Do you ever feel like you'd like to live in a different culture?

I'm amused at the Japan answers, considering [most of] Japan tends to not like foreigners. Then again, this is just something I've heard and read. If anybody is actually from Japan, or staying there, I'd like some first hand experience to answer this.

To answer your question, I don't know if there is a country as of now that feels or looks more natural. I could list countries I like or am fascinated by, but that isn't the same thing. Really, my issue is, I was born too damn late. It's time not location, for me!

 

Everyday I step out the door. I get mistaken for a mainlander not a Pacific-Islander. I guess its my attitude the way I dress and probably my vocabulary. I would like to live in my "home-culture" but I can never fit in.

 

:roflmao: I actually sort of chuckle when (mostly) Americans are enamored by Japan. I think for many it borders on being fetishistic. For the life of me I cannot understand this magnetic obsession some Westerners have with Japan (and, to a lesser extent, S. Korea, China). What's funny is that many of these people are oblivious to the fact that their behavior can sometimes border on the ridiculous.

Could you imagine how you'd react (assuming you're American) and someone from Asia (let's say, Japan) says: I love America. Sometimes I wear cowboy boots and like to go square dancing in my room to Toby Keith and on Sundays I said the Tridentine Mass in Latin (used Catholic as an example) because it sounds so pretty and I even consecrate the Eucharist and then I fry some chicken and make mashed potatoes and corn and even eat the chicken with my hands.
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Personally, I like to explore cultures, but always find myself at home and at ease in a Western, American, world. Even when traveling withing the United States there is always a feeling of security once I pass a sign that said "Welcome to Texas." I could see myself living in Canada, though, but because of the relative similarity with the United States. Of course, I'd probably prefer Maine, New Hampshire or Vermont than Canada.

 

I used to get accused of not liking Canadian culture a lot back in high school. People would say that I "want to be Japanese instead" and that's not true. I love Canada! Any of my American co-workers here will tell you that! XD

I love learning about other cultures. I like experiencing them, trying to understand what I can, opening my mind to other ways of thinking. I feel like one of the reasons for that is because it's 'Canadian' to do so.

Obviously I also love Japanese culture. But I will say something about it from the prespective of someone living here. Abandon your expectations.

{ To BeckiWoopx in particular, if you don't like the aspect of Swiss culture that you mentioned, not speaking to strangers, don't expect that to change here. Japanese are very in-group only. }

 

I really love Australia, I do feel sometimes I am missing some of the typical Australian culture from where I live. I don't get outdoors as much as I should, and I haven't swam at the beach in 2 years and I live withing driving distance of one and I was never sporty. Like the closest other culture I identify with is New Zealand.

 

For everyone that is so anti-American, go live in another country and then see exactly how good you have it. You have no idea until you see life from a different perspective.

Is my statement universal for all countries, no. But the vast majority are much more difficult places to live than in the United States.

 

They expect life in Japan to be like an episode of Lucky Star.

 

Oh absolutely -.

Japan is interesting as you said.

---------- Post added 12th Oct 2015 at 04:57 AM ----------

You don't say (no offense, just saying).

I live in a small country in South-East Europe so I got some 1st hand impressions...

But I am not the biggest "Yanky fan" either. Not saying there is anynthing wrong with America of course but I'm getting the idea it's hugely overrated, from their movies, music and what not.

Maybe France though!

 

I don't know. Maybe. But I definitely do not like American culture. I think I would enjoy Indian culture, but then again, I only have an impression, and no actual knowledge. I have seen how rough India can be on the internet, but I mean with that aside.

.....but just because I don't like American culture doesn't mean I don't enjoy living here. I just think American values, well, are a bit backwards.

 

I am not arguing its perfect by any means, all I am suggesting is when you compare the pros and cons to other countries, for me at least, the scale tips towards the pros.

France is another story all together!

 

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From your point of you btw, would you consider London to be a good place for LGBT or would you say any other place is better?

 

I currently hate what it means to be British. We are a country full of terrible hate groups and those below the middle class are stereotyped as racist, lazy scrounging individuals. Being a part of the working class sucks. I know the class system is bull but it's still very prevalent in Western society.

I'd love to be part of French or Canadian culture.

 

Ah, this has happened to me in India before. Sometimes my family visits there and they treat Americans differently and idolize us, it's quite hilarious. I've been asked really weird things by people before.
"Are you extremely rich? Do you own mansions? Is it true that adults party all night?"
It's pretty weird and makes me laugh and it surprises some that we have a perfectly normal laugh. I've also seen the portrayal of western culture in Indian movies, sometimes, and they seem to think America is just about drinking and parties and rich people- like a lesser extreme version of the Capital from the hunger games, basically.
:lol:

Likewise, I've been asked things by people here as well. The most absurd?

"Do you ride on elephants for transportation and have pet monkeys?"

 

I used to want to live in Japan, but I grew out of it.
Lately I fell for the Scandinavian culture (and to the OP, yes, there is one and quite noticeable if you are an outsider:icon_bigg). I know each country there is different but most have some things in common:
- relaxed working schedule, that 1 month holiday, months, not days of natal leave for both genders
- the education, everyone looks up to the Fins, but the rest of the nordic countries are also in the top.
- the fact that you are a socialist paradise
- the scenery, not sure about Sweden but Norway has beautiful views and it's actually a common thing for people to spend time out instead of staying in house
-the taxes (in Denmark they can reach 72%, I think Sweden was 2nd in line) I find it amazing that people are willing to share chunks of their income. If you think about it, they do get it back through all the public services. Do they just start evading the taxes once they begin to earn enough?
-the gender equality (even if I heard some bad stuff about that)
-you take your shoes off inside the house (i grew up used to do it and it feels weird to see people thinking it's weird)

I also read about Swedish food and there were more kinds, sweets and some weird stuff, but not only meatballs. But in the end, everybody loves vikings and IKEA.

The main reason I gave up on my Scandinavian dream is because I'm too young to freeze to death during a 20 hour night.

But I also like the Dutch culture and I'm not disappointed by experiencing it. It's almost like Scandinavia, only that I have yet to freeze, the language is less alien, and their food... the food is still weird.

I also like the french culture, I visited paris once and I was impressed by the amount of museums, concerts and more (+ it was free for anyone under 18). I also love the French food. But you know what they say : France is a beautiful country, too bad it's inhabited by the French.:lol: (sorry if you are french)

 

A Utopia is the best culture for me.

But if that does not count, I hate where I live, I want to live somewhere with fewer rednecks, where the police care, without a 4 acre yard, and without (names taken out).

So northern states, or east of here (Europe, India, Russia).

 

I'm 100% happy to live in Canada. Though I wouldn't mind trying out England or New Zealand.

 

Ugh, not France. lol (saying this as a French girl who's not the biggest fan of her own country :rolle: )


Onthehighway

Of course if you compare it to rural China, North Korea or Syria, USA isn't a bad place to live in, but it's far from being ideal. The USA have a lot of issues that a huge part of the population try to brush under the carpet and forget about, a lot of poorer countries offer a better healthcare system than the USA and are actually much more understanding and accepting of LGBT people and their rights than they are and some of those countries also feel much safer than the USA. I have personally lived in and been to many countries and USA was the one I felt the less safe in (and I have been to very isolated places of Thailand and Cambodia). I also don't think they have the best educational system, yes they have very competitive Universities but I am not sure the level of an American high school student could actually be compared to the one of an European or of an Asian student.
Now there is of course, positive aspect to America and that's a country I actually enjoy for holidays but I am not entirely sure the pros of living there counter the cons (at least for me), especially when you take into consideration what we can get here, in Europe, in comparison to what we would get there. I guess it could bring a lot to someone that comes from a poorer country but I am not sure a European with a good healthcare system and so on would find the same value into the USA than someone fleeing India would.

Just my 2 cents though.

 

Honestly, no. I really don't see myself living anywhere but the Western world.