Super-friendly/chatty: Ireland, Thailand, Mongolia, Italy, Canada, El Salvador (all Latin American countries are pretty friendly - but El Salvador the most)
Friendlier than expected: Russia, China, France, Vietnam
Cold as ice: London, Japan
Most cynical: Russia, Nicaragua, Vietnam
Most optimistic: Costa Rica, Ireland
Hottest women: Thailand, Colombia, Russia (Irkutsk), Italy (Italy hottest men too)
Best food: Mexico, Italy, Thailand, Vietnam
Most aggressive/crazy driving: Mongolia, India, Vietnam
For chatting up strangers, I’m not the most traveled, but I’ve never encountered anything like Dublin. I only spent about 18 hrs there, and in my limited time, a priority was just obliging the cliche of getting a Guinness in a pub. In my brief time there, I got approached by an Irish guy who, at least I’m pretty sure, was telling me his bad beat story at pull tabs, or scratch offs, or something like that. I only understood about 2/3 of what he was saying, and of that, about 1/4 of the words were “fookin.” As best I could tell, he wasn’t hitting on me, he just wanted to tell me his bad beat story. Never have I been approached like that anywhere.
Scottish people can be a lot like that too. I remember a group of Glasweigans wanting to take a picture with me because I was American. Like I got that in some parts of China because of how rare white people are in that country. But in Scotland it was just weird as hell.
Japanese simply are not wired culturally to chat with random strangers–unless it’s after hours and the alcohol is flowing liberally. It’s less coldness and more a combination of shyness + it’s just never done, even amongst themselves. Politeness, on the other hand, is unfailing.
However, if you do manage to break through the icy façade, you’ll discover some of the kindest people you’re likely to meet anywhere.
I can confirm that in Japan, tropical Okinawa and the Southern end of the country is far friendlier than Tokyo and the rest of central Japan, and as you make your way further north into Snow Country you encounter a level of grim stoicism that would shock even Marcus Aurelius.
I remember being struck by an observation made by a patient in the '90s who thought that in densely packed neighborhoods people were more sociable before A/C, since they were more likely to be outside in the evening to try to stay cool.
I don’t think it’s possible for traffic to be worse than it is in much of India because a) the population density is off the charts, and b) there are simply no rules followed. Everybody just forces their way through in any way they can. Pedestrian traffic often works the same way, including what should be queues for stores and such but are instead mobs of people shoving their way to the front.
It isn’t like this everywhere, but it is very common all over the country.
Yeah it wasn’t bad. People were very polite when I needed to ask directions and anyone I interacted with for food/lodging was very nice. There just was no chatting up like you said.
This absolutely makes a difference. In Leon, Nicaragua hardly anyone has air-conditioning. Early evening is social hour - because they’re all either out on the street, or in these little vestibules that jut out into the street, where they can interact with anyone walking by.
I wish I lived in a neighborhood like that, minus the hot as balls and no A/C part.
It’s because in India it’s ok to cut someone off and make them hit the brakes. Whereas in most countries people get really pissed when someone does that. Once cutting off becomes acceptable, the entire rules of the road change. Fascinating study in norms imo.
Ha yeah, a lot of countries it’s just like a big game of who can fill in the open spaces in traffic, there’s no real animosity to it, but if you snooze you lose.
Somebody I was taking to last night claimed that Milan is the Frankfurt of Italy.
I mean that’s really harsh. To me, Milan gets heat because it’s constantly being compared to Rome, Florence, and Venice. Compared to those three, most places are gonna suck. Yeah I’m happy that this is my last day here but I enjoyed the short time I spent in the city.