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Post by stella22 on Jan 12, 2006 21:17:04 GMT -5
There is this belief that Europeans know so much about other Euros and that those from the Americas are hopelessly confused.
I assumed this was true as well until I started to talking to Europeans at my university. Many were just as 'in the dark' as Americans and relied on stereotypes just as often. Many of the French people had travelled around the US or Guadalupe, but hadn't even been around Europe. Many of the North Italians hadn't been to the South of Italy and their knowledge of the south was so based on stereotypes it's not even funny. Some of the Southern French never even went to Spain or north Italy which shocked me. I mean, wouldn't you want to go on a road trip?
Maybe I just met a bunch of weird Europeans, I don't know. But I'm just saying that you shouldn't rely on what a north Italian has to say about Southern Italy.
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Post by murphee on Jan 12, 2006 21:20:14 GMT -5
Many people don't travel. I was very surprised when I met adults in the town I grew up in who had never been to New York City. The town was a 45 minute drive away.
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Post by eastanglian on Jan 12, 2006 21:22:13 GMT -5
Most European people have been to more countries than most Americans so they probably understand other cultures better. I say most Americans because some Americans have travelled a lot. I'm from England and i've visited Wales, Scotland, France (about 10 times), Holland, Italy (2 times), Spain (3 times), Portugal and Switzerland. I would have thought that most Europeans would have visited as many probably more countries than me because i'm relatively young. I heard that many Americans never leave the USA?
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Post by zemelmete on Jan 13, 2006 2:47:17 GMT -5
USA is big country so it is no wonder if somebody there has never travelled outside the country. But I wonder about some inhabitants in Latvia (small country which is possible to cross in some hours by car) who have never been even to neighbouring Lithuania and Estonia.
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Post by Josh on Jan 13, 2006 3:38:05 GMT -5
USA is big country so it is no wonder if somebody there has never travelled outside the country. But I wonder about some inhabitants in Latvia (small country which is possible to cross in some hours by car) who have never been even to neighbouring Lithuania and Estonia. Which countries have you visited Zemelmete? As for me, I've only seen my neighboring countries (Canada and Mexico), but I plan to take a trip through Europe once I've finished my bachelor's degree in college.
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Post by zemelmete on Jan 13, 2006 4:14:00 GMT -5
Which countries have you visited Zemelmete? As for me, I've only seen my neighboring countries (Canada and Mexico), but I plan to take a trip through Europe once I've finished my bachelor's degree in college. I have visited Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, Finland, Germany, Czechia, Slovakia, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Great Britain, Switzerland, Italy, Russia (including Siberia), Kazakhstan and Kyrgizstan. Josh: Which countries do you plan to visit in Europe?
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Post by Ilmatar on Jan 13, 2006 7:27:55 GMT -5
It's not only traveling, it's also reading "foreign" literature - not only the classics, bestsellers in one European country get regularly translated in other European languages -, seeing foreign TV programmes, meeting people from other countries. For instance, I'm far from having "covered" Europe travelling. I have never been to Iberian penisula or Greece, for instance. Yet I know a lot of Spanish and Greek people through my studies and work. Finnish media covers news from other European countries regularly and European films, television series and documentaries are a regular part of the programming. Most people living in my town regularly get BBC World, Deutsche Welle, French TV5 and Swedish SVT through cable.
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Post by eufrenio on Jan 13, 2006 12:13:40 GMT -5
Maybe I just met a bunch of weird Europeans, I don't know. That´s more than likely! Anyway, if your point is that not all europeans are cosmopolitan sophisticates, you´re right. But it´s a fact that most Northern and Central europeans have visited either Italy or Spain during their holidays.
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Siafu X
Full Member
Is man one of God's blunders or is God one of man's blunders
Posts: 206
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Post by Siafu X on Jan 14, 2006 0:46:20 GMT -5
i mean when you travel outside you country which is like the size of Wisconsin its not saying you are more cosmopolitan its just saying you have more countries around you which are closer to you. USA is a huge country and our two close neighbors are Canada and Mexico and im sure most people have visted 1 of them, so our lack of travel is due to our countrys size.
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Post by Josh on Jan 14, 2006 0:55:10 GMT -5
Which countries have you visited Zemelmete? As for me, I've only seen my neighboring countries (Canada and Mexico), but I plan to take a trip through Europe once I've finished my bachelor's degree in college. Josh: Which countries do you plan to visit in Europe? I'm not totally sure, since that's still at least four years away. If I go to Latvia, what would be some interesting things to see?
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Post by zemelmete on Jan 14, 2006 13:01:55 GMT -5
I'm not totally sure, since that's still at least four years away. If I go to Latvia, what would be some interesting things to see? Riga definately, especially Old town (some houses there are older than 8 centuries and you also can feel medevial spirit). In country are many other nice towns with historical buildings. Here is beautiful rural landsape (some have said that it looks like never-ending painting). Actually if you have more questions you can send PM to me.
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Post by stella22 on Jan 14, 2006 17:08:46 GMT -5
Many people don't travel. I was very surprised when I met adults in the town I grew up in who had never been to New York City. The town was a 45 minute drive away. That is so odd. Here you have a world famous city less than an hour away, and they've never been there, wow. I lived in Michigan for a couple years. I met people who had never left the state- or they went to Ohio once.
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Post by buddy on Jan 14, 2006 21:05:24 GMT -5
I agree that Europeans can just as easily rely on stereotypes as Americans do. Anybody can, especially if, as you guys have been saying, they're not as cultured. I've had the fortune of traveling to three different countries and I'm only 21. I hope to continue to do this in the future.
I have also met several people who have never even been outside of the area in western Pennsylvania that I'm from hehe. I agree with Stellman about the need to experience new things and to take road trips lol. I suppose some people prefer to stay put, but I'm certainly not one of them.
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Post by dukeofpain on Jan 15, 2006 6:22:58 GMT -5
I can vouch for this. I've had americans call me "euro-trash"!
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Post by buddy on Jan 15, 2006 14:55:37 GMT -5
^Is Euro-trash basically the equivalent to the American term "redneck?"
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