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Hey- you guys should just chill out and go to Denmark. It is a great country. While you are there, take a field trip to the Netherlands. For scenery, go to Austria. Too bad politics has to get in the way of just enjoying something for what it is.
My grandmother is from Denmark and it is a beautiful country but I wouldn't live there.
America is grittier and more dangerous, but also more dynamic, with far greater opportunities. Denmark is a great place to visit, but not good place for an independent soul to flourish. Thanks for leaving it behind Grandma.
Thanks, Grandma!
Denmark is like the rest of western Europe: crowded and tired.
The OP just stated she enjoyed visiting another country, the plus points, and that she discovered the media was biased here and we have problems here that others may have solved better elsewhere - yet look at the aggression and hostility she got back!
Republocrat said:
"Everytime I travel to a different country, I just get this feeling that the US is a very overrated country, it also makes me realize how many lies Americans are told on a daily basis, this whole, "We are the greatest, no one compares to us" is truly a bunch of BS. Beautiful country, very safe, no guns, no homeless people, a very happy bunch of people overall"
The media does not now nor has it ever, in a general sense, put forth these suppositions. The OP is grossly exaggerating at best, lying at worst.
Quote:
This, I guess, is one of the worse things with this country. This immense narrow and petty mindedness. Because people don't travel much and don't keep well informed about much, they are not always of this. How is a people free when their own narrow mindedness keep them bound to false concepts?
I have travelled quite a bit throughout this country and have never, in all the places to which I have travelled, met a European "on holiday".
As far as extensive travelling for the general population goes: We simply do not get two months off/year for vacation the way that many other industrialized nations do.
I have done quite a bit of traveling myself and have found there are bores of every nationality Americans are no worse and are in fact better than most.
BINGO!
My wife and I were in Costa Rica for our honeymoon and who do you think the Ticos hate the most?
The Spaniards.
We went on an organized group hike around the bottom of a volcano and you could barely see the steam emanating from the crater due to the Spanish cigarette smoking. And this was a strenuous hike! They were loud, dressed badly, and they were boorish. They also treated Ticos like they were scum.
The American reputation for being rude tourists seems mostly undeserved to me, but the cliche probably springs from an unfortunate set of circumstances that actually do exist in real life, to wit:
Many first-time US tourists make a point of visiting Paris.
Parisians are the closest French equivalent to New Yorkers.
Less-than-seasoned travellers in groups, looking at a city as if it was a giant outdoor museum (which Paris is, in a lot of ways) do not mix well with busy people with things to do, places to be and very little patience for anyone getting in their way.
Look, it all really depends on what one's priorities are. I've lived in a few places outside of the US, and the US works best for me because of these reasons:
1. There is a freedom of being who you want to be. Sure some people keep up with the Joneses but not doing it won't make you an outcast. In fact, you'll be envied and celebrated in a way because you're so unique.
2. Taxes are definitely lower so that you have more control over what you do with your money.
3. It's big wide country, ours is, and that makes one feel like one can just up and go anywhere and not feel boxed in. Even if you never do it.
4. A diversity of people and you can communicate in English and not have to learn a foreign language every 50 miles.
Other countries, depending on if it's a 3rd world or 1st world, will lack some of what America lacks, but may also make up for what the US lacks. What I love about Europe:
1. Easy to meet new people despite the language barrier.
2. Easy to get around without a car, and more fun that way anyway, hopping to the next country in no time.
3. One can talk intellectually about all kinds of things. Not a huge educational difference between the working class and white collar class.
4. Feels safer. The worst neighborhoods in Europe are not as bad as the worst neighborhoods in the US.
5. Mandatory recycling. Nobody thinks twice.
P.S. Denmark IS great. I've been there twice. Couldn't help it. It is a perfect little kingdom by the sea. (Yes, it's a monarchy.) It is much better than the Netherlands, in my opinion.
Hmm yeah, I must never have gone anywhere and my 'baseless stereotypes' are probably imaginary ideas considering I spend over 650,000 flight miles a year on travels.
Trust me, americans need to shape up on their behavior when they travel. They should especially try to avoid being so loud, aggressive, and condescending when they are abroad. They may be the only tourists who tip well since tip is generally included in the bill, but I think people would appreciate less aggression and derision then tip. It is true however, that americans do indeed try to order in the local language which is very impressive. And many americans today, seem to be learning a second language. Its a big change in the past 20 years. Being number 9 on the list of 10 nations shows it could be better. Instead of relying on expedia, why don't you do some traveling yourself and speak to the locals? Maybe you'll find there is less stereotypes than truth to these points.
I've seen so many incidents but right now I recall one in a piazza (square) in Florence (Italy) where this woman plonked down in the table next to me. American. She talked to the waiter like he was a stupid idiot. It was uncalled for; he didn't say or do anything to offend her and he came to take her order right away. Maybe she was not aware how she came across but he got a bit annoyed with her condescending attitude so when she asked him "where exactly am I?" he said "You're in Florence, madam"...
I burst out laughing and he laughed too. She was not amused being the butt of someone's joke, but I ended up talking to her over a coffee.
This is the main problems with americans: they don't mind condescending others and freely do, but voe if anything remotely similar is done to them! Then they get hostile and spiteful.
I'm not going into full details of the ultra-naive couple from Kentucky who I bumped into in Venice during the carnival. They didn't fully know what the carnival was and had ended there unplanned. These were experienced travelers who returned twice a year to Europe, following the Tour de France. In the course of the conversation they asked me; have you heard of something called n-i-n-e e-l-e-v-e-n? Have you heard of something called h-u-m-i-d-i-t-y?
I told her I had never heard of either, because my relatives are from Kentucky so I am completely ignorant. Because I've spent such huge portions of my life here, I felt embarrassed for their behavior and for them.
Most Europeans actually hold very high degrees. They will be well aware of most topics. Its much harder to 'work your way up' in Europe and you really need a degree for nearly every kind of job.
Funny that.
I was in Thailand on business recently.
The company I do some work for, have opened a facility in suburban Bangkok and I had to go there to set up the financial/reporting systems.
It was my first visit to that country and, as always, I did my research about the customs of the people of that nation.
(I do this for all countries that I have to visit, because I want to behave in a way which conforms to their customs/practices).
A very important issue is not to raise your voice with the people, with whom you are speaking, in Thailand.
Sure enough, when I checked in to my hotel - there was a loud mouth American literally screaming at a hotel employee.
The guests and hotel employees were appalled.
Naturally, I told the yank to shut the **** up screaming.
When he heard me telling him what to do, he quietened down somewhat.
I carried on with my business but as I was leaving the lobby, I could hear the decibels rising form our overweight American friend.
I asked the lobby attendant to take my bags up to my room and walked back over to this scumbag.
Grabbing him by the shoulder, I escorted our friend outside.
He nearly **** himself.
I explained to this cretin, that screaming at people, anywhere, was not the way to get things done.
I further explained to him that if I heard him screaming at anyone, anywhere, again, that I would kick several colours of **** out of him.
As I said this to him, I made sure to apply the pressure to the scruff of his neck to re-enforce the point.
I then dragged him back in to the hotel and explained to the hotel employee that this man had something to say to him.
Our corpulent American friend humbly apologised for raining his voice, to the employee.
Pity it had to come to a physical force issue - but there you go.
Entering the elevator, a German couple turned to me and said "well done - someone needed to do something about that clown".
Ehm - not that I feel that I really owe anyone an explanation, but I moved to marry my wife. I ran out of work where I was at the time, so it was logical for me to join her and not the other way around.
And yes, my country is doing some things pretty well, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate the good points about other countries. (I'm on my third one as long-time residence goes, anyway. Changes your perspective on the entire nation-state thing.)
Anyway, I like living in California for now. Seeing as I can't vote (Green Card means taxation without representation - bleh), I try to make my voice heard in politics in other ways.
A very close pal of my moved to Copenhagen years ago.
He married a Danish lady and has lived there ever since.
I visited him last year and thoroughly enjoyed Copenhagen.
Only down side is that Denmark is probably one of the most expensive countries in the world to live in.
Lovely country though.
Thailand is my favorite country.
I have plans to go diving there in February.
The Thais would be appalled, but the guy would never get what he wants.
Mai ben lai ru mai pen rai.
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