Are people friendlier in Europe than in North America ?

[gvox]

Originally posted by anitram:
Well, Gabriel, there are an awful lot of wackos on the TTC, if you ask me.

Actually I was referring to the GO, Im a suburbanite...lol..

[gvox]

Originally posted by RavenStar:
people in Newfoundland are sooo friendly. Im from scarborough so anyone that doesn't shoot you is friendly.

Now THATS truly hilarious...yeah Ive dodged a few in Scarbaria my self...

[annalivia]

Travelling to the southwest of the US a few years ago I thought all people there were extremely friendly. Of course the "welcomes" can't always be "deep from the heart" but after travelling for hours and spending a huge amount of money to get on this vacation they were very nice to hear anyway.

In general I would say Americans are more friendly and open than Europeans. Even if the friendliness might be superficial I prefer superficial friendliness to the grumpy attitude I'm confronted with sometimes over here.

anna

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...in the beginning...
rock'n'roll...
used to be dance music...

[guaca]

Originally posted by RavenStar:
people in Newfoundland are sooo friendly. Im from scarborough so anyone that doesn't shoot you is friendly.

Oh my spatula! that's too funny...I just fell off my chair..for me I try to take the frame of mind that if you show people with respect and treat them nicely they'll treat you in kind no matter where you are...and that thinking will probably get me shot some day...

[dream wanderer]

I have seen over and over Europeans/Asians complain about the superficiality of American friendships...when in reality the Americans probably weren't even thinking in terms of friendship...to them they were just being polite. To many Americans saying hi...how are you...where are you from...how many brothers and sisters do you have...where did you go to college...etc...is just being polite or making conversation...its not meant to be mistaken for the begining of a beautiful friendship...(although of course it can go that way). Its a cultural thing I guess...

I have found friendly people in the American south...and San Francisco....
Most Europeans I have met here have been quite friendly...except for one Polish guy and he only talked to me because he was interested in Native Americans...

dream wanderer



[This message has been edited by dream wanderer (edited 05-15-2002).]

[joyfulgirl]

Originally posted by sulawesigirl4:
hmm. Hard to say. As a general rule, I'd say that Americans can *seem* more friendly, ie. smile, talk very openly, etc. As someone who grew up in Asia, I had a hard time when I came back to the States gauging where I really was with a person, because they acted all friendly, but then really turned out not to give a damn about me. lol. In my experience with Europeans, I have found them to be a slightly more reticent at first, but once you've earned their trust, you are true friends and they stick by you.

But of course that's all generalization based on one person's experience.

I agree. It depends on what you think is friendly, too. I grew up in the south but after 15 years in NYC, what is generally thought of as "southern hospitality" now strikes me as very nosey and all that dropping in on people unannounced, which my mothers lives for, to me is rude. Don't ever stop by my house without a phone call, let me tell ya! People think New Yorkers are snotty while I think their reserve comes from living amongst millions of people with little personal space.

So, it's hard to generalize. I think all that American 'friendliness' strikes a lot of Europeans as insincere. When I was traveling alone in Europe years ago, I carried myself with the New York reserve that had become second-nature and as a result, many Parisien families who saw me eating alone invited me to their tables and even into their homes--not the typical experience an American has in Paris.

[joyfulgirl]

Originally posted by 1mitnol:
Does anyone know why Europeans are more uninhibited ( other than the U.K. )than Americans ? For instance isn't it true that almost all the public beaches in continental Europe are clothing optional . In Canada and the States a clothing optional beach is considered a total counter-culture hippy hang-out . I think Europeans are way more free about their behavior and to express themselves than people over here .

When I was in Greece a number of years ago, I observed a family of Germans (or German-speaking, I should say)--three generations of them, from toddlers to grandma--playing cards nude on the beach. It was beautiful. I was very self-conscious just being topless. But I got over it.

[Judah]

Stickin' with over generalizations: friendliest country from my experience -- besides Canada, where i live, and Pakistan, where i'm from (though, it's not sounding too friendly these past few years) -- TURKEY. Absolutely amazing place and people. Also, i may be way off base, but when i was in New York City about five years ago (my first time), i thought the people were amazingly friendly...and i felt safe. I'd heard horrible things about NYC, so it was all a nice surprise (Favorite places: East Village and Harlem.)

[U2Bama]

Thank you, Deep; I try to spread Southern hospitality throughout the land.

~U2Alabama

[UV2001]

Originally posted by 1mitnol:
Does anyone know why Europeans are more uninhibited ( other than the U.K. )than Americans ? For instance isn't it true that almost all the public beaches in continental Europe are clothing optional . In Canada and the States a clothing optional beach is considered a total counter-culture hippy hang-out . I think Europeans are way more free about their behavior and to express themselves than people over here . If you watch the news and read the papers all the cool demonstrations are in Europe .I wish I could travel over there and get first hand knowledge . I mean look at Bono , he's a friendly Irishman and the high-tech people in the American government can hardly believe how informed and knowledgeable he is on the issues he's talking to them about . It looks to me like they can't believe this friendly dude can really have a clue .

About the clothing optional thing that is totally true of the Spanish beaches. Many women either sunbathe or walk round topless and I can say that for the former I have.

I think as a whole in Europe the more sun the countries get the friendlier the people seem (oh the wonders of sunshine )
Ireland being the exeption because the Irish seem to be really friendly from my visits

England's probably the worst place in the UK for friendly people

[Sicy]

[1mitnol]

Does anyone know why Europeans are more uninhibited ( other than the U.K. )than Americans ? For instance isn't it true that almost all the public beaches in continental Europe are clothing optional . In Canada and the States a clothing optional beach is considered a total counter-culture hippy hang-out . I think Europeans are way more free about their behavior and to express themselves than people over here . If you watch the news and read the papers all the cool demonstrations are in Europe .I wish I could travel over there and get first hand knowledge . I mean look at Bono , he's a friendly Irishman and the high-tech people in the American government can hardly believe how informed and knowledgeable he is on the issues he's talking to them about . It looks to me like they can't believe this friendly dude can really have a clue .

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Look I gotta go ,
Yeah I'm running right out of change, There's a lot of things , If I could I'd rearrange .

[meriphew]

I think that typically, the larger the city, the ruder the people are. When people are living in cramped spaces, dealing with bad traffic, and constantly bombarded with noise, their nerves tend to get frazzeled.

_____________________
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Meriphew
www.meriphew.com

[Klodomir]

Originally posted by 1mitnol:
Does anyone know why Europeans are more uninhibited ( other than the U.K. )than Americans ? For instance isn't it true that almost all the public beaches in continental Europe are clothing optional . In Canada and the States a clothing optional beach is considered a total counter-culture hippy hang-out .

Why? Probably a religious thing. Although the various American religious groups stem from the same origins as the Europeans', they have progressed in different ways. I have to say, though, that there are limits here too. Complete nudity on a regular beach is generally frowned upon (there are lots of nudist beaches for that purpose), but people usually won't bat an eyelid if women go topless, and why should they? I for one am glad it's like that because those white patches are so unsexy.

But I think that people are becoming more inhibited again. For instance, on my recent trip to Portugal, I didn't see many topless women, but on the other hand, on the beach that did have them, I was surprised to see a group of American girls who after a few days worked up the courage to lie topless. I didn't think Americans did that at all.

Originally posted by joyfulgirl:

When I was in Greece a number of years ago, I observed a family of Germans (or German-speaking, I should say)--three generations of them, from toddlers to grandma--playing cards nude on the beach. It was beautiful. I was very self-conscious just being topless. But I got over it.

Well, I must admit, I do object to the Germans who do this. They tend to just go everywhere in Europe and behave like they're at home, and I really don't enjoy looking at the Helmuth Kohl types that Ugly Naked German Guys usually are with their bits flapping in the breeze. Don't know why the hunks always cover up.

[dream wanderer]

I don't want to see naked people and I don't want to go topless....has nothing to do with inhibition or religion. Its just personal taste...from my very limitied experience its not the beautiful people who go naked...its the same kind of people I see at the mall. Its just not pretty imho.

We do have nude beaches here though...they just are a separate thing....so if you do like that kind of thing you are not deprived..

Not to mention the au natural sunbathing is bad for you...

dream wanderer

[1mitnol]

Nudity at beaches is just one example , I personally wouldn't do it however , it's just a thing people do more in Europe that's all . I think it's easier to meet Americans and Canadians as far as saying Hi and stuff goes , but to really get to know someone well it looks like Europeans are the winners there. Everyone says backpacking around Europe is a totally cool thing to do for a summer but would a European want to travel around North America , just dependent on people's hospitality ?
The other thing is , for culture and life like festivals and other events Europe has got so much going on .The Love Parade in Berlin for example , nothing even remotely close to a party like that happens anywhere over here, that I know of anyway . The European s seem to have more of a zest for life than most people , perhaps it's cause they won their freedom more recently .

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Look I gotta go ,
Yeah I'm running right out of change, There's a lot of things , If I could I'd rearrange .

[hiphop]

Well, yes... just right in time to say I just got back from a night at the Life Ball 2002 - - so good to see people who believe in love... to see freaks like me there... Elton John told about his Aids Help Funds... should hook up with Bono maybe?

Oh, the Love Parade of Berlin is great, true. A little too much chaos, if you ask me; there are a few other parades in Middle Europe, but Berlin is the original, yes.

As to the demos: Well, Seattle was quite a good example, too. I think Americans have a stronger national sense than the Europeans. And I think some are more conservative.

Oh people, this was such a great happening... Moschino did a show, a gay pair married,,.... - try to get a ticket next year, it´s worth it - -
be available.

Rock on