How do you think foreigners perceive your country?

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Mackica
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11 Dec 2010, 7:29 pm

Hrmm,there are certainly a lot of stereotypes about the US.And not mention Hawai'i! everything automatically asks if you surf or live near the beach!
But for the most part,people are very liberal and broad minded in the places where I've traveled.They aren't limited to narrow minded stereotypes of the US,where as in comparison quite a few people here have limited views of other countries: the Dutch ride bikes,everyone knows about Van Gogh (correct pronunciation is Van Hoh,not Van Go),eats cheese.Quite a few people don't even know where Croatia is ("is that in Asia?" 8O), and everyone seems to think all you do in France is eat croissants,have sex and eat chocolate,and that the language is tough. :roll: ...there is ignorance in every country,then again there are open minded and curious individuals.Luckily I have met many of the latter,and consider myself as one.



Craig28
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11 Dec 2010, 8:18 pm

skysaw wrote:
Craig28 wrote:
I know how I percieve American beliefs on World War 2. Its shocking that American teachers tell their pupils and students what they tell them about the war. Its also obscenely disgusting too.


This is quite a cryptic post. What is it that American teachers tell their pupils about World War 2?
And where are you from yourself?


American teachers tell their pupils that the US won World War 2 all by it self. Not true.

And I am from the UK.



Mackica
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11 Dec 2010, 8:20 pm

Yes,I recall being taught that "we won" (US) the second World War.



Craig28
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12 Dec 2010, 12:28 pm

Mackica wrote:
Yes,I recall being taught that "we won" (US) the second World War.


I hope your joking, because an entire generation of American youth believe these outrageous lies.



Cash__
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12 Dec 2010, 9:23 pm

Quote:
American teachers tell their pupils that the US won World War 2 all by it self.


I was never taught that. I have never even heard anyone elude to that in my whole life?



Lace-Bane
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12 Dec 2010, 10:39 pm

Cash__ wrote:
Quote:
American teachers tell their pupils that the US won World War 2 all by it self.


I was never taught that. I have never even heard anyone elude to that in my whole life?


I've never been taught this either... although I didn't listen to much in history class. Everything I know history wise is from a friend who really knows history and by reading.

As far as I was aware... America would have gotten their hind-quarters handed to them without assistance :?

Anyway, I'm from America and I've heard quite a bit of what foreigners say about this country... most of it isn't far from the truth sadly (I generally have to agree with them) :roll:



happymusic
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14 Dec 2010, 8:51 pm

I wasn't taught the US won WWII, rather that the Allies won it and that it took a global effort. I work in a high school and haven't heard any allusions to that particular misconception.

Mackica wrote:
Hrmm,there are certainly a lot of stereotypes about the US.And not mention Hawai'i! everything automatically asks if you surf or live near the beach!


Yeah, when my grandmother moved here (east coast US) from Hawai'i the people asked her if she'd driven and how she felt wearing clothes and shoes. Just a couple of years ago someone here insisted that I was the same as a Samoan. In my grandmother's words "I was born a foreigner, I'll die a foreigner".

In my experience in Latin America, American women are seen as easy to sleep with because, I was told, in the American movies shown there, the leading man always has sex with the leading lady and they don't have to be married.

They clearly never heard of the Puritans.



sterfry
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15 Dec 2010, 2:28 am

I'm really surprised the stereotypes about Canada didnt include hockey. I was under the impression that every man woman and child in Canada played hockey.

I was always taught that the Allies won WW2 which included the US.

People probably think I say "New Yawk," ride in yellow taxis, like the Yankees and I'm a "tough guy." Right? What are other stereotypes about New Yorkers?



happymusic
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15 Dec 2010, 8:15 pm

sterfry wrote:
People probably think I say "New Yawk," ride in yellow taxis, like the Yankees and I'm a "tough guy." Right? What are other stereotypes about New Yorkers?


Ha! Yeah - I think there's a reputation of New Yorkers being rude but I lived there (nyc) for 10 years and never found that to be the case. The culture is distinct and more subtle in some ways, but not rude.

Other NY impressions I've heard of:
The women are fashionable (some of them are - people are very tolerant there of fashion).
The people are fast talking and curse and spit a lot (ok, I witnessed a lot of this lol!).
People are rude in traffic (which I found to be untrue).
It's filled with bad drivers (there are actually got lots of very good drivers - it's not an easy town to navigate and I saw few accidents).
That the kids are somehow tough (nope, they're just kids).



Valoyossa
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15 Dec 2010, 8:27 pm

Some stereotypes about PL:
Ve all are blondes vith blue eyes. Ve are extrowerted, brawe people who like parties and vodka. Ve live somewhere in kommunist state in Russia and ve speak Russian or Cherman. Ve like Cherman cars and ve steal zem a lot. Ve are also good and hard vorkers and ve produce much technikal stuff. Zat's all about us.


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auntblabby
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15 Dec 2010, 10:19 pm

the few canadians i have chatted with, see america as a land of rampant individualism, dog-eat-dog and plagued by religious bullies always seeking to make their particular religion the "official" religion which all others must bow down to. they see a land both puritanical and prurient, each quality at perpetual war with the other. a land where the "naughty bits" are bleeped and fuzzed-out and black-barred over, as though we were all overgrown children with virgin ears and eyes and minds in need of the chastity belt protection of censorship. needless to say, they are mightily glad to be where they are, north of the border.



Darkword
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15 Dec 2010, 10:28 pm

like this.

I'm an American.


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sterfry
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16 Dec 2010, 2:20 am

I bet most Americans think that Poland is where their bottled water comes from. (Poland Spring is in Maine)



Laz
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16 Dec 2010, 2:39 am

Quote:
Some stereotypes about PL


Oh I've got a few of those courtesy of the wonderful stereotypes we have of you in the UK

You eat swans and steal carp from public park lakes

Raging alcoholics that have no quarms about drinking raw ethanol on a night out

Health and safety is just a suggestion! hard hats? Reinforced boots? Only p**** englishmen wear those if i suffer an accident at work I'll just carry on working with half my limb torn off or my left foot missing

For half the price of an equivilant english tradesman you'l do the same job and 50% extra and if you need help you call up your extended family who technically arn't your employee's to come and give you a hand


....actually to be fair i'd much rather work with a pole then I would with someone from my own country. The work ethic of every polish person i've ever come across is just absolutely awesome, no messing about, they turn up to do what they are paid to do. Wish I could say the same of my work shy fellow englishmen



Jellybean
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16 Dec 2010, 8:18 am

Quote:
Stereotypes about Brits:
- pregnant teens;
- drunk people pissing on the streets;
- loud and bad-mannered.

Sorry.


Don't apologize... that's all that I seem to see around me these days here (but I did grow up in a very rough area...)

I do think the majority of foreigners see England as tea sipping, buck teethed posh people who worship Queen Elizabeth II. I have also heard that some Americans (that my Step-dad met) thought we all lived in pretty villages with thatched cottages and didn't know about this amazing technology called... CENTRAL HEATING!! ! I wish it really was like that because it sounds like bliss!


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nick007
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17 Dec 2010, 9:00 am

I think most countries perceive America as being extremely controlling, hypocritical, shallow, stupid Jesus freaks. I HATE living here


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