Category: Language and Culture
Hi.
I don't think i seen this question here before and i thought that it might be an interesting subject to discuss. So what is your oppinion on your own country? Do you love it? hate it? Do you want to leave it or if you are away do you want to go back to it? This is the right topick to express whatever feelings you have about your country. We can go even further to discuss which is actually our country? Is it the country we grow up even if our parents came from another country or is it still our parent's country even if we might never seen it? I think there is plenty to talk about our countries.
So let's start with my own country. I was borned in Cyprus, an island in the mediteranian sea and my parents are Cypriots so i was borned and grew up in my country lol.
Untill i was 18 i wanted to experience what is like leaving abroad and when i was going away for holidays i didn't want to come back. But my feelings about my country changed when i went to study in England when i was 19. It is so different going abroad for a week and going to study for months. I started missing my family, the food, the nature sounds from home etc. When i was coming to Cyprus for holidays i started recording different sounds so i could listen to them when i was away. So as you probaply understand i like my country. But unfortunately it is not all that good and there are bad points about it.
Comparing Cyprus and England about services for the blind and other disabled people Cyprus seams 100 years behind lol. Maybe it is not that bad but we need a lot of work to do. This is why i went to England to study in the first place. Now i finished university and i will graduate soon but i will try to find jobs in England for the reason described above. So even if i like my country a lot i will have to leave somewhere else because things are better there. And since my girlfriend is British and she doesn't want to move to Cyprus i deffinately have to move to England but i don't blame her for not wanting to live in Cyprus lol.
Anyway these are my thoughts for now. I look forward to read yours as well.
Nikos
I was boarn in Spain but mooved to ecuador at the age of 6ish and lived their untill I was 13 and then came to the Usa.
I miss Ecuador the most because I made a lot of friends their that a miss a bunch and the food and just everything is great.
I plan to go back next month for a few weeks and hopefully get to go to Spain sometime soon as well.
hmmm, well me I was boarn in puerto rico but not for long. I came to NY when I was about a year and a half or so as far as that place gos. don't care for it. NY is my home. o yeh also the dominican republik all tho I've never bin there. but would like to some day. just to let yous know, I am half puerto rican and half dominican.
Hey there. I'm in the USA. I like what my country is supposed to be based on, but I'm far from thrilled with how things actually are politically these days. I have hope though that we cann turn things around though, though it'll take some time and effort. I do hope to travel someday, but I'm not sure I'd ever actually leave it for good, but the phrase never say never comes to mind. Who knows, maybe I'll go somewhere and find I really love it; but at this point I can't quite see it happening.
I'm really happy I got to go live and study abroad for almost 9 years. It really teaches you a lot, not just about the country where you go but also about your home.
Coming from Iceland I was a bit tired of it and thought I wouldn't miss it much. Then after 6 months or so one starts to miss the little things, a certain type of chocolate, the news reader on the radio, the silly commercials etc, not some grand ideas about the country. That being said now that I've been back in Iceland for 6 months, give or take, I definitely like a lot of things about it. It's got the youngest population in Europe (on average), people are very ehlpful and really do anything they can do make sure problems you have get through (applications etc), often the community is so small that you can work things out even if you are past the dead line for something. Things are informal, babies are welcome and the country is safe, safe enough for you to be able to leave your child outside a store while you go shopping and some people (not us) do that even. The weather is refreshing (perhaps a tad bit too refreshing as it turns out) and we have all those outdoor pools. It's a very energetic society.
But I also see negative points, prices are outrageously hthere is a lot of wealth divide in the country, a few man were basically given the entire fishing stock by the government, not much unlike the oil wealth in Russia, and they are ruining entire towns by trading their quota limits for money, the country is bent on attracting major industries and plants, destroying lots of the wild life which has been one of its strongest attractions. I think in moderation it's a good thing but I think the solution to the country's future is not all in aluminium plants or smelters.
The weather also gets tiring, when it never gets above 70 and we have about a month of true summer. Over all though I'm very happy here and like being back even if there are a lot of things I love about the U.S.
cheers
-B
Ireland.The wealth is incredible, the health service is terrible, the peace between sienn fein and Ian Paisley is lies,only an eejit would believe a word of it. We've scenery to break your heart and a history that would do the same. I'm daft on Ireland and I'm as biased as the next lad..smile. With all her faults,and she has many,you can't help but fall for her.
Stevie
Thanks all for posting. Very good points.
Something else that i wish it didn't happen in my country is the use of euro from January 2008. Today it is the day where we will know the final exchange rade between cypriot pound and euro and then people will start displaying prices in both currencies.
I personally admire the British for not having the euro and staying with the british pound. I am personally against it. I might be wrong but if now europeen union makes us to have the same currency then what about if they tell us to have the same language all over europ one day? Or other things. And also i think that things will get expensive when we have the euro. I think it should be a referendum asking us if we want it or not before introducing it.
But this is only my oppinion and i might be wrong. I think currency is part of a calture. I know on some koins we will have the picture of the country or something to do with it on one side but i don't find it enough.
I live in Canada, and I love it! although, like the states, we could use a better admin.
Nikos stay away from the Euro,it's doubled the price of everything in southern Ireland,the southerners scoot over the border to buy petrol and food,living is costing them a fortune.
Stevie
The Philippines is a third world country. The place is economically low, polluted, and a lot of people drop out from high school or lower just to help out and start to work. Most of the people have below average incomes and is trying their best to provide even the basic needs. There is so many people living in squatters areas and shanties and some even live on cardboard boxes under a bridge when it’s raining. Hey, it’s a hard life, but I’m proud of where I came from. I grew up and lived in the Philippines until I was 16 and my family moved here 2003. I miss my relatives over there especially my cousins, and my friends. As far as the Filipino food goes, I love it. I really miss my life there and the music, the fun, and the good times I had. I’m planning to go back in the Philippines for a vacation and I’m really looking forward to it. If everything goes well, it would be really great to see everyone again. I’m proud of who I am and will not trade it for anything.
Hello.
We have many people from Philippines who come to Cyprus for a better living. I think most of them are women and they work in houses doing cleaning, coocking or looking after children when their parents are away.
I admire people who leave their countries for a better leaving. I know it is not easy.
I personally don't like the fact that people in Cyprus have people to help them with the house work etc. I mean i understand when it is really necesarry but i think in Cyprus it is becoming a kind of a new fation. You are not cool if you don't have a woman doing the work while you do nothing and go shopping and things like that. I think Cypriot people in a way are becoming more and more lazy.
Even on the radio you can hear the laziness lol. Dead air, djs playing the same cd from begining to end or most of it, not talking for 5 songs period etc. I think Cypriots are not as professional as in other countries. I don't have experience in many countries but in England where i studied i think people value more their jobs and they try to do it as good as possible. In Cyprus they want to do as less as possible but still to get payed lol.
well, being a Filipino myself even though I live in the states, I think the Philippines is a great place. It's hard to live there though. It gets very hot at times, and can be very cold with lots of floods.
Yeah true but above all that the food is awesome, the people are really nice, and the malls sell cheap and fashionable clothes. I still want to go back there though if only i have all the money to spend. U don't mind about the weather or poverty or how much hard the life there used to be. I've been there done that, so, it does not bother me if ever i move back to the Philippines. Yes, its a great place and there's a lot of tourist spots, white sand beaches, and beautiful sceneries.
The USA is far from perfect, God knows. But I am very glad I was born here, and I plan to stay here. Even if, god forbid, Hilary wins the election. Did I say that? *Grin* I have been curious what Canada is like before, and have visited it, but never long term. Canadians have been some of the most friendly people I've met, though, and when I visited there, it seemd like a very pretty country.
Have to agree with SD. I was born and raised in the US. I love my country and can't picture moving perminantly away, but I'll never say never. Who knows what will happen tomorrow; let alone 10 years from now. I think the US needs a lot of work in politics, etc, but it's still my home. I too hope to travel some day, but we'll see. Also, I think I'll stick it out if she wins, but I can't promise anything. LOL. I've always been curious about ampsterdam; I think that's how it's spelled...
Well I live in Scotland which is part of the UK Grait Brittain. I was born in Scotland and like it here. I like he brittish food. As for services for the disabled, I think Scotland should do a lot more to help people with disabilities. I think England is better than Scotland. Well it depends what part of England. Personaly speaking theCapital side of the country is better both for Sctland and England but especially England.
Bravo Niko! Great topic! I was born and raised in America. My grandmother speaks seven languages but the ones I heard the most were English and Italian. My family was never into their ethnicity, though Grandma would tell me stories about her youth and Yugoslavia and Italy. They're all pretty much American patriotis in one way or another. I latched onto my English heritage for a bit. I've never felt like an American, even as a child. Being called one would always upset me. I can go into that in another post. I tried to connect with my roots. But as time passed, I developed a love for all things Greek. For years, I tried to say it was just an interest and that since I was English, that's where I belonged. I have other nationalities but that was the one I chose. But after awhile, I couldn't hide it anymore. I knew that I loved Greece and I didn't feel right claiming my allegience for any other place. Even if I didn't have any Hellenic blood, I had to follow my heart. So I wrote an oath to the country under the flag and The Gods to serve only her and no one else. I knew the minute I did it that I was whole. Then, on 12 June, 2006, after being into it all for five years, I found out that I actually did have some Greek blood. So I was really following my roots all along and didn't know it.
Now, seven years after this all started, I can say one thing with assurity. Yes, I love my country. It doesn't rule the world and no longer makes grand contributions to society like shaping Western civilisation or creating things like democracy. It's a country of only 11,000,000. It's full of corruption. It's dirty and poor. The government is a mess with scandals and everywhere you turn there's something new to make you angry or just shake your head. But I have cried for my country. I have spent nights awake wondering how we as Hellenes got to where we are and how I can help improve things, have spent hours first trying to find the proper screenreader and then teaching myself the language and culture so I can get closer to my people. There are those who tell me that I'm crazy. They say "how can you love a place you've never seen" and "you should be happy you are where you are" and "you don't know how good you have it". There are those who tell me that I love Greece more than those who live there. I take that as a compliment. There is nothing I wouldn't do and nothing I wouldn't give for Ellada, even as she is today. And I know one other thing. I'm not so romantic that I don't know the truth. I'll be treated like shit and will have to fight for every piece of bread that I get, especially because I'm blind and a woman (though blindness is more the problem). But I also know that I will find a way to make it there. For despite it's flaws, this is where I want to raise my own family and spend the rest of my days. My family tells me if I move there that they won't visit me, that I'd have to come back and visit them, and while that hurts, I guess that's the way it'll have to be.
Thanks all for posting. Very interesting posts here.
English born and bread. Something I've been thinking for a while. England is the underdog of the world. Half the people living there are imigrants, we always seem to get the last word on anything. Anything that we seem to have had all our own has been taken away from us, our government is a sham. Not saying I got anything against imigrants, just that we're being to giving and seeming to get nothing in return. Ok, done.
Lanna
This is a very interesting topic.
I'm u.s. born, raised and love it.
I also like the Brits, they are our cousins and they have given so much to the world, and their bravery during world war 2 should go down in history as one of the bravest things ever done by a people.
I love the idea of ancient Greece. The fact that such a civilized nature could come out of a world full of barbarity is beyond me. Where would we be without ancient Greece?
All this said, though, I am very very proud to be an American.
My father served in world war 2, my grandfather served in world war 1, and I (not being fit to serve anywhere) counseled potential soldiers how to get out of the Vietnam war.
It is oh so easy to criticize us, but I believe there is potential for greatness in our future.
We are kind of like the heart of the good semaritan trapped in the body of a bully.
Just my thoughts.
Bob
Imigrants are taking over America too, Lanna, not just England. I'd love to visit England someday. I almost got to in high school but it didn't work out cuz of money.
Far too many immigrants in Greece if you ask me. I know you'd say "but you'll be an immigrant too". The difference here is I'm taking my time to learn the language and the culture. I don't expect immigrants to be as patriotic as I am, but I feel we're losing our culture slowly. Still, I think America has it worse. it's always been the melting pot, but with so many things catering to foreign languages and no one being required to speak English, I think ou guys have a long road ahead of you here. Sorry if there are alot of errors here, but I'm working on a Mac and am not used to the editing differences yet.
NP it came through anyways. *smile* I agree about American immigration. I've never been anywhere to have to learn another language, and I'm finding it more difficult to communicate on a daily basis in my own country. I call technical support for almost any problem; and even though I choose English, I get someone who may speak English (American English) but you can't tell because their accent is so heavy I'm fighting every second to understand and communicate my needs. The same is happening with bill paying, purchasing over the phone and everything else...That (besides politics) is my main gripe about the US. But, I still love her; even if I don't love the choices that have been made in her name.
I love the last part of your post. Very appropriate for me as well. And I too get these people who can't speak proper English. This is why I do most things online and have friends who are good with technical things. One of these days I'm gonna start speaking in Greek and see how they like it. lol Knowing my luck, they'll probably answer! Also, someone here mentioned the military. I'd gladly join the Hellenic military if I could. But since I can't, I'd like to serve my country in some other way and hope I can.
I am Chinese, I was born in calloon Hong Kong, and have never been to inland china, and thank God for that. I never want to go in that nightmare. My parents are from small villages inland though.
No, I don’t like China, I am very opposed to communism. I am a capitalist, and would be very upset if I was made to live in a communistic society. God, why the hell do you want to arrest people who practice a different religion then you? Why do you give so much bleeding attention to it? damn, leave them the hell alone? Let them worship whatever they like and stop arresting people if you want a successful country. I hate almost everything about Confucius and the whole structure in China is based on that. Children doesn’t get a say, and it still shows up in my family, which is unfortunate. Also in China there is no choice but to go to a blind school, and you don’t get public education unless the school says so. If they do, they will let you go to a public secondary school, for forms 1 through five. Then you just go through this blind center thing for support. Oh, some Chinese pick the most awkward names ever. I am serious, I met a woman named Apple, and I think one of my god mothers is named Cinderella. I thought my mom was joking when she first told me, but she isn’t. My mother made up her English name, francy, and my dad is Sarric. Seriously, talk about weird. Some names are nice though, I like the name Daisy for example.
I've lived in the U.S. all my life but have also been to Mexico to visit relatives. I personally consider myself Mexican-American because of my heritage, and because I feel like I can relate to that culture more than I can American. For instance, in general, Mexicans seem more interdependent on their families and so they are more close. I also like homemade Mexican food and would like to learn how to make at least some of them by scratch. I liked Mexico when I visited, but hearing how some of the hospitals are not very good and there doesn't seem to be some kind of big help for people who can't pay to get good treatment is sad to me. That and the drug trafficing and such related things would need to be changed. I'm not sure I'd want to live there even then, but in general I liked being there when I did go.
As for the country I'm actually from *smile*, it has it's good and bad points. I consider us lucky for having things like Social Security, good (and sometimes free) national and local resources for help/products for people with disabilities, free public school, financial assistance for higher-education students, help for homeless people, etc. On the other hand, to me it seems like we can do better in other things, mainly using better alternatives to oil for our homes and vehicles. It also seems that in general, Americans are too materialistic, wasteful, and we take many things we have for granted. Still, I couldn't see myself living anywhere else permanently; mainly because I would really miss my family. Also, things can be changed about the bad points in the U.S., whether by our President or locally/individually. One can choose to live differently from mainstream culture and can vote or otherwise advertise or join groups for things that are important to them. So yeah, there are the good and bad points and I don't have any other similar-type countries to compare it to, so I'd likely stay here.
I agree about materialism and American wastefulness. But I also think you're right about change. If people get together and start buying/voting for better options in energy etc, change will come. It's all about supply and demand. But it might take longer than desired cause it all goes back to the almighty dollar and keeping certain pockets full. Can't do that easily with renewable resources.
You know there is a solution in congress’s power. The bill for flex fuel has been waiting to be signed for a few years.
hey its cool we have a new president this does tie to this topic right haha sorry if its like about the country if you like it or not. but i think its nice to see someone new in office
I am from Ecuador which is cool.
Thanks for bringing this topick back.
It is very interesting to read again all the posts.
I love the US for what it is supposed to mean, but I just got back from the UK for a school trip and it puts us to shame, in my opinion. England and Scotland were both really accomidating. They provided so much more services for me than I thought possible. Maybe that's just because I'm some random blind American tourist, but it was beautiful, I thought. I loved it so much, and I want to go back for good. But then, I'm young and shouldn't make those kind of judgements so early in life, but as of now, I love the UK much much much more than the US.
Philippines is a wonderful country. However, due to mismanagement and greedy desire of our government officials, it end up in to poberty, and other social problems. I am just wishing that there is someone who will really serve honestly in to our country. But over all, I could say that Philippines is still a wonderful country. I just only want to go outside of this country due to the descrimination that the persons with disability are experiencing.
Australia is a very lucky and good country, but there's just something about it that seems wrong to me.
we're not a country that travels a lot, and I don't count new zealand here, we often don't learn other languages and we're quite ignorant of other cultures.
europeans however learn other languages and are often more travelled and cultured because there's so much just at their front door. you can travel a couple of hours and experience something new and I like that...
since I've been living here in Switzerland, I've discovered what the australians lack, and that's a sense of history and culture.
australia is a mix of so many cultures that we don't have much that's uniquely australian, and I want that.
the swiss are held together by a love of democracy and voting, it's so deep in their culture that it really really means something to all of them.
it's hard to say, but I prefer the older countries because they have more of a culture than australia does as one of the younger ountries of the world.
australia is heavily influenced by america as well and I severely dislike that.
Australia sounds like America to me. I completely understand your feelings, judging by your description. It's the same problem I have with this country. However, both nations have fascinating indiginous cultures, so it might be a good idea to look those up. Both also hurt those cultures though, which upsets me. As for elections, we've got a new prime Minister too, Giorgos Papandreou from PASOK, which really pleases me, since I support them. And President Papoulias decided to stay on for another four years if he can (he's in his 80's). If there was ever a good politician and humanitarian, it's him. If there were more people like The President, we could, perhaps, get out of this nightmare that's drowning us in debt, sorrow and greed. To make a very long story short, my twin Adam found our biological father last summer and I learned that I don't have any Greek blood. The letter we'd found wasn't from him or about me... It felt like someone took a knife and plunged it right into my heart and it took awhile to recover from that. But, with the help of some really good friends, I eventually realised that it's not all about the blood, but about what's in your heart. I'm an Ellinida (Greek woman) no matter if my bloodline or my citizenship says I am, though I'd really like the latter as soon as I could get it. lol
I think i might have portrayed it a bit wrongly.
australia is much different to america, especially politically.
We are much less capitalist, and we have more of a tradition of assisting poorer people than the US does, we don't leave it to charities, we give good social securety payments and so on. it is a very good country to live in, I just meant that we're influenced by the USA a lot, in terms of television and music for example.
the indigenous cultures are very interesting, but I am not aboriginal nor do I have any aboriginal blood, so while I respect the culture, I've never been compelled to learn more than I learnt at school because I don't feel close to it. I prefer to learn languages like Cornish and Welsh because that's where my true culture lies.
for me it is about blood, because so many white australians don't have a sense of their true culture or history.
I learn German because I am here, living here and trying to mingle among people, so it's necessary, and I love the swiss because, well, that's obvious to most people isn't it?