what do you know about foreign countries? stereotypes vs. reality

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  • cropdustress
    cropdustress Posts: 4,339
    Speaking of sterotypes, I absolutely hate when people tell me Americans are all fat ans stupid. That is not true, as I happen to have many friends there.
    One time my friend from US was visiting, we went out for drinks and some ppl in our company asked him if he was really from the US. And they were in awe and a little suspicious, haha.
    He responded: Why? Cause all Americans are fat and dumb?
    (He's tall and skinny and intelligent, so doesn't fit in that stereotype, haha)

    I just hate those kinds of stereotypes towards Americans especially from people who have never ever met one or even been there...
    "I surfaced and all of my being was enlightened"
  • brainofme
    brainofme Posts: 231
    cropdustress wrote:
    Croatia is not that far from you, you know :D

    i know, i know ;-)
    cropdustress wrote:
    Oh, I forgot about Mozart kugeln, I ALWAYS get them when I go to Austria, even though you can buy them here too. But hey, thats a real souvenir. That gets eaten right away haha :p

    and "Manner"-Schnitten. do you know them, i guess so. are they actually known in america as well?

    and i forgot: world-famous energy-drink "red bull" is from austria.
    Vienna, Austria 2006
    Munich, Germany 2007
  • lalalalaaaaaaaa
    lalalalaaaaaaaa Posts: 2,445
    cropdustress wrote:
    Speaking of sterotypes, I absolutely hate when people tell me Americans are all fat ans stupid. That is not true, as I happen to have many friends there.
    One time my friend from US was visiting, we went out for drinks and some ppl in our company asked him if he was really from the US. And they were in awe and a little suspicious, haha.
    He responded: Why? Cause all Americans are fat and dumb?
    (He's tall and skinny and intelligent, so doesn't fit in that stereotype, haha)

    I just hate those kinds of stereotypes towards Americans especially from people who have never ever met one or even been there...
    Yeah, I can't stand that either. I also don't like the stereotype that we aren't "well traveled". In America, it's not like you can drive 4 hours and be in another country like you can if you live in Europe.
  • cropdustress
    cropdustress Posts: 4,339
    gabers wrote:
    South Korea:

    From what my buddies who were stationed there told me, so this is probably a warped view. Cold as Hell in the winter, hot as Hell in the summer. I've heard the phrase "Coldrea" for Korea. You don't notice the cold as much until you're sleeping in a tent for days on end in it. A friend told me he was once digging a foxhole and cried because it was just so miserably cold. Uhh, let's see, it's easy to get messed up on the soju, uhhh, watch out for the pagogi (or kagogi), I was told one is beef and one is dog. Umm, the hookers do crazy tricks that involve spinning from a contraction hanging from the ceiling while mounted on you and if you don't come in like 10 seconds it's free. Let's see, uh, a lot of the students despise the American presense. Oh yeah, and it was still practice (at least like 10 years ago) for parents to sort of sell off their daughters for marriage. Despite all of this debauchery, I would love to visit, and from what I've seen in pictures, the landscape is gorgeous. Seoul would probably be a great place to visit too.

    Croatia:

    All I know is that they have great beaches, the ecomony is still struggling to develop, and they speak a language (Croatian) similar to Russian. I have some ancestry from there and would love to visit some day. Just jump in a car and tour the country. Actually, Cropdustress, I've seen some of the pictures you've taken of the area you live in the winter and they are breathtaking.

    Croatia is beautiful, yes. YOu gotta see my summer pictures if you liked winter ones ;)
    It is a beautiful country, but like you said, the economy is still bad and struggling to develop ever since the war ended, and that was in 1995. Some people think we're still in war :eek: *You're from Croatia? OMG, Are you OK? :rolleyes: Yeah, I'm fine...
    And I've had people thinking how we still live in the middle ages or something, not sure they were serious or not, haha.
    Anyways, it's hard cause the whole economy, politics and the situation in the country definitely affects on the life style and I pretty much hate it here cause of it. I also think that lots of people are living in denial, thinking how everything is so peachy, roses all around, but in reality, it's not. That bothers me so much and I can't think the same way about the situation here after
    all I've been thru, experienced and seen in my life...This is getting to political now and I don't even like politcs, lol

    Anyways, visit, come all you tourists, it's pretty cheap for you and a great country to see. I've been told we're very friendly people, like to drink and eat, enjoy life and we're party animals :D
    "I surfaced and all of my being was enlightened"
  • cropdustress
    cropdustress Posts: 4,339
    Saturnal wrote:
    Yeah, I can't stand that either. I also don't like the stereotype that we aren't "well traveled". In America, it's not like you can drive 4 hours and be in another country like you can if you live in Europe.
    Hey, when I was at camp in NH, I've never traveled so much in my life before.
    I mean, its a big country, pretty vast and in New England (and everywhere else)
    you need to drive a lot to get somewhere, and it's pretty great cause you see a lot. It takes a while, but that's the beauty of it.
    It's no problem getting from like my camp to Boston in 2 hrs, but here we're not like that. It takes about 2 hrs to Zagreb and I normally don't take the car...
    it's hard to explain, but it's a different mentality.
    In US it's normal to drive everywhere but Europe and Croatia esp is very small and takes about few minutes to get where you wanna go, so it's weird when you go on longer road trips :)
    "I surfaced and all of my being was enlightened"
  • cropdustress
    cropdustress Posts: 4,339
    brainofme wrote:
    i know, i know ;-)



    and "Manner"-Schnitten. do you know them, i guess so. are they actually known in america as well?

    and i forgot: world-famous energy-drink "red bull" is from austria.
    Manner! I LOVE those! They got lots of kinds of cakes, well, cookies, but
    the chocolate ones are the best.
    I had no idea REd Bull was from Austria :o

    Fun facts about Croatia:

    A tie, or kravatte, kravat, was invented in Croatia.
    Also, thin ball pen.
    And a parachute, I believe.
    "I surfaced and all of my being was enlightened"
  • markymark550
    markymark550 Columbia, SC Posts: 5,234
    cropdustress wrote:
    So, what do people know/think/would like to know about Croatia/Croatians? :D
    Don't know much, but here goes:
    -Capital is Zagreb
    -in the Balkan Peninsula and borders the Adriatic Sea to the west
    -was a part of Yugoslavia for a long time, but gained independence as it's own nation some 15-20 years ago (I remember it happening, but not the exact year)
    -in that region there has been a long standing hostility between Croats and Serbs
  • chinobaeza
    chinobaeza Santiago Posts: 2,489
    cropdustress wrote:
    Speaking of sterotypes, I absolutely hate when people tell me Americans are all fat ans stupid. That is not true, as I happen to have many friends there.
    http://friends.timway.com/photos/Eddielwy/fat%20kid12.jpg
    That's the classic image of the "sterotype american kid"
  • cropdustress
    cropdustress Posts: 4,339
    brainofme wrote:
    well, i have to admit i always have problems with the east- and south-east european languages. i can't differ them. if you would speak, i would have no clue if your from croatia, the czech republic or poland. this is actually quite embarassing because these languages are probably very different and a lot of people from east- and south-east europe know how to speak german, but we are uneducated fools...
    It's ok, I understand it can be hard to figure out Slavic languages, I too have dificulties with some, its not a shameful thing ;)
    Croatian is actually very similar to Polish, more to Polish than Russian, cause our language is mellower, not so harsh as Russian.
    I don't know much about the origin of all our Slavic languages, but I believe it depends on the Slavic tribes, south or whatever...:o
    I'm a bit clueless on that part.
    I find it interesting that all those languages (Croatian, Polish, Czech, Russian...) are very similar but are so different too. One would easily pick up another language if they already spoke one, I believe.
    Also, Croatian, Serbian and Bosnian are VERY similar, almost the same, except Serbian has different pronnounciation and grammar. but we understand each other perfectly ;)
    Slovenian, on the other hand, is a bit different, a harder to understand. Dialect I speak in my part of Croatia has similarites, but that's another story ;)
    "I surfaced and all of my being was enlightened"
  • brainofme
    brainofme Posts: 231
    about america and travel vs. europe and travel:

    well, i've never been to america (would love to go there), but coming from europe i wouldn't say i've seen a lot from europe. i only travelled by plane once. a lot of americans have relatives on like the other part of the us, so if you visit them you have to fly. i can't imagine that. all my close relatives live like under 1 1/2 hours away from me.
    but i guess that's the beauty and fascination of america for us europeans. it's just a total different mentality and lifestyle. we over here have nice old buildings, strange languages, and you have the open road.
    Vienna, Austria 2006
    Munich, Germany 2007
  • cropdustress
    cropdustress Posts: 4,339
    markymark550 wrote:
    Don't know much, but here goes:
    -Capital is Zagreb
    -in the Balkan Peninsula and borders the Adriatic Sea to the west
    -was a part of Yugoslavia for a long time, but gained independence as it's own nation some 15-20 years ago (I remember it happening, but not the exact year)
    -in that region there has been a long standing hostility between Croats and Serbs
    Correct :)
    Independence was in 1990. And no more hostility between us, maybe
    in some parts of Croatia and Serbia, but for my generation and younger, I believe that's surpassed. Some people and parts of the country struck in war are still healing and it's hard to forget... :(
    "I surfaced and all of my being was enlightened"
  • brainofme
    brainofme Posts: 231
    cropdustress wrote:
    It's ok, I understand it can be hard to figure out Slavic languages, I too have dificulties with some, its not a shameful thing ;)
    Croatian is actually very similar to Polish, more to Polish than Russian, cause our language is mellower, not so harsh as Russian.
    I don't know much about the origin of all our Slavic languages, but I believe it depends on the Slavic tribes, south or whatever...:o
    I'm a bit clueless on that part.
    I find it interesting that all those languages (Croatian, Polish, Czech, Russian...) are very similar but are so different too. One would easily pick up another language if they already spoke one, I believe.
    Also, Croatian, Serbian and Bosnian are VERY similar, almost the same, except Serbian has different pronnounciation and grammar. but we understand each other perfectly ;)
    Slovenian, on the other hand, is a bit different, a harder to understand. Dialect I speak in my part of Croatia has similarites, but that's another story ;)

    it's interesting, cause you can understand different languages, while i have problems understanding people from vorarlberg or tyrol - even though they come from my country. haha..
    Vienna, Austria 2006
    Munich, Germany 2007
  • gabers
    gabers Posts: 2,787
    chinobaeza wrote:
    http://friends.timway.com/photos/Eddielwy/fat%20kid12.jpg
    That's the classic image of the "sterotype american kid"

    Yes yes, that's the typical American kid. :D

    ALF! That's priceless! I'd say that looks more like a kid from the Scottish countryside visiting or something. Outsiders tend to be a little behind on American trends. Everywhere I've traveled, which includes South and Central America, Western and Central Europe, and the Caribbean, the kids who wear American style clothes always seem to be behind the trends anywhere from 5-20 years.
  • cropdustress
    cropdustress Posts: 4,339
    brainofme wrote:
    it's interesting, cause you can understand different languages, while i have problems understanding people from vorarlberg or tyrol - even though they come from my country. haha..
    Yeah, languages are pretty interesting and amazing.
    So are dialects, it's so fascinating and I know what you mean, haha.
    We got dialects too, and it happens here aswell, but we try to stick to plain ole Croatian when people speak different dialects :D

    I totally agree with your post above about Americans and their culture on travelling. Its a big country, pretty vast, and they need to travel a lot if the wanna see it, by plane, road trips anything.
    In Europe everything is much smaller and closer...

    Where do you live in Austria?
    "I surfaced and all of my being was enlightened"
  • markymark550
    markymark550 Columbia, SC Posts: 5,234
    cropdustress wrote:
    Correct :)
    Independence was in 1990. And no more hostility between us, maybe
    in some parts of Croatia and Serbia, but for my generation and younger, I believe that's surpassed. Some people and parts of the country struck in war are still healing and it's hard to forget... :(
    Yeah, I remember being young when Croatia got it's independence (would have been 6 or 7 at the time). That's good to know that the hostility is lessening and is starting to go away. Was it the break up of Yugoslavia and the formation of Croatia and Serbia that helped ease the tensions? I would imagine that each group of people having their own nation to take pride in and live would help, but I really do not know.
  • GreenTeaDisease
    GreenTeaDisease Posts: 3,359
    brainofme wrote:

    So to get this thing started: .....what do you know about Austria?

    The funny thing about being from Austria is that a lot of people - mainly from America ;-) -think Austria is Australia, and that we have kangaroos…well, this is so not true

    Obviously, you don't know much about foreign countries- you've just stereotyped americans as being UNBELIEVABLY stupid. I've never met ANYONE who thinks Austria=Australia. The irony of your post is hilarious- blaming people for being ignorant of other places and cultures and being completely ignorant yourself. Nice.

    And I, an american, know a lot about Oestereich, actually, since I took an Austrian history class, auf Deutsch, in college.
  • cropdustress
    cropdustress Posts: 4,339
    markymark550 wrote:
    Yeah, I remember being young when Croatia got it's independence (would have been 6 or 7 at the time). That's good to know that the hostility is lessening and is starting to go away. Was it the break up of Yugoslavia and the formation of Croatia and Serbia that helped ease the tensions? I would imagine that each group of people having their own nation to take pride in and live would help, but I really do not know.
    The break up of Yugoslavia caused the war.
    Time and I guess people forgetting and forgiving and just being open minded
    helped to ease the tensions, imo. This is just my point of view, tho, I'm sure someone else would tell you different, maybe not so friendly as me. :o
    It's really hard to say from my perspective what a general consensus is, but what I listed and explained in the previous post about this issue, I believe that's what it is. I hope this makes sense to you...

    Oh, I was actually a kid, too, when all this took place in the early 90's and don't remember much, but the country and people in those parts suffered a lot. I was lucky enough, my part (west) wasn't struck during the war, but we had lots of refugees from the east and elsewhere coming over, lived in hotels and wherever they could put them for years.
    The east is recovering, but Vukovar, the city that was completely gone, totally demolished, wiped out, whatever you wanna call it, during the war is suffering nowadays. People can't get jobs and even if they do, they don't get payed a lot.
    On the other hand, politicians and the city mayor gets payed what an average worker earns in one year! :eek:
    It's all so sad and hypocritical, but it's like that pretty much everywhere here, just Vukovar is the worst now. I watched a report about it on tv, and it was so sad and frustrating.
    "I surfaced and all of my being was enlightened"
  • gabers
    gabers Posts: 2,787
    GreenTeaDisease wrote:
    Obviously, you don't know much about foreign countries- you've just stereotyped americans as being UNBELIEVABLY stupid. I've never met ANYONE who thinks Austria=Australia. The irony of your post is hilarious- blaming people for being ignorant of other places and cultures and being completely ignorant yourself. Nice.

    And I, an american, know a lot about Oestereich, actually, since I took an Austrian history class, auf Deutsch, in college.

    Let's face it, there are a lot of ignorant Americans. When it comes to world geography, I'd bet Americans would probably be the most ignorant, as a nation. I have little nieces in Peru that know more about the world than many college grads here. Seriously. Of course that's not to say all Americans are stupid. I take offense to that also. I think we just tend to take less interest in other cultures, for a variety of reasons, including arrogance. I'm sure you and your friends are very intelligent, but you know the deal.
  • brainofme
    brainofme Posts: 231
    GreenTeaDisease wrote:
    Obviously, you don't know much about foreign countries- you've just stereotyped americans as being UNBELIEVABLY stupid. I've never met ANYONE who thinks Austria=Australia. The irony of your post is hilarious- blaming people for being ignorant of other places and cultures and being completely ignorant yourself. Nice.

    And I, an american, know a lot about Oestereich, actually, since I took an Austrian history class, auf Deutsch, in college.


    good for you, that you know about other countries. i never said that i know a lot about different countries. the intention of this thread was to get to know other countries and cultures better, and get a new persepctive. and it's even called "stereotypes vs. reality", so i don't know why you have to be so harsh.

    and the statement about americans thinking australia is austria came actually from an american, as i stated before. and i don't think austria is such an important country, so that all people of the whole world have to know about it. it's pretty small, you know.

    and that's what stereotypes are. i come from austria, does that make me a fucking nazi? no, no, no!!!!
    Vienna, Austria 2006
    Munich, Germany 2007
  • markymark550
    markymark550 Columbia, SC Posts: 5,234
    cropdustress wrote:
    The break up of Yugoslavia caused the war.
    Time and I guess people forgetting and forgiving and just being open minded
    helped to ease the tensions, imo. This is just my point of view, tho, I'm sure someone else would tell you different, maybe not so friendly as me. :o
    It's really hard to say from my perspective what a general consensus is, but what I listed and explained in the previous post about this issue, I believe that's what it is. I hope this makes sense to you...
    That does make sense. I thought that it was a war within Yugoslavia that caused it's eventual break up. I guess I learned it backwards because I didn't realize the break up caused the war. Anyways, it is good to know that places there are getting better and starting to recover. Thanks for sharing that :)

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