good" wings is Buffalo Wild Wings? Man, if he had actually tried some good wings he would have become undone
I feel like some of his observations are a bit off:
-I don't know how much time he spent on the Eastern Seaboard, but as a DC local, I don't think Americans in this part of the country are nearly as nice as they would be in Portland (which it seems is a place he spent a good deal of time).
-US beaches aren't as universally nice as he thinks, I imagine. Again, I'd think Portland/select spots on the West Coast are pretty awesome, but a lot of the East Coast is pretty meh, if you aren't in Maine or Florida. Based on my uninformed stereotypes of Australia, I would have thought their beaches would be pretty incredible.
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This poor guy's experience of "good" wings is Buffalo Wild Wings? Man, if he had actually tried some good wings he would have become undone
I feel like some of his observations are a bit off:
-I don't know how much time he spent on the Eastern Seaboard, but as a DC local, I don't think Americans in this part of the country are nearly as nice as they would be in Portland (which it seems is a place he spent a good deal of time).
-US beaches aren't as universally nice as he thinks, I imagine. Again, I'd think Portland/select spots on the West Coast are pretty awesome, but a lot of the East Coast is pretty meh, if you aren't in Maine or Florida. Based on my uninformed stereotypes of Australia, I would have thought their beaches would be pretty incredible.
He said something along the lines of, "Not all beaches are like the Jersey shore," acknowledging that the US does have some lousy coastlines as well.
I've spent 4 months in the US. Here are my observations (as a European)
- The food is terrible. Really. Hamburger patties are like paper - they have no taste. Milk is more like water with milk, nothing like at home. Bread is sweet. Actually, everything is sweet.
- Most of the people I've met are dimwits. I know this comes off as the US stereotype, but I've met really smart people as well, and people in between. They might be ignorant at times, but they are benign.
- The people are isolated from each other. Most of them don't even know their neighbors. I mean seriously... may God help you if you are in trouble, because that guy next door won't help you for sure.
- If you don't have a car, it's like you don't have legs. The distances you have to travel are outrageous. I know it's a huge country, but it's also a waste of space to put everything miles apart from each other.
- Life is comfortable (compared to where I live), you can buy almost anything from the comfort of your own home.
- Education and healthcare are expensive. Really expensive. I feel sorry for all the people who took out student loans, and it's actually cheaper to stay healthy.
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Originally posted by mondu_the_fat: One minute you're arguing about meatlof and the next thing you know someone's sex life is being dredged up.
My playgroup: four people total.
We use the Legacy B&R list.
My meta consists of combo, control and some aggro / midrange decks.
My group uses proxies, so budget is not an issue. Because of this, things can get out of hand.
I've visited the US eight times, and here's what I think (when compared to my own country, Norway):
There are advertisements everywhere. Everywhere!
Complete strangers in the street or in the bus might suddenly start talking with you. As this never happens over here, it's a little unsettling at first, but definitely not unwelcome.
The tax system pisses me off. I want to pay what the menu says I'll pay, and when it says that an item costs $2, I want to pay $2 and not $2.35 or whatever.
Roads there are amazing. Random roads in suburban neighborhoods can be wider than our highways. And those junctions, man.
Why do I need cash for everything? Good lord man, never heard of credit cards? I had to pay $10 for a two dollar bus ride once because it didn't accept cards and it didn't offer change.
Everything is big. Food, people, cars, roads, etc., it's all enormous.
Neon lights on seemingly every shop window. Those are automatically the ones I think of as the crappy stores and restaurants.
Hey, where the hell do I find healthy cereal?!?
Public transport in cities seems decent, but outside of those big cities, it's pretty awful (or non-existent).
Everything tastes of sugar.
Old women wear make-up. And lots of rings. They shouldn't.
Miles & gallons & fahrenheit, lol.
Stuff seems to be a bit crappier in general over there than here. More dirty, old and worn down.
Seattle was beautiful in Autumn.
Suburban areas look funny from above. It's all perfectly square and orderly, and goes on pretty much as far as the eye can see (which is saying a lot when you're at an altitude of around 5000 meters).
Damn, people are religious over there. I hear and read the word "God" all the time.
Airport security's strictness is overhyped. Luckily.
Things I've noticed:
The fat people there are FAT. Like the people you see and go "Woah, did you see that person?" (where I live), you see on every street corner.
People don't wear.... good(?) clothing. Like sports clothes just to go outside. Or running shoes. To walk.
People seem to think all the non english languages are the same. I was speaking with my sibling and some guy answered us something in spanish like "I can also speak some spanish". Now, I don't speak spanish, but my sibling did.
The people are scary. We were at a gas station, and the owner went on a break. One guy in a truck started acting like he was going to smack her. We were in our car and stayed there.
The food was ok. Everywhere has different food. American only have more food. I guess that goes with the first point though. Not super fond of their food however.
I also agree that most of them don't seem bright, but compared to Europeans, they seemed very mean. Then again, I'm only thinking of my time in New York for this.
And they drive incredibly frighteningly. In Europe you could say they do too, but not for the same reason. People in Europe seem very efficient. Very fast, and cutting it close. In the states I felt like people were aggressive towards each other. That's scary.
I also agree that most of them don't seem bright, but compared to Europeans, they seemed very mean. Then again, I'm only thinking of my time in New York for this.
They are dumb because you can't talk about serious things. The people I'm referring to lack basic knowledge of the world.
Also, where I was working... the things I had to clean out of toilets. How can you go number two in the urinal?
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Originally posted by mondu_the_fat: One minute you're arguing about meatlof and the next thing you know someone's sex life is being dredged up.
My playgroup: four people total.
We use the Legacy B&R list.
My meta consists of combo, control and some aggro / midrange decks.
My group uses proxies, so budget is not an issue. Because of this, things can get out of hand.
Americans lack "basic knowledge of the world" because no other country is as important to America as America is to pretty much every other country.
When I was in 6th grade, we were bombed. That's pretty much all the US does. It wages wars. Their excuse is that they have to be the world police because no one else does the job.
How would you feel if your country was bombed?
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Originally posted by mondu_the_fat: One minute you're arguing about meatlof and the next thing you know someone's sex life is being dredged up.
My playgroup: four people total.
We use the Legacy B&R list.
My meta consists of combo, control and some aggro / midrange decks.
My group uses proxies, so budget is not an issue. Because of this, things can get out of hand.
When I was in 6th grade, we were bombed. That's pretty much all the US does. It wages wars. Their excuse is that they have to be the world police because no one else does the job.
How would you feel if your country was bombed?
While I appreciate where you are coming from, the tensions about this are simply too high, so let's not go there.
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Sing lustily and with good courage.
Be aware of singing as if you were half dead,
or half asleep:
but lift your voice with strength.
Be no more afraid of your voice now,
nor more ashamed of its being heard,
than when you sang the songs of Satan.
I visited the US once with my family, about 12 years ago now:
1. Food is sweet, it's like they add sugar to most things
2. Fast food meals are like a size bigger compared to Australia
3. Also agree on tax system is annoying
4. So many stores. Was looking for Magic cards over there, couldn't decide which place to go, so bought nothing
5. Curse your different TV and/or console configurations (PAL to NTSC (sp?))
6. ZOMG! The traffic!
7. Thanks for generally liking the Australian accent
8. MOAR Disneyworld!
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The guy's experiences are rather funny. My favorite is how we worry about Australia's creepy crawlies when we have a ton of dangerous animals he would consider bad news.
As an American who has traveled rather significantly around Europe, I feel like I should respond to some of this stuff.
I don't know how much time he spent on the Eastern Seaboard, but as a DC local, I don't think Americans in this part of the country are nearly as nice as they would be in Portland (which it seems is a place he spent a good deal of time).
He spent a lot of time in Delaware, apparently. You are right about the 'DC Local' thing of not very friendly people, but once you get north of PG County in Maryland it starts getting a lot friendlier. And then goes right back down when you hit Newark, NJ.
The food is terrible. Really. Hamburger patties are like paper - they have no taste. Milk is more like water with milk, nothing like at home. Bread is sweet. Actually, everything is sweet.
Yes to everything being sweet. I'm not sure you actually had a good hamburger here, though. If you only visited fast food, you missed a lot.
The people are isolated from each other. Most of them don't even know their neighbors. I mean seriously... may God help you if you are in trouble, because that guy next door won't help you for sure.
This isn't any more true in the United States than it is anywhere else. Its especially true in most western cities. In small towns and the suburbs you'll get that neighborly vibe.
If you don't have a car, it's like you don't have legs. The distances you have to travel are outrageous. I know it's a huge country, but it's also a waste of space to put everything miles apart from each other.
Haha, where did you stay? Many cities have okay public transit, but outside the cities you do need a car. Outside of the more densely packed sections of the country, we do have small towns similar to what you'd find in europe, with main street within walking distance.
Not really, or at least not much more than most other western countries. Depending on where you are, you may see a lot of billboards, but that's the only major difference from most European countries.
Complete strangers in the street or in the bus might suddenly start talking with you. As this never happens over here, it's a little unsettling at first, but definitely not unwelcome.
The US is also the most charitable country in the world. We have good things! I find it funny, also, that one person's opinion says we're totally unconnected to our neighbors, while another comments on how friendly we are to strangers. Kind of implies we're a varied society, huh?
The tax system pisses me off. I want to pay what the menu says I'll pay, and when it says that an item costs $2, I want to pay $2 and not $2.35 or whatever.
I completely agree. The problem is that the attitude on taxes is very different here. I LOVE paying the ticket price in other countries, it makes keeping track of change so much easier. In the United States, they don't include tax because it largely makes items look cheaper.
Public transport in cities seems decent, but outside of those big cities, it's pretty awful (or non-existent).
Yes and no. The problem is that because cars are so successful here, all the public transit methods have been dying out because very few people use them.
Why is it stupid? It's a lot easier to switch to a standardized system when you are a small country and have neighbors on different systems that your roads link into.
Also, Celsius is really bad for weather forecasting (although it's tons better for science experiments). With Fahrenheit we get 68 degrees between the two extremes of temperature in most moderate regions, instead of 37. (32F-100F, as opposed to 0C-37C).
As for Miles... you can blame the British for that. They haven't changed it either.
Stuff seems to be a bit crappier in general over there than here. More dirty, old and worn down.
I think that's pretty ironic coming from a European. It really depends on where you go. Our rate of urban decay is a lot faster, and you have to remember that, as you commented on our road system, we had a jump start on a lot of things that are now slowly decaying.
People seem to think all the non english languages are the same. I was speaking with my sibling and some guy answered us something in spanish like "I can also speak some spanish". Now, I don't speak spanish, but my sibling did.
Well in the United States the number one foreign language is Spanish. Unless you live on the East Coast north of North Caroline, you probably don't hear any other foreign language very often.
The people are scary. We were at a gas station, and the owner went on a break. One guy in a truck started acting like he was going to smack her. We were in our car and stayed there.
I think people overreact to the idea of 'dangerous' Americans. Although I do agree Americans are worse at controlling their aggression on the whole, I don't think we're that much more violent. The average American bar is a hell of a lot safer during sports games than any other country in the world, for sure.
Although it's funny, I don't ordinarily consider myself intimidating, but when I was in London and France on my honeymoon, or even my previous time in Germany, Denmark, and the other places I've been, rarely did I encounter someone physically intimidating, as opposed to in the US when I do on a regular basis. It was then I realized I was the physically intimidating one. Most Europeans I've encountered are Ectomorphs (Irish excluded), while Americans tend to be Endomorphs or Mesomorphs.
I think it may be because the US European immigrant population (my ancestry) tended to be more working class, so we tend to be stockier. than the average European.
Most of the people I've met are dimwits. I know this comes off as the US stereotype, but I've met really smart people as well, and people in between. They might be ignorant at times, but they are benign.
I also agree that most of them don't seem bright, but compared to Europeans, they seemed very mean. Then again, I'm only thinking of my time in New York for this.
New York is a skewed example. More on that in a second.
You know, it's funny. I keep hearing the 'Americans are dumb', and I feel like other people don't look inside their own country. Being a well-educated intelligent American, I can't say I was particularly impressed by the 'brilliance' of any European country. Sure you can name more countries than the average American and are more up to date on world events, but they don't have anything more substantive to say than the average American. And that's the important part, I haven't found any country to have a wealth of people capable of critical thinking. Just knowing a little more doesn't make you smarter, that's a common (and arrogant) mistake.
Yes, we are relatively isolated from the rest of the world so foreign events don't matter to us much. But I don't think the average American is any 'dumber' than the average European. I'll give you less educated since our public school system is a joke, but people tend toward stereotypes of the 'Redneck' which on the whole just aren't true (Honey Boo Boo is the minority). You'd be surprised how intelligent even most blue collar Americans can be when given half a chance - don't let their vernacular fool you.
So I don't really know why this criteria matters, except to feel superior to Americans.
To be fair though, when we're dumb, we're exceptionally dumb. But that's pretty much just confined to Florida.
You have to remember we have multiple states bigger than most European countries. Everywhere you go in the United States you'll encounter different cultures.
And they drive incredibly frighteningly. In Europe you could say they do too, but not for the same reason. People in Europe seem very efficient. Very fast, and cutting it close. In the states I felt like people were aggressive towards each other. That's scary.
I can't possibly be more clear about this: New York City=/=America. New York is it's own culture, and yes, it is more aggressive. My family is originally from New York, and there is a world of difference just between New York City and New York State. what happens when you live in one of the most densely populated cities in the world, with severe traffic congestion.
Also, I'd like to take this opportunity to note that I find it amusing that posers from all around the world like to wear New York hats/shirts. I found it hard to keep from laughing at a French 'tough' with a Yankees cap.
Not really, or at least not much more than most other western countries. Depending on where you are, you may see a lot of billboards, but that's the only major difference from most European countries.
Possible, but certainly not in my experience. In real life or in the media (television in particular). At least compared to Norway (like, it's almost not comparable - we don't even have any commercials on the most popular channels), but also with most countries I've visited.
Quote from Jay13x »
Yes and no. The problem is that because cars are so successful here, all the public transit methods have been dying out because very few people use them.
Sure. But that means that the costs of owning and driving a car are too low, as public transport is much better for the environment & should be developed better.
Quote from Jay13x »
Why is it stupid? It's a lot easier to switch to a standardized system when you are a small country and have neighbors on different systems that your roads link into.
Also, Celsius is really bad for weather forecasting (although it's tons better for science experiments). With Fahrenheit we get 68 degrees between the two extremes of temperature in most moderate regions, instead of 37. (32F-100F, as opposed to 0C-37C).
Really bad for weather forecasting? I'm not sure if I follow you there. Half the numbers is still plenty to tell you the temperature, and if you need to be super specific, you can always just say that it's 24.3 degrees outside. On the other hand, using 0 for the point of freezing (normal water, not brine) is just really simple and obvious. When the temperature is on the minus side, the water is freezing and you might experience snow. When it's on the plus side, it's not freezing, and if there is snow, it's melting. Seems superior to me. Plus, you have the advantage of having another 0-100 system to go with all the others.
I mean, you have:
32-212 (Fahrenheit)
1*16 (ounces/pound)
1*12*3*1760 (inch/foot/yard/mile)
1*128 (ounces/gallon)
(edit: right? I'm not 100% on these, but it's something like that.)
While we have:
1-100 (Celsius)
1*1000 (gram/kilo)
1*100*1000 (centimeter/meter/kilometer)
1*1000 (millilitre/litre)
It's pretty easy to see which system is actually objectively better, right?
Quote from Jay13x »
I think that's pretty ironic coming from a European. It really depends on where you go. Our rate of urban decay is a lot faster, and you have to remember that, as you commented on our road system, we had a jump start on a lot of things that are now slowly decaying.
And you should remember that although Norway is physically located in the continent called Europe, saying "you Europeans" to a Norwegian is almost like saying "you North Americans" to a Mexican While technically true, it's not particularly useful. The differences between the countries here are pretty huge, and especially between Norway and most other countries here, since we aren't even a member of the Union that most other European nations are. The general wealth in Norway is much higher than that of the rest of Europe, and so we are used to rather high standards (and prices). I have the same observation when I go to France or Italy or Portugal or the UK, etc. It's not unique to the US.
Quote from Jay13x »
Yes, but then you come from one of the most atheist countries in the world, don't forget.
True, thank God (:weird:). My mother is a priestess though, so I've been exposed to it more than most Norwegians. One would think, at least.
Anyway, it's important to remember that these are impressions from visiting foreigners, not facts. I would not claim any of my impressions to be objectively true, other than the one about the measuring units
All I know is I went to South Korea for a month and now I can't stand it here.
Everyone is fat. I can't eat anything healthy because all the good tasting, inexpensive, easy to find food is terrible for you.
There are too many advertisements.
We have to stop at red lights, even if there's no one else around.
There's no sense of personal accountability here.
People are so ****ing impolite and self centered.
America is a joke to the rest of the world.
Everyone is obsessed with overpaying for a college education that's not worth anything.
I feel trapped here. The American Dream I followed has been a sham. I'm not happy. I've dug myself into such a hole that I'll never get out.
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"[Screw] you and the green you ramped in on." - My EDH battle cry. If I had one. Which I don't.
All I know is I went to South Korea for a month and now I can't stand it here.
I feel trapped here. The American Dream I followed has been a sham. I'm not happy. I've dug myself into such a hole that I'll never get out.
While I do think you've excessively demonized the situation, I also visited South Korea for the first time recently (I should note I'm second-generation Korean) and also loved it. I wish I could go back
That said, I do think its fair to say that one's opinion of another country, when visited in a brief and/or "vacation" context (what was the purpose of your visit?) isn't a good assessment of everyday life there. My family who live in Korea tell me that, while they love life there, it is extremely stressful and hugely work intensive.
I've done a fair bit of travel throughout Asia in general, and especially after my first overseas visits it was very easy to come home and demonize American culture. I'm not saying your criticisms are without merit, just that the initial romance of travel to a new place can make home look worse than it is.
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http://www.confiscatedtoothpaste.com/australian-living-in-the-usa/
This article contains 19 things this particular Australian found interesting about his time in the USA.
He apparently got to travel a lot because I thought it was a pretty wide swath.
(If anyone knows what happened to the old thread I suppose you could link it).
Stone age banking, he says. Drive-thru ATMs, he says.
I was intrigued by the note about universities. Studying at a university in a different state. ... does it really have anything to do with going abroad or isn't it, like where I'm from, about going to a good university?
My worldview is baffled by his encounter with nice people.
Awesome avatar provided by Krashbot @ [Epic Graphics].
Source: http://www.sfgate.com/technology/dotcommentary/article/U-S-Internet-speed-better-but-still-lags-4226130.php
They're having a hard time keeping up with the data demands though from what I understand
and eyes are full of death besides
but luckily the soul is wise -
it sees beyond my blindness and
forced failure makes a better guise,
so as i come again alive,
it feels like life's a decent plan
I feel like some of his observations are a bit off:
-I don't know how much time he spent on the Eastern Seaboard, but as a DC local, I don't think Americans in this part of the country are nearly as nice as they would be in Portland (which it seems is a place he spent a good deal of time).
-US beaches aren't as universally nice as he thinks, I imagine. Again, I'd think Portland/select spots on the West Coast are pretty awesome, but a lot of the East Coast is pretty meh, if you aren't in Maine or Florida. Based on my uninformed stereotypes of Australia, I would have thought their beaches would be pretty incredible.
UBW Sharuum
BR Olivia Voldaren
UR Jhoira
URG Riku
U Vendilion Clique
Definitely anecdotal and likely exaggerated. I found his story to be humorous, but not generally based in reality.
He said something along the lines of, "Not all beaches are like the Jersey shore," acknowledging that the US does have some lousy coastlines as well.
- The food is terrible. Really. Hamburger patties are like paper - they have no taste. Milk is more like water with milk, nothing like at home. Bread is sweet. Actually, everything is sweet.
- Most of the people I've met are dimwits. I know this comes off as the US stereotype, but I've met really smart people as well, and people in between. They might be ignorant at times, but they are benign.
- The people are isolated from each other. Most of them don't even know their neighbors. I mean seriously... may God help you if you are in trouble, because that guy next door won't help you for sure.
- If you don't have a car, it's like you don't have legs. The distances you have to travel are outrageous. I know it's a huge country, but it's also a waste of space to put everything miles apart from each other.
- Life is comfortable (compared to where I live), you can buy almost anything from the comfort of your own home.
- Education and healthcare are expensive. Really expensive. I feel sorry for all the people who took out student loans, and it's actually cheaper to stay healthy.
My playgroup: four people total.
We use the Legacy B&R list.
My meta consists of combo, control and some aggro / midrange decks.
My group uses proxies, so budget is not an issue. Because of this, things can get out of hand.
What should old women wear?
Things I've noticed:
The fat people there are FAT. Like the people you see and go "Woah, did you see that person?" (where I live), you see on every street corner.
People don't wear.... good(?) clothing. Like sports clothes just to go outside. Or running shoes. To walk.
People seem to think all the non english languages are the same. I was speaking with my sibling and some guy answered us something in spanish like "I can also speak some spanish". Now, I don't speak spanish, but my sibling did.
The people are scary. We were at a gas station, and the owner went on a break. One guy in a truck started acting like he was going to smack her. We were in our car and stayed there.
The food was ok. Everywhere has different food. American only have more food. I guess that goes with the first point though. Not super fond of their food however.
I also agree that most of them don't seem bright, but compared to Europeans, they seemed very mean. Then again, I'm only thinking of my time in New York for this.
And they drive incredibly frighteningly. In Europe you could say they do too, but not for the same reason. People in Europe seem very efficient. Very fast, and cutting it close. In the states I felt like people were aggressive towards each other. That's scary.
We're not mean, we're just busy!
Now get out of my way!
I don't really care, just not a lot of make-up
I think they're right, but that doesn't mean that things are different in other countries.
Also, where I was working... the things I had to clean out of toilets. How can you go number two in the urinal?
My playgroup: four people total.
We use the Legacy B&R list.
My meta consists of combo, control and some aggro / midrange decks.
My group uses proxies, so budget is not an issue. Because of this, things can get out of hand.
Though I'll put it in a small font.
Please stop hijacking my reply box.
When I was in 6th grade, we were bombed. That's pretty much all the US does. It wages wars. Their excuse is that they have to be the world police because no one else does the job.
How would you feel if your country was bombed?
My playgroup: four people total.
We use the Legacy B&R list.
My meta consists of combo, control and some aggro / midrange decks.
My group uses proxies, so budget is not an issue. Because of this, things can get out of hand.
Though I'll put it in a small font.
Please stop hijacking my reply box.
While I appreciate where you are coming from, the tensions about this are simply too high, so let's not go there.
Be aware of singing as if you were half dead,
or half asleep:
but lift your voice with strength.
Be no more afraid of your voice now,
nor more ashamed of its being heard,
than when you sang the songs of Satan.
1. Food is sweet, it's like they add sugar to most things
2. Fast food meals are like a size bigger compared to Australia
3. Also agree on tax system is annoying
4. So many stores. Was looking for Magic cards over there, couldn't decide which place to go, so bought nothing
5. Curse your different TV and/or console configurations (PAL to NTSC (sp?))
6. ZOMG! The traffic!
7. Thanks for generally liking the Australian accent
8. MOAR Disneyworld!
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As an American who has traveled rather significantly around Europe, I feel like I should respond to some of this stuff.
Haha, 'Good Wings' is very much a matter of opinion. The real problem is that no one outside the United States knows how make proper BBQ Sauce.
He spent a lot of time in Delaware, apparently. You are right about the 'DC Local' thing of not very friendly people, but once you get north of PG County in Maryland it starts getting a lot friendlier. And then goes right back down when you hit Newark, NJ.
Yes to everything being sweet. I'm not sure you actually had a good hamburger here, though. If you only visited fast food, you missed a lot.
This isn't any more true in the United States than it is anywhere else. Its especially true in most western cities. In small towns and the suburbs you'll get that neighborly vibe.
Haha, where did you stay? Many cities have okay public transit, but outside the cities you do need a car. Outside of the more densely packed sections of the country, we do have small towns similar to what you'd find in europe, with main street within walking distance.
Not really, or at least not much more than most other western countries. Depending on where you are, you may see a lot of billboards, but that's the only major difference from most European countries.
The US is also the most charitable country in the world. We have good things! I find it funny, also, that one person's opinion says we're totally unconnected to our neighbors, while another comments on how friendly we are to strangers. Kind of implies we're a varied society, huh?
I completely agree. The problem is that the attitude on taxes is very different here. I LOVE paying the ticket price in other countries, it makes keeping track of change so much easier. In the United States, they don't include tax because it largely makes items look cheaper.
The benefit of lots of space and one very forward thinking program after the great depression.
Yes and no. The problem is that because cars are so successful here, all the public transit methods have been dying out because very few people use them.
Why is it stupid? It's a lot easier to switch to a standardized system when you are a small country and have neighbors on different systems that your roads link into.
Also, Celsius is really bad for weather forecasting (although it's tons better for science experiments). With Fahrenheit we get 68 degrees between the two extremes of temperature in most moderate regions, instead of 37. (32F-100F, as opposed to 0C-37C).
As for Miles... you can blame the British for that. They haven't changed it either.
I think that's pretty ironic coming from a European. It really depends on where you go. Our rate of urban decay is a lot faster, and you have to remember that, as you commented on our road system, we had a jump start on a lot of things that are now slowly decaying.
Yes, but then you come from one of the most atheist countries in the world, don't forget.
To be fair, Brits and Australians are catching up fast.
Well in the United States the number one foreign language is Spanish. Unless you live on the East Coast north of North Caroline, you probably don't hear any other foreign language very often.
I think people overreact to the idea of 'dangerous' Americans. Although I do agree Americans are worse at controlling their aggression on the whole, I don't think we're that much more violent. The average American bar is a hell of a lot safer during sports games than any other country in the world, for sure.
Although it's funny, I don't ordinarily consider myself intimidating, but when I was in London and France on my honeymoon, or even my previous time in Germany, Denmark, and the other places I've been, rarely did I encounter someone physically intimidating, as opposed to in the US when I do on a regular basis. It was then I realized I was the physically intimidating one. Most Europeans I've encountered are Ectomorphs (Irish excluded), while Americans tend to be Endomorphs or Mesomorphs.
I think it may be because the US European immigrant population (my ancestry) tended to be more working class, so we tend to be stockier. than the average European.
New York is a skewed example. More on that in a second.
You know, it's funny. I keep hearing the 'Americans are dumb', and I feel like other people don't look inside their own country. Being a well-educated intelligent American, I can't say I was particularly impressed by the 'brilliance' of any European country. Sure you can name more countries than the average American and are more up to date on world events, but they don't have anything more substantive to say than the average American. And that's the important part, I haven't found any country to have a wealth of people capable of critical thinking. Just knowing a little more doesn't make you smarter, that's a common (and arrogant) mistake.
Yes, we are relatively isolated from the rest of the world so foreign events don't matter to us much. But I don't think the average American is any 'dumber' than the average European. I'll give you less educated since our public school system is a joke, but people tend toward stereotypes of the 'Redneck' which on the whole just aren't true (Honey Boo Boo is the minority). You'd be surprised how intelligent even most blue collar Americans can be when given half a chance - don't let their vernacular fool you.
So I don't really know why this criteria matters, except to feel superior to Americans.
To be fair though, when we're dumb, we're exceptionally dumb. But that's pretty much just confined to Florida.
You have to remember we have multiple states bigger than most European countries. Everywhere you go in the United States you'll encounter different cultures.
I can't possibly be more clear about this: New York City=/=America. New York is it's own culture, and yes, it is more aggressive. My family is originally from New York, and there is a world of difference just between New York City and New York State. what happens when you live in one of the most densely populated cities in the world, with severe traffic congestion.
Also, I'd like to take this opportunity to note that I find it amusing that posers from all around the world like to wear New York hats/shirts. I found it hard to keep from laughing at a French 'tough' with a Yankees cap.
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Possible, but certainly not in my experience. In real life or in the media (television in particular). At least compared to Norway (like, it's almost not comparable - we don't even have any commercials on the most popular channels), but also with most countries I've visited.
Sure. But that means that the costs of owning and driving a car are too low, as public transport is much better for the environment & should be developed better.
Really bad for weather forecasting? I'm not sure if I follow you there. Half the numbers is still plenty to tell you the temperature, and if you need to be super specific, you can always just say that it's 24.3 degrees outside. On the other hand, using 0 for the point of freezing (normal water, not brine) is just really simple and obvious. When the temperature is on the minus side, the water is freezing and you might experience snow. When it's on the plus side, it's not freezing, and if there is snow, it's melting. Seems superior to me. Plus, you have the advantage of having another 0-100 system to go with all the others.
I mean, you have:
32-212 (Fahrenheit)
1*16 (ounces/pound)
1*12*3*1760 (inch/foot/yard/mile)
1*128 (ounces/gallon)
(edit: right? I'm not 100% on these, but it's something like that.)
While we have:
1-100 (Celsius)
1*1000 (gram/kilo)
1*100*1000 (centimeter/meter/kilometer)
1*1000 (millilitre/litre)
It's pretty easy to see which system is actually objectively better, right?
And you should remember that although Norway is physically located in the continent called Europe, saying "you Europeans" to a Norwegian is almost like saying "you North Americans" to a Mexican While technically true, it's not particularly useful. The differences between the countries here are pretty huge, and especially between Norway and most other countries here, since we aren't even a member of the Union that most other European nations are. The general wealth in Norway is much higher than that of the rest of Europe, and so we are used to rather high standards (and prices). I have the same observation when I go to France or Italy or Portugal or the UK, etc. It's not unique to the US.
True, thank God (:weird:). My mother is a priestess though, so I've been exposed to it more than most Norwegians. One would think, at least.
Anyway, it's important to remember that these are impressions from visiting foreigners, not facts. I would not claim any of my impressions to be objectively true, other than the one about the measuring units
Everyone is fat. I can't eat anything healthy because all the good tasting, inexpensive, easy to find food is terrible for you.
There are too many advertisements.
We have to stop at red lights, even if there's no one else around.
There's no sense of personal accountability here.
People are so ****ing impolite and self centered.
America is a joke to the rest of the world.
Everyone is obsessed with overpaying for a college education that's not worth anything.
I feel trapped here. The American Dream I followed has been a sham. I'm not happy. I've dug myself into such a hole that I'll never get out.
Pristaxcontrombmodruu!
While I do think you've excessively demonized the situation, I also visited South Korea for the first time recently (I should note I'm second-generation Korean) and also loved it. I wish I could go back
That said, I do think its fair to say that one's opinion of another country, when visited in a brief and/or "vacation" context (what was the purpose of your visit?) isn't a good assessment of everyday life there. My family who live in Korea tell me that, while they love life there, it is extremely stressful and hugely work intensive.
I've done a fair bit of travel throughout Asia in general, and especially after my first overseas visits it was very easy to come home and demonize American culture. I'm not saying your criticisms are without merit, just that the initial romance of travel to a new place can make home look worse than it is.
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