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Misconceptions about your home country.
- Thread starter Spaced Harrier
- Start date
gutter_trash
Banned
Canada:
Americans think that Canadians are polite.
that is a load of horse shit. Canadians can be jerks, cuss, road rage and lose their minds like anybody else.
Americans think that Canadians are polite.
that is a load of horse shit. Canadians can be jerks, cuss, road rage and lose their minds like anybody else.
Mr. Poolman
Member
Boy... where to begin.
First, Costa Rica is not a fricking island!!! we are just on the middle (and thinnest) part of the continent.
Also, despite what Jurassic Park tells you, San Jose (Costa Rica's capital city) doesn't look like this:
Heck, San Jose ain't even a coast city.
And no, we don't have dirt roads or animals on the streets.
San José actually looks like this:
Sure, Costa Rica's main appeal are our natural resources, but we aren't that backwards as Hollywood depicts us.
First, Costa Rica is not a fricking island!!! we are just on the middle (and thinnest) part of the continent.
Also, despite what Jurassic Park tells you, San Jose (Costa Rica's capital city) doesn't look like this:
Heck, San Jose ain't even a coast city.
And no, we don't have dirt roads or animals on the streets.
San José actually looks like this:
Sure, Costa Rica's main appeal are our natural resources, but we aren't that backwards as Hollywood depicts us.
Oppo
Member
OK sure, but I'm betting what you are calling end of winter would be pretty damn cold for a lot of folks! point taken though
We tend to be more polite, which I think is probably true, since every American comments on it. The "sorry"s and whatnot. Of course we have shitheels.gutter_trash said:
eso76
Member
Always well dressed, wouldn't wear shorts even with 40°C outside.
Also "Damn italian drivers crashing their Alfa's everywhere.!"
(this is an actual caption from a C+VG issue where they reviewed Racing Evoluzione, i think it was)
I wanna live there 😍😍😍Boy... where to begin.
First, Costa Rica is not a fricking island!!! we are just on the middle (and thinnest) part of the continent.
Also, despite what Jurassic Park tells you, San Jose (Costa Rica's capital city) doesn't look like this:
Heck, San Jose ain't even a coast city.
And no, we don't have dirt roads or animals on the streets.
San José actually looks like this:
Sure, Costa Rica's main appeal are our natural resources, but we aren't that backwards as Hollywood depicts us.
johancruijff
Banned
i mean
maybe not frantically, but we do use our body to talk more than other countries
DaciaJC
Gold Member
Was born and raised in the United States, but my whole family is from Romania.
"Oh, the land of the gypsies?"
The Romani comprise about 3-10 percent of the total population, depending on which source you look at, which is pretty much the same as for surrounding countries like Bulgaria and Hungary. Ethnically speaking, they're pretty different from the "native stock," having originated in the Indian subcontinent.
Honestly, they don't have a very good reputation within the country, at least according to those I've spoken to; but at the same time, they face quite a bit of discrimination, not just in Romania but across Europe.
"Oh, the land of the gypsies?"
The Romani comprise about 3-10 percent of the total population, depending on which source you look at, which is pretty much the same as for surrounding countries like Bulgaria and Hungary. Ethnically speaking, they're pretty different from the "native stock," having originated in the Indian subcontinent.
Honestly, they don't have a very good reputation within the country, at least according to those I've spoken to; but at the same time, they face quite a bit of discrimination, not just in Romania but across Europe.
Mighty Chin
Banned
But we're extremely polite while doing it.
- Mexico is not a tiny cartel town south of Texas.
- Mexico is in North America, not South America. Also not Central America.
- I do look Mexican. No one ever tells me I don't look Mexican in Mexico.
- Mexico is not a hot country, Mexico is a country with many hot regions and many cold regions.
- We do eat nachos, but as snacks, they're not a meal.
- Hard tacos are not a thing.
- I have only one brother and that's normal.
- There are a lot of Catholics in Mexico (over 80% of the population), but there's a very strong church/state separation in the country as a result of two wars.
- We don't hate America or Americans, "gringo" is not a bad word in Mexico.
There are more, I'm sure.
- Mexico is in North America, not South America. Also not Central America.
- I do look Mexican. No one ever tells me I don't look Mexican in Mexico.
- Mexico is not a hot country, Mexico is a country with many hot regions and many cold regions.
- We do eat nachos, but as snacks, they're not a meal.
- Hard tacos are not a thing.
- I have only one brother and that's normal.
- There are a lot of Catholics in Mexico (over 80% of the population), but there's a very strong church/state separation in the country as a result of two wars.
- We don't hate America or Americans, "gringo" is not a bad word in Mexico.
There are more, I'm sure.
Ah, I remember another one kind of prevalent on GAF!
- Coke is not cheaper than bottled water in Mexico. Not even remotely close. Which makes Mexico's lust for black sugary soda even worse, I guess, lol.
I think people do underestimate the task that has been the reunification (or probably not estimate at all which is absolutely fair).
It's not only 4 decades of separation. It's 4 decades of indoctrination and deprivation. For some people I fear it will never be possible to settle in a western democracy. That said for most people, especially the younger generations it's a non issue. And the architectural scars will hardly be visible in a couple of years I believe.
Then it's also hard to tell how much of the divide between east and west Germany is basically just regional difference that has always been there. I see this discussion coming up more frequently in the last years. Take the strive of the far right in the east for example. Is this due to a kind of psychological conditioning of decades of dictatorship or is it a general cultural tendency towards strong rule in the east. I don't believe in the latter since the east has a strong liberal tradition with enlightened rulers in Prussia or Saxony.
Bottom line: we're good but it's an ongoing process and it's not done just like that.
There's an enduring thing about Finland having absurdly high suicides rate.
During the last few decades the number of annual suicides has dropped by half. It's still a bit higher than in most western Europe, but in top countries like South Korea and Lithuania the rate is twice as high as in Finland.
During the last few decades the number of annual suicides has dropped by half. It's still a bit higher than in most western Europe, but in top countries like South Korea and Lithuania the rate is twice as high as in Finland.
Maybe you mean San Jose specifically but Costa Rica has fairly significant well trafficked dirt roads including a fifty mile stretch near Arenal I encountered many animals on, including an overweight boa constrictor
Raylan Targaryen
Member
Two years ago the misconception about Sweden was that everyone was pro at CS
Sweden just slowly being revealed to be a Tier 3 country
Switch Back 9
a lot of my threads involve me fucking up somehow. Perhaps I'm a moron?
Any Canadian who thinks we aren't super polite (for the most part) needs to visit America.
I'm not saying Americans are rude, but compared to Canada I hear far less "please, thank you, excuse me, etc".
I'm not saying Americans are rude, but compared to Canada I hear far less "please, thank you, excuse me, etc".
SomedayTheFire
Member
Woah I did no know the Romani were originally from the Indian Subcontinent.
Those were made specifically for tourism.
None of the main cities (Heredia,Alajuela,Cartago,San José) are like that, even rural areas have roads with very few exceptions.
Pandora012
Member
Depends on what region of the US you go to. I know from experience the North East, or parts of it tend to be more abrupt and to the point. While my time in South, they tended to be more polite, or I guess "nicer". Though I don't know how far Southern manners extend.
PandaPedinte
Member
Some common misconceptions about Brazil and it's inhabitants:
- The girls are easy
No they aren't. Each person is different, you aren't going to land here and have all women wanting to fuck you just because you happen to be a foreigner.
- You all like Football
It's the number one sport here, but not all Brazilians like it. Some doesn't even care about the national team and only care about the team they root for.
- It's a very hot country
Have you ever looked Brazil map? The country has a lot of area, some regions will have a tropical climate but don't be surprised if you ever come to São Paulo city and it's raining and grey or go to the south states and it's cold.
- The country loves to celebrate Carnival!
Some people will be shocked but not everyone likes Carnival.
- Are you Brazilian? You do not look like a Brazilian
Seriously, what even is a Brazilian look? The country received a lot of immigrants from different countries and continents. Miscegenation is a thing and yes I can be brown and my brothers be white or people from the Northeast states be white.
- The girls are easy
No they aren't. Each person is different, you aren't going to land here and have all women wanting to fuck you just because you happen to be a foreigner.
- You all like Football
It's the number one sport here, but not all Brazilians like it. Some doesn't even care about the national team and only care about the team they root for.
- It's a very hot country
Have you ever looked Brazil map? The country has a lot of area, some regions will have a tropical climate but don't be surprised if you ever come to São Paulo city and it's raining and grey or go to the south states and it's cold.
- The country loves to celebrate Carnival!
Some people will be shocked but not everyone likes Carnival.
- Are you Brazilian? You do not look like a Brazilian
Seriously, what even is a Brazilian look? The country received a lot of immigrants from different countries and continents. Miscegenation is a thing and yes I can be brown and my brothers be white or people from the Northeast states be white.
RoadHazard
Gold Member
That all Swedes are cold and antisocial. Sure, we don't go around hugging strangers as a general rule, and if there are free double seats on the bus or tram I'm not gonna sit down next to someone. Everyone needs some personal space, man.
EDIT:
Someone's a bit cranky!
Sure, not everything is perfect here. Some stuff is even pretty bad, kind of. But overall, in a global perspective, Sweden absolutely is a fantastic country to live in for the average person.
EDIT:
Someone's a bit cranky!
Sure, not everything is perfect here. Some stuff is even pretty bad, kind of. But overall, in a global perspective, Sweden absolutely is a fantastic country to live in for the average person.
HassanJamal
Member
Brunei Darussalam, everyone, most of the time our neighboring country's folks like Malaysia, thinks every Bruneian is rich as fuck. No, most of us are just getting by like other folks in countries.
Nobody outside the US believes that any more. Except, I guess, a few neo-nazis.
ChronotriggerJM
Member
American - That we all hate spicy food 
Nearly every restaurant in Thailand would make a comment about making sure the food wasn't too spicy lol. The primary reason for visiting was our love of Thai food, not to have it dumbed down lol.
Nearly every restaurant in Thailand would make a comment about making sure the food wasn't too spicy lol. The primary reason for visiting was our love of Thai food, not to have it dumbed down lol.bootsthecat
Banned
You couldn't be blamed for thinking otherwise though, considering the amount of time those same non-believers spend talking about us.
On topic, mine is the obvious unpopular opinion. That the USA isn't awesome for most. It is. But hey, keep high-horse opining on every little piece of news from us, it's flattering. And you wonder why we have a superiority complex.
Bakkus
Member
Wrong. Most people think your country is a part of Scandinavia.
Always-honest
Banned
Netherlands here:
- Not ALL Dutch men have huge cocks.
We're working on a law though, where any man with a penis under 6 inches won't be allowed to live in the Netherlands.
- We don't all wear wooden shoes. But lots of farmers do.
- No we don't all smoke weed here. It is frowned upon by most people. Yes, you can buy it and grow it (restricted though). Most people experiment with it when they're a teenager.
Oh and Europe is not a country. There are a lot of different countries in Europe and many different cultures.
- Not ALL Dutch men have huge cocks.
We're working on a law though, where any man with a penis under 6 inches won't be allowed to live in the Netherlands.
- We don't all wear wooden shoes. But lots of farmers do.
- No we don't all smoke weed here. It is frowned upon by most people. Yes, you can buy it and grow it (restricted though). Most people experiment with it when they're a teenager.
Oh and Europe is not a country. There are a lot of different countries in Europe and many different cultures.
Did they? That's fucked up. I grew up in the french Basque Country and I don't think I ever heard anyone compare Pamplona or San Sebastián to warzones.
Germany equals Bavaria and we all love the Oktoberfest and run around in lederhosen. (as a northerner, Bavarian culture is completely foreign to me)
Germany is free of nazis because we all learned from history. (the new nazi party is likely to enter the parliament in the upcoming federal elections and they got up to 40% of votes in some parts of the country in regional elections)
Germany is the dominating force in football and will likely win at least the next 2 or 3 tournaments. (wait, that's actually true)
Germany is free of nazis because we all learned from history. (the new nazi party is likely to enter the parliament in the upcoming federal elections and they got up to 40% of votes in some parts of the country in regional elections)
Germany is the dominating force in football and will likely win at least the next 2 or 3 tournaments. (wait, that's actually true)
Bratwurst with Sauerkraut and mashed or fried potatoes is one of my favourite dishes. Probably the most clichéd German aspect of myself, lol.
Always-honest
Banned
Yeah well, the Netherlands sure won't stop you.
We hosted a German exchange student and I asked her about this.
Her reaction to homeless people was funny though. Is there no homeless people in Germany?
Doctor_Thomas
Member
We're not in a state of perpetual war in Belfast as Captain Planet would have you believe. Actually very safe and, despite some areas being Orange or Green where you'd have to be carefully about what you call people or the province, tourists are generally treated well. We're very touristy these days.
Not even sure where the first one comes from lol.
I think that group is the last one to think the US is the greatest lol. Their whole perspective is "it's all gone to shit. We need to take back control. White America, only America". Quite sad that they are fighting an unwinnable battle really. Might as well put the tiki torches down while you're ahead fellas. Like trying to fight an entire ocean with flamethrowers. Sadly there isn't enough logic to stop them from trying. It only adds more tragedy with each passing day.
shadow_shogun
Member
The one that always grinds my gears is offensive misconception that we're princes in Nigeria and want to scam westerner outta their money.
Ventilaator
Banned
"Oh you're from Estonia? What do they speak there, Russian?"
Hard to imagine other countries saving us from Russia if many people I've met don't even realize that we're not Russia already.
Hard to imagine other countries saving us from Russia if many people I've met don't even realize that we're not Russia already.
jimmypython
Member
THIS!
Always-honest
Banned
Of course there are, but they might not be particularly visible, especially outside of the largest cities. I think I only ever saw people I could definitely identify as homeless in Berlin and Hamburg. Many live in shelters instead of on the streets, I suppose.
RoadHazard
Gold Member
This response is always funny. "So you don't think we're the greatest country in the world, huh? Well, you sure like talking about us!"
Yes, because you're the most powerful country in the world, and stuff you do (like electing THAT guy) affects us all.
Hashmal_Bringer_of_Order
Member
Sorry bro but your country really is like 20-30% Russian colonists, so...
PantherLotus
Professional Schmuck
The main one about the US just reading NeoGAF is that nobody really acknowledges that the the country is fucking gigantic and has as many variations in culture between Jersey and Long Beach as the difference between Wales and Bucharest.
-- there are regional cultures
-- there are city-by-city differences
-- there are state-to-state differences
and we're not just talking accents, though those are the primary identifier. we're also talking about regional foods, personal identity and outlook, consumed media, and on and on.
yes, what unites Americans is typically more than what divides us, but outsiders looking in should know that texas is as different from new york as ireland is from spain.
-- there are regional cultures
-- there are city-by-city differences
-- there are state-to-state differences
and we're not just talking accents, though those are the primary identifier. we're also talking about regional foods, personal identity and outlook, consumed media, and on and on.
yes, what unites Americans is typically more than what divides us, but outsiders looking in should know that texas is as different from new york as ireland is from spain.
All Boricua women are apparently brown eyed, dark haired with tanned skin and a j.lo butt. I guess the same applies to all Latina women. A lot of us are actually really light skinned and even natural blondes. I look more traditional with dark hair and eyes but I grew up in a very poor rural town, a good amount of my classmates were blue-eyed natural blondes.
And there's this rumor that brazilians keep asking for Neo Geo roms all the time. I have no idea where this came from.