4mo ago

What's your favourite country and why?

Consider me a weeb but I like Japan, it has some truly beautiful nature and cuisines to try across the country.

Yes, there is a bit of that anime or gaming side to it, they've birthed many favourite nostalgic franchises of mine like Crash Bandicoot or Pokemon.

I also really like their architecture with their traditional houses and castles, the whole thing just seems really peaceful and tranquil given it it is a "quiet and polite" country.

Their country might be set in their ways but that is what I think makes the country special, keeping its traditions, beliefs and culture for many, many years.

My bro likes Spain because of their food and hot sunny weather 😎

What about you? What country do you like and why?

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antarctica:
no bad politics
no wars so far
people there are mainly interested in science
no economic abuse or exploitation
pinguins!
no air conditioning needed to survive the summer.
winter is offline time, visitors won't arrive or leave then.
last place to stay cool during boomers heritage "heat death of our planet"
well sure, it has downsides too. Next Rollercoaster park is -tbh- unreachable, internet connection is sloo.oo..oow (or did they already finish the submarine fibre cable?) and sunbathing basically only brings you frost bites (if you're lucky).
However i am not planning to migrate there.

Netherlands seems to have it's head screwed on
- Just as many crazies. Just a different political system that doesn't give them power.
- If it wasn't for the shitty European weather I'd be seriously considering moving there, tbh. Have become fully orange-pilled over the last few years.
- Honestly I quite like it here. It's obviously not perfect but when I compare it to other countries we do rather well.
  Honestly my biggest complaint is that it's so full. I recently visited Norway and the vast forests and just untamed nature is gorgeous and the air quality is great. But then again nothing is really far away in the Netherlands so ups and downs.

Call me chauvinistic but France is absolutely special in many ways. The diversity of landscapes for a country this size is absolutely mad, not even considering the Outre Mer. The history is insanely rich, the culture is definitely worthwhile, and I'm not even talking about the food and its sheer diversity.
The problem is us, Frenchies, we've definitely lost our spark and are getting propaganded to hell. It's a very sad state of affairs.
Less chauvinistically, I really like Norway and the Nordics in general.
- Exact same, holy shit are we lucky to be here. I can't see anything that could make me go live elsewhere honestly.

I haven't seen much of the world yet. My dad was set on Germany and later Austria for holiday destinations. When I started going myself I visited Spain, Switzerland, Italy and Portugal. I've also been to Budapest (Hungary), Prague (Czech) and Krákow (Poland). I've been to England a couple of times because of family.
But lately I've been to Portugal a couple of times. I like the Portuguese people, the food, the wine, the environment in general, the ocean... I've taken to learning the language as well.
I prefer southern Europe because a) it's Europe so still familiar but the climate is better, as are the views. But there is still so much to see...
- Portuguese wine is no fucking joke - the home of both vinho verte and port along with excellent standard table wines.
  
  The Italians don't do a shabby job either. By and large I prefer wine south of France.
- Sou brasileiro, e apoio muito o estudo do português. É uma língua rica, complexa e linda. Para mim, não há obras literárias iguais aos clássicos brasileiros e portugueses, especialmente quanto ao belíssimo uso da língua portuguesa.
  Amo Machado de Assis e recomendo muito as suas obras que, além de mostrarem a beleza do português, continuam intrigantes e divertidas. Também recomendo as obras de Fernando Pessoa, caso opte por um escritor português.
  
  Obrigado para as recomendancões! Eu tenho tentar de entender sua resposta sem tradução. Minha Português não já é muito bem, mas eu tento.
  A lingua está muita linda é eu vou continuar de a estudar!
- Kraków *
  
  Well I tried. We spell it Krakau in my language.

I'm from Sweden so I'm biased, but I cherish the leadership style in Swedish companies and it's an important part of why I want to stay here. Honesty is valued, you don't get punished for telling the boss like it is. The CEO doesn't act like they're better than you, and if you have opinions you can talk to them directly. I earn more than my boss because I'm more valued in the job market, and he's fine with that. The net effect is that leadership won't go around living in a fairytale and be surprised when a high stakes project fails. Risks are known and can be mitigated early on, and people feel empowered. I haven't seen this in any other country except maybe Norway to some extent.

Scotland, hands down. I feel so lucky to be living here. I was only going to stay three years & then go back to New Zealand and settle down. Thirty-five years later I'm still here. I fell in love with the hills - and the freedom to walk on them - the lochs, the ancient ruins. But most of all I fell in love with the people. Their craic, their warmth and craziness, their generosity, their music. I love that you can talk to anyone and you'll often hear an amazing life story.
I love things like this: https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/anti-deportations-group-issues-guide-24107754
I love the cultural richness that's come from successive waves of immigration, from Italy, India & Pakistan, China, Poland and more.
I love the food. I love haggis and Arbroath smokies and Aberdeen butteries and shortbread and oatcakes and Tunnocks caramel wafers.
And least I forget, yes, I love the weather.
- Was with you til the end mate the weather is pish.
  Grew up between England/Belgium/States but the vibe is just not the same.
  Fry-up with a few crispy roles is also hands-down the best breakfast in the world, other countries aren't even trying.
- Very heart warming article and wish my area was like-minded (the political leaders even acknowledged there was a covid outbreak going on). The page/article format is atrocious though lol, I kept thinking it was the end till I scrolled further like 4 times.

Just vacationed in Belize. Tiny place near Guatemala and Mexico on the Caribbean. It's the only English speaking country in South America; founded by English pirates who wanted to steal Spanish gold. Great food, friendly people, and interesting history.

Probably Iceland. No one bothers them and they don't bother anyone. Doesn't get hot, fjords and geysers to look at, puffins, bubble hotels, cool metal scene.
- I agree,and I'm from Iceland. People who come complain about the weather though.
- I second Iceland. Every time we've gone through or visited, though, the volcano near grindavik gifted us with a solo and a light show.
  Like, it's cool to be appreciated, but I wanna try out that posh blue spa thing. I've saved my money!
  The people seem happy; even the cab drivers. Everywhere we went people seemed to be happy and helpful and nice. Either they all have their tourist game tight or they're really just great people.

Fucking love Mexico. I'm not Mexican, but do speak Spanish... Hot dang it's a parade down the street literally every day, everyone is super out-of-their-way friendly, and the things they make are amazing: furniture, glass, textiles.
I would love to live there but the cartel violence is terrifying, as is the lack of water. Also... They don't want me!
- What do you mean by them not wanting you?
  
  Huge parts of Mexico are in a major drought right now, so there's literally not enough water to go around. There is also a housing shortage in the cities (due to a lack of building new apartments, and due to the shortage of older tree-lined neighborhoods - as elsewhere, what's being built now is not enough and not so nice), and gentrification is creating an affordability issue. It's not dissimilar to the dissatisfaction in some US cities. Some of this is exacerbated by "digital nomads" who moved during COVID, but it's also due to longer term government issues very similar to what the US is facing.
  Anyway, "Gringo go home" is not an uncommon phrase graffitied on walls. I'd love to move there, but I don't want to make life more difficult for locals, or be perceived as doing so.

have you ever worked for a japanese company? i don't think you can know a country simply by visiting it.
my impressions of vietnam at 1 year and at 5 years with a family and a business are completely different.

Don't mean to be a dick but Crash Bandicoot was created and developed by Naughty Dog, a US company. It was published by Sony for the first several years, though.

It entirely depends on the context.
The simple answer is that my favorite country is where my employment and loved ones are, the USA.
For travel, Probably Spain. I've always felt that the mix of relaxation and adventure is perfect there. I've always loved southern Chile, but it's a bit too rural to feel entirely comfortable. There's always this awareness of how much trouble I'd be in if I screwed anything up.
- The simple answer is that my favorite country is where my employment and loved ones are
  Same for me

Azerbaijan
I don't know anything about the country. I just like to say the name.
- I'm the same way with Kazakhstan and Saskatchewan

Norway. There are many reasons, but the big big one for me is the absolutely incredible nature AND the ability to properly enjoy it via Wildcamping. Being able to simply venture out into the forest for a weekend is such a nice thing.

I like the Scandinavian countries for some reason.

Italy. The people, the style, the food, the scenery, the architecture the art, the music, the history, the culture, the language.
I'm British so descended from a large mix, but a significant part is Italian. I've been a few times and find it so wonderful it's almost overwhelming.
It's no doubt a romanticised view that a few years living there would surely dampen. Maybe I'll get to find out.

New Zealand. The wife & I spent 3 weeks there earlier this year. The people were all very friendly, and the range of things to do & see is just amazing if you’re into the outdoors at all.

I'm an urban type of person so I'm a fan of megacities where everything you need is a short walk/ride/drive away. For Asia, it would be Singapore and Japan. I haven't been around Europe much, but I loved Czechia. I haven't been to the Scandinavian countries so I can't say, but they are definitely interesting to me from an outsider's perspective.

Probably the UK, mainly due to the history. You've got archaeology going back to the bronze age and before, well-preserved ruins from throughout the medieval era, and a very well-documented pre-modern history record.
They had a fairly unique path through global history, from the darkness of the colonial and imperial era, to being the bastion against Napoleon and then European fascism, to the seat of the voluntary and cooperative Commonwealth nations today. They're one of the best examples of just how much a society can evolve, and are still one of a handful of European nations where the far right is struggling the most to gain a foothold. I admire that greatly.
Oh, and I never did quite grow out of my longbows-are-cool phase. And ships. Ships are cool too. And British humour is entertaining. And they like to insert a random letter U here and there for no discernable reason.
- Just because you said medieval ruins, I'm much more impressed with the medieval buildings that aren't ruins. Definitely worth looking into some of these less well know places if you ever plan a trip, or just want to look up some cool pictures.
  For US people, the thing thats most impressive, is that all of these were built before Christopher Columbus even started his voyage to the americas in 1492.
  Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem, Nottingham - Established around 1189, makes it approximately 835 years old. The pub is partially built into the sandstone caves beneath Nottingham Castle. Still a great looking and fully functioning pub today, I want to go there.
  Anne Hathaways Cottage, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire - Dates back to about 1463, which makes it around 560 years old. A very British medieval farmhouse and the childhood home of William Shakespeare's wife.
  Stokesay Castle, Shropshire - Was built in the late 13th century, around 1291, which makes it over 730 years old. It's one of the best preserved fortified manor houses in England.
  Monnow Bridge, Monmouth, Wales - Was built in the late 13th century, around 1272-1297, making it about 725 years old. It’s the only remaining fortified river bridge in Britain with its gate tower intact.
  St. Ives Bridge, Cambridgeshire - Built in the 1400s, making it around 600 years old. The bridge has a full chapel in the middle.

Top of the list of countries that I haven't been to and just admire from afar: Peru. Now I'm sure someone is going to come in here and ruin it for me.
- No, it’s a beautiful country, the people are nice and the food is great. (Maybe visit first in the dry season though.)

Australia.
Stunning nature, nice people, killer animals; what's not to love?

New Zealand
Scenery so ridiculously beautiful they filmed a movie there known for ridiculously beautiful scenery, pleasant climate year round, legal weed, not likely to be a target of invasion, one of the few places to embrace their native population's culture (Granted partially because the Maori put up a tremendous fight)
Yeah, I don't want to be rich to be rich, I want to be rich to be able to move to New Zealand.
- Seconded

China, it's pretty much the only country where meaningful progress is happening right now.

Denmark? Anyone?

None. Norway might be close but they still participate in whaling and their Nordic model is not as social anymore as it used to be, I've heard. Which is a shame, as I think more countries would benefit greatly from a Nordic model as a stepping block to a freer and more peaceful world.

I like Germany. I've never been and never a German but I really admire their architecture, design and culture towards building and design. They have so many cool festivals with music and food. I'm also jealous that Europeans can just scoot over to other countries so easily.

Ive been a fan of australia for a long time despite mad maxand dundees attempts to change it

Japan. practically everything I really enjoy comes from there.

New Zealand, it has all the good and none of the bad. Never been there but have lived in areas responsible for giving me its accent.

Controversial take.

It depends, each country has something to offer. I really like to go somewhere where you just don't expect something/you have completely wrong picture about it. Just nice surprise every time you travel there. Also for travel it has to have the "I want to go there" factor, when I say to someone that USA is for me no go country because of this they usually don't understand.
I would like to travel across the Europe, each country is interesting, even Russia (but visit Russia before Russia visits you and I just don't want to go there now).
From Asia there are few interesting countries, Taiwan and South Korea.
On Africa I just don't know, certainly I would like to go to Morocco, but some other countries there are on the list.
Australia and New Zealand are also high on the "I want to go there" index.
America's - Canada, Mexico and Argentina
For living I just don't know.

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