30 Country Stereotypes That Got Confirmed Or Denied By People Living There
Interview With ExpertAs an American who doesn’t live in the United States, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve introduced myself to someone and heard, “Oh, but you don’t look American!” This is usually said as a compliment, but what it sounds like to me is, “But you don’t fit all of the stereotypes I have in my mind about Americans!”
Every country has stereotypes, and some are probably harmless. So what if Italians are passionate about their cuisine, and the French are passionate about their language? But how accurate are these assumptions that are carried across the globe? Redditors have recently been addressing the most common stereotypes about their nations, so we’ve gathered their thoughts down below. Enjoy learning about the nations below, and keep reading to find a conversation with Momentous Institute’s Clinical Director, Alina Ramirez, Ph.D., LCSW-S!
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Irishman here, I’m too drunk to answer this properly
But when they tell you "Those Irish are always walking around in a fog", the chances are that they're discussing the weather there.
I always thought the Irish were more into pot smoking. Like in the song "Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling".
When it comes to drinking, the Irish have nothing on Eastern Europe. Last I checked the heaviest drinking country was Latvia. Ireland doesn't even make the top 10.
A European study from more than 25 years ago stated; a German can break down alcohol more than twice as fast as an Irishman.
Load More Replies...What is the differance between and Irish wedding and an Irish funeral? One less drunk.
I never leave _any_ beer in the bottom of my glass in a tavern because I know somewhere in Ireland someone may be going to bed thirsty.
I’m English. Yes, we are reserved, yes we do queue in an orderly fashion and yes we will colonise you and add your culinary distinctiveness to our own.
I'm from the U.S. and we're lazy. So we'll wait for you to move here and bring your culture and culinary distinctiveness to us. Lot less messy that way.
As a Canadian, I object. Nothing the US does is less messy
Load More Replies...I didn't realise I was part-Borg. No wonder I moved abroad to a country where I can be reserved, queue in a reasonably orderly fashion but colonisation is absolutely out of the question these days (Germany). Sadly, the culinary distinctiveness added here amounts to pizzas, ice cream and döner kebab.
Last week there were two random people waiting in the public toilets, so I assumed they were queuing so I stood behind them to wait an use the toilets......then an actual queue started to form. It was only when someone walked out of one of the cubicles and the people infront of me didn't move, I realised half of the toilet cubicles were free and they were probably waiting for a friend. Queuing comes naturally to us. If there isn't one, we will create one unnecessarily.
"Colonise you" - invade, kill all Your people, and take over...Murdered almost as many people as communists did...
Technically I'm not English, I just live there and have for most my life, and from what I've seen, plenty of brits are FAR from reserved... just head to teesside or newcastle on a "night out" and you'll see what I mean....
Yes the English are known for being reserved. They've famously reserved many objects from many nations for themselves in the British Museum.
I am from Azerbaijan. And because of the country’s name many think we are a super religious country like Iran, Afghanistan, and etc.
In fact we are not. We are the 5th most secular country in the world and religion doesn’t play a role for us like it does for many other countries. We really arent religious.
I wouldn't if I were you. Their government is committing genocide against Armenia. Also, they are religious. 93% of the population of Azerbaijan is muslim. (not that that's a bad thing of course) but If you want to visit a country that is much more non-religious, I'd recommend Estonia. Tallinn and Pärnu are lovely.
Load More Replies...And again, Iranian living in Iran, it's not the people it's the government....last year's world wide protest should've made this prettttty clear
Well, its at least some of the people in Iran, as they voted for the current government
Load More Replies...Azerbaijan is awesome! I lived there for a year when I was 6 and all I remember is how friendly (and hot) it was!
I USED TO LIVE THERE!! MY family calls them vodka drinking muslims because they go to mosque on Fridays then drink afterwards
As a former Soviet republic, I can clearly understand this. Which is weird, because Russia itself is a very religious country, after the fall of the Soviet Union, which was, on paper at least, an atheist state.
Baku is a very pretty city ... but bring money ... lots of money. The most expensive city in the region.
they are also committing genocide so maybe a little less love (to the gov)
Load More Replies...Again: I feel like we shouldn't make religions compete. "Religious Wars" shouldn't be a thing, especially if people follow what they're saying they believe in.
To learn more about stereotypes and the harmful effects they can have, we reached out to Alina Ramirez, Ph.D., LCSW-S, Clinical Director at the Momentous Institute. Dr. Ramirez was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda and shine some more light on this topic.
"There are both positive and negative stereotypes, yet both can have a negative impact on the person being stereotyped," she explained. "When someone assumes something about a person, whether positive or negative, they are putting a label on that person, which may or may not be true. This can put the stereotyped person in a difficult predicament."
"For example, if the seemingly positive stereotype that all people from this group are really smart has been voiced in an interaction, the person now has an additional barrier imposed upon them that may prevent them from feeling that they can be authentic or may put them in a place of having to explain or defend themselves," Dr. Ramirez continued.
As an Italian, yes. Keep in mind that most stereotypes about Italy are actually about South Italy. But we do eat pasta and pizza like every day and we do say "mamma mia" in every sentence. We can't help it.
Yep! We all do it. One hand for common stuff and two when it really blows your mind
Load More Replies...Wait... So the italian stereotypes are from south italy, the US stereotypes are from the south of the US, the german stereotypes are from south germany... Ppl from other countries: out of which part of the country are your stereotypes from? Now I'm curious
When you guys get together, do you all pounce into the room and exclaim, "It's a-me! [insert your name here]!"
A few days ago, BP featured a sign from a restaurant saying "We aren't yelling at each other. We're just Italian."
And they don't want 'The Godfather' theme to start playing every time they walk into an Italian restaurant.
When I was living in Japan, someone told me this. “Americans are stupid but clever, whereas the French are clever but stupid. We Japanese are polite but rude, whereas you Brits are rude but polite.”
Yep in England we will tell you to f@ck off call you a c@nt and do it all with a smile lol
Load More Replies...Wait - the OP says the same about about the Americans & the French, just backwards.. both are stupid; both are clever. Or am I misreading that statement..?
Football is a gentleman's sport for beasts, whereas rugby is a beastie sport for gentleman.
As a french i agree, we are so bad at school on every level but we do have some smart skills depends on what is our interest.
We Scots do tend to swear a f*****g lot.
The plus side is that we can't understand a single word they're saying, so no harm done
To be fair, it probably sounds like swearing even if it's not
Load More Replies...You absolutely f*****g do! (Signed, northern English lass who lived in Scotland for years and still visits regularly.)
Can confirm. Hubby is Glaswegian and most of the time I can understand him fine. However, put him in a room with another Scot and it's like a different language.
Well they're swearing in Scottish so most of us can't understand it anyway.
You Scots may swear a f******g lot but since no one can understand you, it doesn't count.
Dr. Ramirez also shared how stereotypes impact her personally. "As a Latina, I encounter many stereotypes about gender roles and how Latinx families function," she noted. "The examples of the sacrificing matriarch or the tight knit family might both present with positive and negative aspects, and it is important to consider both of these. Unfortunately, I find that most stereotypes of my community do not consider the complexity of how a Latinx person self-identifies and presents themselves in different settings."
"There are various contextual factors that impact a Latinx individual. These include the various regional and political differences across the numerous Latin American countries that have influenced their specific cultural norms. It also includes the generational experiences of US born Latinos as they navigate two cultures," the expert explained.
Aussie stereotype very true.
Very laid back
Up for a laugh
Always rubbishing each other
Don't mind a drink
Friendly
Very good at avoiding dangerous animals
The 'C' word is often used as a term of endearment and it's the context of the sentence it's used in that determines whether it's a positive or negative thing.
As is bastard. The meaning can change depending on the situation.
Load More Replies...In my experience, Australians are very friendly and quite a lot of fun.
The "laid back" myth is only half true. When we don't care about something, completely laid back. When we care, or just in a pissed off mood, there is zero cool and everything is at full tilt, violence on reserve.
Well. some people die of thirst, some are born with it.
Load More Replies...Thank God for the last one or, as I understand it, you'll would be dead!
Many of us understate things sometimes... like when it gets 40c here, we'll say, 'Yeah, it's a bit warm' or some Queenslanders after recent floods, 'Yeah, it's a bit wet' :). It a way of handling it.
"As a mental health clinician, I am trained to look at context and find that I am not able to fully understand and help a person, even if they happen to be Latinx, unless I am curious about both the broader cultural context and the specific individual experiences that have shaped a person. I consistently seek to identify how these factors can be protective and contribute to a person’s resiliency," Dr. Ramirez added.
From NZ
I asked my ex girlfriend this question.
She just looked at me with her curls hanging over her dark brown eyes, her face looking full of confusion.
She didn't seem to understand what I was asking but she's always been the quiet one I suppose and not keen on confrontation.
I was getting annoyed at this point but I needed to know.
I asked her again but she turned away from me and screamed Baaaaaaaaaa!
Being an Aussie, who make up an embarrassing amount of NZ jokes (I personally hate them), I knew immediately where this was heading!
Load More Replies...
Canadian and yes. Kinda.
Super polite, fake and apologetic. Not to be f****d with but not the sort to start s**t either. Will avoid conflict until it's unavoidable, and then it's time for war crimes. Also poutine, plaid shirts and a loud minority of subtle racism.
Sounds pretty accurate except for the "fake" part. Never found Canadians to be fake. Polite but don't take any stupid s**t, that sounds spot on.
That doesn't mean they're not faking it, could be just that they're really good at faking it.
Load More Replies...As a Canadian, I'm sick of the "nice" stereotypes, especially after some of the history that's come out in the last ten years. Our systematic racism and violence towards First Nations people is as appalling as any other country's crimes (e.g. how children were forced into "residential schools" - parents were arrested and put in prison, families and communities were intentionally starved out and cut off from supplies, the rcmp behaving exactly the same as the kkk in the us except without masks, etc.).
We also all drive dog sleds and live in igloos. Summer is not a thing. It’s always hockey season.
The scariest thing you can hear from a Canadian: "I'm about to stop saying Sorry"
When I was living in the US, a colleague of mine bumped into me and I did the stereotypical thing of apologizing to her. She teased me about it, so I paid attention and stopped doing it. Then *she* started doing it!
Load More Replies...Yeah, we were infected by the MAGA virus too. Previously the 1/3 of Canadians who suck would mostly keep quiet and then vote for the most bigoted person they could find. Now they're loud and proud of their racism/homophobia/transphobia and are getting worse. Thanks America
Yeah it’s pretty frustrating. There’s crazies in every country I guess.
Load More Replies...We have loud and dangerous neighbors just south of us. Makes us feel Canadian.
As a Canadian I always think we are polite on the outside but tough underneath.
My father's last wife was a former New Yorker who prided herself on being nasty to everyone. They lived in Alaska and often traveled in Canada. She used to say that Canadians were rude and hated tourists, because when they arrived at roadside restaurants or shops, suddenly that business was "just now closed." She never figured out that they all recognized her and my dad's camper and vehicle and were only "closing" when they appeared!
We do say eh, and wow does it ever annoying when I catch myself saying it lol
Canadian here. Yes, the stereotypes are true. Sorry.
When the banks started putting Automatic Teller Machines out in the hallway, it was a standing joke that a Canadian will say 'thank you' to the machine when he takes his withdrawal out. I laughed at that, until I saw it happen.
And Newfoundland. Damn Noofies. BTW I always make fun of Newfoundland because they're really small and underpopulated and I like to think it's unlikely anyone from there will ever read this. A bit like Canada's Wyoming.
Load More Replies...You can tell a lot about countries by their jokes. Yanks tell jokes about the French, the French tell jokes about the English, the English tell jokes about the Germans, the Germans tell jokes about the Poles, the Poles tell jokes about the Russians, the Russians tell jokes about the Finns, the Finns tell jokes about the Swedes, EVERYBODY tells jokes about the yanks, etc. And Canadians tell jokes about Canadians.
I think I was Canadian in another life. I try to always be polite and I say sorry a lot. I live in Oregon and have never been to Canada.
As far as where these stereotypes come from, Dr. Ramirez told Bored Panda that they are typically formed over time either through direct experiences or messages from others. "Our circle of who 'others' includes has expanded over time from family members, friends, and colleagues to include social media as well," she noted.
"Neurologically, stereotypes serve the purpose of helping us categorize others and interactions quickly without becoming overwhelmed. In its simplest form, these fall into safe/good or not safe/bad categories," the expert continued. "This is why many stereotypes tend to focus on negative elements. From a survival perspective, our brains initially store negative or threatening information about others as a means of keeping us safe (emotionally or physically)."
Brazil: football (soccer) is a f*****g religion.
That sounds like a cult based around kicking men in the balls. Not all that crazy considering there's one in the USA based on female orgasim. (One taste rebranded to the institute of om)
Load More Replies...I remember some people comitted suicide after Brazil loss against France in 1986 😑😑😑
Where not? Here in the Netherlands, when we are in a championship, the whole country seems to be coloring Orange. (I hate it, btw.)
I'm Portuguese and I'm short, heavy, hairy and love wine, cheese and woman.
If you don't mind your women short, heavy and hairy, let us eat cheese and drink wine together my friend!
Is it true that decriminalizing drugs cured the drug problem? That's what ever study seems to show. And even the cops in the news agree.
Yes, that is very true. It's insane that other countries still haven't adopted the idea.
Load More Replies...I've met 5 Portuguese people in my life, (that I know of). Each one of them either is, or was a heroin addict. Mental.
I am totally tired of the stereotype that Finns are somehow super alcoholic. Alcohol consumption is in line with similar European countries, and I don't think it's really that accepted anymore to drink a lot. Back in the day, this was kind of a game of how much you can drink in one sitting. But, the new generation sees this sort of behavior as hickish. There's also not much of a culture of constant or daytime drinking. Most jobs require you to be sober during the working day. I've seen literally only two people drink during the working day, this was at 4 pm and one of them wasn't even Finnish to begin with.
Another one is "shy" or "silent". I think this stems from misunderstanding of Finnish politeness customs. Finns have a very steep gradient in how intensively they interact with total strangers vs. close relations like family or close friends. If they don't know you, they're trying to keep out of your way and not bother you with useless small talk, and that's polite.
I live in the UK and have never heard that Finnish people are heavy drinkers.
Statistically, the only drink Finns consume a lot is coffee. People after me own heart.
Load More Replies...I married a finn. she's not a heavy drinker. I'm Irish/Romanian, and am also not a heavy drinker. So the stereotypes are complete BS. We're both introverted though, and whilst it's joked about in regards to the Finns, I understand it, and don't mind it. I'd rather not feign cheerfulness to a stranger or have to tell a stranger my life story or whatever...
St reotypes are not def yard by one or two anecdotal cases.
Load More Replies...Also "kalsarikännit”. Drinking alone in underwear with no intentions to go out.
You contradict yourself. Heavy drinkers? Not true... Anymore. Older generations, oh yeah. Drunks.
They're all great people, but it seems that a lot of Scandinavians (while not 'habitual drunks') do have trouble putting a cap back on a bottle.
Last I heard, the English and Danish were the biggest drinkers in Europe. That was about 5 years ago. And by biggest drinkers, I mean countries with the highest alcohol abuse in adults AND teenagers. It's probably completely different now due to the current state of the world.
I once played Mortal Kombat in a church over there. The choir was singing a Finnish hymn...
But once a schema exists, we tend to look for examples that confirm this belief, Dr. Ramirez continued. "This is referred to as a 'confirmation bias.' And now with the use of AI technology in social media, each time we like or share something that includes a stereotype, algorithms then push similar content into our feed; thereby perpetuating this belief," she warns. "Studies have shown that even when presented with data that contradicts our stereotypes, we tend to disregard this input."
The stereotypes about us Americans are exaggerated for sure, but not without merit.
MAGA is making us look real bad to the rest of the world. Most of us don't own guns and hate brown people. The ones that do are just very, very loud. It's like assuming that the entire state of New Jersey is represented by Jersey Shore.
They don't just make americans look bad, they make gun owners look bad too. Just because I own a few firearms doesn't mean I don't support background checks and are a member of a militia.
Load More Replies...As a United Statesian myself, I can't tell if I'm ignorant or just apathetic. Frankly I don't know and I don't care.
Unfortunately you get let down by the worst of you who are very vocal - Trumpet, Majorie Idiot, Cruz - MAGA isn’t helping. Don’t let him get in again puleeeeeze!
We are trying not to, and we have Biden. He's not the best, but it's better than Trump, and hopefully people will actually vote people that aren't just the same except with different moralities.
Load More Replies...the problem whats protrayed in the media. there are a lot of good hearted americans, who would give you the shirt of their back.
MAGA, religion, lack of healthcare, Musk, Bezo (and others like them), the risk of Trump at president scares me... espiacially for the US-citizens in generally...
Why is religion that bad? Its religous extremism thats the issue.
Load More Replies...Not an American here so I had to look up MAGA - make America great again. Do Americans still not realise that it is a straightforward rip-off of Maggie Thatcher's successful election slogan "Make Britain Great Again"?
Most are absolutely without merit. It's just that the most stupid, hateful ones are the loudest so you can't hear anything else.
Yes we live in windmills and we wear wooden shoes. We all cultivate tulips and c******s and everyone is high as f**k all the time
I thought it was 'Cherries' .... 🙃 and still you can write porn, but not 'p a w 'n..
Load More Replies...My u uncle actually lived in a windmill, I did wear wooden shoes when I was little (unbelievably cute, I still have them).. Tulips in my garden. Wow it really is true 🤣 (and not to forget I am frugal)
Stares out of window at neighbouring windmill, oh well....
Cannabis, marijuana, weed, smoke, herb, mota, pakalolo, ganja, etc. It's not offensive, BP!
Romanians are not gypsies, gypsies are a minority, and the country it looks and is a lot better than you imagine it to be...just check out some travel vlogs from foreigners.
Romanians are awesome people - at least those I've met! Cheers from your neighbour
speaking as half Romanian, Romania is beautiful! and romanians are not to be confused with romani, who are minorities that actually came over from India. Romania has stunning natural beauty, and some of the most amazing castles, too. Definitely a country often overlooked but 100% worth visiting, especially Transilvania!
Romanians are awsome, and the countryside is beautiful. Greetings from Polonia
The funniest description I've ever heard about Romanians is "Italians with Russian accents" (i.e. more Mediterranean than Slavic, but they don't sound like it).
I had a colleague from romania as a nurse in France. He was so freakin embarrassed when we had trouble due to some gypsies in E.R. he was one of the most polite and professionnal caregivers i have ever work with.
The Romanian film industry was aggressive in the 2000s, a lot of fantasy flicks were filmed there. The country is beautiful.
I've enjoyed many that were filmed there. One distinctively beautiful house exterior in Bucharest has been used several times to good advantage.
Load More Replies...And despite all the Dracula movies, they're not all vampires. Well, mostly. Mirror and garlic sales are suspiciously low, though.
lol, funnily enough, Romanians do use a lot of Garlic in our cuisine! It's believed to be a healing/magical plant, due to the presence of allicin. One tradition is to smear a freshly cut garlic clove on toast. But it's very generously used in a ton of recipes, too. There is even a garlic sauce called Mujdei, which is literally salted crushed garlic cloves made into a paste mixed with oil (usually sunflower oil) and lemon juice. :)
Load More Replies...Romanian guys are a great laugh, the few Romanian women I've met are.... quite highly strung.
When it comes to preventing ourselves from being impacted or influenced by stereotypes, Dr. Ramirez says the first step is to understand what stereotypes we actually hold and why. "This is harder than it sounds, as we aren’t always aware of our stereotypes. And we ALL have them," she told Bored Panda.
"You might notice a shift in your heart rate or breathing or some other 'gut' sensation when in certain environments. Notice this. Be curious about this. Ask yourself, what am I reacting to? And once you answer that, the next step is to question why," the expert says. "What is my belief about this person, and where does this come from? What do I know about the person in front of me?"
I'm Danish and I'm miserable. Go figure.
I thought Denmark was considered one of happiest countries in the world (if not actually THE happiest country in the world)
No Finland beat us at that... I like being danish and live in Denmark. Do i love it all... No way.... I can find many flaws... but I have the freedom to complain (danish sport...)
Load More Replies...I have lived in Denmark all my life, and I love my country. I just don't like everything about it, but I am one of the happy ones.
I'm Danish. I love it here for many reasons but there are also many things I don't like. But the good things outweighs the bad, IMO. We are also very depressed, though, because we all lack vitamin D except for the 3 months of Summer. I'd also like to point out that we are really friendly but if we don't know you, you often have to get us drunk before we show the friendly side we have. When we meet strangers we look at them in very sceptical ways and I know a lot of foreign students who got pretty upset about that when they first arrived to Denmark. But after a party or two and we're all friends. 😁
Would garlic bread make you feel better? There will be plenty, once the ace invasion is underway
...has no one heard the asexuals-will-invade-denmark joke or am I just bad at reading the room (edit: thanks for un-downvoting it lol)
Load More Replies...Get some Vitamin D. Get some exercise. Buy a therapy light. You have seasonal affection disorder. (SAD)
That was the fastest diagnosis I have ever witnessed.
Load More Replies...Is it the country that is a happy place. Or the Danish people that are happy? Well, and I know statistically speaking if for the people, there will always be some below average.. 😕
"When you see something on social media, be open to the possibility that the information might not be completely accurate," Dr. Ramirez continued. "What is the source and what might be the motivation of that source to push a certain narrative. At the heart of this is curiosity, both about others as well as our own thinking. Stereotypes tend to thrive when curiosity is absent. Of course, the more we interact with others in a meaningful way, the more opportunity we have to break down our preconceptions of them and the groups they may represent."
Italians seductive? F**k no, we are a bunch of dumb misogynists (men) and pretentious pricks (women) with absolutely no right to be lol I have so many international friends and not one of them was happy after dating an Italian 😂
I would be a pretentious prick, too, if men were misogynists. I'm married with an Italian woman for 22 years and I don't know what are you talking about.
Valencia? Are you Spanish? Because looking at semi recent news, you lot ain't no better 😅
Load More Replies...was married to one for over 30 yrs. in the beginning he was very "old world" in his views of marriage and relationships. he knew from the get-go i was not a submissive woman and spoke my mind so have no idea why he thought that would change after marriage. when meeting his family they, too, were surprised at my whole personality. but, the great part was my now former father in law. while i know i was shocking to him at time he showed me great respect and appreciation for me as a person and for who i was. still love that guy!
I used to work in an office of Italians who would huddle round the espresso machine for 10 minutes every hour. They were obsessed with the beans used in the machine (new Italian started and swapped the beans, WWIII started) and would hit the roof if you changed the settings on it. Complaining seemed to be their favourite pastime.
I loved the Italian women that used to come to the places I worked. They were always elegantly dressed but not over done and always polite behaved themselves. Most of them were very well educated, university etc. Never found them pretentious.
Nobody sat next to each other, talked, or even smiled to other people during the entire bus trip this morning. I'm norwegian alright.
That could have been Sweden too. If someone arbitrarily smiles on the bus, we immediately assume they’re a psychopath.
I tend to think the warmer the country, the warmer the people. The colder the country, the colder the people. Do you think I'm right ? Fyi I am a Malaysian, living in a sunny, tropical country and was a student in the UK for 6 years - so I actually experienced this myself. Malaysians are warm , friendly people - even to strangers or foreigners. The British ? Well... let's just say they're reserved.
Used to work with a Norwegian contractor in London, he spent his entire time coked off his nut. Eventually the company forced him to go to rehab. Seems to be back in Norway running his own company now, hope he stays there, conceited a*****e.
I live in Massachusetts, in the US. I take the bus to work four towns away. The only time anyone sits next to someone who they aren't traveling with, is if there are no other seats available. As soon as one opens up, they move to it. Chatty strangers, tend to get "the look". I'm starting to wonder if outgoingness, has some correlation to snowiness. With the exception of Canada, of course.
Hahaha. I'm Norwegian. This is accurate. But then again, why would I smile or talk to strangers on a bus??? I don't get the need people have to chat to strangers. It's weird.
Irish
Laid back and friendly: Check
Cripplingly cynical and judgemental: Check
I got heckled by my Irish family when I thanked them for coming over for her 70th Birthday. Love them dearly but they're massive aholes when they get going
Today I met nine people who don't know what the idiom stereotype means.
"Stereotypes have a negative impact not only on the person about whom we are making them, but on ourselves," Dr. Ramirez added. "We are often surprised when we learn that we have more in common than we think. When we make assumptions about others, we miss an opportunity for an authentic exchange that can impact each other for the better."
We love good bread - yes, 100%
Cars - yes, loads of elder folks are very peculiar about their cars and speed limit debates. It's getting less in the younger generations.
Bureaucracy - somehow even worse than its reputation
Rude/harsh - you get a******s in every country. I don't think the average person is ruder than an average person from somewhere else. We are distant with strangers. The only people who aren't distant are those looking to be an a*****e. The nice folks exist, they just don't randomly go talk to strangers.
Beer - yes, a lot, and a lot of good beer. Except Kölsch, that one sucks.
Dirndl/Lederhosn - regional traditional clothes, only worn on some occasion by some people in the southern region. Not really a thing for like two thirds of the population.
Rammstein - apparently one of the biggest associations foreigners have with Germany. For most Germans, it's a "hate them or love them, no inbetween" type of situation.
Hate Rammstein, love Kölsch. And you have forgotten about the trains. For some reason, people still think they are punctual and reliable. They are soooo not.
I like Kölsch too. Gaffel Kölsch specifically, though I'll admit that was the only one I tried when I was in Cologne.
Load More Replies...I would like to make a funny comment, but unfortunately we Germans aren't funny 🤷♀️ /joke of course 😅
How many Germans does it take to change a lightbulb? One, because we are very efficient. Now back to work!
Load More Replies...🇩🇪, is that you? What about other stereotypes such as front gardens with a hunter's fence or penalty shoot-outs against England? Or the immaterial ones like punctuality, order, diligence, noodles and toilet paper? 🤔
I still can't work out if Rammstein are taking the p155 or not.
On the whole, I love Germans. Generally, I find them to be warm, helpful people. In the cities, people are like they are in any city anywhere in the world. Some nice, some are an a**e.
I'm Danish, you'd usually hear that all Scandinavian (not just the Swedish) are "cold".
It's kind of true, but not really. I think we tend to be more reserved than the southern Europeans for example, we also don't for friendships as easily as others, but the friendships we do have tend to last for life and be very loyal! It can be really hard to get new friends as an adult and particularly an immigrant, not because we don't want to, but it takes **a lot** of time and effort! We also don't say hello to random strangers we see on the street, we also don't say "how are you doing?" to someone unless we really do want to know, we actually hardly speak to people we don't know, especially not strangers passing by in the street, the metro or elsewhere in public.
So in summary, I think we may come off as cold to strangers, but I don't think it's at all true when it comes to people that know each other. I also think that people living in the city are less likely to talk to strangers than someone living in a small town in the countryside.
Get a Dane drunk however and they'll most likely be pretty chatty.
I've found the Danes and Swedish to be wide open swingers compared to the Norwegians and Finnish.
I think that this is to some extend evolution (at least social evolution, that is quite quick compared to biological evolution). In the winter your ancestors probably had to rely on each other a lot. It is easy to freeze or starve in the North, but in the South... you will probably not freeze to death even in winter. But also you don't want to share resources with just anybody in the North, because you still need those to survive. So, helping family or neighbor makes sense, but helping complete stranger? Where did this stranger even came from?
This all sounds familiar, but I live in the country, and it is a bit different here. We do greet people we don't know in passing. I have never lived in any other country so I cannot tell if Danes are really different, but they don't feel cold to me.
My Scandinavian roots show in my personality. I work customer service in U.S. and always feel really awkward that I am forced to initiate small talk. I don’t speak to strangers when I’m not being paid to do so. I was considered a stuck up snob in school because of these traits.
I always thought that the reason for short words (Tack) and short answers was because they didn't want their tongue to freeze.
Try living near the Baltic Sea, and you'll find out why they're cold!
Fat American checking in here. I don’t own any guns but pretty much everyone I know does. And as an Austin Tx native. I’m pretty liberal, love music and eat tacos and bbq all the time.
Really? So you've been to most of Texas then? I'm from Houston, been here a good portion of my life. I'm pretty liberal, believe there should be better gun control, support a woman's right to choose and think what our disgusting governor is doing in terms of women's rights and immigration is deplorable. Most of the people I know fall pretty close, and Texans in general are usually hospitable and always willing to help. Just because the bad people tend to have louder voices doesn't mean the rest of us agree with them or that they are representative of how most people here are.
Load More Replies...And a lot of loud Republicans trying to tell everyone else what to do.
Load More Replies...I grew up in Fort Worth in the 60s. Racism was ubiquitous. I remember seeing two drinking fountains in the zoo - one labeled "for whites only." Moved away in 1970 to go to college and never went back. So I don't know if it is better now. I am sure it must be. How could it not be?
Greece: yes we are loud, we are always late and we religiously believe we have the best food in the world. However, we dont smash plates screaming opa on a daily basis. I’d say keep that for a wedding and if that!! Kinda starts to die
Greek American here with lots of relatives in Athens and Lesvos still. Yeah, I've not seen the plate smashing thing except for when a non Greek thinks it would be fun and then we all look at them when they do it. Years ago, I had my best friend over for dinner (Mayflower descendent, very white). He said that the food was amazing but he didn't understand why we were all "yelling at each other". I was puzzled and that was when I realized that not all people speak the way we do...
Never have I seen my late greek FIL laugh so hard as when we watched "My big fat Greek Wedding" because it's all so true!
The ouzo, coffee and food, hell yes I'll join in. But leave your cigarettes at home, please.
I love Greeks, you're all grumpy which I can relate to.
I’m from London and I constantly hear “the land of knives and stabbing”
Is it true? Sort of. Knife crime is definitely a problem but you have a higher chance of witnessing or you yourself being robbed than being stabbed.
The UK having bad food; I disagree. The UK has the best range and quality of ethnic food in Europe. If I want curry, Thai, Mexican, Japanese food, I can probably find a good and close to authentic place in the bigger cities. London especially.
Totally true about the food. Yes, British food is terrible, but that's why we have so much variety to choose from. You don't eat Chinese when you are in Italy, do you? I have 6 different nationalities of food in a 300 metres radius
Pfft. Well made traditional British food is superb, it's just those heathens who insist on boiling cabbage for 20 minutes who ruin its reputation. Also, good quality fish and chips by the coast at the end of a summer's day counts as the food of the gods.
Load More Replies...So if you want to compare homicide rates, St. Louis, Missouri in the USA has FIVE TIMES the homicide as London.
Yes, because you can kill more people with a gun than a knife. It doesn't stop London being very stabby.
Load More Replies...Despite being born and rbrought up in the US, I was raised on British cooking. And Child Protective Services said they could do nothing about it.
The food thing is historical, due to rationing during the wars. Totally different these days.
It's a myth that rationing made British food bad. Rationing never forced anyone to boil cabbage to inedibility (why do that? Why???). The World Wars did have adverse effects, e.g., cereals used to fill out sausages (WWI), nearly wiping out production of cheese that wasn't cheddar (WWII). But the Wars didn't make British food bad. Good food has always been a British thing, but so has bad food. It just depends on who's cooking.
Load More Replies..."If I want curry, Thai, Mexican, Japanese..." So, you are saying that UK has good food, but you didn't mention UK cuisine at all? Go eat a spotted d**k (traditional English food) or jelly eel.
"Go eat spotted d i c k or jelly eel" No fu cking thank you.
Load More Replies...Went to the UK and almost starved. I ordered creole chicken and thought they gave me the wrong dish because I couldn't see or taste any seasoning on it. Was there for 2 weeks and never actually enjoyed one meal.
UK food was great, including British food , BUT I refuse to believe that there are good Mexican joints there. I saw some taquerias while I was there, and I doubt their quality, as a Southwestern US snob.
Of course the UK's got good Mexican food - why not? It's hardly exotic. Pick a big city and you'll find a decent Mexican restaurant if you search.. Of course, we've also got bad approximations of Mexican food here too. What we haven't got is matching weather, but some might say that's a blessing.
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People say french (but especially Parisiens) are rude and arrogant or something. I've been to other countries and spoke to non-french people and it just seemed like they had much more of a "filter" than french people do so that might explain it.
Been to France many times and have never found the French more rude than most other tourist places. The Parisiens can be less helpful, but I attribute that to being in the "Big City." Same is true for Hong Kong, London, Tokyo. They are not rude, just don't have time for us rubes that are in their way.
I'd say we are passionate and absolutely not fake. If a french does not like you or is annoyed it will be obvious for you. It can be rude for sure but you cannot get it wrong.
I speak French with a Canadian (but not francophone Canadian) accent and I get great service in Paris. They really like Canadians but there does seem to be some animosity toward people from Quebec.
having been to france a few times, I'd say Parisians are more closed off and rude-seeming, I still loved Paris though, but I'd say outside of Paris the French do seem more friendly. Perhaps it's just a city life thing.
When we were once in Paris, we were ignored several times at the airport (a bus driver looked at us, then back to the front and then drove off without us) or pointed in the wrong direction. although we always greeted in French and asked for help and then continued speaking in English because we don't speak French. In addition, it was made clear to us right from the start that German wasn't well seen - we spoke to each other and then an employee from the French airport came to us "German? no no no no!!!" and kept crossing his hands saying that we shouldn't speak German...
I'm very confused about the "no German" thing, maybe 30 years ago, but not today?
Load More Replies...I think the body language is often misunderstood. Germans are very direct, which I have learned to cope with as a Brit, but when I'm back in France, I still have to remind myself that the puffing out of cheeks and blowing out a "bof, j'sais pas" and the Gallic shrug aren't intended as rude. They just come across that way sometimes.
Paris and London are interchangeable and that includes the populace.
The rudest French people I encountered were retired French tourists travelling abroad. Very often by the time they open their mouth I feel the urge to punch them in the face. (I'm French, by the way). Parisians come second, but it's like a lottery, sometimes you win the price, sometimes you meet an arseh0le...
**Sweden: Stereotyped as tall, slender, and blond, with a strong commitment to gender equality and a problem with alcohol. They are also viewed as somewhat arrogant and unfriendly by their Scandinavian neighbors.**
**Finland: Seen as introverted, silent, and fond of vodka, with a stereotype that includes living in the woods and a strong sauna culture.**
**Denmark: Known for a high quality of life, punctuality, and being reserved yet open-minded and easygoing. Danes are also stereotypically heavy drinkers.**
**Netherlands: Perceived as tall, liberal, and cycling enthusiasts, with a global image of being constantly stoned due to liberal drug policies. The country is also seen as the unofficial gay capital of Europe and somewhat frugal.**
**Belgium: Known for a love of chips, beer, and comic books, with a complex political system. There's a mutual stereotype between Dutch and French speakers within the country.**
**Germany: Viewed as efficient, disciplined, and car lovers, but also as stiff and lacking a sense of humor.**
**Austria: Described as hardworking, serious, and traditional, with a love for winter sports and a strong sense of domestic life.**
**Switzerland: Stereotyped as reserved, punctual, and obsessed with privacy and financial frugality.**
**Italy: Seen as fashion-conscious, talkative, and passionate about football and family, with a stereotype that includes a deep connection to traditional foods like pizza and pasta.**
**Czechia: Known for beautiful women and a love of beer and absinthe, with a rich history in crystal and Art Nouveau.**
**Slovakia: Described as bad-tempered, with a dark sense of humor and a stereotype of being heavy drinkers.**
**Poland: Stereotyped as religious and hard-drinking, with a complex relationship with Catholicism and alcohol.**
**The British: Known for drinking tea, eating scones, and possessing a quick wit and sarcasm that entertains the rest of Europe.**
**The French: Famous for wearing stripes, eating onions and berets, and being considered rude, a stereotype that even French respondents acknowledge.**
**Italians: Seen as passionate, generous, and family-oriented, with a strong emphasis on traditional values.**
I didn't know the French ate their berets... You learn something new everyday.
Czech people do not go crazy for absinth, that is just tourist shops. Now, I don't say that we do not have some amazing absinth, because we do, but it is not the violent green stuff you will see in small "absinth stores" all over Prague downtown (usually with cannabis leaf as logo for some reason). But beer is definitely an important piece of our culture and history. Unfortunately, there were many other things that made us famous in the world, but it is mostly gone. Glass manufacturing is still there, but it is not that amazing anymore. Horses? Also no. Trucks and planes? Nope. Trains? Gone.
A Scandinavian native who had moved to the US was quick to point out that I come from a Scandinavian bloodline because of my eyes, skin, and hair. I guess Swedish is in there also since I am tall and slender and not because I try to be slender.
The Dutch are not frugal, they are cheap, but also penny-wise pound foolish. Also capital of electronic dance music (EDM).
I wouldn't consider the Netherlands as liberal anymore. Their new PM is pretty far right, which is an alarming trend gaining traction across the U.S. and Europe. Italy has a descendant of Mussolini and Marie Le Pen still gets elected each cycle.
I always thought that Germans were really nice. The language sounds harsh, the people aren’t By nationality, I’m Belgian and Luxembourgish. They each love talking about stereotypes of the other country, so I get to hear about them all the time. Belgians are apparently dumb and drunk all the time. Dumb? No, but the prime minister singing La Marseillaise instead of the Belgian anthem did not help with that particular stereotype. Drunk? They do love their beer, but to be entirely honest, the Luxembourgish tend to drink a lot more often in my experience. Luxembourgers (the word always cracks me up) are apparently stuck-up, rich and narrow-minded. To be entirely honest, some are are stuck-up and narrow-minded, but it tends to be my generation. They grew up with parents who were able to make a lot of money just because they were in the right country at the right time (and worked for it!). The older generation has been able to get good, well-paying jobs without a the degrees that would be required nowadays. But, they worked hard and they took advantage of Luxembourg’s languages (German, English, French). They tend to have a lot of general knowledge and common sense. The younger generation on the other hand, often seemed to expect to go down the same path as their parents and grandparents, but in a world where degrees are an absolute must. A lot don’t speak the languages (I’ve even met some that only speak Luxembourgish) and lack the common sense and general knowledge that the older generation has. The older generation has raised a very entitled younger generation, who is growing up in a country where the price of life is constantly rising and who will soon not be able to live there anymore.
Weirdly given their reputation I find Germans rather sweet and slightly naive.
My great grandparents were Luxembourgers. The Grand Duke has extended the rights of citizenship to descendents of people from Luxembourg, and if things go down the sewer here, I may take him up on it. I can prove my claim, and I speak some German. I can improve it. The only problems would be culture shock and the cost of living. I pray that the US does not become a fascist dictatorship.
My dad had a German ancestry. My mom had a tee shirt that said: "You can always tell a German. But not much."
We Italians are seductive, spend half of our day in front of the mirror, and constantly gesticulate when we talk.
Having worked with all nationalities in clubs and bars (in Spain) I can say that when the Italians came they had the fame of getting all the Spanish girls. No so true it was mainly the whore houses that made the money. Same, but no has much for the French. Where I lived the whore houses were outside the town at the put on shuttle busses to ferry the macho men to and fro. The Brits would just get plastered, Germans no so much and the Dutch, Belgium left good tips to the doormen.
Mexico False: - It's not yellow - Yes there's a lot of indigenous heritage both racial and cultural, but that's not all there is to it. Just visit Mexico City, we've got all kinds of people and traditions. We're more "americanized" each day actually. - People trying to cross the US border. There's more central and south americans wanting to get to the US than mexicans. In fact Mexico has its own immigration crisis growing rapidly. You see foreigners begging for money on the streets every day. It's common to have colombian and venezuelan neighbors and coworkers. And curiously Mexico City is getting invaded by americans, which is raising the cost of rent and commodities because they have dollars and we can't compete with their incomes. - We're responsible for flooding the US with drugs? Partially. Yes, our government has failed to win the war on drugs, but who sells them the weapons? mostly the US. And what about distribution in the US? How does a kilo of c*****e makes it way from the border to NYC? there's a network of corruption and trafficking running rampart in the US not only in Mexico. True: - We love our tacos. - Cartel violence is out of control. They own politicians, law enforcers, even the top military officials and the president is rumored to be in sinaloa's pocket. - Corruption is part of our daily life. A cop stops you, you're expected to bribe them. You need something to move quickly, bribe. Government contracts? all directly assigned to politicians friends and overpriced as f**k, and I mean a lot, like 1000% or more sometimes.
Trump with his MAGA "build the wall" BS quite unfairly demonizes Mexico. How about we HELP and work with our neighbor to the south. Most of the illegal immigrants crossing the border are not from Mexico and the drugs are a shared problem as well. If Mexico is struggling with narcotics enforcement, then we should be HELPING Mexico to deal with it. Again, these are shared problems and we are NEIGHBORS. Didn't Jesus say "Help love thy neighbor?"
Republicans and MAGA only use Christianity to demonize Liberals. If Jesus were alive today, MAGA would put him in prison.
Load More Replies...Went to Mexico, saw quite a bit of it's culture, history, and nature. I can confirm it is NOT yellow.
australia
1: swearing alot including workplace? check
2: lots of evil things thatl kill ya? sorta check
3: buncha bogans at ur local shops asking for ciggys? multiple times a day sometimes
4: regular political a*s f******s? check fatter than albys c**k
I had a couple pull up to the bus stop I was at, at about 7am, just to ask if I had any smokes. The majority of people I know don't smoke, so to me that was such a random thing to happen! Most shopping centres (and all hospitals) have had to increase the distance from entrances/buildings you are allowed to smoke though, because of the clouds of smoke you always have to walk through.
I loved working with Australians, hard working but having a great time while your at it.
Americans are an arrogant lot.
Sounds like this was written by someone who only knows Americans from our tourists and popular media. I can assure you most of us are not like that.
Not all of the tourists, cos you're only going to notice the loud ones
Load More Replies...I think this is stupid because America is ginormous and obviously not everyone inside of it thinks the same. I, a white teenager living in the South, am not going to have the same experiences as, for example, a single mom from Massachusetts. Absolutely nothing would be the same in our lives. We'd have different taxes, financial stress, jobs, religious experiences, education, accents, types of people around us, weather, architecture, experience with violence, environment, and even local plants and animals. We would be completely different people altogether, and you wouldn't know we were from the same country at all unless we told you. It's really stupid to just stereotype us both and say we're the exact same person just because we happen to live within around 4 million miles of each other.
The US is a huge country. There are two densely populated coasts sandwiching a big fat spacious country of regular people just living their lives.
I wouldn't say 'arrogant' in general, although some are. I have found that some are absolutely ASTONISHED to learn that not everyone in the world aspires to live in exactly the same way that Americans do.
Ok? You can find people in any country that are arrogant
Load More Replies...Stop right there parde, Texans can be the most amazing people. I did tech support for one company in US and we had people call from many places. Chicago, LA, Delaware, Houston, Atlanta and few more (not to mention reginal representatives that lived somewhere in middle of nowhere and the closest office was 300 miles away). 95% of Texans were really nice, calm people who wanted their computer fixed and didn't blame us for their problem. And the coolest guy there was the head of the Texas branch (there were only two people higher than him in US and one or two more in the main headquarters, so he was pretty high on the chain) and when I fixed his problem in record time, he asked if I would like to be a local tech there. But that would be a long trip from central Europe and we had a toddler at the time, so no, I stayed here.
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as a half egyptian half lebanese and british I would say egyptian people will always try to scam you (of course not ALL people but the majority)
the stereotype about people from my country is that we never finis
Pakistan: • Religious - Am I religious? Yes. Are most of us religious? Yes. Are all of us religious? Definitely no • Corrupt - Yes • Poor - Are some of us poor? Yes. Are there hyper rich people among us too? Yes. • Cousin Marriage - Yes.
Macedonians are terrible to each other but extremely welcoming with great hospitality and friendliness to foreigners.
I suspect it's the same as some other countries, that they only lower their guard around people they're closer to. I would bet two Macedonians from opposite ends of the country would be more polite to each other than two from the same city.
Load More Replies...The Dutch stereotype of being greedy with our money is true, we love our money and we hate spending our money... Unless it's weed for some reason
It is real word meaning other things. Like you know, weeds in your garden.
Load More Replies...I heard the Dutch don't consume weed as much as the tourists who go there because of the relaxed laws. Is this not true?
Not all Filipinos are gold diggers 😅 Most people here are educated and competitive in working, specially when they immigrate.
Although, some women (or men) here also marry older foreign men because it's the foreigner's choice. ✓low maintenance wife ✓affordable country ✓aged care.
Some foreigners are very unlucky tho, specially those who search for girlfriends from popular beer houses 😪
I'm American. I wanted to answer this question but my fingers are too fat to type.
I won't make any commentary on the society, but I've been there enough that I have NEVER seen such disparity in education between genders. The ratio of women to men with college education in the PI is 4:3, WAY higher than any other place I've seen or been. [ https://www.statista.com/statistics/695577/philippines-female-to-male-ratio-in-tertiary-education/ ]
Well it's a bit complicated for india because it's very region based. R**e? For sure in the north but in many parts of the south a girl can go out alone at like 2am and be fine. Good at math? Nah it's just that the ones that are really good at math get famous or successful and the rest are nothing special. Above average sure but not anything like stereotypes would have you believe. Plus a lot of it is practicing specific types of questions. If you get something you haven't practiced you're f****d.
Yes, the implication that wearing boots like that might relate to rape is disturbing. Better to use a calculator image in this picture, or someone looking confused over maths homework.
Load More Replies...We have a machismo problem here in Jordan, but unlike most people I think the women are partly to blame for this, especially when in Jordanian culture it is the women that are expected to play a.much more active role in raising kids until their early teens. Boys from a young age are taught that they have to be the provider, the protector, and should not act in a sensitive manner (cry, seek emotional support). Even seeking help from a mental health professional like a psychologist would make fellow Jordanians see men (women too sometimes) as a bit on the crazy side. I had first hand experience with my ex, who told me to man up when I was being vulnerable and getting emotional about it. I ended up marrying a non Jordanian who matches so well with me on an emotional/intellectual level, it really has been such a boost to my mental health that she hears and acknowledges the mental issues I go through every now and then, no judgement, as I also do for her. But for a.lot of other Jordanian men, they have to keep their emotions bottled up to keep from being labeled too soft to handle the responsibilites expected of them. And keeping emotions bottled up may make men do things out of deep seated anger and frustration that they otherwise wouldn't do. As a result, that is why Jordanian men can come off as kind of aggressive, and that aggression in turn can make them do things that try to impress women but really make them look really sad and perverted. Little boys need fathers to be more involved in their lives, to show them that it's okay to be in touch with their emotions and to be more confident in themselves instead of acting out of a desire to fit the mold of traditionally toxic expectations. Sorry for the rant.
OP is saying the women- who are tasked with raising the children- are bringing boys up to believe this.
Load More Replies...I'm not sure that this one should have made it as a post. Seems a bit misogynistic and more about "his" personal issues IMHO.
Heaven is where the police are British, the cooks are French, the mechanics German, the lovers Italian and it’s all organised by the Swiss. Hell is where the chefs are British, the mechanics French, the lover’s Swiss, the police German and it’s all organised by the Italians.
Contrary to popular belief, not all Spaniards dance or even like flamenco. We also work longer hours than what most of the world thinks, but alas, we're really unproductive. Crazy meal hours: check (see working hours above)
contrary to popular belief, the Flamenco is not even really a spanish dance. It was heavily influenced and practically copied from the Romani dance. The word Flamenco was even historically used to identify romani people living in spain.
Load More Replies...Switzerland. "The Swiss are very much like the Germans, but without the Germans' reckless disregard for authority." You may need to think about that one.
I’m surprised us Swedes didn’t show up more than we did. We’re pretty much as you think we are, except we do feed guests and - and I’m sorry for all the people I’m about to disappoint - few of us has ever even seen surströmming. I would also like to take the opportunity to apologize for IKEA; we had no business letting it spread across the world like that.
As a french i feel like we are qo different depending of our living area. South west looks a lot like spain, south east like italy and north east like germany for example.
Can we really make a party out of any situation? Yes. Are we plagued with corrupt politics? Yes. Will we still lime (party)? Yes. Caribbean lol
Some people mentioned regional disparities within countries, and I doubt there's even one country with over a million that's completely homogenous culturally. I live in Taiwan which has a huge north/south difference (the north wants independence from China, the south wants reunification). The Korean peninsula isn't just a political divide, the north hates the south because for centuries invaders from China and Mongolia came over land (the north took the beating, the south didn't). Each of Japan's five major islands and regions (Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu, Shikoku, Okinawa) has its own way of speaking, acting or even language. Even breakaway states can have breakaway states (e.g. Transnistria, which wants separation from Moldova, has it's own region that wants to separate from Transnistria).
as an indian i can confirm that whenever i enter a room, mundian ke bach ke starts playing /joking
Heaven is where the police are British, the cooks are French, the mechanics German, the lovers Italian and it’s all organised by the Swiss. Hell is where the chefs are British, the mechanics French, the lover’s Swiss, the police German and it’s all organised by the Italians.
Contrary to popular belief, not all Spaniards dance or even like flamenco. We also work longer hours than what most of the world thinks, but alas, we're really unproductive. Crazy meal hours: check (see working hours above)
contrary to popular belief, the Flamenco is not even really a spanish dance. It was heavily influenced and practically copied from the Romani dance. The word Flamenco was even historically used to identify romani people living in spain.
Load More Replies...Switzerland. "The Swiss are very much like the Germans, but without the Germans' reckless disregard for authority." You may need to think about that one.
I’m surprised us Swedes didn’t show up more than we did. We’re pretty much as you think we are, except we do feed guests and - and I’m sorry for all the people I’m about to disappoint - few of us has ever even seen surströmming. I would also like to take the opportunity to apologize for IKEA; we had no business letting it spread across the world like that.
As a french i feel like we are qo different depending of our living area. South west looks a lot like spain, south east like italy and north east like germany for example.
Can we really make a party out of any situation? Yes. Are we plagued with corrupt politics? Yes. Will we still lime (party)? Yes. Caribbean lol
Some people mentioned regional disparities within countries, and I doubt there's even one country with over a million that's completely homogenous culturally. I live in Taiwan which has a huge north/south difference (the north wants independence from China, the south wants reunification). The Korean peninsula isn't just a political divide, the north hates the south because for centuries invaders from China and Mongolia came over land (the north took the beating, the south didn't). Each of Japan's five major islands and regions (Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu, Shikoku, Okinawa) has its own way of speaking, acting or even language. Even breakaway states can have breakaway states (e.g. Transnistria, which wants separation from Moldova, has it's own region that wants to separate from Transnistria).
as an indian i can confirm that whenever i enter a room, mundian ke bach ke starts playing /joking
