What country are you from?

[Lara]

Since there is a Canadian thread, I thought I'd start one for all the other beautiful countries and cultures. I love to learn about cultures and other countries. Tell, if you like, something about your country or culture. Tell us a popular author from your country.

Here's a tidbit, most Canadians don't really say, eh, all the time.

Timothy Findley, born in Toronto.

[verybaddmom]

some of us do so...eh?
also, not all Canadians drink beer or play hockey...nor do we all love the snow and listen to shania twain. what i do know is that we have some of the most gorgeous land this side of heaven (i know i know: if there is one), and some terribly talented artists. like Margaret Atwood for example.

[emily655321]

Umm... Southern Massachusetts. Colder than New York but not as cold as Toronto. Not very much snow at all. Most people don't have a Boston accent, and no one says "Hahvahd Yahd." (In fact, most people who talk that way aren't too familiar with Harvard.) But most are some combination of Irish, French, and Polish, and almost everyone is Catholic (if they aren't Catholic now, it's more likely than not they were raised Catholic).

An interesting anecdote about Harvard: My old English teacher went (if I've got this the right way around) to Yale prep and Harvard University with Prez Bush. And incidentally, he says he was a "wussy." :D

[Blade]

Valencia Spain, but moved to Chicago IL when i was really little

[Shea]

I guess scince a lot of us are from the US, I help to include the individual states. Florida has Marjorie Rawlings (Cross Creek, The Yearling) She also wrote a great children's short story that I can't remember the title of. It was about a girl who followed which ever way her nose was pointing to find a pond in the middle of the woods full of catfish to feed her starving family. We played the tourist role and visited Rawlings home when I was a kid, it was really interesting. I'd like to go again if they're still giving tours.

[kilted exile]

I'm originally from Glasgow, Scotland. Last 3 years in Canada. Glasgow is a great place to visit if you want to see architechture & museums (also helps if you know where you are going - lots of random assaults/muggings etc. in some areas). For more quiet take a trip over to the coast of Fife and visit the fishing villages (Pitenweem, Crail, Anstruther, Cellardyke) in that area.

[Miranda]

I live in Yorkshire England. The Poet Phillip Larkin comes from my home town as well as Maureen Lipman, an actress and writer. William Wilberforce was also born and lived here. William Wilberforce was instramental in the abolition of slavery in Britain, to the dismay of the aristocracy. My town is also mentioned as the place Robinson Crusoe sailed from on his fateful journey.

[atiguhya padma]

My mind comes from England mainly, with a large influence from Germany, Scotland and France (in that order). The lower half of my body comes from the north of Germany. With regard to the upper torso: the left hand side comes from east coast Ireland and the right from the Shires of England. My heart lies in a lighthouse on the South Devon coast, sometimes flying westwards to Bolt Head and then upstream to Salcombe Harbour, before resting on Burgh Island.

[Lara]

LOL AP, leave it up to you to make things complicated. :D

[emily655321]

Originally posted by kilted exile
For more quiet take a trip over to the coast of Fife and visit the fishing villages (Pitenweem, Crail, Anstruther, Cellardyke) in that area.

I second that! We lived north of the Firth near Elie (where the crap movie "The Winter Guest" was filmed. :p) Went there a lot to walk on the little trails down to the lighthouse ruin (I assume that's what it was) and look in the tidal pools. I miss that :)

[IWilKikU]

I was born in Chicago, moved to Peoria (also in Illinois) when I was 2. Lived there a year and then moved to Silver Spring Maryland (City that borders Washington DC). After about 4 years there I moved to Virginia where I have lived for the past 12 years. I go to school in Berkshire England which is where my posts originate 75% of the year.

[amuse]

U.S. by way of the U.K.

my first memory is the atlantic ocean, looking out the window of a plane when i was a little under two years old. to be exact about things, i was born in west suffolk country, 1 degree west of the greenwich meridian and raised one hour north of san francisco - though spent one year in the foothills of the sierra nevadas - in the sonoma wine country (town called santa rosa). went to college in the middle of nowhere, i.e. a little drunken oasis known as chico, california; after which i moved to philadelphia, pennsylvania in the '90's. love this little spot on planet earth...:)

[EAP]

Multan, Pakistan. Very hot and very dusty. Was born here too.

[angel]

pune, India. Its a beautiful city :) ..

[simon]

Born Oregonian, now residing on Vancouver Island.

[IWilKikU]

Speaking of India, what ever happened to Sindhu? Havn't seen her in ages.

[Stanislaw]

Alberta Canada, With a brief stop over in British Columbia, and then back to Alberta. Though I would love to live in Hawaii!:cool:

[George]

Hello! I'm from Mexico. One of the most important mexican writers is Octavio Paz, famous for his poems and essays.

[psycojones]

proud canadian

[terring_yu]

a Chinese, do you know something about China?

[den]

yeah! where's Sindhu?

Hello George! Welcome to the forums! grab a seat, fresh popcorn is on it's way :p

[Blade]

hmmm mine must have got lost in the mail....

[Lara]

terring_yu, forgive me if I'm way off the mark here, when I think of China, I picture rice fields with people cultivating them, wearing those wonderful big hats. What are they called? And I think of Tibetan Monks. I know there is more to it than that. Please share what ever you like about your culture. Every culture is unique, and our differences are what make the world an interesting place.

[Avalive]

The only thing I wanna mention about China here and now is--Just like any other nations and countires on the Planet-She is the Greatest

[Koa]

(hey looks like the canadians are taking over....:D).

Now the info is a bit redundant for the old faces, but for the joy of those who came after I moved that info out of my profile, I let you all know that I'm from the north-east of Italy (but I have a grandfather from south :D), precisely Verona (is Shakespeare echoing in your mind? Thought so...), incredibly beautiful city which I love so much... can't say the same about the rest though, as I often don't fit well with my country's medieval mentality and wish to runaway as soon as I can.

Oh, and I was back yesterday from a week's holiday to Prague, Czech Republic :D (had to show this off somewhere :D)

[den]

Oh Koa I'm so jealous, I love Prague! It's such a beautiful city. Heh heh, and you were there before tourist season, good thing. Mala Strana is my favourite quarter. Did you see the place where Franz Kafka used to live?

[Koa]

Eheeh well it was full of tourists anyway, especially Italian schooltrips... I'm still a bit confused about what I saw (visited it all in little more than 3 days, walked so much that it seemed like a tour around the world...and add to this that I have no sense of direction...:D), but I did see some Kafka places (he lived in different places in the city)...I guess you mean the little blue one in the 'golden lane' or whatever it was called? Anyway, I think the thing I liked most was Vaclav Namesti, I mean the central 'square' or rather way, where there's the museum up there...It was lovely at night! Though speaking of cities I must admit I think I liked Budapest a little more... hey are we hijacking the thread? Oops...

[IWilKikU]

Originally posted by terring_yu
a Chinese, do you know something about China?

I don't believe that you can really see the Great Wall from space. sure its hundreds of miles long, but its only a few meters wide, and its the same color (roughly) as the surrounding terrain.

[terring_yu]

Lara

What shall i say? The only i want to say is that you'd better look into something before you come to a conclusion instead of only by your imagination or some information by others who don't really know it.

[fayefaye]

The great wall's a great big pain in the ***! I climbed it twice, and my legs were sore for days. I love Beijing, it's a beautiful city, terring. a bit polluted. BEST PEKING DUCK IN THE WORLD. *drooollling* honestly, I'd kill for that peking duck. *drooling again* worst thing about china is the public toilets they have in the country, best thing is the food.

[emily655321]

As astronauts know, being able to see the Wall from space is a myth. It originated with the dream of one of the Chinese emperors (I forget who), in which he flew to the moon and could see the wall when he looked down on the earth, symbolic imagery representing the greatness of China's power and influence. Somehow it became part of the world's collective consciousness, but nevertheless it's completely untrue.

[amuse]

no! don't say that! next you'll say the tooth faerie didn't visit. :D :D
...i so believed you could see the Great Wall from space. :(

[Avalive]

Originally posted by amuse
no! don't say that! next you'll say the tooth faerie didn't visit. :D :D
...i so believed you could see the Great Wall from space. :(

Applause....

[emily655321]

Hehe sorry to dash your illusions, guys. You should watch more of the Discovery Channel :p

[Blade]

jeez guys why dont you just dash all my hopes and dreams to pieces, i bet next your gonna say santa's not real

[fayefaye]

What could be more real than someone morbidly obese squeezing through a tiny chimney and giving you presents for no apparent reason?

[Blade]

exactly =D

[fayefaye]

Well, as long as I get presents. :D

[Blade]

haha yeah i hear ya, but wait, it's all about the christmas spirit (or so all the films say)

[fayefaye]

lol. Right before all the little kids unwrap their presents.

And fyi, I am kidding, I do think it is too commercial.
'marge... who stole christmas?' [homer when all the presents were gone]

[Blade]

amen to that

[simon]

I've always found it strange that x-mas is a holiday where you put a dead tree in your house and hang old socks in front of the fire (potentially spark prone) and stick candy in them? Why would anybody ever want to put a good peice of candy in a sock? Maybe hallmark was running out of ideas.

[Sunny]

Originally posted by Lara
when I think of China, I picture rice fields with people cultivating them, wearing those wonderful big hats. What are they called? And I think of Tibetan Monks. I know there is more to it than that. Please share what ever you like about your culture. Every culture is unique, and our differences are what make the world an interesting place.

hi lara,
First of all, i really glad that you can have an interest in Chinese culture. I myself a Chinese and i deeply love our centuries-old culture and of course ones from other nations.

According to you, we call those who cultivate in the rice fields Å©Ãñ(Nong Min), which means peasant or farmer in English. Actually, there are about 80 hundred million peasants of a total population of 1.3 billion in China.

As far as Tibetan Monks, they are called Dalailama in China. But I don't like them at all, coz some of them are always want to make Tibet independent from our nation. This is what i can't reconcile with. Tibet is really a beautiful district of China. There are a lot centuries-old temples there, such as Lhasa Palace. It's really lofty, which i thinke should be considered as one of the greatest heritages of the World, just like the Great Wall and the Taj Mahal and so on so forth.

Do i make myself clear? If not, i'm sorry and i'm willing to spend more time to find you more materials about Chinese culture. I hope i can help!

Sunny.

[Sunny]

Originally posted by emily655321
As astronauts know, being able to see the Wall from space is a myth. It originated with the dream of one of the Chinese emperors (I forget who), in which he flew to the moon and could see the wall when he looked down on the earth, symbolic imagery representing the greatness of China's power and influence. Somehow it became part of the world's collective consciousness, but nevertheless it's completely untrue.

Hi, Emily

yeah, i know that legend.

It is emperor Yinzheng who ordered to build the Great Wall. He is also called Qin Shi Huang, which means the first emperor of Qin Dynasty. When he united the whole nation, he ordered to build the Great wall, half to show his greatest power and influence, half to keep China from the intruders. Then through the following thousands of years, it was destroyed partly by wars, and rebuit by several later emperors. It is really hard to imagine how to build this lofty wall in ancient.

[amuse]

Originally posted by Sunny
Tibet is really a beautiful district of China.
*bites tongue and inserts 0 gauge barbell in new hole

[Sunny]

Originally posted by amuse
*bites tongue and inserts 0 gauge barbell in new hole

Sorry, i can't follow what you mean!

could you make yourself clear? I'm sorry for my poor English.

[amuse]

"biting one's tongue" is a phrase used to denote someone shutting herself / himself up. earrings are generally of an 18 gauge thickness (the post); body piercings are usually larger - say 14 for bellies. needles for blood draws are smaller - usually 21 to 23 gauge in thickness. a zero guage is enormous - perhaps a centimeter or so. i metaphorically punctured an big hole in my tongue trying to shut myself up.
don't worry about your english. i have a hard time with idiomatic expressions in spanish! there are too many languages in the world to be able to get them all perfectly. your english sounds fine.

[Sunny]

To amuse:
Thank you so much for your explanation. This time i understand what you mean. It sounds very funny. It's a wonderful matephor.

But still there is an another question

Why is 23 gauge smaller than 18 gauge?

I think maybe we have different ways of measurement. In China We usually use centimeter or meter as standard measurement unit. So I've never heard gauge before and therefor can't understand what it means. Sorry for that!!

[Blade]

a gauge is a term normally used for piercing instuments and weapons, it has other uses but they are rarely used

[emily655321]

Originally posted by amuse
*bites tongue and inserts 0 gauge barbell in new hole

*Does the same and stands blocking the poster on her wall.*

[amuse]

sunny,
i don't know why a 23 is a smaller than guage than a 22. i have always accepted that information. but i can tell you, as a diabetic, it's a lot nicer to give multiple injections daily with a 30 guage syringe than a 28! (though with my many piercings, pain seems a moot point...) and i always tell people to draw my blood with a 23 not a 21 gauge needle, with my small veins it saves both of us time.

[Kendall]

New zealand.

[simon]

I've been thinking of going to university in New Zealand, got any recomendations I could look into?

[IWilKikU]

NZ is soooo awsome. I always wanted to go there, but now that its been overpopularified by LotR, its lost its draw for me.

[amuse]

but kik, you can see the actual sites where it was filmed, you can truly become one with the hobbits!

or the Ring. ;)

[IWilKikU]

Just like ever other NZ tourist in the last three years. yay

[Stanislaw]

I think it would be cool to meet a hobbit, there som small that if you offended them and they started getting mouthy you could lock them in a suitcase the same way James Bond di to that midget in the man with the golden gun.

The scenery there is nice, but that would be fun.

[simon]

What's worse than a hobbit stuffed in one of Stan's suitcases?

A hobbit stuffed into many different suitcases.

[Stanislaw]

LOL That was a good one!

[emily655321]

No! No dead baby jokes! even when disguised as hobbit murder. ...Wait, "even?"...uhh....damnit you know what I mean.

[IWilKikU]

Would you eat a hobbit? I think I would try it once.

[simon]

Sure, Hobbit sauteed in a light shallot and garlic butter sauce with a hint of lemon tang.

[ajoe]

To answer the original question, I'm one of the few South Easterners around. :)

[imthefoolonthehill]

USA baby!!! Americans aren't all the liberals you see in hollywood. most of the Midwest and non-coastal west, are very conservative.

Joseph Hellar was an American. So was Fitzgerald, Hemmingway, Robert Frost, Falkner and a whole bunch more.... and... for some reason the new generations can't quite figure out, beating a russian hockey team was a major accomplishment.

[crow]

I'm from Adelaide Australia. We dont have that much claim to fame, except for the fact that we have the world Famous Barrossa Valley. This is were we make all the wonderful wines that rival the French and leave the Californian wines for dead. Thus we are a city filled with wino's and eggsperts on the delights of the grape!


Oh and we are the home of the Mighty Adelaide Crows! the best team in the best football League in THE ENTIRE WORLD!

[amuse]

a year or two ago, there was an extreme amount of australian wine for sale in sonoma county (california). really low prices. i remember the ads, now that you mention.

you got your name from the football team i take it? :)

[IWilKikU]

Fool, I guess you could consider our wonderful government under the non-hollywood-liberal side. Good ol' George is very conservative. There are some great liberal places in America too. Seatle, LA, New York, Des Moines, Charlottesville VA (my hopeful final destination, also the home of Dave Matthews), Miami, New England, Boston, Pheonix, Las Vegas, ect.. infact, everywhere EXCEPT the midwest is pretty liberal, but that doesn't mean we're all hollywood bimbos.

Oh crap thats my second politics post tonight. I better stop 'fore Admin bans me ;).

[emily655321]

*giggle* *feels naughty* (Not being allowed to discuss politics makes it pretty fun, doesn't it? :D) New England and Boston -- score two! But I'm heading to school, and hopefully settling down, in the bestest, hippiest, Deaniest place in the country -- Vermont! (No arguing! It's the best. :D)

[IWilKikU]

Its up there.

[emily655321]

Literally. :D

[imthefoolonthehill]

I Wilkiku... George bush is the biggest liberal I've ever seen with an R next to his name.

[emily655321]

:eek: :eek: And THIS is why there is no politics in the forum. :eek: :eek:

[IWilKikU]

wow. Fool I think you better stop. right now.

[imthefoolonthehill]

*in a childish voice* you started it ;-)

[Stanislaw]

Now children politics causes indigestion, best to leave it be!
:D

[Lolita]

*swerves topic back round*

I come from England. "Fish and chips, bad food, worse weather, Mary friggin' Poppins - England!"
Quote from Snatch. I love that movie.

[amuse]

learned to bawl and crawl there. :D :D
...that sounds wrong.

[rocksea]

kerala, southern part of india.. some call it god's own country, cuz of the green green life around,, well india south to north you've myriads of languages, cultures, religions.. unity in diversity they say..
indian philosophy is something i wud mention here, owing to its origins into the ancient history of vedas and back.. one book i wud recommend on a much modern contemplation is 'a search in secret india' by paul brunton who travelled throughout india on the 'quest',,
itz election time now in india..

what else, february i came to sapporo, japan for my studies. is the northern most, coldest part of japan. well life in japan is really wonderful for the time being, everything is strange, sometimes looks funny as it is so different from what i have ever experienced.

tibet is one place i wud like to go,,