Now that makes things even easier. Plenty Hong Kong Chinese are willing to learn French. We think French are hot, so get a girl here, get married and you can live here. I'm not really sure their employing critiria, perhaps you can email then and ask? http://www.alliancefrancaise.com.hk/fr/index.html

Also. I know LV family is about to station Hong Kong as its Asia Pacific HQ, so are many French corporates (Chanel, Piage, etc), could be a chance perhaps?

Well the U.S. is pretty big and there is quite a bit I haven't seen. But I can tell you the most beautiful in my region, of sorts.

I'm very partial to Northwestern Pennsylvania. All around the Allegheny Forest, Mountains and River is beautiful. Many quaint little towns/communities ideal for outdoor recreation, Very cozy area. .

Is public transport a pain in the [censored] everywhere?

Hmm I never knew the word [censored] was censored, must be new

http://www.thebridgekippford.co.uk/images/kippford_aw2_lge.jpg

Beautiful forests, houses and shopkeepers.

Though I do love cletheroe and the awesome views from the top of its castle.

In the US: Yes, it is for the most part. If you are in a bigger city, you've got options; but usually only within the city and maybe service to some suburbs.

There is very little connectivity between cities, which is something the federal government is working on.

The Scandaweigans have excellent public services IIRC. Which then prompts the eternal quest for 'Swedish Public Services, with American taxes'

To anyone with English as a second language: what does English sound like? I always hear German as being this guttural throaty language, Italian as being spiky and poetic etc, but I don't know what English sounds like.

My non-English speaking grandmother always said, "English! They all sound like they're trying to speak while they've a whole egg in their mouth!" It's a very... oval, fluid, broad kind of tongue, if you get my meaning.

Its pretty good around Vancouver, though I have nothing to compare it to.

Yes it is. At least here in Brazil.

My Question to Everyone:

Do your country suffers from any "National Syndrome"?

Here we say that we, brazilians, suffer with the "Mongrel Complex" a great and national form of "Inferiority Complex" towards the rest of the World. Here we aren't "Too Good for Them!" here we are "They are too good for us!".

We love any kind of international recognition, if a minor celebrity says something nice about us everybody will rejoice a little.
This also explains why every brazilian (Me included) loves to attract peoples attention to the fact that they are brazilian. Maybe that will make people more interested on us.

I view myself as too good for anything, but with the "leaders" here and their plans I'd assume they too suffer from "we're better than England" syndrome

That must be your Portuguese heritage. Seriously. Here we feel that, massively... Even thought we are an European Country, we always feel left out, like if the rest of Europe and the world in general doesn't think we are worth ever being mentioned. And it's kind of true, you know. Almost nobody talks about Portugal, and we feel really, really despised.



I also think that the portuguese people are... something that I can't really find a correspondence in English, "saudoso". Portuguese people always have this sense of longing, even in the traditional music like "fado". What I mean is, we kind of live in the glories of the past, while complaining about our current situation and doing nothing good about it. We pretty much feel the burden of having a glorious past history (us being one of the biggest Empire and discovering a lot of the world and all), but being reduced to this [censored] condition nowadays.

And the big-neighbour complex too! We are next to Spain, and a surprising amount of people think we are a part of it, since the languages are even similar. We seriously HATE when someone mistakes portuguese (people and language) for spanish/spaniards, since throughout history, both countries have been rivals. And there is still this old-fashioned animosity towards Spain in here, by some people. We have a saying "De Espanha, nem bom vento nem bom casamento" --> From Spain, neither good winds nor good marriages. Of course we don't really think like that xD

And I am going to take chance of this to ask: Generally, to everyone out there, how do people view Portugal and portuguese people? You know, considering the debts and all that. Most answers would probably be that you don't even think about Portugal at all, but it's worth trying Do Europeans feel like we are European at all?

edit: sorry about the incredibly self-centered question

You tell us! It's normal in Brazil to consider that every foreigner (Specially Americans, sorry for that) thinks that brazilians talk spanish and that our capital is Buenos Aires or Rio de Janeiro. (Even trough I admit that it must be much less common that what we think it is.)

Hmm... About Portugal. I don't know... I'm not european to truly know what the other europeans think about Portugal. But I can tell what Brazilians think about the portuguese people... Stereotypically (Specially in the famous "Porguese Jokes") most of you are really dumb, owns a bakery, and are called "Manuel" and "Maria".
Outside that "joke stereotype" portuguese people are considered christian-orientated, family-centered and culturally-advanced people with a fun accent.

Also, let me tell you that sending our gold to Europe and asking for a huge indemnity at our Independence wasn't cool.
(Just Kidding with you)

How do the Japanese treat us foreigners ?

I hear they are pretty xenophobic. I dont have a problem with that, just wondering.

I would rather not be talked about. I bet Greece feels that way.
The UK is also like that, was good. Now its [censored].

I dont think about portugal.
Yes you are European. Only place that thinks its European, and I disagree with is Turkey.

I think that most countries believe that, here some people even say that our Military Dictatorship (Established with the help of the CIA from 64 to 85) was better than any Democratic Government. What those people don't realize is that the Military Government was a Propaganda Genius (As most of them are).

Myself I think that one of our greatest periods was during our brief Imperial Monarchy under Dom Pedro II.

The Scandaweigans have excellent public services IIRC. Which then prompts the eternal quest for 'Swedish Public Services, with American taxes'

To anyone with English as a second language: what does English sound like? I always hear German as being this guttural throaty language, Italian as being spiky and poetic etc, but I don't know what English sounds like.

Here some economists use to say that we have "African Services, with Scandinavian Taxes."

It sounds ok. We call it chicken intestine, cause the text looks like small intestines winding together. The sound of it is as incomprehensible as any other foriegn tongues.

I would rather a monarchy in control of my country. I see politicians, they remind me of children on a playground. All are the same at the end of the day, so I see nothing too loose.
The CIA messed your country up ? I am going to need to make a list at this rate.
What was their excuse for meddeling ?

I much prefer my chicken intestine text. Chinese, Japanese, etc. Has needlessly complex symbols. Latin has less, and simpler ones.

I myself would like a Monarchy because Kings need to care to the people (Specially since their sons will take their places) while politics never know who will replace them and care about themselves more than the people. (But I never lived under a Monarchy, so who am I to judge it as a political system.)

I agree, partially, with their excuse. Their excuse was that a Military Dictatorship would keep the communists out.
In the context of the Cold War it makes sense (I'm not saying that it's right, just that it makes sense) but still the Military Government was know for its corruption and cruelty.

Arizona. I grew up in the mountains, so the desert is a foreign and awe inspiring place for me.

Sigh.


So many people have a problem with Turkey being allowed into the EU... Some of the reasons for this dislike I even half agree with. Still, it's nominally inside Europe, so...


Don't worry about that. Rightly or wrongly, most of Europe feels that way.


Where I live there is a sizable Portuguese population. There are some unflattering stereotypes about the Portuguese here, which, I hasten to add, I don't think are representative of much of a truth. Most of the Portuguese I know and interact with are generally likable, normal people. I've never been to Portugal, so I can't say whether the stereotypes hold true there. You seem like normal people. Maybe a bit too normal for my liking; but then, I like the slightly stranger.

Chinese never actually evolved for three thousand years. There are patterns but yeah it's rather difficult for those not into the written words. Chinese evolves from picture and shapes of things, instead of sounds like in English. It's a very different direction, we came from cavemen to super cavemen.

Don't get me started on Brazilians You guys are the ones with the accent! And a really weird one while we are at that. You are closer to Spansh because you speak so "loud"... portuguese portuguese is softer eheh A question btw, what is this indemnity you were talking about? I don't think we actually learn about that here. We just hear about how D. Pedro gave the "Ipiranga Scream", left his son to rule Brazil and came home to fight off his brother.

And ok, it was kind of a dike move indeed, I'll let you have that one Just pointing out btw, that guy was the son of our king ^^

EDIT: Oof, thanks for the answer, and would you care to elaborate on those stereotypes? I normally find them amusing. Something along the lines of lazy, dumb, something like that? Man and woman alike with moustaches?

Democacy!!! Unless you choose communism.
What a joke.

Turkey is mostly in Asia, its not Europe.

I know those things are supposed to be pictures, but... Well they just dont look like them. It also makes it harder, lots of things cant be seen.

We paid two million sterling (Trough Great-Britain) so that Portugal would recognize our Independence. (Something around Seven Billion Dollars? Probably Less?)

Yes, I know his history, I studied his flee (Dom Jo?o IV and his his mother, Maria, A Louca) from the Napoleonic Europe to Brazil and the foundation of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves.

We study most of the world history, specially from Europe and the Middle East. I find it funny how here it's mandatory to study a great part of the International History while in many countries you just are obligated to study National History.

I kind of wish that the Republic Coup (It was a Coup, as the population wasn't supporting either side) didn't worked. Dom Pedro II was a extremely nice Emperor, he supported many of the artists and scientist of his period (Such as Louis Pasteur), founded many of our academic institutions and his daughter (Princess Isabel) signed the "Aurea Law" that abolished slavery.

The Stereotypes is among the lines of dumb baker named Manoel and... http://hellux.x-br.com/movetojunk/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/portuga-fardado.JPG. And yes, portuguese woman have mustaches.

That's strange. Our stereotypes about the Portuguese are quite different... Hm.

A lot of Portuguese people here own stores, and/or they're fishmongers. So there tend to be stereotypes about Portuguese smelling funny, or about them trying to cheat people out of money by setting outrageous prices, etc. Also, because most of the Portuguese here are blue-collar workers, there are a few classist jokes about how uncouth they can be. I told you it's stupid.

I have met one particularly unlikable Portuguese person who justified most of the stereotypes, but that was in high school, and I think he was just an [censored] in general, so that doesn't count.

I'm interested in how you guys work.

When we first arrived, first thing we do is to host a meal, lunch or dinner, whether it's the manager or team leader or the arrivals, the point is to establish a friendly environment to work in. We often go to lunch together, work like as if a small community of its own. Most Americans or any other foreigners, they seem to be used to lunch on their own, work on their own, hardly communicate with the team unless we bring them together with initiative. As if they are used to minding only their own task and care less of others. I find this rather troubling, or strange.