Your country or hometown :D

Qualian · Posted: Sun Sep 17, 2006 7:17 pm Post subject: Your country or hometown :D

You all live in different country's like Singapore, Finland, USA, Canada, Fillipines and so on and I'm SOO curious what other country's are like, because I haven't travelled to other country's other than China to visit relatives... I don't even know which languages people speak in some countries! Haha #-o
How's the environment in your country? What subjects do you have at school? What do you all eat? (what kind of junkfood? angel

) I'm really interested in it! gheh

I live in the Netherlands, a VERY small country and very flat. Oh yeah, and we speak Dutch here!
At school we learn the languages Dutch (grammar), German, English, French, Latin and Greek. People usually think that the people here all wear wooden shoes (clogs?), but that's not true at al! About 5000 people (of the 16 million) here wear those shoes everyday. I don't wear them though, that hurts...^^'

Zedstar · Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 2:22 am Post subject:

For one more day I will live in Japan, but I'm an Australian. Australia is... BIG. We've only got around 21 million people living in Austraila, and most of them live along the east coast in the major cities, but the distances between them are very large.

We speak English, and the native grammar and spelling is British English, but gradually people are using American English. Many schools will teach French and German, quite a few will teach Japanese, and some will have other languages like Italian, Indonesian or Chinese (Mandarin). Language study isn't mandatory though, so there aren't so many people learning foreign languages.

In most of the cities there will be a large migrant population, so in the large cities there will be areas where people cannot speak English, or who can barely speak English, and they will conduct their lives in Vietnamese, Cantonese, Mandarin, Turkish, Greek etc. ^_^ I think that's pretty neat.

The Australian diet tends to have a lot of meat in it, but this is changing and more and more people are becoming vegetarian or vegan. Australia has many different styles of cooking, and has a lot of asian style cooking.

For junk food- you can get most types. If you want asian style snack foods, you can go to an asian grocery (they're pretty common) but we also eat a lot of potato chips, corn chips, chocolate etc.

As for Australian culture- we're very laid back. Most people LOATHE being called "Mr/Mrs/Ms *surname*" and people tend to go by first name basis. Australia also has a very high rate of alcohol consumption, and people tend to go out for drinks to socialise. There also is a strong sporting culture, many people will do some form of sport, and on Sundays pretty much the only thing ON tv is Sport.

^_^

Qualian · Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 7:39 am Post subject:

It's very hot in Australia right? I often hear that a lot of people in Australia have (skin) cancer because the ozone above Australia is very thin! Is that right? Do people protect themselfs for the sun? I hope so! ^^

Zedstar · Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 7:48 am Post subject:

Qualian wrote:

It's very hot in Australia right? I often hear that a lot of people in Australia have (skin) cancer because the ozone above Australia is very thin! Is that right? Do people protect themselfs for the sun? I hope so! ^^

It can be very hot. In summer it's very hot, and in QLD (where I was born and spent the first 22 years of my life) there would usually be a few days or a week or so that was about 40 degrees celcius. Very few places get snow (even in the coldest winter)

What's ironic about the ozone layer hole is that the ozone is thinnest (and so the most dangerous and easiest to get sunburnt) right over the colder areas of Australia, so even though it can be quite cool and the sun not feel so strong, you get burned far more easily. There's a lot of awareness about skin cancer in Australia, and it's very common, most people get checks regularly. There is also a VERY big awareness campain to get children to wear sunscreen, hats and cover up in the sun. Most schools have rules that don't let children out in the sun unless they're wearing a hat at lunch time, and they have to wear hats during sport.

When I went back to Australia in March I went to the beach, and helped everyone put on their sunscreen, then put mine on, but even so I got very badly burned and had to spend the next two days wearing a sheet because tshirts hurt too much. >_<"

i heart aiba · Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 7:54 am Post subject:

Might as well tell about Finland big grin

So Finland is a bilingual country between Sweden and Russia. There are around 5.2 million people living here. Most, around 4.8 million of us speak Finnish as a native language. Around 6% of Finns are Finland-Swedes which mean they either speak Swedish or both Swedish and Finnish as native language.

In most school students start to study the other native language on 7th grade - for me it was Swedish. We start to study English on 3rd grade. And these days in most school students can choose an extra language, usually either Germany, French or Russia, on 5th grade. But at least in my school it was optional (I took German).

Most students continue their studies after comperehensive school. You can go to upper secondary school which is similar to high school or a vocational school. Or to both like I did XD

Traditional festivities in Finland are Christmas, Midsummer, Easter, Independence Day (6th Dec) and May Day (we call it as 'vappu').

And about the weather here. IT'S NOT ALWAYS COLD HERE. WE DO NOT HAVE -50C IN WINTER! We have four clear seasons, which is great. In summer it usually is 20-25C. But of course it may be warmer. In winter we usually have -10-15C. But sometimes it may be colder too. And of course it's colder in Lapland than in Southern Finland.

Read more about Finland:

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yuckie · Posted: Tue Sep 19, 2006 7:33 am Post subject:

Great thread Qualian! (and cute Sho banner Heart

) XDDDD

I change the title a bit, I hope you don't mind big grin

Hmm.. my country is Indonesia.. Let's see.. it's 2 season. Always sunny all the year big grin

Has many culture and folk languages smile

And the most famous place here is maybe Bali smile

But lots of corruption T.T

Qualian · Posted: Tue Sep 19, 2006 10:01 am Post subject:

i heart aiba wrote:

Read more about Finland:

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Whoaa, I saw those pics of Finland they're beautiful! Finland is full with nature huh? :p I wish there were beautiful waters like that Netherlands too in love

Oh yeah and have you ever seen the Aurora Borealis yourself? It's wonderfull! :surprised:

Well Finland is more than just lake and nature XD Cities, like the one where I'm currently living, are just like cities in any European country. But I do admit there are plenty of lakes and forests here too.

Northern lights (aka aurora borealis) are beautiful. Yes, I have seen them many times. But you can see them more in Lapland than in other parts of the country.

Andro · Posted: Tue Sep 19, 2006 12:45 pm Post subject:

I live in Hungary, it's a small country in Middle-Europe. Our capital called Budapest and I live here. In my country there are living around 13 million people (in Budapest there are living around 2 million people). There are beautiful historical cities, towns, like Eger, Budapest, Seged, or Tata (this is the town I was born).

In school we learn Hungarian (grammar and literatur), and as foreign language we learn English, German or French (this one only in High-School).
A lot of people think, that every hungarian people can ride a horse but it's not true.

technicolour_teddy · Posted: Tue Sep 19, 2006 5:51 pm Post subject:

Since Zedstar pretty much said it about Australia as a whole - I'll talk about my city - Adelaide!

It's on the central south coast of Australia and the capital of South Australia. Known for being the first freely settled colony in Australia and was the first state to given women voting rights. If you've ever tried Australian wine, then there is a high chance it came from SA, being one of the largest wine producing regions. Adelaide has approx 1 million people and has a reputation for being a boring city coz its so small. We have a high Asian immigrant population. That's it really. Adelaide isn't that interesting, but it is one of the cheapest places to live and also good for business, whether large or small. We also hold a lot of festivals that are apparently world renowned, but I'm not really sure about that, though there are A LOT of tourists during those times.

Zedstar wrote:

There is also a VERY big awareness campain to get children to wear sunscreen, hats and cover up in the sun. Most schools have rules that don't let children out in the sun unless they're wearing a hat at lunch time, and they have to wear hats during sport.

Yeah - the saying's something like "No Hat, No Play" and "Slip, Slop, Slap, Wrap" [slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen, slap on a hat, wrap on sunnies!]

Zedstar wrote:

When I went back to Australia in March I went to the beach, and helped everyone put on their sunscreen, then put mine on, but even so I got very badly burned and had to spend the next two days wearing a sheet because tshirts hurt too much. >_<"

LOL. I'm lucky enough to have never been sunburnt though I rarely wear sunscreen.

One thing Zedstar forgot is our friendly competition with New Zealand. I like to think of NZers as a younger cousin you like to make fun of. =p

ladygemma · Posted: Tue Sep 19, 2006 8:26 pm Post subject:

Well, since most of you already know what the US is like, I'll fill you in on my state/city.

I was born in Clearwater, Florida, which is kind of like a suburb to Tampa, one of the largest cities in Florida.

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I'm like 5th or 6th generation Clearwater on my dad's side, having McMullen's in our family (i.e. McMullen-Booth Rd.) I was 3rd generation Clearwater high School (even though I'm the first to graduate due to my dad and grandmother both not)

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The one of the auditiorum was taken my freshman year, since that's the production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat I worked on XD.

I live in Tampa now, which has a quite thriving downtown area.

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And yes, I live about an hour away from Disney World/Epcot/MGM/Magic Kingdom/Animal Kingdom. And I have been to all of them a lot, except for Animal Kingdom, since it's just like Busch Gardens which I live right down the street from.

And

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is my university. big grin

yuckie · Posted: Wed Sep 20, 2006 3:10 am Post subject:

yuckie wrote:

Great thread Qualian! (and cute Sho banner Heart

) XDDDD
I change the title a bit, I hope you don't mind big grin

Thanks, I like my banner too. ^^ And ofcourse I don't mind that! I thought so myself that the title was a bit weird! Haha
So you live in Indonesia huh? Do some people speak dutch there because Indonesia was a once colonie of the Netherlands?
We have that subject at History now, it's pretty interesting but also cruel![/quote]

Some of the old people can speak Dutch! The people that experience the colonial era smile

However I can't speak Dutch though XDDDD

There are still a few buildings/houses left from the colonial era too.

I learned History bout that too, in high school (like... 5 years ago? XDDDD) so I already forgot about most of it XDDD

mari-chan · Posted: Wed Sep 20, 2006 8:22 pm Post subject:

Well, I'm from germany~
I'm born in prenzlau, east germany (near poland)

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but now i life in a small village between bremen and hamburg.

i've never lived in a city, always in small villages, now this one has 2400ppl, the last one 1400 and the village where i lived the first 3 years of my life had only 200 ppl xD

Okay, well, we have some big cities of course but also many lakes and rivers... next to my house e.g. is a small lake and a rifer. sorounded by 2 wooks... flowers

such a beautiful scenery *_*
the worst thing about germany (next to the politicans) is the school system...
well, every county has its own system.
my county is lower saxony, so i'll explain the main structure now...
ordinary we have 3 kinds of schools, first of course elementary school, some has 4 years some 6, in lower saxony we had after elementary school a OS for 2 years, but now we dont have it anymore...
anyway, after elementary school you have to decide to wich kind of school you wanna go.
hauptschule (9years full)
realschule (10 years)
or gymnasium (13 years atm, but in 5 years it will be only 12 years)
i'm on a gymnasium now, so ill graduate with 19...

about the languages... we speak german, but some foreign ppl overhere dont speak german.
in 2nd grade you start to learn english, on a realschule you can learn french form the 7th year. at a gymnasium you have to choose latin or french in the 6th year.

well when the 11th year starts you can pick also spanish....
somewhere you also can take greek (bavaria i think)
and in east germany you can pick russia instead of french....

yes enough about that now ^^

Qualian · Posted: Thu Sep 21, 2006 5:38 pm Post subject:

Germany, our neighbour-country! You can buy lots of manga and anime in the cities in Germany right? in love

There really are a lot of people around the world here! gheh

bebop · Posted: Thu Sep 21, 2006 10:24 pm Post subject:

This is a cool thread!

Okay well, I'm in the USA but like LadyGemma said, you probably basically know about the country so I"ll tell you a little about where I'm from.

I live in Louisiana, specifically New Orleans. You might have heard of New Orleans since it made worldwide headlines last year because of Hurricane Katrina.

New Orleans is known for Mardi Gras, Cajun's, Bourbon Street and dirty politics.

I wasn't born and raised here though. I moved here about 8 years ago.

It doesn't have 4 seasons, unfortuantely, it's either kind of cool, warm, hot and extremely hot and humid! smile

We have huge cockroaches that fly...ewww...and everyone seems to move at a slow pace. Unlike what you might see in the movies, people don't speak with a southern accent. In fact, the natives (people born and raised here) sound like they have a New York Bronx accent! It's very strange but true.

Well, they call New Orleans the Big Easy and for natural reasons...they love to drink, party and flash their breasts! Well that last part usually only happens on Bourbon Street and usually only during Mardi Gras.

Here's a link to some cameras located on Bourbon Street:

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It's a news page and there is a link at the top of the page title CAM and it will take you to cameras around the city. Plus you can read some local news.

I grew up in Maryland and I think it was very pretty country. We had four lovely seasons. When I was in high school the languages you could learn were French and Spanish but I wasn't allowed because you had to be in the upper class and I wasn't that good in school. I was smart, just lazy.
But I decided to learn Japanese on my own because I had a Japanese pen pal. Sadly, I don't remember anything I learned.

Where I grew up, in Sharpsburg, Maryland, it was famous for the American Civil War and I spent lots of summers walking the battlegrounds.

Here is some info I found a wikipedia about my home town:

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Thanks for starting this thread. It's very interesting.