What Is Your Favourite Country And Why?

[StreetCowboy]

It's not a real country (yet) but I answer Europe.

From north to south, so much diversity in scenery, weather, culture, history, food ... You can enjoy a beer in Ireland, ski in the Alpes and enjoy the sun set in a greek island ... can't beat that !

Bit of a long day, though...

[StreetCowboy]

_{Cape Town....without a doubt one of the most beautiful cities on earth, laid back and relaxed people}

Agreed, but there is still a major crime problem to deal with.

...

Don't do it! Its never to late to turn over a new leaf

SC

[StreetCowboy]

Scotland.

Its not exactly unanimous, but it seems the most popular choice.

Mainly for the comedians, guys like Alex Salmond, Gordon Brown, the late John Smith... even Smiler learnt his lines there - Tony Blair (his name eluded me for a moment).

Oh - and the ladies. The Ladies, he said again in a more appropriate font.

It was the Friday before Christmas, and we were in Tsim Sha Tsui between pubs on our way to the kick-off for Big Jim's stag do, and the young lad says to me "Och, you know,Ah'm really lookin' forwirt tae goin' hame fir Christmas" and he waxed eloquent about family and friends.

"Aye", says I, " and the girls... big boilers wi' thick woolen tights and a wee hat on the back o' their heid and too much lipstick"

"Ye cannae make me go back" he whimpered. But he did, rather than take the ferry to Big Jim's stag do. To be fair, Big Jim never caught the ferry either, but we went on without him. It wouldn't have been the first stag night with no groom

SC

[Godolphin]

As a blanket statement it would have to be Thailand as I could live anywhere but choose to live here. However....

Best beer: NZ

Most open an honest people: Melb. Aus.

Best looking ladies: Germany, NZ, Iceland.

Best ladies in bed: Spain, Poland.

Best food: Thailand no question.

Best place to earn money: London UK

I'm glad you said that about the people of my home town.

There's a certain vibe about Melbourne to be sure.

The fact that it's the sports/culture/food/fashion capital of the nation says a lot.

Sydney may have nice views but it's a big village compared to marvellous Melbourne. It does have the Gay Mardi Gras I suppose.

Must be the cooler weather in Melbourne.

[joe84330]

jamaica for me.

equal years here and years there, the women are equal all things considered, a jamaican menu is easily comparable to a thai menu, general location weather and atmosphere are comparable, the difference for me would be authentically warm genuine smiling people. i find the beaches in thailand to be better for sightseeing, photography, kayaking etc due to the rock formations and caves, while the long stretches of white sand beach in jamaica were much better for sunbathing, snorkeling etc because the sand and water quality was better. the music scene in jamaica is light years ahead of thailand too, from live to dj. all in all it's not enough to make me want to change, grass is always greener.

[StreetCowboy]

...grass is always greener.

Isn't that the clincher for Jamaica?

[theblether]

It's not a real country (yet) but I answer Europe.

From north to south, so much diversity in scenery, weather, culture, history, food ... You can enjoy a beer in Ireland, ski in the Alpes and enjoy the sun set in a greek island ... can't beat that !

Bit of a long day, though...

Someone should tell Jurgen that the Third Reich failed.......

[StreetCowboy]

It's not a real country (yet) but I answer Europe.

From north to south, so much diversity in scenery, weather, culture, history, food ... You can enjoy a beer in Ireland, ski in the Alpes and enjoy the sun set in a greek island ... can't beat that !

Bit of a long day, though...

Someone should tell Jurgen that the Third Reich failed.......

Aye, but he's not a quitter

SC

[onionluke]

I'll go for Scotland then seeing as another poster bought my vote with a pie supper on another thread .

Oh for the Squirrel Bar and a deep fried macaroni pie , Stevenson Street on a cold winters morn and money to be made . Forget not the old vans wi' hooky MOTs and knocking off early on a saturday and walking up to see the celtic . I shudder to recall beating a dwarf at pool up in the Scotia pool hall and then staggering home westward , stuffed into my y fronts , the days takings . One never knew who one could happen upon in old Glasgow town , on the banks of the Clyde in the west of Scotland .

[Banzai99]

My own. Plenty of places I love in the world, several I've called home, but none compare to here.

Canada went up in my estimation after watching 'The Trailer Park Boys'. I wanna go and live in Sunnyvale trailer park.

[transam]

I am English, not a Brit, and love the USA which l have traveled a lot. Wish l could crash out in the Key's.

[tutsiwarrior]

I'll go for Scotland then seeing as another poster bought my vote with a pie supper on another thread .

Oh for the Squirrel Bar and a deep fried macaroni pie , Stevenson Street on a cold winters morn and money to be made . Forget not the old vans wi' hooky MOTs and knocking off early on a saturday and walking up to see the celtic . I shudder to recall beating a dwarf at pool up in the Scotia pool hall and then staggering home westward , stuffed into my y fronts , the days takings . One never knew who one could happen upon in old Glasgow town , on the banks of the Clyde in the west of Scotland .

Glasgow is a favorite place but it is also a violent and dangerous place...if you wander into the wrong bar at the wrong time you can get the shit kicked outta you for no apparent reason...almost happened to me a couple of times as an innocent yank...

on the Shettleston Road and minding my own business in a bar with a half and a half and here come some lads tooled up and ready to go and then the bar man said: 'hold off, I know him...' and I knew him too from a previous acquaintance...he saved my ass...mistaken identity or some such foolishness...

also, the little Glasgow jimmys are only about 5'6" - 5' 8" and I'm 6' so I don't worry too much about damage...

Edited February 27, 2012 by tutsiwarrior

[StreetCowboy]

I'll go for Scotland then seeing as another poster bought my vote with a pie supper on another thread .

Oh for the Squirrel Bar and a deep fried macaroni pie , Stevenson Street on a cold winters morn and money to be made . Forget not the old vans wi' hooky MOTs and knocking off early on a saturday and walking up to see the celtic . I shudder to recall beating a dwarf at pool up in the Scotia pool hall and then staggering home westward , stuffed into my y fronts , the days takings . One never knew who one could happen upon in old Glasgow town , on the banks of the Clyde in the west of Scotland .

I used to drink in a pub called the Squirrel in Tsim Sha Tsui - or was it the Squirrell 2? That was the one with the gin in the vodka bottle... That close had gone quite up market last time I was there, about four years back, with some Western pub where there used to be a squirrel. I forget how the Terrace had fared. But on Hart Avenue I was able to stop for a Deuchars IPA - not a haggis supper, but there's no point in pining for the moon when you have a bird in the hand

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZyU7tHO_1E

SC

Edited February 27, 2012 by StreetCowboy

[LennyW]

If you get good weather then Scotland is hard to beat, but you have to be fast, good weather usually only happens between the 4th and 5th of August for about haff@noor !!

Seriously though....the west coast is awesome on a clear day!, or go up Ben Nevis or the Cairngorms in summer, you can see for miles and miles.. then jump back in your car before you get frostbite or eaten by midgees (mosquitos on steroids!)!!!!

[theblether]

Scotland for me too...........Ireland is a pale imitation

A country where flashes of brilliance emerge from centuries of drunken debauchery.

What else would you expect from the Home of Whisky? But when sober we...........

Invented the television, telephone and penicillin, international capitalism, international masonry, and the art of having a good fight at a wedding.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_inventions_and_discoveries#Sports_innovations

We even had to go help the English invent the United Kingdom!! after having to lend them our Scottish royalty too.

Anyway......

A land of

Outstanding scenery,

The Athens of the North, Edinburgh

The Edinburgh Festival, the largest Arts festival in the world,

World class sporting venues and sailing,

Incredible mountain ranges,

Wildlife teeming all over the hills,

Home of the oldest regiment in the British Army,

History everywhere, and I mean everywhere,

World class museums and fascinating architecture

Where men wear kilts and look you in the eye and dare you to say something,

24 hour bars and sing-songs in the morning,

Where not having a hangover is a badge of shame,

Some of the most sublime food you could ever hope to taste,

and some of the worst too, ( see onionluke above ) but we love it just the same,

Cities that know how to party, with night clubs bursting at the seams,

Where the girls dress like hookers and know tricks that would put hookers to shame,

As I say, an outstanding country, one that we have to get out of now and again to get a break from the debauchery, that's why we holiday in Thailand. It's nice and relaxed there

[StreetCowboy]

"... and 15% would live there, if they had to."

[LennyW]

And do you know why there is so much hills & mountains in Scotland?

Well, legend has it that many many years ago when the Scots were invading and thrashing the English, the Scots won so much ground they had to start heaping it up!!!

[GuestHouse]

While I'm not moving of my vote for Italy, I've often said the seven years I had in Edinburgh were better than the first seven years I had in Thailand.

Living in the New Town, nights out in the Barony Bar, The Shore (for sea food that rivals anything in Thailand), bring your own beer and sandwiches Ceilihds (The old sprung floor at the University Hall before it burned down was the sweet spot). The Cally 80 and of let's not forget The Festival out done by its Fringe.

And let's not forget the Edinburgh women...... I thought I'd died and gone to heaven.

The essence of life's sweet blessings.

Edited February 27, 2012 by GuestHouse

[theblether]

"... and 15% would live there, if they had to."

Tut tut you're a bad boy

[GuestHouse]

OK I admit it, I'd take a pay cut for either Edinburgh or Rome.

[notmyself]

As a blanket statement it would have to be Thailand as I could live anywhere but choose to live here. However....

Best beer: NZ

Most open an honest people: Melb. Aus.

Best looking ladies: Germany, NZ, Iceland.

Best ladies in bed: Spain, Poland.

Best food: Thailand no question.

Best place to earn money: London UK

I'm glad you said that about the people of my home town.

There's a certain vibe about Melbourne to be sure.

The fact that it's the sports/culture/food/fashion capital of the nation says a lot.

Sydney may have nice views but it's a big village compared to marvellous Melbourne. It does have the Gay Mardi Gras I suppose.

Must be the cooler weather in Melbourne.

Yep, it's the vibe.

[tutsiwarrior]

I'll go for Scotland then seeing as another poster bought my vote with a pie supper on another thread .

Oh for the Squirrel Bar and a deep fried macaroni pie , Stevenson Street on a cold winters morn and money to be made . Forget not the old vans wi' hooky MOTs and knocking off early on a saturday and walking up to see the celtic . I shudder to recall beating a dwarf at pool up in the Scotia pool hall and then staggering home westward , stuffed into my y fronts , the days takings . One never knew who one could happen upon in old Glasgow town , on the banks of the Clyde in the west of Scotland .

Glasgow is a favorite place but it is also a violent and dangerous place...if you wander into the wrong bar at the wrong time you can get the shit kicked outta you for no apparent reason...almost happened to me a couple of times as an innocent yank...

on the Shettleston Road and minding my own business in a bar with a half and a half and here come some lads tooled up and ready to go and then the bar man said: 'hold off, I know him...' and I knew him too from a previous acquaintance...he saved my ass...mistaken identity or some such foolishness...

also, the little Glasgow jimmys are only about 5'6" - 5' 8" and I'm 6' so I don't worry too much about damage...

also to say that I'm usually with my nephew Kevin from Dumbarton and he is a fit footballer and no one messes with us...

I divorced his aunt over 10 years ago but I'm still 'uncle tutsi'...and my bodyguard in Glasgow...

Edited February 27, 2012 by tutsiwarrior

[ShodomonRules]

Italy.

Art

History

Culture

Language and Literature

Weather

Variety of everything

Life style

Quality of goods and services

Fantastic food

The best wine on the planet

Equitable rights under the treaty of Rome

Arguably the best looking people on the planet

The 'Flair' and creativity of Italian culture.

Edit to add.

Presence of a lively political and intellectual discourse

Family and particularly children friendliness

Warm and welcoming culture

Second that. The architecture of the cathedrals of limestone and granite compared to stick on mirror squares...

And talk about mai pen rai! Thais don't know what it means to spend four hours eating lunch, forgetting the problems of the world, while talking about romance and grandchildren.

They can also color outside the lines...

[bonobo]

I have been to over 100 countries, but lived in about 9. I woud have to put the USA and Thailand at the top. Someone mentioned the Keys--one of the best places in the US despite my overall indifference to Florida. Washington DC, San Diego, Portland, San Fran, Chicago, Raleigh, Hawaii--all are great.

Thailand is well, we all know what this place is like

I would have to give Italy, South Korea, and Japan honorable mention. Worst place in which I lived? Iraq, I guess.

If I could pick other places in which I have only spent passing time, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Scotland, Ireland, Hong Kong, Argentina, and Costa Rica would rank pretty high.

[StreetCowboy]

"... and 15% would live there, if they had to."

Tut tut you're a bad boy

That coming from the 15%

- It was 17.5% till they put the VAT up; though to be fair, that was the national exchequer; goodness knows what Mr Salmond's mob will have you collecting.

SC

[IanForbes]

I've got the best of both worlds. I spend my winters in Thailand for a variety of reasons, of which sunny weather and inexpensive life style is a big part of. The remainder of the year I spend in Canada... sort of. I say sort of because I'm always on the move checking out places to fish.

[theblether]

I'll go for Scotland then seeing as another poster bought my vote with a pie supper on another thread .

Oh for the Squirrel Bar and a deep fried macaroni pie , Stevenson Street on a cold winters morn and money to be made . Forget not the old vans wi' hooky MOTs and knocking off early on a saturday and walking up to see the celtic . I shudder to recall beating a dwarf at pool up in the Scotia pool hall and then staggering home westward , stuffed into my y fronts , the days takings . One never knew who one could happen upon in old Glasgow town , on the banks of the Clyde in the west of Scotland .

Glasgow is a favorite place but it is also a violent and dangerous place...if you wander into the wrong bar at the wrong time you can get the shit kicked outta you for no apparent reason...almost happened to me a couple of times as an innocent yank...

on the Shettleston Road and minding my own business in a bar with a half and a half and here come some lads tooled up and ready to go and then the bar man said: 'hold off, I know him...' and I knew him too from a previous acquaintance...he saved my ass...mistaken identity or some such foolishness...

also, the little Glasgow jimmys are only about 5'6" - 5' 8" and I'm 6' so I don't worry too much about damage...

Strange you mention Shettleston, which is only 1 mile along the road from where I am right now. It has the lowest male life expectancy in the UK, ( possibly even Europe ).

That is a result of a combination of factors, including encounters with Wee Jimmys, the diet as described by onionluke, the drunken debauchery and 24 hour bars as described by me, and encounters with the local ladies, which result in the copious use of that outstanding Scottish invention, penicillin.

There's many a Glasgow lad that fancies himself to be a hit with the girls, and he'll head off full of vigour to the flesh pot clubs of days yore such as Victorias in Sauchiehall Street. If defeated and rejected by the young nubiles of said night club, being young, and cunning, he would make his way down to the Savoy, where the Shettleston lassies would be lying in wait.

You would know it was the Savoy as the lassies would shower you with well used knickers as you stood transfixed to the sticky floor. On occasion you may have a moment to reflect and regret arriving at said venue, just before you were dragged to the taxi rank by a pack of Shettleston Babes ( you will have seen the film Babe? ). At this point you would have been well advised to join the queue at the Blue Lagoon for a bag of fish and chips, not because you were hungry, but to mask the smell of what was to come.

After being used and abused by said ladies you would be ejected out onto the wintry streets of Shettleston in the early morn, where you would have to perform the Walk of Disgrace, ( it's called that in Scotland because when you arrive home your typical welcome from your mother would be, "Look at the state of you!! Your a disgrace!!"). There would be scant consolation in seeing other young chaps performing the same walk of shame.

After a day of recovery with the miracle hangover cure, Irn Bru, you would begin to notice a burning sensation in the nether regions, which would then result in a visit to the Sandyford STD clinic on the Monday morning, where you would see the other young chaps you passed on your "Walk Of Shame".

Debauchery indeed..............

[tutsiwarrior]

I'll go for Scotland then seeing as another poster bought my vote with a pie supper on another thread .

Oh for the Squirrel Bar and a deep fried macaroni pie , Stevenson Street on a cold winters morn and money to be made . Forget not the old vans wi' hooky MOTs and knocking off early on a saturday and walking up to see the celtic . I shudder to recall beating a dwarf at pool up in the Scotia pool hall and then staggering home westward , stuffed into my y fronts , the days takings . One never knew who one could happen upon in old Glasgow town , on the banks of the Clyde in the west of Scotland .

Glasgow is a favorite place but it is also a violent and dangerous place...if you wander into the wrong bar at the wrong time you can get the shit kicked outta you for no apparent reason...almost happened to me a couple of times as an innocent yank...

on the Shettleston Road and minding my own business in a bar with a half and a half and here come some lads tooled up and ready to go and then the bar man said: 'hold off, I know him...' and I knew him too from a previous acquaintance...he saved my ass...mistaken identity or some such foolishness...

also, the little Glasgow jimmys are only about 5'6" - 5' 8" and I'm 6' so I don't worry too much about damage...

Strange you mention Shettleston, which is only 1 mile along the road from where I am right now. It has the lowest male life expectancy in the UK, ( possibly even Europe ).

That is a result of a combination of factors, including encounters with Wee Jimmys, the diet as described by onionluke, the drunken debauchery and 24 hour bars as described by me, and encounters with the local ladies, which result in the copious use of that outstanding Scottish invention, penicillin.

There's many a Glasgow lad that fancies himself to be a hit with the girls, and he'll head off full of vigour to the flesh pot clubs of days yore such as Victorias in Sauchiehall Street. If defeated and rejected by the young nubiles of said night club, being young, and cunning, he would make his way down to the Savoy, where the Shettleston lassies would be lying in wait.

You would know it was the Savoy as the lassies would shower you with well used knickers as you stood transfixed to the sticky floor. On occasion you may have a moment to reflect and regret arriving at said venue, just before you were dragged to the taxi rank by a pack of Shettleston Babes ( you will have seen the film Babe? ). At this point you would have been well advised to join the queue at the Blue Lagoon for a bag of fish and chips, not because you were hungry, but to mask the smell of what was to come.

After being used and abused by said ladies you would be ejected out onto the wintry streets of Shettleston in the early morn, where you would have to perform the Walk of Disgrace, ( it's called that in Scotland because when you arrive home your typical welcome from your mother would be, "Look at the state of you!! Your a disgrace!!"). There would be scant consolation in seeing other young chaps performing the same walk of shame.

After a day of recovery with the miracle hangover cure, Irn Bru, you would begin to notice a burning sensation in the nether regions, which would then result in a visit to the Sandyford STD clinic on the Monday morning, where you would see the other young chaps you passed on your "Walk Of Shame".

Debauchery indeed..............

outstanding exposition but remember: narrative, narrative, narrative...

Glasgow was a weird place for me to end up as a surfer boy from LA but I was exiled to Bolivia in 1965 and always thought that I could endure anything...but the circumstances weren't half bad as it turned out with my irish inlaws and their concern for my well being...also I hated England and Glasgow was always a big sigh of relief...

I liked the Horse Shoe bar near down town but me FiL always balked and said: 'ye can't get a quarter gill measure in that place...' in reality he was more at home around the Gallowgate drinking places, a 30 year irish exile...Celtic and Rangers and the horrors of local sectarianism, what a place...and with my baby son on a clear New Years day a wee jimmy put some silver currency in his push chair and said Happy New Year...

Edited February 27, 2012 by tutsiwarrior

[invogue]

I am really surprised by people’s answers and it wasn’t what I expected to hear.

I’m curious to know what other members think of Thailand surrounding countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam etc?

I am originally from Australia and find the country deadly boring that every day that ticks by there I consider another wasted day of my life. Same said about Singapore where I lived for way too long.

Hong Kong and China were pretty cool which I liked because the culture was very foreign and I was always discovering new ways of doing things.

I lived in the USA last year and don’t get me wrong, there’s a lot to love but I’ve never met so many swindlers, scammers and cheap skates in my life.

I lived in Bangladesh and have never felt more in danger in my life- but I am a young, attractive white female.

[farangme]

"swindlers, scammers and cheap skates"...sounds like a fair portion of the expats in TL...

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