this post was submitted on 06 Sep 2023
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Despite what Canada's nation hating extreme right would have you believe.

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[–] danielquinn@lemmy.ca 40 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (3 children)

As a Canadian expat, these sorts of surveys are an embarrassment. Canada is not that great. It has some good things going for it, but "second best in the world" is a laughable statement.

  • The wealth disparity is terrible
  • Nearly every inhabited patch of land is a suburban hellscape.
  • The government is routinely dedicated to accomplishing as little as possible, especially on climate
  • The fossil fuel lobby is embarrassingly strong
  • The cost of living is extreme for many, with little effort to reign it in
  • The country suffers from an inferiority complex in relation to the US of all places.
  • The electoral system is broken

I mean, I love my country, but I've seen a lot of places that I'd rather live. The idea that we're 2nd best compared to even half of the countries I've visited in the last 10 years is just silly.

[–] Polar@lemmy.ca 5 points 1 year ago (7 children)

Meanwhile my girlfriend just got back from travelling around Europe and all of those "superior" countries, and couldn't wait to get home.

Said everyone was rude, taxis scammed her frequently, the public transit was pretty subpar with no other choice, the food was pretty mediocre, she had to be extra careful about pick pocketers, and lastly she said everyone stunk so bad from perfume that she had a constant headache.

Canada isn't perfect, but it does have a ton going for it.

[–] elbarto777@lemmy.world 19 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I've been to Europe many times, and my experience has been the total opposite of what your girlfriend describes.

Europe is huge. Don't judge a whole continent for what your girlfriend experience is maybe one or two places.

That's like saying that North America sucks because your girlfriend got mugged in Juarez, MΓ©xico.

[–] ShittyRedditWasBetter@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I've had similar experiences in several cities in the UK, Austria, Paris, Amsterdam and even a trip out to the nurburgring To be frank, the friendliest Europe experience I've had was Kosovo but that was on business vs personal with the rest of them so I'm not sure that didn't affect my experience in Kosovo.

I agree completely with what you're saying. Living in a progressive state is a far different experience and we should avoid generalizations of countries without specific context and understanding.

[–] Cr4yfish@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago

Out of interest, which places in Europe?

[–] Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de 4 points 1 year ago

Well she wasn't in the nordic countries at least, public transport can be subpar but is almost always servicable and gets you anywhere (we have on-demand minibuses for rural areas), the only part that could apply is being seen as rude because we don't greet every person within our field of view..

[–] bfg9k@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Sounds like Paris.

Paris is the reason I will never do a 'Europe trip' ever again. I was robbed, assaulted and the city reeks of piss. Fuck travel.

[–] mindcruzer@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 year ago

I spent this summer in France and I had a great time. I will concede that France has a piss problem though.

[–] phoenixz@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 year ago

What parts of Europe would that be?

[–] danielquinn@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Sounds like your girlfriend did the typical North American thing of visiting "Europe" by hitting a bunch of major cities and sticking to the touristy centres.

  • The Netherlands is gorgeous, quiet, and safe, but if you don't wander further than one or two kilometres from Amsterdam Centraal, you'll never see that. Rent a bike and ride through Haarlem or Utrecht if you want a proper experience.
  • Brussels has some of the best food I've ever tasted, but you have to break away from the tourist traps first.
  • Athens is an exciting, "young" city with ancient treasures literally on display in the subway stations. You'll never see that if you just wander around the Parthenon. The food everywhere is great too, though the best spots are usually well outside the touristy areas.
  • Paris has some really exciting stuff happening with cycling right now, and the view from Momatre is amazeballs. Yes, the locals can be rude, but fuck it, take the train and get out of the city!

Which brings me to the other important point: Europe is not just the (impressive) cities, but rather a continental patchwork of interconnected but distinct cultures. Have breakfast in a B&B in Arras before you trek out to see the Vimy memorial, then board a train and be in Nyon by dinnertime where you can sit on a clear blue lake and munch on baguette. Hop on the train again and you're in Torino, Venice, or Florence which is just gorgeous. I had the best pizza in my life there in a dodgy little place at 1am.

Stay a few nights in Warsaw and take a stroll through the old city. Gobble some perogi in Krakow and then push yourself to visit Auschwitz. Then take the train across the now undefended border to Berlin where you can walk the path of the former wall, and the next night go for the best danishes in the world... in Denmark.

Seriously, your girlfriend is out to lunch if that's her impression of "Europe". You two need to take another trip and rethink your priorities.

[–] mindcruzer@lemmy.ca 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I have lived all over the world and I agree. It’s one of the better places in the world but it’s not as great as a lot of Canadians believe