Any particular country within the UK ?

No need to choose in this context. The UK is a ‘country’. The nations that make up the UK are ‘countries’ also. But unlike the UK they’re not Sovereign States. But, for clarity The UK is also a Nation.

Anyway. Sweden for trousers and chisels.

Three_Fish

to everything already said about France, I will add this: philosophy is compulsory in schools. That doesn’t mean that kids learn what Plato said, and/or why Diogenes opposed it – it means that they learn how to question, engage, consider, confront and elucidate; to ask ‘why?’; it means they learn to be philosophical. Is it any great surprise that they typically show the English so much disdain?

But how are they supposed to revise for the tests or rank it from 9-0? :confused:

to everything already said about France, I will add this: philosophy is compulsory in schools. That doesn’t mean that kids learn what Plato said, and/or why Diogenes opposed it – it means that they learn how to question, engage, consider, confront and elucidate; to ask ‘why?’; it means they learn to be philosophical. Is it any great surprise that they typically show the English so much disdain?

My building currently has about 50 Parisian ERASMUS students living in it, they are the biggest bunch of entitled bellends I have ever met. More so than any Spanish, German, Italian students etc that I have met. They are disliked by the rest of the Europeans living in the building and there are a number of French young professionals and students in the building, who go out of their way to disassociate themselves from France.

I’m not sure what to make of it really, but I don’t regard the French to be anymore introspective than the English. If they were, I don’t think they’d be so supportive of the FN or banning Burqas. The British have managed to avoid a descent into Nazism despite Brexit. I think a lot of what they consider to be critical thinking, is tied in with their feelings of French Exceptionalism.

Canada for being America lite

You could only say that if you reeeally didn’t understand those two countries.

Lot of love for the xenophobic French isn’t there! Surely if the **** you attitude to anyone else is so appealing you’d have Israel at the top of your lists. 🙂

But how are they supposed to revise for the tests or rank it from 9-0? :confused:

Parisian are disliked by the rest of French people.

Philosophie ? Hated it, managed 4/20 average in the classroom and same at baccalauréat.

Dont think I learnt anything.

I like lots of things and it’s funny how countries differ so much. I like the odd things

Italian food when I worked at the UN in Rome the food was the highlight (and the parking etiquette which was hilariously entertaining)

I like how the French actually stop on Sunday and how they say Bonjour to everybody including children

I like how the Dutch think it’s okay to say something rude if it’s your best interests

I like how brilliant German’s are at most things unless it’s fashion or food and then somehow the brain just doesn’t compute.

Generally, out of Europe, I’m fond of Germany the most. They’ve spent a good deal of time being self-critical since the war, their cities were clean when I went, they were incredibly friendly, I love their beer and the architecture of their old small cities. The women are hot, the beer halls are cool….the various Beer festivals look a blast. The media seems incredibly sensible, aimed at more educated individuals and well reasoned. I’m quite fond of their Green party and political system.

In fact, I find that the remarkable civility of at least Western Germany makes the abuses of the war and the potential for what are decent nations on the whole, to be led down dark paths, all the more sobering.

unless it’s fashion or food 

I beg to differ on the food front. I can think of nothing nicer than standing outside mit einer Bratwurst und Brötchen und einem Weißbeer.

I should add that I agree with the comments about Germany, immediately above, but couldn’t say so myself, as the rule I set out in the OP said no ethic connections to the country allowed. Ich bin ein Russlanddeutscher.

Japaaaaan!

why is everyone so into Sweden? I live here and it isn’t that great!

Because they don’t and can just go with the archetype.

Make it a country to which you have no ethnic or ancestral connection aside from just liking it. You probably have a few, but limit yourself to one.

You wasted your time typing that, OP!

I have some connection to France, so that’s out. I’m dithering between Japan (which I only know by reputation), Germany (from the Germans I’ve met – really easy to get along with) and Greece (for the landscape).

Hmmm. Greece.

I agree Germany is brilliant but I’m not allowed to choose it due to the rules! So Austria then – a bit fascist but lovely scenery.

The Germany and Germans I have experienced have been ace. But if critical on fashion and food then surely music should be included? Any country that includes David Hasslhoff as one of their more popular recording artists must be having a collective   brain fart

Really surprised at the love for the Vaterland, sorry, Germany….

I’m assuming those that are praising out haven’t lived there for any length of time.

Been here for ten years and am getting royally genervt about the place.

The passive aggressive attitude of the Kleinburger who take it upon themselves to try and teach their fellow citizens. Just three examples since Thursday: Being told off for crossing against a red man by some old lady despite the fact there was no traffic; shouted at and given the finger for walking along a shared path by a cyclistn; and cycling down a Fahrradstraße (a road for bikes) some Arschloch who drove his car at my friend blocking despite it being her right of way (his reason being she didn’t have lights, which was a moot point seeing as it was 5pm).

The blind adherence to “The Rules” is sad. In other countries, the UK, France, Italy, Spain, there are laws, but the population tends to live first by a set of moral codes and if something isn’t upsetting the general flow of life they can let it pass. In Germany on the other hand, the moral code is the law. Laws are to be obeyed.

I’ve lost count of the number of times we’ve been threatened with the police for riding in the hills on public land.

Germans are also generally so risk adverse. Anything that is a bit alternative or out of the ordinary is dismissed as a “no-go”.

So many people define themselves, or get their feeling of personal worth, through the job and qualifications they have.

The school system sucks. So much pressure on kids at 9-10 years of age to perform well… Their performance deciding what school they will end up at. And the schools start at 8:30 meaning the trains and buses are full of noisy little sprogs in the morning. And in top of that all finishes at 1pm… I mog koane kinder ned….!

There are nice aspects, obviously… Biergarten in summer. Some hearty foods. The Autobahns.

But there is generally a lack of flair and dynamism. A lack of friendly small talk. And the language is einfach Scheisse.

And as an add on…. I vouch for Italy.

Good food. Good wine. Beautiful scenery. Happy people.

A laid back attitude to life. Total chaos, but somehow everything works and life continues.

A lackadaisical attitude to rules and parking.

Alpin – yeah but the women eh 😉

Funny I used to find heaps I liked about the UK and then I moved here and you know what – I found plenty of things I don’t like as well. Think living somewhere removes the rose tints somewhat

I love everything about France, apart from the French!

Here’s a thought. We could move all the French we don’t like (the fascists, xenophobes, Parisians, etc.) over here to join our lot then the rest of us can move over to France to join the nice ones and stay in Europe.

For me it has to be Norway and their propensity for tunnel building. Far and away the best tunnel builders in the world. Fed up with driving 70 miles to get around a mountain? Just drive a tunnel straight through it. 🙂 Where else would a community decide that opencast quarrying is is a blot on the landscape so instead it digs a 6-loop spiral tunnel from the bottom to the top of a hill next to the town to get stone for local works while simultaneously creating a tourist attraction. Barking but brilliant. I will never understand why the UK has never made more use of tunnels to ease congestion and to solve NIMBY issues.

For me it’s pretty much Italy on all fronts – food, beer, riding, weather, well prioritised life (family, downtime, having fun as opposed to rat race living). Downsides – their cars and their women are both amazing when they’re good, a nightmare when they aren’t (ex Alfa owner, part Italian Mrs) 😂😂😂

For balance, France gave us this man:

https://youtu.be/m8ZcAhe03hw

Hey Alpin,

i love following German drivers down a windy road. They absolutely will not cross the central white line to straighten a bend, even when you can see the road is clear for hundreds of metres. The Austrians are the same.

Also slamming on the brakes at any kind of downhill.

Exactly  colp  . …. There are rules!

Substitue “UK” for Germany in your post, Alpin, it reads the same.

Where else do identical houses have £50 000 price differnce because they are in different school catchments and parents are obsessed by which school their kids will go to at 11.

Look at the number of threads on this forum with people reporting bad driving to the police, people with high hedges to the local authorities, people with badly parked cars to… the spirit of Vichy France and Stasi informers lives on in little England and STW land.

The Spanish don’t threaten to call the police, they call the police and then you might get two of the four forces rock up together. And you can argue with the German police, I extricated a group of school kids accused of smoking dope from two Bullys full of German cops but got loaded into a Spanish police wagon at gun point for refusing to go to the hospital after after Madame fell off her bike unaided and just wanted a taxi back to France (but some interfering **** called the police).

Try riding your bike down one of the legal-to-go-the-wrong-way-for-bikes streets in my local centre ville and see how far you get before being run off the road by a taxi driver.

There’s good and bad everywhere, if you don’t like Germany anymore move on, they’ll be other things to annoy you and other things to please. Everywhere has its up and downs, just find somewhere where you’re happy. If you don’t mind abiding by their silly and not so silly rules there aren’t many more civilised places to be than Germany. Just don’t even think of moving to the UK.

*disclaimer, if there were any smiles on this site I might have added a few*

ITALY!

Food, drink, cars, bike stuff, the attitude.  Who gives a sh1t if it’s efficient/works well…just look at it!!

Love the real Italian restaurant in our village, good espresso, Alfa’s, Campag

They have their priorites right!

Agreed, edukator…. There’s always good and bad  But the number of penibel kleinburger that I’ve encountered here (and in Austria) far outweighs the number that I’ve encountered in the rest of my 35 years …..

Where else do identical houses have £50 000 price differnce because they are in different school catchments and parents are obsessed by which school their kids will go to at 11.

On this case you are wrong … There are plenty of schools in each catchment area. Is your kid going to go to gymnasium, real or Hauptschule? Or, in other words is your kid going to work on the supermarket, on a building site or get the chance to go to uni? The school system sucks big and I know many a school teacher and not one of them thinks the system is fair nor ideal…

India for me.

Stunning countryside, exquisite food, lovely people, awesome music, vibrant fashions, epic MTBing, the list just goes on.

My glasses are rose tinted from having only visited the south, but it is one of the only countries I would relocate to.

I organised an exchange with a German school for five years so spent a week a year in the system put up by German teachers. I agree with all you say, Alpin. But I was also a teacher in the UK where I worked in schools that were just as good or bad as the best or worst German schools. And the prize for unfairness goes to the UK with the difference between say Eaton and mid-city housing estates being greater than in the German system.

I like the fact that in NZ and Australia you get paid fortnightly instead of monthly

Poland: low prices, high standard, security (no terrorists), beautiful places

Queensland, Australia.

Brilliant place, but gradually being Melbournised…

Europe as being, on balance, the best region in the world. The climate is nice,

Perhaps you could elaborate on what the European climate is like?. What an utterly odd thing to say.

Hell is where the chefs are British,

Its worth pointing out that it’s now 2018, not 1968, British chefs and restaurants are vastly different these days, mainly because Britain is much more multicultural now, and there are so many different types of cuisine available and tastes have changed to accommodate variety and experiences of different things.

I couldn’t pick a favorite, honestly, there are so many, to say one is better just says to me, you’re not experienced enough 🙂

like the fact that in NZ and Australia you get paid fortnightly instead of monthly

How cool is that. They must be totally loaded getting paid twice as often. Awesumz. 😃

France. Yup they seem to have most things in the right order (driving is a bit dodge though) and a more realistic attitude to life. For the most part less petty with fewer little Hitler’s, overzealous jobsworth’s and small minded dickheads this country is plagued with.

Yeah I’ve heard off road cycling in Austria and Germany is much worse for dickheads than here!

The Spanish seem much more relaxed about parking and motoring in general (not giving way being the norm, you know where you stand!) and don’t seem to suffer parkageddon, as is much feared in Britain.

Anyway bring back birch no?

I like Finland’s rubbish/recycling rooms. I mean the rooms you get underneath a block of flats. Whilst they fill up, none of the bins ever get to overflowing, meaning you don’t get bags of unsorted rubbish left next to the overly full bins. People manage to put the right thing in the right bin rather than just throwing their mixed recyclables/landfill waste into whichever bin is nearest to the door. The rooms are clean and don’t smell, even the bio waste bin is fairly non offensive.

The rest of Finland wasn’t for me but the rubbish/recycling rooms were a sight to behold!

Europe generally is the best place on Earth for food. I mean I love Asian food, Thai, India, Sri Lanka, Chinese and Japanese, but the sheer variety of landscapes and cultures in Europe generates a variety of different foods in such a small area of the planet. Add in the wine and beer selection and it’s a clincher. I actually don’t want to pick a favourite as that would mean choosing between Moule Frittes in Hasselt, Pizza in Naples and amazing steak pies in Callander. It’s all good (apart from Dutch knock off copies of Feta and Peperoni) and I love the variety.

Food –

South america – chilli con carne. Honestly my favourite meal of all time.

Eastern europe – buckwheat (they eat it in almost every meal, it’s what makes russian so strong and imposing) curd cheese, beetrout soup and Cepelinai.

North america – best junk food ever.

Scenery –

I live in NI. Nuff said. Norway a close second.

Culture –

All of the Nordic countries. China has some amazing history but all cultural values have been destroyed.