Gothenburg and assorted adventures in Europe
- Thread starter Jolty
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herneheim
Photog. Extraordinaire
I personally think that it is a little bit douchey to sew a Canadian flag to your backpack. (Not only that, but I've heard that Americans have begun doing it as well, which makes me want to do it even less.) Maybe I'll... y'know... be polite?
My mom, on the other hand, is convinced that if I don't, everyone will think I am American and they will serve me last, treat me poorly, and try to rip me off. I don't really think that's true.
What do you think?
My mom, on the other hand, is convinced that if I don't, everyone will think I am American and they will serve me last, treat me poorly, and try to rip me off. I don't really think that's true.
What do you think?
stizzleomnibus
Decisively Human
I think that Europeans are a bit more evolved than some of those cliches would have you think. If you show up and you're polite, even if you're an American, you'll be fine. France might be an exception, since the people of the U.S. and France seem to have a mutual dislike (oddly for the same reasons on both sides; we deserve each other).
Of course, I work for a very unpopular company, and sometimes when people here who I work for they want to tell me their horror story. In cases like that, it's best to agree with their statements. I think I'd do fine in Europe because I really like their mass transit, socialism, and general lack of military adventurism. So, assuming you're not an evangelical right-winger or a Tea Partier, I would bet that everyone will remain neutral about you until you say something stupid or offensive.
Also, like their food. Even if you don't, say it. Swedish meatballs are fucking amazing on their own, but you might have to pretend that they're better with lingonberry preserves just because that's the custom.
Of course, I work for a very unpopular company, and sometimes when people here who I work for they want to tell me their horror story. In cases like that, it's best to agree with their statements. I think I'd do fine in Europe because I really like their mass transit, socialism, and general lack of military adventurism. So, assuming you're not an evangelical right-winger or a Tea Partier, I would bet that everyone will remain neutral about you until you say something stupid or offensive.
Also, like their food. Even if you don't, say it. Swedish meatballs are fucking amazing on their own, but you might have to pretend that they're better with lingonberry preserves just because that's the custom.
Well, such things about disliking foreigners used to happen in Europe. I'm not sure if it happened for Americans as well, but it happened to many Germans I think. A friend of mine told me that when she went to Yugoslavia around 30 years ago, you had to talk German because nobody could speak English at all. Yugoslavians weren't very fond of Germans though (yes I know, they all speak the language, that's ironic), so they had to say that they were Dutch in German first. Actually, the effect was very positive, most people started blathering about Johan Cruijff (a famous Dutch footballer).
This is probably not happening anywhere anymore though, and if it all it'll mostly be in some eastern European countries. I'm not sure if the Canadian flag would work though, everybody is wearing Norwegian flags on their jackets here as well because there's this Norwegian company that sells quite a lot of them, and many use American flags as well just because they think it looks sturdy
This is probably not happening anywhere anymore though, and if it all it'll mostly be in some eastern European countries. I'm not sure if the Canadian flag would work though, everybody is wearing Norwegian flags on their jackets here as well because there's this Norwegian company that sells quite a lot of them, and many use American flags as well just because they think it looks sturdy
Defiance
I vårens ljusa kvällar
I think it's nice to sew one, and it also helps identify your backpack; i.e. tell other people it's not theirs. I think a lot of people can distinguish between a US American and a Canadian, but I guess most people can't.
The thing with France, is that, at least in Paris, they hate everything that starts with the word "English". Seriously, I was there and experienced it first hand. They just hate the language/people, it's amazing. I asked a guy for an Elend CD at a huge record shop at Champs Élysées, and the guy just didn't answer me, and looked at me in a totally pejorative way. Note: He was in the metal section, and had long hair and beard. So it wasn't about the CD.
I actually prefer London by a lot, even if it's more expensive.
In many countries in Europe (at least here in The Netherlands) the French aren´t exactly known for their politeness. Even though I live pretty close (about a 5 hours drive, rough estimate), I´ve never actually been to Paris. London is very nice indeed, and English will suit you fine there 
Another European city I would recommend is Rome. Really beautiful city, great food, good atmosphere and nice people. Not everyone speaks good English there, but most of them speak a few words, at least sufficient to be understandable Public transportation is also very good there: for 16 euros you got a pass which gives you acces to all urban public transportation (buses, underground, trams) for a week. There are two underground lines, which meet at Termini, the central railway station. Most buses and trams also stop at Termini. You shouldn´t be afraid of crowds though, the public transportation in Rome is always packed, especially during weekdays. And especially in crowded buses, you should watch out for pickpocketers, I got my wallet stolen there last April.
Another European city I would recommend is Rome. Really beautiful city, great food, good atmosphere and nice people. Not everyone speaks good English there, but most of them speak a few words, at least sufficient to be understandable Public transportation is also very good there: for 16 euros you got a pass which gives you acces to all urban public transportation (buses, underground, trams) for a week. There are two underground lines, which meet at Termini, the central railway station. Most buses and trams also stop at Termini. You shouldn´t be afraid of crowds though, the public transportation in Rome is always packed, especially during weekdays. And especially in crowded buses, you should watch out for pickpocketers, I got my wallet stolen there last April.
MP-AKK
Member
stizzleomnibus
Decisively Human
Well, aside from people lecturing you about how you talk funny despite it being your native language. Elitists!
Defiance
I vårens ljusa kvällar
In many countries in Europe (at least here in The Netherlands) the French aren´t exactly known for their politeness. Even though I live pretty close (about a 5 hours drive, rough estimate), I´ve never actually been to Paris. London is very nice indeed, and English will suit you fine there
Yeah London is great, one of my favourite cities along with Oslo, Bergen and Brussels.
Oh Cthulhu Roma is horrible to be honest. It's way too overrated for the piece of rubbish it is. Please don't hate me you Italian forum users, but Roma was the closest to 3rd world I saw in Europe. Dirty streets and reckless drivers. The outer walls of the Coliseum are black from the smog of the cars. And Venecia, oh don't get me started. Just a big sewer that constantly smells bad, and 110 to ride the gondola. I'd like to go to Milano or Torino, I've heard those parts are nicer.
Haha perhaps because France and Germany own the EU
.Those bloody US Americans can't speak proper English!
Hehe I've been told I speak English like a Norwegian, which is totally fine by me
.
La Rocque
I am that I am
Oh I must honestly say I really love Rome. As for the reckless driving, that's typically Italian, or southern European for that matter. But I like that, it's fun watching it from the pavement. They actually do that on small winding roads in the southern Alps as well btw Venice is too expensive, that's true, but that's not so bad in Rome. If you look close enough, good food is everywhere, and it barely costs anything. You can get a good pizza for about 5 or 6 euros, try that in the Netherlands! But many places in Italy are dirty, that's true. Rome isn't the worst though, southern Italy is way worse I think, especially the larger cities like Napoli. I don't know what it is, but for some reason I feel quite comfortable being in Rome, more than in many other cities.
Venice is too expensive, that's true, but that's not so bad in Rome. If you look close enough, good food is everywhere, and it barely costs anything. You can get a good pizza for about 5 or 6 euros, try that in the Netherlands! But many places in Italy are dirty, that's true. Rome isn't the worst though, southern Italy is way worse I think, especially the larger cities like Napoli. I don't know what it is, but for some reason I feel quite comfortable being in Rome, more than in many other cities.
Defiance
I vårens ljusa kvällar
You obviously didn't visit Athens then.
Haha as a matter of fact I didn't
. Did some fires start again or did I dream that? It's horrible, it's happening on a yearly basis.Oh I must honestly say I really love Rome. As for the reckless driving, that's typically Italian, or southern European for that matter. But I like that, it's fun watching it from the pavement. They actually do that on small winding roads in the southern Alps as well btw
Yeah I didn't go to the destroyed-by-mafia south part of Italia, which everyone tells me is horrible.
Good luck trying to find anything under 6£ in London, I think it's more expensive than Oslo.
Unfortunately you didn't dream that... I'm sick of hearing bad things on the news.
rahvin
keeper of the flame
Oh I must honestly say I really love Rome. As for the reckless driving, that's typically Italian, or southern European for that matter. But I like that, it's fun watching it from the pavement. They actually do that on small winding roads in the southern Alps as well btw
Fun fact, the reckless driving is actually only specific to Northern/Central Italy. In the South they may drive carelessly in the sense that they don't bother paying attention to road signs and actually believe traffic lights are "guidelines" instead of rules, but drivers are laid back and prone to proceed slowly and yielding based on some unspoken gentlemen's agreement: they're generally in no hurry to get anywhere, and it shows.
Defiance
I vårens ljusa kvällar
Ah bollocks, that's not nice. It mustn't be a good time to be a Greek living in Greece. First the über crisis and über bailout, now more fires ; it all makes you feel really miserable.
Hahaha priceless!
It's much worse than that. The crisis is not over at all, in fact the results are going to start showing in our pockets around September/October, and the big anger is expected to come to surface then. Plus everyone feels insecure cause we don't trust the government or the journalists anymore, and we keep living in the fear of a possible soon-to-come bankruptcy that noone is telling us about.
And to top that, a couple days ago a journalist who was running the biggest anonymous news-blog in Greece was shot outside his home mafia-style (they emptied two guns on him), possibly because he had become annoying by opening his mouth too much and he was going to bring to light some scandal or something like that.
Yay for Greece, the home of democracy, yay!
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