What country? (1 Viewer)

[RobertR]

I'd say Australia. English speaking, not too crowded, not too socialistic.

 

[Nick Sievers]

Yeah but a lot of it is uninhabitable desert.

If I couldn't live here anymore Sweden would be right near the top of the list as an alternative, I love it over there.

 

[Antonio_B]

Michael Harris,

I was expecting that comment from someone,gladly you mentioned it.
If only you could think a little deeper,you'll notice that not all the arab countries are in a "state-of-war".
Lebanon is a wonderful country,if you'd go there i'm sure you'll have you're jaw dropped.

Try to be more open-minded...

 

[Michael Harris]

I would consider myself very open minded. I went to the American high school in Cairo, Egypt from 1975-1976 and at the start of the winter term I saw a lot of new faces. They were Lebanese (Christian and Muslims), wealthy Palestinians, and expat Egyptians returning home due to the start of the civil war in Beirut.

While the situation has improved since the height of the civil war and all the related hostage taking, it certainly is nothing like it used to be when Beirut was considered "the Paris of the Middle East".

The peace in Lebanon is very fragile and depends on a lot of finessing by all the interested parties. One proverbial "hand grenade" thrown into the mix and the fragile peace would disappear. Hence my wondering if Lebanon were stress free 24/7.

On a personal not. Never, ever, presume to know what is in someone's mind. You don't know what the state of my mind just like I don't know yours. If you had an issue with my comment, just state why you believe I'm wrong. If I were open-minded I'd accept it, if I were closed-minded I'd reject it. My choice. I have great love and appreciation for the region going back many years due to living there, knowing its people, and living with a father who is a professor of Arabic and Arabic Studies.

Thank you.

 

[Sami Kallio]

I wouldn't worry about it. English would do. In the case when someone doesn't speak English, ask the next cute girl that comes by to translate...

I have been thinking of moving. I don't think I would go back to Finland but I am not sure if I'm happy in the US either. Spain, some nice Asian country, Australia/NZ, Brazil or another South American country that isn't ruled by drug kartels. Maybe I would consider Germany/Austria/Switzerland if I could live in the Alps. There are quite a few very good choices to live in besides USofA.

 

[Ricardo C]

A big "Amen" on all counts. There definitely WAS something special about Venezuela, once. I never once had the desire to leave, not even in favor of a more developed country. You could have put a green card in my hand, and I would have passed. But that's a thing of the past now. I feel like a foreigner in my own homeland, and my plane out of here can't come soon enough. And although this thread was meant for the US contingent, I'll go ahead and give my answer, since I got to whining about MY own country

I'm applying for residency in Canada early next year. It seems like the best combination, in terms of economic wealth, technological development, civil liberties, and personal security. I could say the same for the US, but its inmigration requirements are exponentially tougher to meet, so it's not really an option right now.

 

[Michael Warner]

I suppose I could manage under those circumstances.

I wrote my senior thesis on the Battle of Suomussalmi and the smattering of Finnish I had to learn in order to read a few military accounts was daunting to say the least.

 

[Sami Kallio]

Michael, if the subject is still of interest I have to highly recommend 'A Frozen Hell: The Russo-Finnish Winter War of 1939-40' by William R. Trotter.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...84853?v=glance

You wouldn't happen to have your thesis in electronic form?

I also have a book about Lauri Torni, aka Larry Thorne, but I haven't read it yet. 'Soldier Under Three Flags: Exploits of Special Forces' Captain Larry A. Thorne' by H. A. Gill.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...84853?v=glance

 

[Gary->dee]

You and apparently a lot of other people, Ricardo. There's been a lot of word recently on the news here how the Canadian immigration website got flooded with hits after Bush was declared the winner. I'm not trying to turn this into a political issue(and please folks don't turn it into one in order to preserve this thread), but more people seem to be eyeing Canada more than ever.

I've thought about going to Canada but I've been yearning for a new life in Scandinavia and Europe. And something tells me if I don't go for it soon it'll just be harder for me to start again somewhere else, which is why I'm heading out in April or May.

 

[Holadem]

I would have to be in, or very close to a large, racially/culturally diverse city. The only reason I can survice living here is that NYC is 2 hour away.

I will not settle for homogeneity of any kind, including my own people.

I will probably live in Paris some day, for a coupla years.

--
H

 

[Philip_G]

WHICH. WHICH country dammit. That's bugged me from the start.

Also, Dubai is looking pretty darn nice...

 

[Elinor]

"WHICH. WHICH country dammit. That's bugged me from the start."

Then you need to get over it.

"what vs which

Which and what are both used in questions:-
What is used to ask a question when there are an unknown number or infinite possibilities for an answer. You know that there are many, many ways that exist to address your question, and you want to find out—from all those possibilities that you might not even know about—the best way.

For example: "What movie did you go to see?"

Which is used if you are choosing between two items, already defined, in a different sentence, like this:

For example: "Which shoes should I wear with this dress—my blue ones or my black ones?"

You can use which when you have a very small or limited field to choose from. Certainly use which, not what, when there are only two choices, or if both speaker and listener can visualize all the items under consideration...."

From the web site at learnenglish.de/Level1/Extras/CommonMistakes.htm#what

 

[Holadem]

I think it extends to more than 2 items, as long as all the possibilities are distictively presented.

In this case, "What" is more definitely more appropriate.

--
H

 

[KDHM]

Five years ago I moved from New York to Berlin. I pay about the same for my apt. here in Berlin that my underground parking space cost me in NYC. My health care is a small percent of what I make. Energy is a bit more and I miss Good customer Service, the concept just does not happen here. but... The world is smaller then most think, I can shop at walmart, gap, nikitown, and the A&P. Walking distance from my house is McDonalds, Burger King, KFC, and Subway. When I go shopping I buy Bounty Paper Rolls, Tropacana OJ, Diet Coke, Charmon TP, Flour and Corn Tortillas, V8, and lots of other goods I would not of expected to find on the shelves. There are several Movie theaters that show films in English including the Sony Center Multiplex which is better then most theaters I went to in NYC or LA. All the major concert acts come to Berlin along with several theater productions also in english. Almost all films released on DVD have the English track. I'm to the point where I am just as much a Berliner as a New Yorker.

 

[Philip_G]

 

[Elinor]

From the very web site you cited:

"...

(k)
Which country in Europe is he from?

(l)
What country in Europe is he from?


are both OK.

However, you would probably want to say

(m)
What country is he from?


when you are not limited to one area because there are many, many choices of countries in the world, and probably more countries than you know of."

You can prefer whichever you like. But obviously the question was not posed incorrectly in the first place.

Now, if we could "un-hijack" the thread ....

 

[Lew Crippen]

"Ich bin ein Berliner!"

 

[Carl Miller]

I'd go back to France. I lived in Nice for a year thanks to a temp work assignment, and I really enjoyed living there. If not France, then I'd have to say Scotland which is where my family is from. I went there once about 5 years ago and I could easily picture myself living there.

 

[Gary->dee]

True you can definitely find familiar stores and restaurants all over Europe and Scandinavia. McDonalds and Burger King are practically everywhere. In Stockholm I found that there are 7-11's all over the place, enough to choke a mule. But it's the little differences, like the fact that the 7-11's in Stockholm are more like cafe's with proper chairs and tables. The Pizza Huts in Stockholm and London serve wine, although you can't take a bottle with you, it has to be drunk in the restaurant. McDonald's in Paris has their Royale Cheese... ok I had to slip that in there.

At any rate when I visited Europe earlier this year I stayed away from all the familiar food places unless it was an emergency. I told myself I didn't travel all that far for the same crap I get in the US. Although I have to admit to ordering that Royal Cheese at the McDonalds on the Champs Elysees- just to say that I did!

Btw it's Royal Cheese not Royale with cheese.

 

[Yee-Ming]

Don't you mean "Ich bin Berliner!"?

Nice to see my little spot of a country getting some props (thanks Lew!). Or should I say "snot", as some bigshot in Taiwan recently called us...

If I had to move? Maybe Australia, but there seems to be a backlash against Asian immigration (old news?) so that might not be such a great idea. Plus, my qualifications are country-specific, so I'd never get as good a job as I have here.

Language is always a big concern, otherwise some place in Tuscany would be heavenly. I can state from personal experience that the Nordics all speak excellent English, as do the Dutch, but with the Germans some don't, likewise Italians. But the Nordic region is not for me, nice as it is -- I can't stand the cold...

If it weren't for the miserable weather, maybe London, partly because of Arsenal FC, but otherwise language is a match, even my qualifications transfer relatively easily to England, and there's a good sized Chinese community so I won't stick out as much. And I already have some friends there. But I agree, the place is a bit "grim".

Isn't there always some element of the "grass is greener" mentality? For instance, I recognise the many flaws of my own country (and they are numerous, and some are quite substantial), but at the end of it all, it's home, like it or not.