Have you ever been to England/USA?

[Flauta]

Me either....its very strange when you have to take your car to borrow two eggs at neighbours house....going there per pedes, you're not sure to survive because of criminality and gang war.....horrible

[BlondBondGirl]

As already mentioned, I will never again visit the US. At least not until there's a major switch in the political structure, which equals 'never'...
It's a shame as the US could be a wonderful place to be. America sure was before 'civilized man' laid his hands on this continent.[/QUOTE]

Hmmm. It's a good thing *some* of us can separate a government from its people... I guess Europe also was great, too, until damned civilization set in, what a shame! I am really trying to see things from your point of view, but I can't get my head up my butt that far!

And I hate to play the Hitler card, but c'mon, German History was amazing until that crazy Austrian took over and everyone watched as he murdered people, though they claim they didn't know...

Just for the record, when I meet Jewish people who don't want to visit Germany, I also tell them their missing out...

I know many people claim that Americans are "superficial" but here is some food for thought-we have a different cultural code! our everyday standards of politness only seem strange to those who don't know them. We don't expect people who talk to us to be our best friends right away and get mad when they don't follow through, we are aware that many exchanges are merely an expression of politeness.

[jatina]

Well- I'll just chime in here.......

I lived in the States as a kid for a bit over a year- in Virginia Beach, VA.
There were ups and downs to it, many things that were hard to get used to for me, others that I really liked........it's all in the cultural differences, really.

Been to London about ten times now- love it there and make it a point to return as often as I can.
I've also been to Hastings, Reading (well- yeah, for the festival there, guess that ones a no brainer) and several places up north.

Comparing the two I guess I'm more partial to the UK than to the US.

[jatina]

BlondBondGirl,

while I agree with you about the fact that people have to keep in mind that a government and it's actions don't neccesarily reflect upon the citizens of a country (I f.e. have many friends in the States who fulheartedly disagree with the current government and certain politics), and while I also agree that people have to keep in mind that although both Germany and the US are western countries there is a different set of standards, cultural values and even a different moral code (topless sunbathing anyone?) you sort of lost me on this one:


And I hate to play the Hitler card, but c'mon, German History was amazing until that crazy Austrian took over and everyone watched as he murdered people, though they claim they didn't know...

Aside from the fact that *irony on* the first WW was probably not much of an amazing part of German history *irony off* the second part of the sentence I have to disagree with.
No doubt that those directly invoved with the genocide as well as those who lived in areas adjacent to the camps knew what was going on.
But that's only a small part of the population as a whole- and while those in rural areas or those in the big cities probably heard of the transports and such I am positive that many did not fathom what was really going on.
Keep in mind that in fact the plan for the industrialized mass killings did not fully fledge until during the war- and during the war many people were focused on their own survival way too much to really reflect upon what may or may not be going on with those who got transported out of town.
Sure- they did probably have the idea that there were work-camps and such, but I am certain (also from the history of my own family and what I have been told by those who lived through those times) that many civilians did not in the least suspect what was really going on.

So saying everyone knew and everyone looked on and did nothing is simplifying things quite a bit imho.

Imho just as people these days should not judge the citizens of the US as a whole because of what goes on or their goverment people should also not presume that everyone in Germany back then was a full fledged Nazi and knew the full extent of what was going down.

[Flauta]

I came home from the US nearly 1 week ago.

I was for a 16 days trip in the Great Lakes Area (Chicago, Ann Arbor, Cadillac, Iron Mountain, Port Huron).

We had the chance to be hosted by 4 families. Every of them was so different, but in common they were soooo friendly, polite, open to us...They told us, that we helped them to finish their prejudices about Europeans. As for us.....hm, we could say the same. I read about the "typical american mentality" in a tourist guide and was soooo surprised, that the reality was different.
I was so positively surprised and had such a good time there, that I could imagine to work for a determined exchange-project for one year (or e semester) in the USA (in a German School...).

I really enjoyed my stay there and I'm fascinated by the nature and even the families. I wouldn't immigrate there, but IMHO have lost most of my prejudices and I surely will return one day, even if I don't agree with the political system......

[hennessy]

I´ve been to the US and as everywhere there are pros and cons.
What made me scared is the fact of the extreme opposites that exist. But thats the fact you have to deal with when you visit the US.

What I liked most was Miami. That was off the hook!

CU
hennessy

[sweetashoney]

Well, of course, every country has pros and contras ;-) It's just a matter of if you can handle it or not *lol* Having grown up in Germany, some of our customs, behavior, etc. do differ from other countries'... so, I'd say that it's not only the pros and contras that make you choose one country over another, it's also how much you are able and willing to adapt to the country's way of life. JMO

[Flauta]

We had just 1,5 days in Chicago: that was definitively not enough.
I want to return there to see all this museums, that seem to be of interest.
There is a Museum of Surgery and things like this.
Nature in the North of Michigan, Upper Peninsula, was very canadalike....that was very interesting to visit parts of the US, were no tourist ever things of spending time.... :-nix

[Tombow]

Chicago...yummy!!! Too bad Meigs Field is gone by now...would have been worth a visit.

[GregorMendel]

I've just returned from Great Britain yesterday. I was there for 10 days doing interrail. We visited London, York, Edinburgh, Inverness, the lake district and Bath. I really enjoyed the trip, we had a great time and the weather was good, too. I liked York the most... very lovely town, nice campsite... we should have stayed there longer :(

[BlondBondGirl]

Jatina,

I understand that it is a touchy subject. I meant the whole sentence as ironic-OF COURSE I know that it is ridiculous to think that Germans stood by and let people be murdered! (I have a villagefull of German relatives and my husband is German, I know a lot more about German history than people may think! ;))

I was trying to use the same stereotypic, populistic attitude towards Germany that I often encounter towards America in order to show how ridiculous it is! Often, this little trick is misconstrued when people read the red flag of Nazis and Hitler. I know these stereotypes are frustrating for both sides- I am sure it is not unique to America or Germany, I am sure it is a universal problem.

Anyway, here's to more cultural understanding! :-party

[jatina]

Jatina,

I understand that it is a touchy subject. I meant the whole sentence as ironic-OF COURSE I know that it is ridiculous to think that Germans stood by and let people be murdered! (I have a villagefull of German relatives and my husband is German, I know a lot more about German history than people may think! ;))

I was trying to use the same stereotypic, populistic attitude towards Germany that I often encounter towards America in order to show how ridiculous it is! Often, this little trick is misconstrued when people read the red flag of Nazis and Hitler. I know these stereotypes are frustrating for both sides- I am sure it is not unique to America or Germany, I am sure it is a universal problem.

Anyway, here's to more cultural understanding! :-party

Good to hear that- I probably didn't get the irony due to lack of coffee or such......

But believe it or not- I am in a forum about a town in Mexico where I used to live. Most of the users there are from the US- and you wouldn't believe what kind of stuff comes up in the offtop.
Some there DO believe everyone knew and took part, just as some don't get that Germany is not "socialist" but "social-democratic".................
I'm sometimes amazed how little some folks from the US know about Europe and Germany- but then, given that it is such a huge country and there are tons of stuff to learn about it alone, I guess it's no wonder that other areas of the world don't get that much attention by some.

[albertsendodd]

I am in UK for 2 month, for my outsourcing business. I am also planning my next trip...