America

[Gabby15]

I'd like to live in America

[ClaretMahoney]

Why don't more (North) Americans travel through South America? I don't get it, it's right there in your time zone. Young Australians save up to go on back packing adventures on the Inca trail or the salt flats of chile or the beaches of Brazil. You don't seem to see as many from the US doing it from my understanding which seems weird.

Probably because they're more interested in Europe because it's not painted as a perpetual civil war. (Yes I know there aren't any civil wars going on right now in Latin America!). But the media portray the continent as a brutal and dangerous place.

It's total bullshit, we people that have been there know this. The dangerous areas are no more dangerous then the ghettos in Brum, Los Angeles or Bratislava. But many people feed on that and don't go.

I did though!

Central America that is, didn't quite make it to S. America, had to much fun in Costa Rica, Panama and Nicaragua. I'd go back in a flash...

[b6bloke]

i can only talk about the places i have been but i love the place, it has its faults like anywhere but the is much more good. The political system needs an over haul due to the profiteering and medical and prescription services for the poor! I would like to live there but doubt i would get a chance.

[heystally!]

Never been there, so I cannot judge it fully. But I voted the last option, because it's our **** language, it's an 's' for the love of McGrath!

I dislike the economic ideology of the country, but I also dislike it here. My friend spent the year before last in Vermont, and made a comparison between capitalism here and there with regards to, for example, going to the shops. Here you find a lot of chain stores with people working there who have no interest in the business that pays them, and as a result you find a lot more miserable people who couldn't really care how you are as a person - you're just a consumer. Over where he was, he said the stores were pretty much all independently run, and as such the people who owned their own stores were always friendlier and seemed to care more about how you were. But it's all part of the system, keep you coming back. He didn't really know which was worse. For me, the US really kicked off the market, which is something I do not support or have faith in.

He said Americans are all very nice people though, and the ignorant, overweight stereotypical image is only of a very select few. You'll get a lot more conversation out of random people than here. It really is noticeable. When we went out places after he came back, the cinema or a pub or whatever, he'd ask whoever served him how they were and how their day was, something it seemed he picked up from living over in the US. And the people he asked were almost taken aback, like there was something suspicious about just asking how they were.

But I have absolutely no problem with Americans. Judging people based on where they live is ridiculous. There are nice people and awful people in every country, and that is not because they live there. Really want to go visit there though.

[ClaretMahoney]

Great post stally, agree wholeheartedly. I imagine your friend that lived in Vermont was in a small town though. In a bigger city I doubt it is any different then Brum. For example store owners in Chicago, unless you are a daily repeat customer, are probably the same miserable twunts that are in London/NYC/LA etc etc.

In the Midwest we're mostly all like that. Not so much hustle and bustle or rat race, people are very nice and always up for meeting new people, especially foreigners that come to SoDak. (South Dakota).

[Guest Ricardomeister]

I love the good old US of A....they have some stunning scenery there. There is only 1 problem with it...it is full of Americans! :winkold:

[heystally!]

Great post stally, agree wholeheartedly. I imagine your friend that lived in Vermont was in a small town though. In a bigger city I doubt it is any different then Brum. For example store owners in Chicago, unless you are a daily repeat customer, are probably the same miserable twunts that are in London/NYC/LA etc etc.

In the Midwest we're mostly all like that. Not so much hustle and bustle or rat race, people are very nice and always up for meeting new people, especially foreigners that come to SoDak. (South Dakota).

Yeah he was at the University, so Middlebury, VT. Small town. I don't doubt that the major commercial centres are similar to those over here and probably everywhere in the world. But there does seem to be more of a contrast between cities and towns in the US than here in the UK. Towns here seem to be just very small cities, whereas towns over there have their own characteristics.

[maqroll]

And Chindie...alot of the reason why we Americans fly our flags proudly outside our houses is that exact same reason. Nationalism and patriotism, (bar July 4th) started on Sept 12. 2001.

Er, not so sure about that, CM

So you're saying that prior to 9/11 people had American flags outside their homes? Don't remember that AT ALL. Unless of course it was on 4th of July.

After we were attacked everyone and their dog had an American flag on their car, their house, and their motorcycles.

Where I live, people fly the flag. My neighbor growing up was a Marine, and he had an actual flagpole in front of his house. Being from the Boston area, the flag is everywhere, in large part due to our revolution history.

What WAS new here, were all the jingoistic bumperstickers. But the flag flying is nothing new here at all....

[kurtsimonw]

(South Dakota).

I'm an idiot. I always thought you were from San Diego, which is why it baffled me as to why you were on about the mid-west all the time. I forgot that in the US you generally put what state you're from, not City. :oops:

[briggaman]

I'd like to live in America

Same here!

[coda]

It's crap trying to get a drink there when you're under 21.

I see a lot of tourists in Stratford-upon-Avon with Canadian flags on their rucksacks. I'm guessing this is so they don't get confused with Yanks.

[ClaretMahoney]

Hahaha kurt, yea that's not the first time people on here have thought that. After all, most foreigners only think 5 cities exist in the USA, San Diego, Miami, New York, Vegas and DC.

And maqroll, I'd imagine that the flags flying in Boston has ALOT to do with the history of the area. Here in the Midwest it was kinda like Germany in 2006. We knew what the flag looked like but we didnt fly it often at all.... Prior to the WC in Deutchland, many Germans who flew the black, red and gold were thought of as nationalists and damn near Nazi sympathizers. This according to a few Germans that I met when I was there in 2010. But once the WC started everyone and their dog had the German flag everywhere.

[The_Rev]

San Diego doesnt have that high a profile out of the States. Well, not in Europe anyway, I guess San Diego might be a big deal for Mexicans as its a border town.

Id say the most famous cities over here are (roughly in order) New York, Los Angeles, Washington DC, Chicago, San Francisco, Miami, Las Vegas, Boston & Seattle. Most of us have heard of Birmingham, Alabama too.

[ClaretMahoney]

Hahahaha Rev.

The mates (couchsurfers) I met out in Brum that studied at Aston Uni came out to visit my friend who lives in Portland, Oregon. The two N. Irish guys traveled from Seattle to Vegas and had a blast. I'd like to do that in UK. Going to the smaller less touristy places, kinda like they did. I regret not going to Stone Henge, but I bet it's kinda overrated and I have a feeling I wouldn't be too impressed. Wales and Scotland interest me, especially Edinburgh. When I go back to the UK I wanna visit Torquay and Cornwall too. Okay, sorry to go OT.

[kurtsimonw]

San Diego doesnt have that high a profile out of the States. Well, not in Europe anyway, I guess San Diego might be a big deal for Mexicans as its a border town.

Id say the most famous cities over here are (roughly in order) New York, Los Angeles, Washington DC, Chicago, San Francisco, Miami, Las Vegas, Boston & Seattle. Most of us have heard of Birmingham, Alabama too.

Pretty much agree with that. Though I'd maybe put Detroit over Seattle.

[The_Rev]

Dunno. Seattle gave us Jimi Hendrix, Nirvana and Frasier!

[ClaretMahoney]

San Diego doesnt have that high a profile out of the States. Well, not in Europe anyway, I guess San Diego might be a big deal for Mexicans as its a border town.

Id say the most famous cities over here are (roughly in order) New York, Los Angeles, Washington DC, Chicago, San Francisco, Miami, Las Vegas, Boston & Seattle. Most of us have heard of Birmingham, Alabama too.

Pretty much agree with that. Though I'd maybe put Detroit over Seattle.

You must be joking Kurt! Detroit is the waste basket of the Midwest! Highest crime rate, iirc, in the whole USA. You can blame GM for that though.

[The_Rev]

It is very famous though. Mostly because of Motown records.

[Sithlord]

I regret not going to Stone Henge, but I bet it's kinda overrated and I have a feeling I wouldn't be too impressed

LMFAO I have never heard anyone use the phrase overrated when talking about five thousand year old Megalithic stone circles.

"If this was in America it would be a hundred feet tall, with lasers. This is rubbish!" you've been watching too much Spinal Tap Claret.

I'm not trying to offend you man but your choice of words has really tickled me, I hope no offense has been taken because there's none meant. Only an American

[ClaretMahoney]

Actually Sithlord, when I was in London and Brum back in 07 I met quite a few English, (and granted we were pissed at the pub) but I mentioned how I wanted to wake up early and get a train to Stone Henge and check it out. They laughed at me and called me a tosser for wanting to go, I got this from quite a few and thought that it was the general consensus among British.

I thought I may even get mocked on here for wanting to go, it's still something I want to do don't get me wrong!

/edit

A spliff+sunset+stone henge would be ace.