LETS JUDGE THE WORLD

3.       French are snob: This stereotype can definitely be related with the one above… Unfortunately, French are not the most sociable persons to foreigners. My impression is that someone would have a hard time getting in touch with French if they don’t have a common friend. You are simply not on the radar and they will ignore you as if you were invisible. Especially when it comes to girls, just forget it, if you are planning to show up with a lame pickup line.

4.       French are (not) dirty: I never met someone that wasn’t clean or was smelling somehow. I don’t think that this stereotype is true, unless if they mean public spaces. The Paris metro and some areas around Paris were really dirty and gave me a bad impression in regard to their tidiness. But I can’t say the same for the Alps, everything there was in order and clean.

5.       French don’t speak English….: Oh man, this was a disaster! I’ve heard the rumors before I went there, but when I saw it I just couldn’t believe it. These people simply don’t give a damn about the English speaking tourists, at the very best, they will just keep talking to you on French even though they understand that you have no clue of what they are saying. I was trying to find a gas station in Paris for more than an hour…no one could direct me in English! Just for the record, I think most of French do speak English, but they just don’t want to speak it.

 Those are some French stereotypes that i've heard before and try to check, but I would really like to add one more that relates to a personal experience. I know that it shouldn’t be called a “stereotype”, since it is only a personal experience but I would really think it worths mentioning.

French are the most honest people I’ve met:During my trip in the Alps, one of my friends lost the keys of our car and his wallet with 800 € inside, on the ski-resort, while we were snowboarding. Of course we were never expecting it to be found, due to the big amount of money in it, but just for the sake of it we reported it to the ski-resort’s staff. In our great surprise the following day, while we were going up the mountain, someone from the staff saw us and remembered us from the previous day. As crazy as it sounds, the staff returned the wallet with all the money inside and the keys that we’ve lost. They have found them during the maintenance of the ski-routes.

This is something that is very difficult for me to forget, and i simply can't bypass giving credit to the French people. Especially, since after returning to Greece a similar incident happened in a Greek ski-resort with my wallet, which had 50 € inside, and of course as you understand never saw it again!

For more interesting stereotypes ofyour own nationality, check the “Countries” tab and don’t forget to like our Facebook page!

Swedes are obsessed with coffee.

When I think about stereotypical  coffee lovers I think of some southern nationalities such as Brazilian or Italians but I have never thought about our Scandinavian friends in that sense! How surprised I was when I found out that Sweden is on the 2d place (check the Nespresso ranking) out of the countries consuming the largest amount of coffee in the world! 3-4 cups per day is the norm here. Coffee pause or ‘fika’ is an ultimate necessity for Swedes whether it’s an office or university. Moreover, you will be more than welcome as a guest if you bring a pack of coffee (especially Zoegas) with you when you visit Swedes. They would be the same happy as you getting wine or chocolate as a gift. ;)

I have also noticed that they probably drink the strongest coffee in the world. Once my Swedish flatmate offered me the cup of coffee he has just made…. after one sip I chopped - how bitter it was! Well, maybe here personal tastes matter but filling the half of the standard coffee filter for doing one big cup is a norm in Sweden. So be careful in case you’re not experienced coffee drinker like me. ;-)

Images: Source 1, Source 2

Swedes and cash - it’s complicated.

You will realize it at once you arrive in Sweden.

Would you like to get from the airport to the city by bus? That’s can be more challenging than you think because you can hardly buy a ticket if you don’t have a credit card.

Want to buy a sim-card or charge your phone in mobile operator office? Oh sorry, their machines don’t accept cash.

You don’t have a card to pay for your groceries in the supermarket? Be ready to stay in a long queue because in order to use a machine for self-service you need to have a card...

Even in our university’s cafeteria and many other small shops you will see the notice “No card under 50 SEK”. It is because all Swedes would like to use the card even for small purchase such as a cup of coffee which costs 8 kronas. Well, I tell you the truth… after half of the year in Sweden I also have problems with cash. :) Why you need all these papers and coins if you can have a nice card and use it all the time?!

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They are everywhere… Bikes!

If you’re coming from a country like mine (I am from Russia) where bicycle is used only on a weekend in the park when the sun is shining you would be amazed by the Swedish ability to cycle anytime and everywhere.

You’re wearing a short dress and high hills to go to the party? It’s a hurricane along with the wet snow outside? You have three kids and you need to bring them to school? No matter what, the way of transportation is always the same. Bike! I can’t judge all the Sweden but at least in Skåne region it’s definitely true. All my friends which have visited me in Sweden couldn’t even imagine the number of bikes here. Here are some examples!

Images: Source 1, Source 2

Clothing

Let’s begin with the most obvious and easiest way to spot a German: Clothing. I am pretty sure the first thing that comes to your mind is “Lederhosen” (leather pants). This is actually one of the few German words every foreigner I meet seems to know (Scheiße, Oktoberfest, Autobahn are also pretty popular). But let me tell you straight away, this is not what Germans usually wear! It’s actually only worn in a certain part in the south of Germany (Bavaria) and only for festive occasions. But I would say there is a certain German clothing style that makes them easy to spot.

Let’s take for example the German men’s favorite footwear: Sandals with socks. Come on ladies have a look at the picture below and tell me that its not totally stylish and sexy?!

Most likely the sandals/socks style is combined with one of these beige 2-in-1 trousers which have a zipper above the knee so you can transform it into shorts. I think usually hikers would wear these kinds of trousers because they are very functional and allow one to adapt quickly to changing weather conditions. However, this functionality is exactly what the typical German tourist needs when he is going on vacation. He can wear shorts to the beach and as soon as he has exposed his super sexy white legs to the sun for 30 minutes, he can put on the long trouser legs and make sure he doesn’t get burned. Who cares about style, as long as it’s functional it works for a German!

Vacation

Speaking of vacation there is another way of spotting a German on vacation…ahhh never mind you know what I mean. Just watch the hotel pool and the sun loungers at like 7 o’clock in the morning ;)

In a restaurant

I think many people around the world think the Germans are very rude. Well, it is actually hard to argue against this stereotype….Germans can come across super rude because they are known for being very direct and saying out loud if there is anything that bothers them.

Let’s say you are in a restaurant – the Germans are usually the ones that make a scene if their food isn’t prepared fast enough. A typical German simply can’t stand wasting his time waiting for food in a restaurant. It is not about having a good time with your company – it is about satisfying your hunger, quick and efficient. Also, whenever the waitress asks if the meal was alright… There is nothing wrong with saying how badly it tasted in Germany (I wouldn’t want to be a waiter in Germany haha)

Another way of spotting a German in a restaurant is  simply to watch at what table the waiter spends the longest for collecting the money. For Germans there is nothing awkward about splitting the bill among a group of 20 people. They love order and precision so whoever made an order, even it was just a water for €2, s/he has to pay for it! Of course I am being very general but I am pretty sure that Germans really tend to split the bill more often than other nationalities. In fact, I even heard of examples where the bill was split among a family on a Sunday dinner and the son had to pay for his food himself. From what I heard about splitting the bill in other countries, I am sure so many of our international readers will just shake their head in disbelief :D

In an office or at university

Germans are punctual, efficient and they love structure and organization. I think this stereotype is well known and also quite true. Compared to many other nationalities the difference becomes obvious in international working or study environments.  Germans are probably not the most fun colleagues to work with! You are 5 minutes late for a meeting? Be prepared to receive at least a blaming look from your German colleagues. Don’t even think  about small talk…the meeting is set for 1 hour and there is no way it’s going to last longer than that. There is an agenda the German wants to go through and no time should be wasted on unnecessary chatting. Work is work and private life is private life – the typical German strictly separates between these different spheres of his life. So you are looking for a German in your university or office? It’s the cold and distant working machine that is always on time...Well, I hope you can tell that I am exaggerating to make my point but i think there is also some truth in it. However, this working mentality has its benefits: Work gets done, quick and efficient. Also, as soon as work is over, you will see that Germans are not as distant and rude as it might seem. Believe me, just give it a shot and get to know a German on a more personal level. We are not as scary as you think ;-)

Another way of easily spotting a German is, of course, the German language: Percieved as especially harsh and unsexy by many foreigners it is surely very unique. Check out our articles about the German language if you are interested :) For more updates on national stereotypes, like our Facebook page and follow us on tumblr!

Nevertheless, I bet you will be surprised to see with what kind of shoes all of Italy has been in love with for the last few years. Personally, I don’t have anything against Hogan but seriously, is this what comes to your mind when thinking about Italian fashion?

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Honestly, when I came to Italy and saw this fashion masterpiece I hardly could believe how so many people living from Milan to Bari can wear these shoes everyday and consider them to be stylish. In these moments you realize that the marketing team of Hogan really did a good job -  because I can’t find another explanation for the Italian addiction to these bulky ludicrous shoes. :-D

Continuing the fashion theme, Italians really love wearing branded clothes, and even better if the brands are luxury and have a distinct logo on each piece of clothing. I guess Gucci and Dolce & Gabbana draw a clear picture of how the  Italian’s favorite clothes and shoes should look like. :)

Image Source 1, Image Source 2 

H&M? Mango? Pffff…. don’t pronounce the names of these brands with consumer-friendly prices in front of Italian and God... save you if you suggest them to enter Terranova (*inexpensive brand for youngsters) and buy something there! Even though these shops are thriving in Italy as well as in other European countries - I would not believe any Italian would openly consider him/ herself as being a regular buyer of the mentioned shops where most of the European young guys buy 80% of the wardrobe.

Despite the rooted wish to look like a premium brands wearing person, many Italian youngsters live with limited budget just like all other students in the world. This dilemma results in some funny situations. For example, it’s quite common among Italians in their twenties to have an iphone, of course the latest generation!, but having no money to make an actual call or using “Call me back” function on the daily basis. It also explains an outstanding popularity of premium accessories such as sunglasses and watches. Obviously, it is easier to afford the accessories which will make you look cool rather than buying every T-shirt or pants in a Armani boutique. Thus, wherever the young Italians go - to the city walk, to the museum or to the beach - the watch and sunglasses are always on.

Image source 

One more thing about Italians and their special attitude to image is that they never take off the shoes entering the houses. For people living in the Nordics, Russia and many other countries it seems strange but a real Italian will feel lost being forced to take off the shoes. How is it possible for the Italian to break the stylish look consisting of so many important details out of which shiny shoes is almost a major one?! If you know Italians well you should also know that their handkerchief should be seen only 0,99999 mm from the jacket pocket and the scarf should be noded with the particular type of node tested many times in front of the mirror. So if you don’t want to be cruel - you better don’t ask your Italian friend to leave the shoes at the door but let him or her in and impress everybody with immaculate appearance.

In conclusion, I find all these small things about Italians as being national features which make Italy even more special and spectacular. And even though I sometimes  allow myself to make fun of sun-tanned, open-minded and of course very fashionable Italian people, I cannot deny their ability to be self- ironic and laugh at themselves with me!

Another thing, our men may look as rough as lions, but their heart is as soft as lambs. Don’t be alarmed when a scary looking Batak guy flirts with you, just give him a guitar and his sweet voice will make your heart melt.

(Trio Santana - They look like serial killers, but sound like robin birds. Listen to them singing a love song - Anju Au)

There are of course handsome Batak guys! Check out @gantenggantengbatak on Instagram to see them, haha...

Sunda (of West Java)

Sundanese are known for their beauty. Both men and women have milky white skin and petite bodies (that you just want to put them in your pocket). The women are good with beauty regimes and makeup. Just as almost all beautiful people in the world, people sometimes perceive them as being lazy and materialistic.

Java

Java could be seen as the “face of Indonesia”. I know that other ethnic groups will passionately disagree with me, but that’s the way it is. If we read about Indonesian stereotypes or cultural books, we will find descriptions like: always smiling, polite and know their manners, saving face (never make other people feel embarrassed) and never say no. Whether we like it or not, these characteristics are Javanese culture. Let me warn you about the Javanese though. Don’t be fooled by their all smiles because they may not be showing their true feelings. They could be kind to you because they have to not because they want to (note the manners and saving face). And, Javanese are reluctant to say No to your face. Make sure you ask for clarification if you ask them something very important.

You: Can you wash my car after lunch? Javanese: Yes. (After lunch) Y: Why haven’t you washed my car. J: ………… Y: You said yes to my request. J: Yes, it meant that I heard you.

You: When are you going to start your paper? Javanese: Tomorrow. (3 days later) Y: Why haven’t you started your paper? Two days has passed! J: I said tomorrow. Two weeks later is also tomorrow, right?

Madura (of an Island in East Java)

This is the homeland of sate sellers (note: sate is Indonesian beef skewer. Supper yummy). They are known for being naive but very hard-headed. There are a lot of jokes that describe the cliche about the simple Madurese moving to the big cities. This is my favorite.

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A Madurese went to a hotel in Jakarta to visit a friend. The friend’s room is on the 5th floor, so he took the elevator. When the elevator door opens, he took of his sandals and went in. When he reached the 5th floor he was so angry that someone has taken his sandals. He took out his parang (Madurese traditional blade) and screamed, “Damn you, Jakarta people for stealing my sandals”. Since it took him so long to get out, the elevator closes and went down with him still inside. When the elevator door re-opens at the lobby, he found his sandals in front of the elevator. Then he smugly said to himself, “People in Jakarta are such cowards”.

Minahasa (of North Sulawesi)

“Style is number one”. This is the life principle of the Minahasan. If we look at the Minahasan’s heirarchy of needs, being stylish is definitely at the priority, followed by other basic needs, such as food and shelter. They also like to party. They hold parties for everything that they are grateful for, it can be birthdays, promotions, graduations, anniversaries, etc. When they party, they go big by inviting everyone they know.

One more thing, they are also known for their beauty and milky white skin.

Papua

Forgive me for generalizing here. There are at least 25 ethnic groups in Papua, but I don’t know any of them in detail. I just want to give a surprise to the non-Indonesian readers. The picture you see below are not Africans, but Indonesians too:

Picture

Some Indonesians still view the Papuans as being gullible, unintelligent, and primitive. It shows from the common jokes and how the televisions depict them. I think these stereotypes are unfair since the rest of Indonesia haven’t had enough interaction with them to form a right view about the Papuans. Well, the Papuans I know are definitely smart and sassy!

Non-Pribumi

Indonesians classify themselves as Pribumi (the natives) and non-Pribumi. We have a lot of non-Pribumi Indonesians who are originally from China, Taiwan, India, Middle East, Portugal, etc. They are fully integrated that they speak Bahasa Indonesia, the local language, and some even don’t speak their native language anymore. Intermarriage is also common. The thing is, some non-Pribumi are more accepted than others. Of course, the ones from the Middle East are easily accepted by the locals because they came from the land of the Prophet, while the Chinese, for example, are less welcomed because of their different beliefs.

(Native Arab, Indonesian Arab, Arab Maklum - we apologize on his behalf)

For me, wherever they are originally from, they are my Indonesian brothers and sisters! There will always be imbeciles that want Indonesia to be “pure”, just like the ones in Europe who fight for the purity of the Aryan race. But, how could Indonesians be “pure in race” when we have 300 ethnic groups?

There are actually more ethnic stereotypes that exist in Indonesia. For example, the Minang being stingy, the Dayak being friendly and humble, the Ambons being hardheaded, etc. We need your help to give us with more ethnic stereotypes by writing on the comment box in Tumblr or our Facebook page. We will write the next post on Indonesian stereotypes based on your comments.

Britain is where most of people think they are a bit more civilized than any other nation and where etiquette and politeness are among top priorities.

British have impeccable manners and will always offer you a “cup of tea” and treat you as being a real gentlemen.

They are the ones that will always tell you in the line, “after you Sir”, and the ones who also know how to properly form a line, when waiting somewhere.

But Brits are also the people that are well behaved and will stay deadly quite when they are out in public.

All in all, what I am trying to say is that most of the Brits have some kind of Lord-ish behavior, and this is something……………..Ohhh come on, I don’t have to explain.These people are wearing Burberry and drive Rolls Royce!

HOWEVER….Being a Greek, I have “unfortunately” witnessed the other side of our lovely Lord-ish Brits.

When they fly abroad and especially in holiday destinations such as Greece, Spain etc, it is like they are being transformed into crazy party-animals! They instantly forget manners, politeness, royalty and any other code of conduct they might have back home.

Just like werewolves, they show their other-side at night!

The British that I have seen in places such as Laganas in Zakynthos, Malia in Crete or Faliraki in Rhodes are completely indescribable!!

These guys are honestly drinking like there is no tomorrow… they are getting so wasted every night, singing and screaming in the streets like crazy! There is honestly no limit in their behavior.

Most of the times, guys and girls are walking around in main streets, pub crawling, in crazy outfits, or almost no outfits at all!

Sex is their main goal while doing those trips and as I have witnessed personally, they can do it everywhere… They are able to do public sex on the beaches, the toilets of the clubs, in the streets and literally everywhere.. They are so drunk that most of the times they don’t even remember with how many or where they had sex! You can read more about it if you want in this article from Mirror.

But really the worst part of it all, is when the Dj makes the “mistake” and plays Robbie Wiliams… Oh man… This really can get things out of control! Drunk Brits are going maniac when they hear Robbie Williams abroad.. I was in a bar once, with some drunk Brits and the guys really lost it when the Dj played “Feel”; Some got their shirts and their pants out and they started to punch each other for fun!! (I really wish I had a video out of this!) Thank god, nobody was injured that day, but there are many times that Brits eat their “breakfast” in Greek hospitals… Main dishes are intoxication serum and stitches.

Last but not least if our fellow Brits will not end up in a hospital after their crazy night, they will probably end up, hugging their toilet, or even worst sleeping on the streets with the pavement as a pillow!

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The USA is the country of sexual liberty

I think I would reflect the opinion of many readers saying that the United States are perceived as a country of freedom of love and love demonstrations. MTV reality-shows such as Jersey Shore or Virgin Territory create a picture of dissolute Americans changing partners everyday. Bad bad Americans… :D But what would you say if I show you facts that American states are full of absurd laws putting various constraints on this freedom? For example, in Delaware it’s illegal to wear pants tightening your waist too much - I guess you would look too sexy. In Iowa a kiss cannot last more than one minute oops! :-D In Louisiana the condoms can be bought only by women - guys risk to be fined and called perverts for such a vulgar action! Florida allows to make love only in missionary position and you cannot even kiss men’s chest. Honestly, what the heck?? Do you still have doubts how “liberal” the US is in that sense? Go and have a look at their constitutions.

Who are the best lovers? South European guys?

Rome, Paris and Madrid… cities of love adventures in many girly minds. And there is actually a reason behind these dreams! This time the stereotype is actually truthful. According to the poll of 15000 women all over the world, Spanish, Brazilian, Italian and French men are considered to be the best lovers! In contrast, we should feel sorry for a few nations on the bottom of this ranking: Germans which are ‘too smelly’, British men which are ‘too lazy’ and Swedish guys which are ‘too quick’. Blame the Telegraph if it’s not true! However it’s hard not to believe them because this British newspaper placed the British men on the second place among the worst lovers in the world! :-D

Ah, looking at Enrique Iglesias and Mario Casas I understand why women vote for Spain! :-D

Eskimo couples are kissing each other by touching their noses

Come on, did anyone actually believe in this stereotype? Or you are afraid that inhabitants of the North Pole have no other choice as pressing the tips of the noses because if they use the ‘Western’ way their lips will  freeze to each other?

In fact, the ‘procedure’ is a bit more complicated. According to Wikipedia, the Eskimo kiss (kunik) involves ‘pressing the nose and upper lip against the skin (commonly the cheeks or forehead) and breathing in’. However despite the widespread stereotype, this kiss doesn’t imply any erotic context for the Eskimo! It’s a traditional way of greeting which can be done by beloved ones as well as by family members and close friends. And of course lovers living on the North also kiss each other just as we do it. ;-)

Indians are masters of the Kama Sutra

Let’s move from the North Pole to the Southern country - India. All of us feel thankful to Indians for the invention of Kamasutra and therefore the common stereotype about India is their special attitude to sensual love. Despite the opinion about sophisticated love games practised by Indians, they are very conservative in that sense. According to a research conducted by Durex, Indians are among the nations which have “their first time” rather late for an average Western - at approximately 20 years old. Moreover, during their lives they continue doing it exclusively in their bedroom and only with their wives.

We will continue writing about love stereotypes, don’t miss the next article about Asian girls and their love preferences ;) Now you can find out why Finnish guys are so tough to say magic three words, read the article about “Finns and the L word”.

Images: Source 1, Source 2, Source 3, Source 4, Source 5

A lot of Greek expats are very nostalgic of their motherland and tend to decorate their houses with a bunch of Greek statues and arches, in order to look like Parthenon!

But if this doesn’t work try to find the Greek flags on their balconies! We are very proud of our origins!

Still searching……? Last resort…memorize all 12 ancient Greek gods names and I bet that in a ten block radius from where you are, there is a Greek restaurant named after one of these Gods! 

3. Another characteristic of Greek expats around the globe, is that they all want to educate Non-Greeks, on how to be Greeks! 

I bet you all know/heard that we, Greek people, invented almost everything in this world! Astronomy, Philosophy, Mathematics, Democracy, Civilization, blablablablablabla and about 10000000000000000000000000000 other notions! Therefore, there are no doubts that we are the greatest………..hmmm, let me take this back….Therefore, there are no doubts that we WERE the greatest! 

Today is another story….A typical proud Greek expat though, would most likely say to say to a foreign friend : don’t fall in the catch about the Greek debt and all this other bullshit media talks about, there are just jealous and want to extinct us! :-D

4. Ah….I forgot also to mention…You can’t argue with a Greek expat that there is a word on this planet that doesn’t have a Greek roots! If you want a justification for that, just watch “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”, where Mr.Portokalis explains the Greek origins of the word “Kimono”!  (Very educative, hahahaha!) 

5.  Well, listen to this.Greek expats are often very unhappy when their kids are about to marry a Non-Greek partner! 

Because after all, we have nothing in common with these “xenous” (Foreign people)! Greeks should marry Greeks. No further discussion! What will the family say otherwise if you bring a “xeno”? As we say in Greece, “Papoutsi apo ton topo sou, kai as einai kai mpalomeno”, in other words, take a shoe from your land, even if it is damaged! We can’t trust foreign shoes..! :P (Shoes being the bride or groom in that context)

The reason for all this, is of course that we should eventually make Greek babies, pure, with a Greek DNA, regardless if they later on grow up in a foreign society, with foreign friends, speaking a foreign language, having foreign habits and 80% of them can hardly speak a Greek word! Aaaa ola kai ola!  (Note: I hope you get the irony here!) 

6. The greatest thing about the Greek expats however, is when they decide to go out and have fun! Thank God, most of the Greek Expats living abroad are more or less pretty successful nowadays, and this means that they can go for a night-out and spend a LOT of money without considering it’s value. 

So, whenever a Greek expat goes to the local Greek clubs abroad, he has already decided to destroy the place, and due to the nostalgia feeling for home, he parties like there is no tomorrow.   

This of course means, that if you own a club and the Greeks are on their way, hide all of the plates! Cause we Greeks love to break plates while we are dancing “Zeimbekiko” or “Syrtaki” and we won't stop if not all of the plates are broken!!

7. Rewind to number 2. Are you still searching to find these Greek expats...? If yes, go to the main square of the city you are in, and try to spot the most loud people there.. The ones they are screaming, laughing, yell to each other and speak in a language you don’t understand! Hint: in every phrase they say, contains at least 10 times the world “Malaka”….