OK so what do you Americans think of us Europeans and otherwise?

Do tou thinks we europeans feel us a european or an italian or an irish man for exapmle. Me, i feel myself Italian/Dutch normally but when i look to america i compare it with europa and not with Italy/theNetherlands...

now you can all post things what you American think of europa (or a country in EUropa) and we europeans will tell you if its true and we can do it otherwise..you also can post questions..

Just a little bit like vince did with jules in pulp fiction when they talked about Amsterdam and the french mcDonald's..

OK i'll post a first question to you Americanos...

How many people are still real Americans? With real Americans i mean familys who were borned in America generations back.. So i mean you're not a real american if your grandgrandfather come from germany in 1703 (by example).
Do you people know what i mean??

Interesting question Juventus. I'm not quite sure what you're asking, but I'll give my two cents worth.

Being of European roots myself, I'm guessing most Europeans consider themselves more "from" their country then Europe.

I've never been to Europe but it is my wish that someday I'll be able to visit. I can only tell you impressions that I've heard/read, so anyone can correct me if I am wrong.

Greece is a beautiful country, with a culture similar to the Italian culture.

England, I hear, is very friendly and welcomes Americans. Also, not a putdown to England, but I hear the food is much more bland than in America.

France, although I hear has good food/wine/art, has a reputation of not liking tourist and perhaps somewhat standoffish. (sorry any French people)

Italy, and I am admittedly biased here, as were people I've gathered this info from :p has the best food, the best art, and the friendliest people. However, I am told to beware of "gypsies" who will pick your pocket in a minute.

That's just a few impressions to start things off. Maybe I'm wrong, but what do I know, I've never been to Europe.

Oh, let me add that obviously people who visit go to the tourist areas, so in reality, there impressions most likely wouldn't reflect the whole country.

TIS

Our McDonalds aren't that much different TIS.

I've dealt with many clients from England over the years in my business, and I must say that most were all really great people to deal with! Everytime they come over to the states, and I have entertained them, they ALWAYS request to go out to a "great" steak and seafood restaurant! They go crazy for our steaks here!

I've also dealt with the French people on many occasions. The French clients that I've dealt with come off as very condencending when they speak to you. I am not saying that they represent the French people as a whole, or that I am typecasting them based on the clients that I've dealt with, but it just seems that at least the French people that are in my business are not the nicest people that I've ever dealt with.

The Italian people that I've dealt with or met from Italy are always very gracious and warm. I am constantly getting invited to travel to Italy to see them and they always offer to accomodate both me and my family if I ever travel there.

The clients that I have in Spain are extremely nice, soft spoken, and they are very respectful people. The few that I have met and taken out for dinner or drinks on several occasions always act with the utmost class when in public.

Again I can only make my judgements on these people based on my business dealings with them.

I have neer traveled to Europe, but I plan on doing so within the next two years.


Don Cardi

All I know about America is that on the east coast there's New York City and on the west coast LA and San Francisco, and apperantly, somewhere in between there's Texas and Las Vegas, the media shows nothing else here.

I went on vacation to Germany a couple of times, and the people there don't exactly come running to you with open arms because you're a tourist, at times I even found them to be a little rude, even compared to dutch.
I went to London a couple of weeks ago, for a couple of days, and I found the people there to be very friendly, the difference between the rich and poor is bigger there, but I'm not quite sure if that applies to the rest of England.

BTW: I'd like to know how some of the members here think about Holland, I've recently learned that it is notorious for its liberal drugs policy.

MC14

I went to England twice, the last time being a couple years back. The number one thing i noticed was the horrible weather all the time. Or at least what most people consider horrible, as in rain and clouds and gloominess all the time. I actually like that kind of weather, and thats probably why i enjoyed it there so much.

But my main question here is, does a lot of Europe expierience that same kind of weather? I've heard of the "sun-drenched" Mediterranian beaches and whatnot, but is it all just tourism?

What do you mean by "you people"???

The weather in England is a load of rubbish, you're right, but the Mediterranian is completely different. Its beautiful and sunny with amazing beaches. Well, it is a couple of thousand of miles away so that's to be expected. A huge amount of English people head over to "the Med" for a week or two in the Summer for a holiday.

Compared to most Americans I'm probably quite widely travelled. I've lived and studied in France, lived and worked in Holland, Germany and Ukraine and "holidayed" in Spain, Greece, Italy and Portugal.

One of the main differences between Americans and Europeans is that Europeans have many more opportunities to visit other countries and experience other cultures, languages etc. Affluence and low cost air travel has helped a lot in this regard.

I spent a year in France (OK it was 1982-83) in Grenoble in south west France, not far from the Swiss and Italian borders. I have to say I found the people there very friendly and warm. Maybe it's just the difference between the big city attitude and the most rural areas where life's a bit slower.

I have to consider myself a real American. Although, my father, and mother are both Italians, I was born an American.

I see Europa as a place were things are moving a lot more advance than the US currently is. I mean, the USA has to hide behind a huge tariff just to compete with European products.

Their socialized medicine is something I long to see here. Also, their school systems are better.

But in the US we have better job prospects and as one nation a better economy than any single euro-nation.

You would like to see socialized medicine in the United States? If socialized medicine is so superior than our medical system, then how come people travel from all ends of the earth to seek out doctors and treatment within the USA? How come people come from different countries around the world to get thier medical degrees in American schools and then set up their practices in the USA? I am not trying to be sarcastic here, but I am trying to get a beter understanding as to why the above statements I made a proven facts but yet people talk about wanting socialized medicine here.

Aren't these two statements somewhat of a contradiction?


Don Cardi

What about the people who leave the US because they can't afford the education they want? People leave for surgeries because millions are uninsured. -Pat

It's great to see egos colliding. My dick's bigger than your dick, etc.

Mick

HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

It's not about egos, at least on my part it's not. I've read statements like that in the past and when I curiously wonder why poeple make those statements and ask for some sort of an explaination as to why they feel that way, no one seems to ever be able to give a legitimate reply!


Don Cardi

What about the people who leave the US because they can't afford the education they want? People leave for surgeries because millions are uninsured. -Pat [/QUOTE]

Pat, people that leave the United States for surgeries USUALLY do so because the type of surgery that they may need is not approved in the USA. However, in MOST of those situations the costs to go to another country to get the medical treatment that is not approved here in the USA becomes astronomical! I know this for a fact my friend! So you are way off base making a general statement like that! As for education, I was talking about medical schools. Most people from different parts of the world who want to become doctors attend a medical school right in the USA. That is a fact! Most times when one gets into an exchange program, the student coming to America is coming to attend a medical school while the student departing America is ususally looking to attend a business or foriegn studies school. As for schools in general, I wouldn't argue, as there are many fine schols in general in europe. England has some of the finest schools in the world. And if you go back and read my original reply, I was sincerely looking for an answer from him that would maybe enlighten me. I was not looking to start a whole damn debate! :rolleyes:


Don Cardi

Great question. My favorite topic is travel to Europe, but I will try to keep this short! My first trip to Europe was to Bosnia. I went on a religious pilgrimage, of sorts. It was a touristy spot though.... but I found the local people there, well... the older people kind of kept to themselves and weren't interested in interacting with foreigners, but the younger people were. They were quite friendly. People in Bosnia apparently look to Italy for their cultural cues ..... they would mention Italy alot in discussions of the latest fashion and trends, etc. America wasn't mentioned very often. Italy was the bomb, so to speak. My next trip was to Poland..... I lived there for a short time. I loved the town, and many people were friendly, others weren't. You could tell who was prejudiced against Americans and who wasn't.... It was a lot like Bosnia, the older people kept to themselves, they seemed to still be living in the Communist era. The young people were friendly. I loved the small town feeling there. People are very religious there..... they have statues of the Pope.... it's interesting. I've been to Ireland and Great Britain several times now. I like both countries about the same. I find them both very friendly (except, perhaps my last trip when I was grilled about my political preferences ) There seems to be some anti-American sentiment lately (because of Iraq), but it's not scary or anything, at least the places I've been recently.

I think the stereotype of Americans in Europe is accurate - I know I certainly fit it to a "T" the first couple times I went over. You know, the stupid, smiling, idiot stereotype.... that was me. Now people think I'm a local though. As they say, when in "Rome", do as the Romans do. I try to follow that advice now.....

Someday I want to go to Bavaria (my mom's family came from there), Italy, and also South America (Brazil especially). Anyway, basically I love other cultures - I have a romantic, idealistic fondness for them and I think there are some very good people there too.

What about the people who leave the US because they can't afford the education they want? People leave for surgeries because millions are uninsured. -Pat [/quote]Pat, people that leave the United States for surgeries USUALLY do so because the type of surgery that they may need is not approved in the USA. However, in MOST of those situations the costs to go to another country to get the medical treatment that is not approved here in the USA becomes astronomical! I know this for a fact my friend! So you are way off base making a general statement like that! As for education, I was talking about medical schools. Most people from different parts of the world who want to become doctors attend a medical school right in the USA. That is a fact! Most times when one gets into an exchange program, the student coming to America is coming to attend a medical school while the student departing America is ususally looking to attend a business or foriegn studies school. As for schools in general, I wouldn't argue, as there are many fine schols in general in europe. England has some of the finest schools in the world. And if you go back and read my original reply, I was sincerely looking for an answer from him that would maybe enlighten me. I was not looking to start a whole damn debate! :rolleyes:


Don Cardi [/b][/QUOTE]

You don't have to leave America for that... just go to Seattle... I imagine Seattle is a lot like London. Weatherwise.

The good thing about Europe is that you have so many different cultures and languages concentrated within a geographically tiny area. There is also so much history, spanning thousands of years.

So far I have been to France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Italy (IMO the most beautiful country in the world), and Cyprus - where I lived for a couple of years.

In 3 weeks time I am going to Rome for a few days and I can't wait!!

In England we do tend to regard ourselves as being seperate from Europe to a certain extent - not just in the geographical sense, but in a wider sense too.

SNAP!!

A difference between America and Europa is that Americans are more religious. In Southern (and east europe maybe also) they are also as relegious as Americans but in the North and West (Frech, UK, Sweden, Norvegia, Finland, Danmark, Germany, the Netherlands) nearly nobody reads the bible or goes to churche. In fact the most people there call themeselves onreligious (without a religion, so not christian or jew but a non-religion)....

So they're all atheists? I wonder why Europe is so much less religious than America... being as Christianity was so strong there before.

That's basically true, but most native English people would describe themselves as "Christian", although the majority do not practise Christianity in any kind of active way. We basically just go to church for Christenings, weddings and funerals.

You're atheist if you don't go to church? Guess I'm atheist then. :rolleyes:

SNAP!! [/b][/quote]SM, are you going to watch Ireland in the 6 Nations rugby, or are you just going for a holiday?

Pat, if you're going to make a post for the sole purpose of insulting me, perhaps you should at least read the original post that I was responding to.

I said "so they're basically all atheists" in response to this:

:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Just because they don't have a religion doesn't mean they worship Satan.

ummmmmmm do you know what athiest means?

Wow. I'm guessing that's a joke...