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Q: I spy with my little eye
A country with the following traits:
- inhabitants who imagine themselves advanced, but are mired in habit and tradition
- a country that hoasts of its technological achievement, but is in fact quite backward
- people who appear peaceful and polite at first glance, but are depressingly negative and cold
- claims of friendliness towards foreigners in their country are contrqsted by simplictically generalizing all outsiders as the same
- a dark history of ideological hatred and genocide
- a better reputation than warranted, due to abundantly praising their own superiority in the media
- throwing their weight around to bully neighbours with economic threats
- bureaucratic inefficiency and oppressive laws that are not practical, forcing locals to learn which laws are not enforced and can be ignored
- a heavy manufacturing industry, and pharmaceutics are big business
- unsafe roads with impatient drivers who pass you if you go 85 on a 100km/hr road
Can you guess which country I spy? If you said China, guess again.
USA of course.
coineineagh:
It's like saying "because God did it" on a Bible class exam. You're technically right, but 90 points are deducted for lacking style or detail. You are awarded 10 Internets.
If this isn't China, then why are you posting it on here? This is a CHINA FORUM.
coineineagh:
The comparison is the whole point, and China was mentioned in the question. No cigar.
The genocide part was killer. The only people China ever managed to murder on a large scale were Chinese (but boy are they efficient at that).
Hey now you're here can you explain me why Germans seem to have a death wish when I see their ridiculous natality rates compared to immigration figures? It might seem oriented but it's a real question I'd like to understand.
coineineagh:
You win 100 Internets! For an explanation why arrogant and impatient backwater people might have less children, allow me to refer you to my quickly-ignored topic: http://answers.echinacities.com/question/tolerance-children
RiriRiri:
That explains the low natality. Not the suicidal immigration stance.
USA of course.
coineineagh:
It's like saying "because God did it" on a Bible class exam. You're technically right, but 90 points are deducted for lacking style or detail. You are awarded 10 Internets.
This is silly.
coineineagh:
...but think of the exposure! Anyway, 20 Internets for jumping to the correct conclusion without actually answering the question.
I was going to say Germany too. It was a given because you are there right now... aren't you?
coineineagh:
No fair, you had knowledge which I transferred to you which you then used openly to point out the glaringly obvious lack of mystery by which I present this game... never mind. 100 Internets for you, and the poll is closed, because I've been told this is silly.
Janosik:
Sounds like a spot on.
Whereever Coin is there he complains how bad everything and everybody is.
RE: Germany - Other than 1 half of a century, which is the 'dark history of ideological hatred and genocide"? Also, the "boasting of technological achievements" is actually quite valid! "backward' is obviously a cultural reference... which doesn't really apply.
Besides, North Korea meets the criteria - no? (although, the genocide is questionable).
China bullies its neighbours with military threats (and cry-babying)
coineineagh:
Single-track railroad system (there was a crash recently), impractical ticket machines, everything is explained in vague technical terms and they lose patience if you don't get it straight away, unclear bike lanes that don't get maintenance as much as the main roads, trash pickup once every two weeks, few people speak decent English, expensive postal delivery and public transport. germany was once the country with the most advanced infrastructure in the world, but i'm not seeing it.
dom87:
To be fair our train system sucks. It is totally overpriced and always has problems.
Thats why actually everyone uses a car... Germany is a small country afterall. Seems no one sees it as necessary to advance the railway. For instance the German tech for railway was used in other countries e.g. Meglev.
We actually do have clear bike lanes and where they end it means you join the traffic on the road. Bikes are threated as a traffic vehicle.
For the Trash: I think you didnt understand the system. You have to order the trash pick up according to your needs. It can be 3 times a week or 1 in a year, you can choose (and pay). Also we have to separate 3 different trash, each trash's pick up time can be determined by yourself.
For English:
I am from a small town and I took my wife there. I was suprised that the hairdresser can speak english.
People under 40 years usually can speak english, just have lack of practice.
Btw. why do you expect the whole world to speak english? I also dont expect americans to speak without accent or even German.
Ridiculous assumptions
coineineagh:
Cars are cheap in Germany, which is nice for us, and explains the neglected railway system. The bike lanes are anything but clear, and every german i spoke with agrees; the gov't even intends to modernize them one day. The trash separation is a disaster: how can a family with young children (diapers) last two weeks with one Restmulltonne? I resort to flushing leftovers down the toilet, and hiding diapers in those Gelbe Sacke. In the Netherlands, even the elderly in the remotest villages can understand a bit of English. It's because Clint Eastwood doesn't shout "hande hoch!"; he gets subtitles.
Janosik:
@Coin, Like it or hate it but if you leave China and go to Europe so railway system will always suck! Chinese railway system is simply good (apparently hard for you to admit it). What concerns of English so I never understood the arrogance of (usually only) English speaking foreigners coming to my home country and getting angry that they are not understood. As per my opinion if a person wants to live abroad so he/she shall either learn the language of that country or live with fact that he/she is in the given environment handicapped.
basically every country. what constitutes genocide anyway? some seem to think it has to reach some certain # or %. I don't. I think genocide should be when any one group attacks another with the hopes/idea of eliminating them. And what country has not had one group trying/wishing to do that to another group? so, yeah, basically every country fits your description, especially since so many of those judgements would be subjective. Except maybe the 'heavy manufacturing' could be objectively measured.
coineineagh:
By equating every act of sectarian/ethnic violence to full-blown genocide, you have now officially been in China too long. Take a break, visit some family, enjoy a vacation. As autocorrect would say: "Happy Holocaust!"
diverdude1:
nah, I don't equate every act of violence with full-blown genocide. the point that I was trying to make, just was too lazy to make it, is that all people hate people,,,,, sooooo, even if the Indians (native Americans 2 u) didn't officially commit a genocide on the invading Europeans, at heart they still wanted to. so, in most every country you can find a group who has wished to wipe out a different group (what do they call that when it's imaginary? like doing some hot chick, but really you are just looking at your computer,,, haha,,, same kind of genocide. cyber-genocide?).
Yep, I have been in China too long,,, so long that I don't feel like I can go 'home' anymore. sux, but that's just the way it is.
Do I get it right that you were in China and hated it.
Now you are in Germany (about which you in the past, before moving there wrote quite nicely) and you do not like it either.
Can it be that you simply were not "born" to become expat?
BTW I find Germany quite nice. I like especially Stuttgart and Heilderberg.
Frankfurt being very cosmopolitan and Hamburg very international - may be try it there.
ambivalentmace:
germany is great for males, not so good for females anymore
dom87:
why is that? because of some stupid immigrant stories?
how about not going out in dark streets
ambivalentmace:
so females are not allowed to go out and safely get a drink and visit a pub, janosik, perhaps the women in germany should behave like the women from your country pakistan, lets break out the chains and buckets of acid and keep these b s in line.
coineineagh:
You're right. What's not to like about China? Clearly I must be rigid and intolerant. Hey, how about I ask your 'friends' in China what they honestly think about you Pakistanis, and I'll report to you what they said. I'm sure it will make good viewing, watching you try to maintain an unbothered face.
Janosik:
@ambivalentmace
This is another problem and EU will have to solve it - now there look to be also political will to solve it fast (especially in Germany also due to upcoming elections).
But irrespective of the incidents with refugees and other immigrants - I still find Germany quite nice place to be.
In smaller towns you will however not make it without speaking decent German - pls do not get me wrong - nothing dangerous but your social life will not be exactly rich.
Janosik:
@Coin
Oh, so because you hate China and while in China so much praising Germany exactly to the time you arrived there just to describe the country as bad bad bad so I must be Pakistani?
Man, you really may need a doctor - apparently your current therapeutic method (contributing to ECC) does not help much ...
I did not say that China or Germany are perfect. They both are not. But if one tries one, hates that - dreams about he other, goes there and voila! also hates that then there are just two possibilities.
You really do not fit to these two environment and shall search for such which fits your nature.
Or you really are not to be 'expat' and then return safely to your home country (of course provided you do not hate it either ...).
It must be Switzerland:
- inhabitants who imagine themselves advanced, but are mired in habit and tradition [They may have internet and advanced banking, but they are still mired in yodellng and eating fondue].
- a country that hoasts of its technological achievement, but is in fact quite backward
- people who appear peaceful and polite at first glance, but are depressingly negative and cold [The cold Alpine temperatures and stale cheese does it].
- claims of friendliness towards foreigners in their country are contrqsted by simplictically generalizing all outsiders as the same [Foreigners are just irks who buy watches and deposit gold].
- a dark history of ideological hatred and genocide [They hate cuckoos. They have practically wiped out a whole race of cuckoos to turn into clocks].
- a better reputation than warranted, due to abundantly praising their own superiority in the media [Swiss watches, cheese and chocolate are the best - so we are told].
- throwing their weight around to bully neighbours with economic threats [Do as we say or we shall devalue your tax free gold reserves].
- bureaucratic inefficiency and oppressive laws that are not practical, forcing locals to learn which laws are not enforced and can be ignored [No yodeling or eating cheese on Sundays by decree - Oh, go on then, as long as you find somewhere quiet in the Alps].
- a heavy manufacturing industry, and pharmaceutics are big business [Watches and clocks are heavy industry. Some of those grandfather clocks weigh a freakin' ton. Fermented cheese and yogurt pills are big business for curing many ailments - a mouthful of fermented cheese is the best cure for non stop yodeling].
- unsafe roads with impatient drivers who pass you if you go 85 on a 100km/hr road [Big problem in Switzerland, especially when breaks fail on a downhill Alpine stretch of road].
Kaiwen:
I should add, Switzerland has an army. But, in their history of avoiding warfare, they have not come to terms with where they stand in technological advancement.
a country that hoasts of its technological achievement, but is in fact quite backward
Whilst the rest of the world goes face to face with h-bombs, tanks, supersonic fighter jets etc., the Swiss army are armed with their multifunctional knives that can inflict severe damage to the enemy using the corkscrew and bottle opener pull outs.
ambivalentmace:
guess you havent done an upclose tour of switzerland and seen the computer self arming mines under the train tracks and the anti aircraft ballistic missile launchers hidden in the side of the mountains everywhere, these are some well armed paranoid folks. the swiss are very modest so what you think they dont have may surprise you, but then thats the whole point.
Kaiwen:
No mate, no close up tours of Switzerland looking for ballistic missiles. You'll just have to take my post in the tongue in cheek way it was meant.
Well I sure knew you weren't talking about China. Your critique was far too understated for that.
coineineagh:
I keep it unspecific to facilitate the comparison. Too many details, and it will be clear that it's not describing China anymore.
no country is perfect. live with it
coineineagh:
I wonder how many of your comments could be answered with those exact words.
