Countries you love and hate at the same time (France, Greece, Spain)
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Likes: Friendly people, awesome culture, nice beaches, interesting landmarks, lots of things to do, cheap (if you know where to look), efficient cheap local public transport (Cancun)
Dislikes: Bureaucracy, inefficiency, corruption, ability to effectively communicate in tourist spots if you don't know Spanish, timeshare sales pressure, dirty/old local public transport (Cancun)
Canada:
Likes: As easy to travel as the US, awesome natural parks, Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal
Dislikes: Little boring (few cultural landmarks from Toronto visit experience), spotty public transport outside dense core area (Toronto), some same things more expensive than in the US
Hong Kong, SAR
Likes: Awesome skycrapers, cultural landmarks, beatiful landscape, lots of things to do and see, easy to get around in tourist spot with English, interesting food, cheap and efficient, clean public transport
Dislikes: Little expensive but still more easy on wallet than some more expensive US or European cities, pollution, widespread street scams (black shops on Nathan Street), after 1 week not much to do
I love the variety and flavor of the food, the big pedestrian streets they have in most cities, the public transportation system, the high speed rail network, the way you can buy a cheap beer at a convenience store then sit on a bench people watching, the curiosity of the people, the city parks, the way they dote on children, and the way they exercise together in said parks or on plazas.
That said it can be one of the most frustrating places to travel because of the behavior of many of the locals. Constantly cutting in line, shoving to get somewhere instead trying to go around, the spitting not only in public but also on elevators and supermarkets, the kids running amok and pissing everywhere, the screaming volume of conversation, the way they are so inconsiderate in sharing space.
China seems like such a disgusting place I've had no desire to visit. One place I enjoy visiting but will do differently is Costa Rica. The people are wonderful, it's gorgeous, but the climate in the lowlands is horrendously humid. Next time I'm staying somewhere with AC.
China seems like such a disgusting place I've had no desire to visit. One place I enjoy visiting but will do differently is Costa Rica. The people are wonderful, it's gorgeous, but the climate in the lowlands is horrendously humid. Next time I'm staying somewhere with AC.
Hong Kong is beautiful gorgeous place to visit as long as you are on the right days and wind comes from sea instead of mainland China with pollutions. Downtown area is little dirtier than New York City, but the public transportation is clean and fantastic and the outlying areas i.e. New Territories, Lantau Island are filled with scenic natural beauty of green hills and more peaceful pace with less crowds.
But no doubt Hong Kong being former British colony and having its own administrative system is different from mainland China so that many Hong Kongers identity themselves as such but no Chinese.
Also I am not sure about Shanghai, but being a costal port city, it has reputation for being cleaner and more expat/tourist friendly than Beijing, it is just not as much old China and has not as much landmarks as Beijing.
It's funny how those same cultures come to the US and drive us crazy here. I"ve never been to China or India, but I know how their cultures affect life in an area in the US where they come to - like Silicon Valley in CA.
I now live in a very non-diverse population in far northern CA on the coast (basically on the OR border). This weekend, we had lots of tourists because of the holiday, and I was coming home from doing errands to my apartment which is right next to the beachfront park where there was a big event.
The street was blocked off next to the park, and I was trying to get into my parking lot just before the street blockade, and in front of me was an Indian woman driver.
Now, anyone who has ever lived where there are Indian women drivers - are already laughing hysterically.
What they do, is they simply stop in the middle of the street, highway, freeway, whatever, if they need to discuss what they want to do next or they aren't sure what to do, etc. They simply stop. Wherever they are. With zero regard for how that may affect other drivers around them.
So, of course, even though she could see the blockade a block ahead of her, she drove up to the blockade anyway, then acted all surprised/confused about what to do next. Which, of course, meant she stopped in the middle of the road blocking my access into my parking lot.
I've been thinking I'd like to move back to the SF Bay Area, and I think this was the universe talking to me. I remembered thinking I hadn't seen a woman Indian driver since I moved away from the SF Bay Area 2 years ago. And that this was a daily hassle for me back there.
Same for Chinese drivers in the SF Bay Area. Yikes! You know, in China it's cheaper to back up and run over someone you hit so you kill them - than to pay their medical bills for life, which is the law. So, this is the culture they bring to US highways.
I guess the moral here, is that if there are things you really don't like about a foreign culture (in the US), then consider the population in the city you are thinking about moving to. Because they bring the culture here.
I've only personally been to Mexico and Canada and the US. I have no problems with Canada at all. Cities or rural - it's like living in WA state, where I used to live. But, Mexico is a place I have a love/hate relationship with. The culture is very helpful and I love how they drop everything business-like to enjoy their families and friends. The down side to that, is that if you are waiting for them to come do work on your house, etc., you never know when/if they will show up because they may get distracted by family/friends or just some random event. And it's corrupt as heck. Lived there for a year. Had a whole new love for the US when I decided to move back.
I loved the architecture/scenery in Turkey, but absolutely hated the food and some of my experiences (namely having to deal with racism) in Turkey. I don't know if I'd go back.
US comes to mind, I live here but Im not born here so I guess I could criticize it as a traveler. I love the food, the (relative) lack of corruption, the fact that you're not forced to serve in the military, you can protest against the government without being worried about being tortured and killed, there are amazing cities like Charleston, San Fran, Boston, the diversity of the US is unmatched, police don't try to steal your money, etc. On the other hand, I dislike the massive travel distances between cities, the crappy public transportation, the third world infrastructure, the ridiculous apartment prices, the fact that you need a car to go everywhere, 99% of the US has a ****ty climate, medical costs, education costs, gun violence, racism, etc
US comes to mind, I live here but Im not born here so I guess I could criticize it as a traveler. I love the food, the (relative) lack of corruption, the fact that you're not forced to serve in the military, you can protest against the government without being worried about being tortured and killed, there are amazing cities like Charleston, San Fran, Boston, the diversity of the US is unmatched, police don't try to steal your money, etc. On the other hand, I dislike the massive travel distances between cities, the crappy public transportation, the third world infrastructure, the ridiculous apartment prices, the fact that you need a car to go everywhere, 99% of the US has a ****ty climate, medical costs, education costs, gun violence, racism, etc
How do you like people, especially Americans who were born here or grew up since being the small kid and naturally adapted? Do most people treat you well or ignore you? Do you have close friends?
I disagree with you on climate. In most part of the US I like climate better than Poland, since summer tend to last through September and beyond through October. While summers in many parts of the US are humid and hot, most homes and apartments have AC. Coastal part of California has very nice weather all year round.
Police may be not trying to steal, but they will stop you to give you citation for minor infractions in most parts of the US or use red light/speed camera which studies have shown they do not improve safety and only serve to generate extra revenue. There is widespread corruption, the only difference from corruption in Latin American and Eastern European countries is that special interests get laws passed in their favor to benefit them financially instead of bribing politicians.
Interesting comment. The US has hot and humid, hot and dry, freezing cold, cold and rainy, desert, rainy, coastal, mountainous and every climate I can think of. What climate do you prefer?
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