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Pastimes : Dog Chat -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Cogito Ergo Sum who wrote (8000)	8/14/2022 3:44:07 PM
From: Sun Tzu	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 8749

Not for me. Firstly, my visits to countries are often measured in months, not weeks. Secondly, travel is more of a cultural and mindset exploration activity for me rather than sightseeing. I don't go to see new things or buy novel things - I travel to experience life as it is understood in a different country. So what I see is often different than what your typical tourist sees. Over the years, I have become skilled in this and absorbing alternate lives ;) And finally, I've been to Australia and NZ several times and I have explored both countries from top to bottom. Perhaps more than many of the natives. But I am not so arrogant to claim to know the soul of those nations, nor so bigoted to paint everyone with the same brush. I was just sharing my experiences. Here's an example: when a kiwi tells you something is against the law or should not be done - they almost always follow it with the negative consequences of what will happen if you do. For example, "This is a nonsmoking area and it is monitored. If you smoke they will come and fine you $500." Fundamentally there is nothing wrong with that. And the person is just informing you so that you can make an informed decision. But it still rubs some of us the wrong way b/c we feel that a no smoking sign should be sufficient or that people should not have to calculate if they can afford to break the law - they should just do the right thing. At other times they come across as if they are plain threatening you or daring you. They are also very dry in their business attitudes and don't negotiate. Ozzies on the other hand are a lot more laid back. They smile more and believe in conducting business in a relaxed atmosphere. Even when they are in a position of authority, they are still nice about it. For example I put on my rollerblades in a park. A cop approached to say that rollerblading is not allowed. I have never met a cop telling me not to do something with so much empathy. She said that she is sorry that I cannot rollerblade and that understands this is such a perfect day for it and knows that putting them on and off is a pain, but that unfortunately it is not allowed... These attitudes carry over to many aspects of life. For example in Australia they put a sign telling you that there are speed cameras at this intersection or that this areas is being monitored by the police and so on. In some other countries, it's more of a gotcha attitude.