Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Not quite accurate descriptions of the countries in Bold.
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Postman
In the case of Scandinavia and Japan, the high sense of privacy, reserved, rather cold culture sort of distances people. In Germany there's the stereotype the people are cold and robotic, which applies to England to to an extent. Plus in all these countries there's less need for reliance on family or community for finances and more on the government.
The least would be countries like India or China, where there's a lack of personal space, Latin America, the Middle East or Africa, where one relies a lot on family and the community.
Easiest - probably most developed country or tourist friendly places like Thailand, espcially with language you understand.
Hardest - North Korea you can't get seperated from your group, or maybe carribean and many african countries considering the crime rate there.
I live full-time in California and it is almost too good for being a loner. I'm able to strike a balance there--go out 2-4 times a month with the people that I want to go out with and still have a great time, and then just enjoy life and weekend road trips on exclusively my own terms.
It gets lonely every once in a while, but I'm also not a bubbly blond chick with three gaggles of girlfriends and the perfect Mr. Handsome and Right to go out with five nights a week. I like being on the border of introverted and extroverted.
To answer the question, the U.S. is pretty good if you're introverted, extroverted, or somewhere in between. I think Canada would fit this bill pretty well too. This only applies to Europe, in my opinion, in the mega-cities; in smaller cities (i.e.: Salzburg, Groningen, Seville), the urban forms and local cultures of the cities make you feel "left out" if you're not constantly out on the sidewalk.
I'm pretty decidedly introverted and obsessive about my privacy/personal space. But I didn't have too much of a problem in stereotypically 'extroverted' countries, like Italy, Turkey, and in Latin America. I didn't go to super touristy/crowded places in the latter two, and in Italy, I was just another tourist, so even though it was physically crowded, I felt decently anonymous.
In Kenya, I was there for work, and staying with a colleague and his family there, who were all Kenyan. They were incredibly hospitable, but quite social people, and quarters were cramped, so while they made me feel right at home, I felt like I had to be "on" all the time, and I was constantly worried about violating etiquette/customs without realizing it. But during the day, the colleague and I travelled in the vast rural areas to capture footage, so that helped me recharge.
In Mumbai and Tokyo, not only did I stand out (traveling as a tall white female alone) and I got a lot of stares (especially in India) and people coming up to talk to me, but it was physically densely populated in some parts to the point of bumping/smooshing into other people, who sometimes didn't hesitate to crowd you or even push others around. And in India, I was staying in a hostel with 10 beds/dorm, with a shared bathroom, so there was absolutely no privacy. In Tokyo, I stayed with a friend in his tiny studio, so it was a little better, but still no privacy.
I loved my time everywhere I went, and people were mostly really friendly and hospitable, but when I got back home from Mumbai, I had to take a solo vacation to Tahoe for a few days just to thoroughly recharge and introvert.
I couldn't imagine living there, just for that reason -- even though I loved visiting!
I imagine that it's easier to be a loner in most northern countries. Due to the bad weather conditions, many people stay indoors for most of the time.
No, we don't. And the weather is lame here.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
