Cities people compare all the time as similar but you just don't see it (standard of living, safer)

[Natnasci]

Originally Posted by easthome

Post 7, claims there are no black Canadians (that is what is meant by Afrcan Americans No?), surely this can't be true!?

In the USA their exists the term African American, to refer to a black person who is a US citizen, either born or immigrated.
I'm not sure what they call newly arrived blacks who are not from Africa, but perhaps the same.

In Canada, we don't call blacks born in Canada, African Americans, nor African Canadian. At least it's a term I've never heard. We just use the term black. Someone may tag on an identifier, but it would be something like
Black Jamaican...maybe someone can comment?

If someone who is black, and called African American in the US, and immigrates to Canada, we still wouldn't refer to them as African American. They would just be black. Although truthfully, in conversation I very rarely hear people use race to identify someone, unless it was relevant to the conversation.

Also, Canada is a huge place, so someone in Montreal or Toronto or smaller communities may have a different take on this. My post is a west coast perspective.

The poster of post 7 may come back and explain, but my take is that they were saying the same thing I just did, in that there are no Black Americans, meaning the term, not actual people who are black who have immigrated here from the USA.

[MrJester]

Singapore and New York are often compared. OK, both big cities. Both have most people living in high density apartments, most people take the bus or subway. Both are financial centers. And that's where the similarities end.

Let's see some other cities in Asia that have mostly high density apartments, people mostly taking public transport, and that are also large financial centers:

1. Hong Kong
2. Shanghai
3. Tokyo
4. Seoul
5. Taipei
6. Mumbai
7. Osaka
10. Wuhan
11. Guangzhou
12. Shenzhen
13. Every city in China with 5 million + people
14. Every city in Japan with 5 million+ people
15. Bangkok

Yep, there's likely dozens of cities across Asia that would fit the bill in being high density, transit-oriented, financial centers, like NYC. What's the point in comparing Singapore with NYC when virtually every big city in Asia is also just like NYC?

[usuariodeldia]

Originally Posted by MrJester

Singapore and New York are often compared. OK, both big cities. Both have most people living in high density apartments, most people take the bus or subway. Both are financial centers. And that's where the similarities end.

Let's see some other cities in Asia that have mostly high density apartments, people mostly taking public transport, and that are also large financial centers:

1. Hong Kong
2. Shanghai
3. Tokyo
4. Seoul
5. Taipei
6. Mumbai
7. Osaka
10. Wuhan
11. Guangzhou
12. Shenzhen
13. Every city in China with 5 million + people
14. Every city in Japan with 5 million+ people
15. Bangkok

Yep, there's likely dozens of cities across Asia that would fit the bill in being high density, transit-oriented, financial centers, like NYC. What's the point in comparing Singapore with NYC when virtually every big city in Asia is also just like NYC?

Singapore is like I always imagined how NYC would be. I grew up watching all these movies and American reality shows making me to believe that NYC was like the best city earth. Until I went there and I was so disappointed in a city with a really outdated public transport, airport and roads. Even Central Park, I didn't understand all the hype about the place, same with the MET and looking at the Statue of liberty while taking the ferry to Staten Island and being stuck there without nothing to do until the ferry to go back arrived wasn't enjoyable.
Food was horrible too, and everything was overpriced. Times Sq was nice for the first 5 mins and then what? same with the High Line, you can tell these places are tourist traps. I went to the best pizza place according to google maps and it was horrible, all the food I had in NYC was really bad, especially at the airport (I literally threw away some food I bought at the airport before boarding my flight that I almost missed because MTA is so unreliable and I had to take an uber from Jamaica station) anyway, NYC for me has been the most overrated city. A few months ago, I had to go to Singapore for a layover, I wasn't expecting much and I was in awe! - I remember walking around Changi airport and everything looked beautiful, shinny and people were nice. Then I went to take the train to leave the city and looking at all these driverless trains I felt like being in the future. I Went to the city and I was so happy walking around and visited three different temples from 3 different religions that are located on the same street. Public transport was just amazing, very cheap and clean. Walked around the marina and it is such a stunning and amazing city. Went to chinatown and had some amazing and affordable food. I also had the best airport food there and very cheap too. I really did not want to leave, and I didn't see much. Even walking around the expensive streets where Apple store is located (can't remember the name, Orchard Rd?) was a better experience than going to the overrated 5th avenue. In summary, Singapore is like I wrongly pictured NYC, but I found them both very similar, most than any other city! (I haven't been to Tokyo and HK yet though).

[MrJester]

Originally Posted by usuariodeldia

Singapore is like I wrongly pictured NYC, but I found them both very similar, most than any other city! (I haven't been to Tokyo and HK yet though).

HK is a much more crowded, run-down, polluted, expensive version of Singapore. It has more skyscrapers than any other city in the world. It is MUCH more like NYC than Singapore is like NYC.

You probably come from a city with few, if any, skyscrapers. If so, then any city with a decent amount of skyscrapers is going to look like NYC to you. Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Bangkok, etc. are all going to look like NYC to you. That's why saying Singapore is the NYC or Manhattan of Asia is pointless, especially when Singapore is just so much newer, safer, and cleaner than NYC.

[usuariodeldia]

Originally Posted by MrJester

HK is a much more crowded, run-down, polluted, expensive version of Singapore. It has more skyscrapers than any other city in the world. It is MUCH more like NYC than Singapore is like NYC.

You probably come from a city with few, if any, skyscrapers. If so, then any city with a decent amount of skyscrapers is going to look like NYC to you. Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Bangkok, etc. are all going to look like NYC to you. That's why saying Singapore is the NYC or Manhattan of Asia is pointless, especially when Singapore is just so much newer, safer, and cleaner than NYC.

Not really. I live in Sydney and the downtown has a New York feeling too, but I felt Singapore was similar to NYC in some ways, the only other city gave me a NYC feeling (in a better way too) was London. I didn't feel the same way in other cities I have visited before (Toronto, Bangkok, Melbourne, Buenos Aires)

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Natnasci

In the USA their exists the term African American, to refer to a black person who is a US citizen, either born or immigrated.
I'm not sure what they call newly arrived blacks who are not from Africa, but perhaps the same.

In Canada, we don't call blacks born in Canada, African Americans, nor African Canadian. At least it's a term I've never heard. We just use the term black. Someone may tag on an identifier, but it would be something like
Black Jamaican...maybe someone can comment?

If someone who is black, and called African American in the US, and immigrates to Canada, we still wouldn't refer to them as African American. They would just be black. Although truthfully, in conversation I very rarely hear people use race to identify someone, unless it was relevant to the conversation.

Also, Canada is a huge place, so someone in Montreal or Toronto or smaller communities may have a different take on this. My post is a west coast perspective.

The poster of post 7 may come back and explain, but my take is that they were saying the same thing I just did, in that there are no Black Americans, meaning the term, not actual people who are black who have immigrated here from the USA.

I agree with this.


"African-American" while technically a term that could apply to all African-descended people in the Americas, has come to generally identify black people from the United States. More often than not to long-established people of African descent who are descended from the trans-Atlantic slave trade a few centuries ago.


People like Michael Jackson, Michelle Obama, LeBron James, etc.


It's a clearly identifiable human group.


More recent immigration of black people from various parts of the world to the United States who do not have the same family history as the people mentioned above has blurred things a bit, though.


Regarding Toronto, UrbanLuis is correct in that there are very few people in Toronto who would correspond to the African-American definition above.


Though yes Toronto has black people. They're about 7-8% of the population.

[backpaker]

People often compare Vienna and Budapest, And while it is true that both look alike because both were built by the Austro-Hungarian empire at the same time, I felt Vienna is very sterile, well it's a nice European city, but it is also very shiny, clean and tidy.

At a point you feel like you are in an amusement park rather than in the city.

Budapest on the other hand looks a lot like Vienna, but it's more ran down, rough around the edges.

You also have this eclectic mixture of Soviet architecture, Italian architecture, Germanic architecture, and increasingly modern architecture.

So you walk around the neighbourhood that looks like Vienna, and then you step into a part that just takes you back to the cold war, then you walk into this 19 century Italian looking building with a huge courtyard.

I didn't know why but I like Budapest better.

[survivingearth]

Originally Posted by deneb78

I have been told Sydney is a larger Vancouver without the mountains. I have been to both places and just don't see it.

Sydney has absolutely nothing similar to Vancouver.

[survivingearth]

Originally Posted by MrJester

HK is a much more crowded, run-down, polluted, expensive version of Singapore. It has more skyscrapers than any other city in the world. It is MUCH more like NYC than Singapore is like NYC.

You probably come from a city with few, if any, skyscrapers. If so, then any city with a decent amount of skyscrapers is going to look like NYC to you. Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Bangkok, etc. are all going to look like NYC to you. That's why saying Singapore is the NYC or Manhattan of Asia is pointless, especially when Singapore is just so much newer, safer, and cleaner than NYC.

The only similarity i got from NYC, HK was the sense of claustrophobia...The architecture of NY is way way more interesting than HK.

[deneb78]

Originally Posted by survivingearth

Sydney has absolutely nothing similar to Vancouver.

Exactly!