Okay, in Ireland, many people I talk to (and even those I don't) have a great
distaste for this country. Our politicians have a habbit of making our country
look good in the eyes of the U.N. and E.U. whilst the rest of us angrily shake
our fists at the government and shout abuse. Poverty is rather bad in places
here. Violance and crime is growing and our government keeps spending and
stealing money we don't have, then telling us to "tighten our belts".
Physically the country can be nice in places and the summer isn't as cold as
people might think... but yeah, it rains 24 hours a day here XP. My question is,
what do you think of your own country or country you call home? Tourism tends to
change the facts a lot to attract people, so we only really know what a country
is like when we experience living there or talk to the people who do. So, good
and bad points, weather and politics, what do you think of your country?
Also, just to add; if someone has already posted about your
country feel free to post another message on that country regardless of whether
or not your views differ. As I said, I'm looking for YOUR oppinnion on your
country.
I live in the US and I think its a great country. The problem I have with it,
is that our leadership sucks. It doesn't matter conservative, liberal,
republican or democrat, we have a bunch of idiots running our government. The
US is being lead in a direction that will ultimately result in destruction. We
need a massive reformation of thought here. I think that we would be much
better off if we were to revert back to the thoughts and ideals that our country
was originally founded upon. Every person is created equal. White, black, gay,
straight, man, woman, every person should have the same rights. Separation of
church and state. This is the big one that I have a problem with. Right now,
Bush is trying to create a government that is run by the ideals of the church.
This is ridiculously ignorant, and completely un-American. Bush is a douchebag.
Anyway, those are my thoughts
I live in Singapore and I have my problems with this country. The political
scene in this country is so one-sided with only one political party and all
so-called "elections" are walkovers...so essentially, the people don't
get the chance to vote, although on paper they have the right to. The government
discreetly crushes all opposition to their rule and only prommte things that
speak good about their policies. The Speaker's Corner here is one huge
joke...it's empty for about 364 days and to speak, one must register to the
police and have their speech edited and approved. Also, no one can speak about
issues concerning politics, race and religion. The government tries to show the
world how "Democratic" it is but in actual fact, they slowly take over
the press and the media. Businesses and the economy is also controled by them as
the largest so-called 'private' investor belongs to non-other than the offspring
or the relative of the Prime Minister...the prime minister himself is the son of
an ex-prime minister....even the healthcare is run by them. The ministers here
are all rich-men's sons....born with a sliver spoon in their mouths, how can
they even understand the sufferings of the normal citizen and the poor? How can
they be trusted to make policies when they have not experienced the hardships?
The state-controlled media only reports the good news and leave out the bad
news, making the people turn to the BBC for the real truth...I won't be
surprised if the government tries to ban the BBC soon too...The weather is
alright I guess, only problem I have is that it's too hot most of the time...I
wish we had 4 seasons too....sorry if this seems long...it's just that I don't
really have a place to voice my opposition to this pseudo-democratic country....
Mexico, like all nations, has its ups and downs. I'm not enetering a deep
analysis on what's good and bad in Mexico as it would take about 100'000 pages,
but here's a short summary:
Good:
~ Mexico is filled WITH NICE places. Speak to someone who did a long trip around
Mexico and he will speak very well of my beloved Guadalajara, the beaches at
Cancun and Puerto Vallarta, the Popocatepetl, Iztaccihuatl, Citlaitepetl and the
Nevado de Colima, a famous mountain resort called Tapalpa, or the Maya ruins in
the Yucatan peninsula.
~ Mexicans are very happy and friendly. While in Germany it's almost illegal to
arrive 2 minutes late, for example, in Mexico you can arrive 15 minutes late
without much problem.
~ Weather is hot, yeah, but not as extreme as in places like Netherlands. While
Dutch temperatures drop below zero on winter and skyrocket above 33
°C in summer, here they rarely venture outside the 10-30
°C area.
~ Thanks to our foreign policy of "I won't mess with you, just don't mess
with me", the ONLY conflict we've entered was the World War II; that was
because some German subs destroyed a couple of our ships.
Bad:
~ Our government sucks. The President is a dumba$$ chosen by the PAN, the
Congress is rules by the PRI and won't listen to the President, the justice
system is one of the most corrupt ones in the planet, those in the government
have monumental wages...
~ The neoliberal economical system allows for an insanely uneven distribution of
riches. Just go to the ghettos of Guadalajara, look at newspaper reports
depicting people literally starving because they can't afford to buy food and
getting into drug business because it's the only way to win enough cash, and
compare them to the super posh neighborhoods in western Guadalajara and those
"social" magazines where you can see those ultra-rich youngsters
between ages 13 and 25 living life in the fast lane, all surrounded with
luxury.
~ The church supposedly has no political power, yet it still has such a moral
influence over society, that many government measures are specially made to fit
their ideas. Example: can you believe all the fuss and debate that took place
when they introduced the emergency anticonceptive pill? One side claimed it was
abortive because life begins when the sperm reaches the ovule, the other claimed
it wasn't because life begins when the fertilized ovule reaches the womb.
Consequence? Farmacias Guadalajara banned it from its inventory because the
owner's sister is a Christian fanatic. Plus, it is said there's a group of
religious fanatics on the top spheres of power.
I live in Malaysia and I think it's a great country. It's awfully peaceful here
without any natural disasters( the tsunami was exceptional for being the first
time and also Malaysia didn't really suffer that many casualties). The country
develops slowly but is constantly growing which offers various opportunities. A
multiracial community consisting of malays, chinese and indians(the main
community though there are many other races) which lives together in harmony.
The country is controlled mainly by the malays which gives them more rights, the
people tolerate each others thoughts and opinions which makes it a stable
country. Though living here makes getting U.S things really expensive cause of
the exchange rate and anime products here are mainly all bootlegs from Hong Kong
and Taiwan I still think it's a great place to live in.
Punker 0017
Seemingly, many people from America, believe the same. I've heard many times
about the American political system, justice system, and countless times about
George Bush. I don't think I've seen such an outcry from the people about one
man since Hitler (I wasn't there personally, but y'know). Yes, it's true that
it's rediculously ignorant for a country, any country to be run with the ideals of the church. It's the same
here also. Whenever you hear of an unjust law, such as same-sex-marriage not
being allowed, you can always trace it's origins back to the church. No one on
this should live in a Theocracy.
ElfLord2000
No, Elflord, your post is perfect. Freedom of speach is important and I'm really
interested in what you have to say, I wouldn't have started the thread
otherwise. I had no idea what Singapore was really like. I knew it was beautiful
in many ways, but I had no idea of the political and social aspects. Thank you
for enlightening me. It seems Singapore is mainly run in a Nepotistic way and I
understand your frustration about the differences between the ministers' lives
and the citizen's. It's illogical to think that any country can be successfully
run by people who are barely even there.
DaNuke
Many have told me of their visits to Mexico and they all say it's a really
beautiful place, just as you described. It's good to know that you yourself
think so too. Mexico does seem to be a peaceful and welcoming country.
It's crazy to think that so many countries
are still being controlled and / or directed by the church. The emergency
contraceptive pill wasn't such a big deal here, but abortion certainly was and
still is. Guadalajara banning the pill from it's inventory for no reason other
than a religious and family one seems almost criminal... I wonder where the
moral standing is on that?
Anime2000
Wow, sounds great! I wish we could all be as content with our countries as you.
I'm sure like all countries, Malaysia has it's troubles aswell, but it's good to
know that not everyone focuses on them.
Quote by DaNukeMexico, like all nations,
has its ups and downs. I'm not enetering a
deep analysis on what's good and bad in Mexico as it would take about
100'000 pages, but here's a short summary: Good:
~ Mexicans are very happy and friendly. While in Germany it's almost
illegal to arrive 2 minutes late, for example, in Mexico you can arrive
15 minutes late without much problem.
Also from Mexico. I agree with most of what you say, DaNuke, except by that
point. Actually, it's one of the things I dread about Mexico. The 15minutes
tolerance is stretched beyond comprehensible limits. I don't think it's OK to
leave people waiting for you all the time. 15 minutes might be reasonable, but
now people arrive even an hour late, and barely apologize.... 'it was the
traffic'. The traffic has been there always (I'm from Mexico City, btw), so you
should plan along... It's one thing to be kind, but I also think it's rude to
consistently not arrive in time. I mean, don't you think it's plain wrong that
people have to print an hour one hour earlier than the actual ceremony in
wedding invitations for people to arrive on time?
And I hate it mostly because it makes other people perceive mexicans are
careless. Some french students that came to my college were shocked that they
made a party and asked people to be there by 8, and obviously, the place was
empty until around 10:30... They even asked me, 'Why are Mexicans always
late?'. Not all, not always, but sadly, that's the impression they got.
Oh well, enough ranting....
I do like Mexico a lot. There are a lot of nice places, from beaches to
mountains, from deserts to jungles... There is an extremely rich cultural
heritage. There are problems, of course, but it's a really nice place to live
in. And besides, I'd probably either melt or freeze to death living somewhere
else, being used to such sweet climate.
I'm an Aussie! Aussie, Aussie, Aussie! Oi! Oi! Oi!
I don't think my country is too bad. Politically I think we've coped rather
well, but I do wish the government would work harder to find a solution to
helping the indigenous Aborigines. We've been told that we're still spending too
much money and our personal debt is exceeding what we can manage, I for one know
that I'm pushing myself a fair bit with debt so accept my guilty part in that.
On the whole the economy is pretty good and I'm happy with the way things are
going. Weather-wise I live in Melbourne, the south-east corner of mainland
Australia and I love it. There aren't too many hot days, mostly mild, and since
I like the sight of rain and the coming Winter season, I think it's quite
hospitable from a weather perspective. I've seen the tourism ads and know that
Melbourne is rated in the top ten liveable cities in the world and I actually
concur with the hype that surrounds Australia. We're a genuinely easy-going
bunch of people, hard-working (apparently riddiculously so in comparision to
other top economic countries), and sports mad! There are some bad points about
this country but I can't think of any at the moment (I'm just happy cause I
still think I live in the best country in the world). Any other Aussies can feel
free to disagree with me.
America has its good and bad qualities depending on your situation. If you are
one of the wealthy and well-off then you would probably think that it rocks all
the time. But I am not one of those people. I wont bash Bush but lets just say
I did not vote for him. I think that our leaders jump into issues that we don't
need to be involved in. We have problems at home and in the long run more are
being caused. Our economy has soured and as much as people keep saying its
getting better I and others like me can't see it. Well I could go on and on but
other than complain I look at good things that aren't really country related.
Like we have some physical beauty. You have some open minded people that its
nice to bump into from time to time and the opportunity to do almost anything
you want (emphasize almost). So I guess America is good. I would like to visit
other places though.
The things I dislike about the goverment are the immigration policy and in the
education department.
For a while they were considering closing the only two selective entry secondary
high schools in Melbourne, which meant the two top schools in the state down the
drain. The reason was public dissatisfaction
about students who gained entry using their own intelligence . I'm still
quite unhappy about that; I never thought jealousy would be so publicly
supported.
Immigration policy...Long story. Let's say my grandmother died before they
approved her permanent resident status. Give an old woman a chance at settling
down! We pay tax!
On a brighter side, we have the best weather around. **melbourne winter rain is
wonderful!** Society is generally fair, taboo subjects are respected, and the
local music industry is kicking off.
The fashion industry is problem. As much as some people like think that
Australia is fairly fashionable, we are behind. That's why I'd rather wear fob
clothing.
Austria, the heart of Europe!!
Compared to the rest of Europe, Austria is a mid-sized country in the middle of
the continent.
To the outside, austrians are thought of as piano-playing, montain-climbing,
skiing, ball-loving people, which is partly true...
The alps go through the west of the country and it's possible to ski/snowboard
all year!
Austria is the home of many magnificent people like Mozart, Beethoven, Freud,
Lorenz and many other! (sadly hitler was also born here...) We also have the
beautiful Danube!
The thing I like most about the capital Vienna, where I live in, is the
beautiful architecture....which many don't appreciate, although it's more
beautiful than in Paris and Venice, which were known as the most romantic cities
for a long time and the fantastic concerts and exibitions!!
Hehe.. I lived in Spore now but am originally Indonesian...
What I can say about Singapore is that the people are just too individualistic
and only think of themselves sometimes.. am not saying that everybody is so, but
most people are like that.. they are too caught up in their own pace that they
cannot even be bothered to say sorry or excuse me when they bumped into someone
or knock someone down (I've experienced this (the knocking down too), bumped on
many many times in the shopping malls...).. However, I think Singapore is a
great country cause it is so clean and organised compared to Indonesia where
corruption is everywhere and people seems to hate each other (esp between races
and religious groups).. but I sometimes cannot help but think that the unity
that Singapore has is nothing but "fake" idealism that was drilled
into their heads by the government.. they were doing it cos it is the
"right" thing to do, not because they really wanted to or something
like that, i cannot feel any sincerity..If they are sincere, they can do it
without the government telling them to do it every minute every hour everyday,
in school, workplace, bus stops, advertisement and everything else, i think it
is just too much.... Government played a big part in the system of the country
and they seems to butt in to everything.. that is how i feel...
and i do not like Indonesia much, mainly because of the incompetent government
and how people can only comment and made riots, not thinking about all that they
were doing (riots and arson) are just making the situation worse and
worse....they should think of ways to make it better, by peaceful protest not by
arson and bombing religious places liek churches and temples
Wow ... you guys are good ... such long post O.o *makes me feel ashame *
btw.. im in malaysia.. peaceful, calm and serene. Though sometimes is hot and
humid , coz malaysia is located at the equator.. but
overall no natural disaster that happen ( beside the tsunami poor ppl )
other wise it is a nice place to live in it has a
huge variety of food too
the U.S. is just as bad, if not, worse. I think anywhere you go in this world
you will find politicians doing the same thing. The problem is that the people
dont have enough control of their own. We all have to differ to some entity that
holds us under their thumbs. Yes, I live in the u.s., but I don't like it very
much
keep in mind the words of Julius Ceaser :
when the government fails to be of, by and for the people, it fails to be a
government and becomes an organized mob.
I live in the US. I hate how deluded the US seems, it always talks about how
their flag is sacred. They're always being nosy and getting into everyone
else's business. One of the things I hate the most is how we have a TON more
freedom then other places, but nobody even seems to realise. And while we have
so much freedom, we prove that we don't deserve it by doing things like getting
fat or killing eachother. US is annoying and full of it's self.
i'm from Poland and i hate my country!!! when i will finish studies, i want
leave aboard. our policians are mad! this what they doing, to go way too far!
they destrou our country!
BUT i dont say that to my country dont worth visit. on the contrary - my country
have rich history and culture. i only think that in my country shouldnt live!
only visit!
Okay, I just want to apologise for the lengthiness of this reply. I sorta
decided to reply to everyone so... yeah, lol.
Incidently, if anyone decides to quote anything I've said... please only quote
parts of it!
thelunarmage
Yeah, I know people who've visited Aussie and NewZealand. The most important
thing I believe they said was about the noticable difference in quality of life.
Taxes are quite low in Australia and NewZealand, which may be part of the debt
problem, but realistically I wouldn't want to change that myself. The quality of
life in your country is almost the greatest in the world and the country is
greatly diverse in geology and people from what I've learned. I'd love to go
there one day. But as studio said, living
there would be near to impossible. *sigh*
irian
Hmm... I can see that becomming a problem alright. There is such a thing as
being too layed back and relaxed. It must
be very obvious for people to notice it so much in Mexico, because it really
wouldn't have been a question I'd think of asking. I don't honestly know which
extreme is worse, to strict or too layed back, but I'd probably prefer a world
where being 2 minutes late wouldn't constitute being fired. For tourists Mexico
must be great, but for the people living there, the relaxation might become a
bit of a bother, no?
studio
Quote by studioFor a while they were
considering closing the only two selective entry secondary
high schools in Melbourne, which meant the two top schools in the state down the
drain. The reason was public dissatisfaction
about students who gained entry using their own intelligence . I'm still
quite unhappy about that; I never thought jealousy would be so publicly
supported.
Woah, I've never heard anything like that before... money shouldn't be the
reason people receive a better education, that's part of the problem in Ireland.
I left school because the system was incredibley facist and corrupted, but we
tell the rest of Europe that our education is amazing and prove it by selecting
the best grades from the best students of the best school (The Institute)...
which of course, is also responsable for making the exams... hmm... suspicious.
I would see it as extremely unusual for a school to be closed down for being run
the way it's supposed to be.
Kumiko-H
Yes, it seems that most countries that appear high class and well off, have a
greater diversity of life-style between the rich, middle-class and poor. Many
people don't understand what it's like to not have money in a country surrounded
by it. I myself, have had to move house every year for about three or four
years, each time to a smaller and smaller one. We sold our house four years ago
to survive and have payed phenominal rent ever since. Housing costs in Ireland
are criminal. A small house in the middle of nowhere would as standard cost over
a 100,000 euro. The smallest rent amount we've payed for four people was 800 a
month for a two bedroomed house, not bad, but very rare. Incidentally, my
parents are moving to Portugal in order to live.
Sherlock
AUSTRIA!!! I spent a week or so there for the millennium! It truely is a
beautiful country and the people are so nice it's scary! I
was in... Lermos I think it was called. The snow, scenery and buildings were so
beautiful and it was amazing to see so many using skis as their main transport.
What got me was how the busses were free and came so regularly! I think I'll
have to go there on my honeymoon... if I ever have one.
Tareren (Heya!)
I was wondering where from Singapore you were, but turns out you're from
Indonesia! You keep suprising people!
Anyway, I was wondering about Singapore. I had to question whether or not so
many different people could get along so well. A goverment fed idealism...
still, not the worst thing a government can do, teaching people to be accepting.
It would be nice to see people get along and actually be geniune about it, but I
guess these things take time and must be force fed sometimes. As for people
being out for themselves and well... rude, for lack of a better word... I
suppose that comes along with a large city. You get it in Ireland aswell, but
generally only when people are looking for a fight. I was brought up a certain
way and it annoys me when people deliberatly or accidentally bump into me and
don't at least say "Sorry" or "Excuse me"... that could be
because I've had encounters so many times... my immidiate reaction is to say
sorry, but sometimes all you get back is "So you should be!". It
wouldn't kill people to be nice, regardless of what city they live in. Still, I
must say that Singapore looks amazing. Especially the surrounding islands... I
hope to visit there someday too. I'm sure the troubles in Indonesia will pass
one day. Ireland was a very war-like country at one stage too... I suppose it
could be referred to as the 'teenage-years'. XP
mdntdragon
Quote by mdntdragonthe U.S. is just as
bad, if not, worse. I think anywhere you go in this
world you will find politicians doing the same thing. The problem is
that the people dont have enough control of their own. We all have to
differ to some entity that holds us under their thumbs. Yes, I live in
the u.s., but I don't like it very much
keep in mind the words of Julius Ceaser :
when the government fails to be of, by and for the people, it fails to
be a government and becomes an organized mob.
Love the quote. It's been a long time since I've heard that. What you're saying
is true. However, most countries have had some amazing political leaders in
their time. The unfortunate thing about that, is that for centuries to come,
people will put their faith in the government, hoping that one day, they will
see a great leader again. America is a very powerful country when it comes to
politics. The entire world is aware of your president and secretary of defence,
etc. and when people in America were voting, people all over the world were
crossing their fingers and saying "Please not Bush, please not Bush!".
I don't think Ireland even has a
secretary of defence and if we do, I want to be it... sounds like a do-nothing
job, really. XP
zefiroN
Norway... surely it can't be that bad.
Honestly, the only thing I've learned about Norway was in geography class. If
anyone from Norway is reading this I'd be very interested to know what it's
truely like, apart from being a low-land country that fishes! Damn education
system! XP
mindolluin
kakitsubata
The posts are long, yeah, but they don't have to be. I value
all input regardless of it's weight. Hong Kong's density of population is huge,
I'm not suprised it's so crowded! XP
DigiAngel
America is very well renowned for it's freedom and opportunity. It's interesting
to hear someone note the bad points. Just because people have freedom and
opportunity, does not guarantee that they will put it to good use. Freedom of
speach can cause a great deal of emotional harm. People have the freedom to be
Nazi's if they choose, but the good thing is that they do not have the right to
act out their beliefs so it hurts another human being physically.
Soundwave Macia
Hmm... interesting. I've recently spent time with two Polish people in Ireland.
When Poland became part of Europe, the came here for work. One of them has
decided to stay. They thought about Poland the same way as you, but also said
that Poland is a very beautiful country with actual season changes. We went to the pub and one invited me to
stay in Poland with him for a month! The Polish
I've met so far have all been very friendly people and very proud of their
heritage.
Thanks to everyone for their posts so far, I
really wasn't expecting such a large feedback! I'm learning a lot here. If
anyone has any questions about Ireland I'll be happy to answer... provided I
know the answer! XP
Hey, talking about US, I remember the joke that the MC of the Academy Awards
(Oscar, did you guys watched it?) said about BUSH (your president, not bushes..
^^)
He said that Bush is so amazing that he even dare to reapply for his position
after all that he has done and the thing that is even more amazing is that he
actually get it again ! XP
The MC said something like.. "Instead of making the States having a surplus
like the years before, he had caused our economy a deficit of us$73 million!
...Let's say you are working at Gap [i assume this to be a clothes store.. it
is, right?] as the cashier clerk.. Can you imagine what would your boss said to
you when he/she discovered that you had caused the shop to lose US$73m worth of
money?"
That is not direct quoting from the MC, but.. yeah, the idea is there (btw, this
is just a joke...I was laughing so hard when he said all these ) After
that, the MC went on to throw another joke about Bush making US going onto war
with Iraq, again using Gap as a comparison... it was so funny...
p.s. Sorry if this posting offend any US citizen XO so sorry... sorry sorry
sorry... Does not mean anything by it, it was just so funny o.O
Anyway, is there still any war in Ireland? I studied Ireland in my social
studies subject in high school.. about all the disputes that rooted from
religious issue (Catholicism vs Christian) ..Are there still any verbal abuse or
riots or stuff like that?
Hey, talking about US, I remember the joke that the MC of the Academy Awards
(Oscar, did you guys watched it?) said about BUSH (your president, not bushes..
^^)
He said that Bush is so amazing that he even dare to reapply for his position
after all that he has done and the thing that is even more amazing is that he
actually get it again ! XP
The MC said something like.. "Instead of making the States having a surplus
like the years before, he had caused our economy a deficit of us$73 million!
...Let's say you are working at Gap [i assume this to be a clothes store.. it
is, right?] as the cashier clerk.. Can you imagine what would your boss said to
you when he/she discovered that you had caused the shop to lose US$73m worth of
money?"
That is not direct quoting from the MC, but.. yeah, the idea is there (btw, this
is just a joke...I was laughing so hard when he said all these ) After
that, the MC went on to throw another joke about Bush making US going onto war
with Iraq, again using Gap as a comparison... it was so funny...
p.s. Sorry if this posting offend any US citizen XO so sorry... sorry sorry
sorry... Does not mean anything by it, it was just so funny o.O
Anyway, is there still any war in Ireland? I studied Ireland in my social
studies subject in high school.. about all the disputes that rooted from
religious issue (Catholicism vs Christian) ..Are there still any verbal abuse or
riots or stuff like that?
I didn't see the awards myself, I don't watch t.v. that much, but I wish I had
now! I heard there was contraversy over Michael Moore's speach about the war,
but what's new? Chris Rock was the host and yep, GAP is a brand of clothing...
just in case you were wondering.
Hmm... verbal abuse, certainly. Riots no. It's mainly a person to person thing.
The hatred's almost a distant memory, at least for the Repuplic of Ireland. War wouldn't be the correct word to use.
Terrorism is a much more suitable description. We have the infamous terrorist
group, the IRA. Despite popular belief the IRA was not always a terrorist group. They were the Irish Republican Army and
were merely defenders of the peace. Eventually however, it dispanded and a new
IRA was formed referring to itself as the Real
IRA. The 'real' IRA are terrorists who set off bombs randomly with no
consideration for who they're hurting and they have dealings with other
terrorist groups, the middle-east, etc. There is no war, just hate and it's
mainly in Belfast (the northern part of Ireland under British rule). There was hatred between the Protestants and
Catholics (Catholicism and Christianity are the same), but now-days, it's
nothing more than few people with corrupted ideals thought to them by their
parents or other idiots who decide to kill someone because of their religion
and/or nationality. British troops are still stationed in Belfast for peace
keeping. I'm from the republic and I there is certainly no war here, thankfully... infact... there's
nothing here! XP Good question!
I've been living in the US for about 4 and a half years now, and I must say,
I've been rather unimpressed with it's people. They constantly express
dissatisfaction with it--a number of them are constantly "threatening"
to move to Canada if a conservative gets elected (which is one of the stupidest
things I've heard--the electoral system was created specifically to remedy this
problem), but then, these same people never do--they're too damn spineless.
Politically I'm independent--I have mildly liberal viewpoints, but I hate most
liberals for being such goddam pussies. I'm not terribly fond of what the
government is doing, and I'm not terribly fond of our system of government--if
you ask me, I'd like to get rid of democracy entirely. But at least I appreciate
it, something that many US citizens absolutely fail to do. It really pisses the
hell out of me. And whether I support the government or not, I at least still
love the country as an idea. So many loudmouths really have no idea just how
well they've got it--if they were to live in virtually any other country on
earth, they'd be squashed in an instant.
Concerning my country of origin, where I lived for about twelve and a half years
(Singapore)--well, I love it. I love it quite a bit more than the United States.
Sure, we don't get any real say in the government, and sure, we're terribly
oppressed--nah, not really--but I like how much simpler and more effective the
government is there. And besides the entire place is a city. The suburbs are so
damned boring! The transportation and
the food are also spectacular. SG rawks.
Okay, in Ireland, many people I talk to (and even those I don't) have a great distaste for this country. Our politicians have a habbit of making our country look good in the eyes of the U.N. and E.U. whilst the rest of us angrily shake our fists at the government and shout abuse. Poverty is rather bad in places here. Violance and crime is growing and our government keeps spending and stealing money we don't have, then telling us to "tighten our belts". Physically the country can be nice in places and the summer isn't as cold as people might think... but yeah, it rains 24 hours a day here XP. My question is, what do you think of your own country or country you call home? Tourism tends to change the facts a lot to attract people, so we only really know what a country is like when we experience living there or talk to the people who do. So, good and bad points, weather and politics, what do you think of your country?
Also, just to add; if someone has already posted about your country feel free to post another message on that country regardless of whether or not your views differ. As I said, I'm looking for YOUR oppinnion on your country.
I live in the US and I think its a great country. The problem I have with it, is that our leadership sucks. It doesn't matter conservative, liberal, republican or democrat, we have a bunch of idiots running our government. The US is being lead in a direction that will ultimately result in destruction. We need a massive reformation of thought here. I think that we would be much better off if we were to revert back to the thoughts and ideals that our country was originally founded upon. Every person is created equal. White, black, gay, straight, man, woman, every person should have the same rights. Separation of church and state. This is the big one that I have a problem with. Right now, Bush is trying to create a government that is run by the ideals of the church. This is ridiculously ignorant, and completely un-American. Bush is a douchebag. Anyway, those are my thoughts
I live in Singapore and I have my problems with this country. The political scene in this country is so one-sided with only one political party and all so-called "elections" are walkovers...so essentially, the people don't get the chance to vote, although on paper they have the right to. The government discreetly crushes all opposition to their rule and only prommte things that speak good about their policies. The Speaker's Corner here is one huge joke...it's empty for about 364 days and to speak, one must register to the police and have their speech edited and approved. Also, no one can speak about issues concerning politics, race and religion. The government tries to show the world how "Democratic" it is but in actual fact, they slowly take over the press and the media. Businesses and the economy is also controled by them as the largest so-called 'private' investor belongs to non-other than the offspring or the relative of the Prime Minister...the prime minister himself is the son of an ex-prime minister....even the healthcare is run by them. The ministers here are all rich-men's sons....born with a sliver spoon in their mouths, how can they even understand the sufferings of the normal citizen and the poor? How can they be trusted to make policies when they have not experienced the hardships? The state-controlled media only reports the good news and leave out the bad news, making the people turn to the BBC for the real truth...I won't be surprised if the government tries to ban the BBC soon too...The weather is alright I guess, only problem I have is that it's too hot most of the time...I wish we had 4 seasons too....sorry if this seems long...it's just that I don't really have a place to voice my opposition to this pseudo-democratic country....
Mexico, like all nations, has its ups and downs. I'm not enetering a deep analysis on what's good and bad in Mexico as it would take about 100'000 pages, but here's a short summary:
Good:
~ Mexico is filled WITH NICE places. Speak to someone who did a long trip around Mexico and he will speak very well of my beloved Guadalajara, the beaches at Cancun and Puerto Vallarta, the Popocatepetl, Iztaccihuatl, Citlaitepetl and the Nevado de Colima, a famous mountain resort called Tapalpa, or the Maya ruins in the Yucatan peninsula.
~ Mexicans are very happy and friendly. While in Germany it's almost illegal to arrive 2 minutes late, for example, in Mexico you can arrive 15 minutes late without much problem.
~ Weather is hot, yeah, but not as extreme as in places like Netherlands. While Dutch temperatures drop below zero on winter and skyrocket above 33 °C in summer, here they rarely venture outside the 10-30 °C area.
~ Thanks to our foreign policy of "I won't mess with you, just don't mess with me", the ONLY conflict we've entered was the World War II; that was because some German subs destroyed a couple of our ships.
Bad:
~ Our government sucks. The President is a dumba$$ chosen by the PAN, the Congress is rules by the PRI and won't listen to the President, the justice system is one of the most corrupt ones in the planet, those in the government have monumental wages...
~ The neoliberal economical system allows for an insanely uneven distribution of riches. Just go to the ghettos of Guadalajara, look at newspaper reports depicting people literally starving because they can't afford to buy food and getting into drug business because it's the only way to win enough cash, and compare them to the super posh neighborhoods in western Guadalajara and those "social" magazines where you can see those ultra-rich youngsters between ages 13 and 25 living life in the fast lane, all surrounded with luxury.
~ The church supposedly has no political power, yet it still has such a moral influence over society, that many government measures are specially made to fit their ideas. Example: can you believe all the fuss and debate that took place when they introduced the emergency anticonceptive pill? One side claimed it was abortive because life begins when the sperm reaches the ovule, the other claimed it wasn't because life begins when the fertilized ovule reaches the womb. Consequence? Farmacias Guadalajara banned it from its inventory because the owner's sister is a Christian fanatic. Plus, it is said there's a group of religious fanatics on the top spheres of power.
I live in Malaysia and I think it's a great country. It's awfully peaceful here without any natural disasters( the tsunami was exceptional for being the first time and also Malaysia didn't really suffer that many casualties). The country develops slowly but is constantly growing which offers various opportunities. A multiracial community consisting of malays, chinese and indians(the main community though there are many other races) which lives together in harmony. The country is controlled mainly by the malays which gives them more rights, the people tolerate each others thoughts and opinions which makes it a stable country. Though living here makes getting U.S things really expensive cause of the exchange rate and anime products here are mainly all bootlegs from Hong Kong and Taiwan I still think it's a great place to live in.
Punker 0017
Seemingly, many people from America, believe the same. I've heard many times about the American political system, justice system, and countless times about George Bush. I don't think I've seen such an outcry from the people about one man since Hitler (I wasn't there personally, but y'know). Yes, it's true that it's rediculously ignorant for a country, any country to be run with the ideals of the church. It's the same here also. Whenever you hear of an unjust law, such as same-sex-marriage not being allowed, you can always trace it's origins back to the church. No one on this should live in a Theocracy.
ElfLord2000
No, Elflord, your post is perfect. Freedom of speach is important and I'm really interested in what you have to say, I wouldn't have started the thread otherwise. I had no idea what Singapore was really like. I knew it was beautiful in many ways, but I had no idea of the political and social aspects. Thank you for enlightening me. It seems Singapore is mainly run in a Nepotistic way and I understand your frustration about the differences between the ministers' lives and the citizen's. It's illogical to think that any country can be successfully run by people who are barely even there.
DaNuke
Many have told me of their visits to Mexico and they all say it's a really beautiful place, just as you described. It's good to know that you yourself think so too. Mexico does seem to be a peaceful and welcoming country.
It's crazy to think that so many countries are still being controlled and / or directed by the church. The emergency contraceptive pill wasn't such a big deal here, but abortion certainly was and still is. Guadalajara banning the pill from it's inventory for no reason other than a religious and family one seems almost criminal... I wonder where the moral standing is on that?
Anime2000
Wow, sounds great! I wish we could all be as content with our countries as you. I'm sure like all countries, Malaysia has it's troubles aswell, but it's good to know that not everyone focuses on them.
Also from Mexico. I agree with most of what you say, DaNuke, except by that point. Actually, it's one of the things I dread about Mexico. The 15minutes tolerance is stretched beyond comprehensible limits. I don't think it's OK to leave people waiting for you all the time. 15 minutes might be reasonable, but now people arrive even an hour late, and barely apologize.... 'it was the traffic'. The traffic has been there always (I'm from Mexico City, btw), so you should plan along... It's one thing to be kind, but I also think it's rude to consistently not arrive in time. I mean, don't you think it's plain wrong that people have to print an hour one hour earlier than the actual ceremony in wedding invitations for people to arrive on time?
And I hate it mostly because it makes other people perceive mexicans are careless. Some french students that came to my college were shocked that they made a party and asked people to be there by 8, and obviously, the place was empty until around 10:30... They even asked me, 'Why are Mexicans always late?'. Not all, not always, but sadly, that's the impression they got.
Oh well, enough ranting....
I do like Mexico a lot. There are a lot of nice places, from beaches to mountains, from deserts to jungles... There is an extremely rich cultural heritage. There are problems, of course, but it's a really nice place to live in. And besides, I'd probably either melt or freeze to death living somewhere else, being used to such sweet climate.
bah.. damn long posts..
I live in Norway and i have two words for it:
.... fuck it.
I'm an Aussie! Aussie, Aussie, Aussie! Oi! Oi! Oi!
I don't think my country is too bad. Politically I think we've coped rather well, but I do wish the government would work harder to find a solution to helping the indigenous Aborigines. We've been told that we're still spending too much money and our personal debt is exceeding what we can manage, I for one know that I'm pushing myself a fair bit with debt so accept my guilty part in that. On the whole the economy is pretty good and I'm happy with the way things are going. Weather-wise I live in Melbourne, the south-east corner of mainland Australia and I love it. There aren't too many hot days, mostly mild, and since I like the sight of rain and the coming Winter season, I think it's quite hospitable from a weather perspective. I've seen the tourism ads and know that Melbourne is rated in the top ten liveable cities in the world and I actually concur with the hype that surrounds Australia. We're a genuinely easy-going bunch of people, hard-working (apparently riddiculously so in comparision to other top economic countries), and sports mad! There are some bad points about this country but I can't think of any at the moment (I'm just happy cause I still think I live in the best country in the world). Any other Aussies can feel free to disagree with me.
America has its good and bad qualities depending on your situation. If you are one of the wealthy and well-off then you would probably think that it rocks all the time. But I am not one of those people. I wont bash Bush but lets just say I did not vote for him. I think that our leaders jump into issues that we don't need to be involved in. We have problems at home and in the long run more are being caused. Our economy has soured and as much as people keep saying its getting better I and others like me can't see it. Well I could go on and on but other than complain I look at good things that aren't really country related. Like we have some physical beauty. You have some open minded people that its nice to bump into from time to time and the opportunity to do almost anything you want (emphasize almost). So I guess America is good. I would like to visit other places though.
Australia! *yah* me too.
The things I dislike about the goverment are the immigration policy and in the education department.
For a while they were considering closing the only two selective entry secondary high schools in Melbourne, which meant the two top schools in the state down the drain. The reason was public dissatisfaction about students who gained entry using their own intelligence . I'm still quite unhappy about that; I never thought jealousy would be so publicly supported.
Immigration policy...Long story. Let's say my grandmother died before they approved her permanent resident status. Give an old woman a chance at settling down! We pay tax!
On a brighter side, we have the best weather around. **melbourne winter rain is wonderful!** Society is generally fair, taboo subjects are respected, and the local music industry is kicking off.
The fashion industry is problem. As much as some people like think that Australia is fairly fashionable, we are behind. That's why I'd rather wear fob clothing.
Austria, the heart of Europe!!
Compared to the rest of Europe, Austria is a mid-sized country in the middle of the continent.
To the outside, austrians are thought of as piano-playing, montain-climbing, skiing, ball-loving people, which is partly true...
The alps go through the west of the country and it's possible to ski/snowboard all year!
Austria is the home of many magnificent people like Mozart, Beethoven, Freud, Lorenz and many other! (sadly hitler was also born here...) We also have the beautiful Danube!
The thing I like most about the capital Vienna, where I live in, is the beautiful architecture....which many don't appreciate, although it's more beautiful than in Paris and Venice, which were known as the most romantic cities for a long time and the fantastic concerts and exibitions!!
Hehe.. I lived in Spore now but am originally Indonesian...
What I can say about Singapore is that the people are just too individualistic and only think of themselves sometimes.. am not saying that everybody is so, but most people are like that.. they are too caught up in their own pace that they cannot even be bothered to say sorry or excuse me when they bumped into someone or knock someone down (I've experienced this (the knocking down too), bumped on many many times in the shopping malls...).. However, I think Singapore is a great country cause it is so clean and organised compared to Indonesia where corruption is everywhere and people seems to hate each other (esp between races and religious groups).. but I sometimes cannot help but think that the unity that Singapore has is nothing but "fake" idealism that was drilled into their heads by the government.. they were doing it cos it is the "right" thing to do, not because they really wanted to or something like that, i cannot feel any sincerity..If they are sincere, they can do it without the government telling them to do it every minute every hour everyday, in school, workplace, bus stops, advertisement and everything else, i think it is just too much.... Government played a big part in the system of the country and they seems to butt in to everything.. that is how i feel...
and i do not like Indonesia much, mainly because of the incompetent government and how people can only comment and made riots, not thinking about all that they were doing (riots and arson) are just making the situation worse and worse....they should think of ways to make it better, by peaceful protest not by arson and bombing religious places liek churches and temples
Wow ... you guys are good ... such long post O.o *makes me feel ashame
* 
but
overall no natural disaster that happen ( beside the tsunami poor ppl 
)
other wise it is a nice place to live in 
it has a
huge variety of food too
btw.. im in malaysia.. peaceful, calm and serene. Though sometimes is hot and humid , coz malaysia is located at the equator..
yup... such long posts...
i come from hong kong... i love it, but it's a bit too crowded...
and we have really horribly chinese-dubbed anime on tv...
lots of food too...
the U.S. is just as bad, if not, worse. I think anywhere you go in this world you will find politicians doing the same thing. The problem is that the people dont have enough control of their own. We all have to differ to some entity that holds us under their thumbs. Yes, I live in the u.s., but I don't like it very much
keep in mind the words of Julius Ceaser :
when the government fails to be of, by and for the people, it fails to be a government and becomes an organized mob.
I live in the US. I hate how deluded the US seems, it always talks about how their flag is sacred. They're always being nosy and getting into everyone else's business. One of the things I hate the most is how we have a TON more freedom then other places, but nobody even seems to realise. And while we have so much freedom, we prove that we don't deserve it by doing things like getting fat or killing eachother. US is annoying and full of it's self.
i came from Poland.... OMG its su><0red country i've ever seen =O
i'm from Poland and i hate my country!!! when i will finish studies, i want leave aboard. our policians are mad! this what they doing, to go way too far! they destrou our country!
BUT i dont say that to my country dont worth visit. on the contrary - my country have rich history and culture. i only think that in my country shouldnt live! only visit!
Okay, I just want to apologise for the lengthiness of this reply. I sorta decided to reply to everyone so... yeah, lol.
Incidently, if anyone decides to quote anything I've said... please only quote
parts of it! 
thelunarmage
Yeah, I know people who've visited Aussie and NewZealand. The most important thing I believe they said was about the noticable difference in quality of life. Taxes are quite low in Australia and NewZealand, which may be part of the debt problem, but realistically I wouldn't want to change that myself. The quality of life in your country is almost the greatest in the world and the country is greatly diverse in geology and people from what I've learned. I'd love to go there one day. But as studio said, living there would be near to impossible. *sigh*
irian
Hmm... I can see that becomming a problem alright. There is such a thing as being too layed back and relaxed. It must be very obvious for people to notice it so much in Mexico, because it really wouldn't have been a question I'd think of asking. I don't honestly know which extreme is worse, to strict or too layed back, but I'd probably prefer a world where being 2 minutes late wouldn't constitute being fired. For tourists Mexico must be great, but for the people living there, the relaxation might become a bit of a bother, no?
studio
Woah, I've never heard anything like that before... money shouldn't be the reason people receive a better education, that's part of the problem in Ireland. I left school because the system was incredibley facist and corrupted, but we tell the rest of Europe that our education is amazing and prove it by selecting the best grades from the best students of the best school (The Institute)... which of course, is also responsable for making the exams... hmm... suspicious. I would see it as extremely unusual for a school to be closed down for being run the way it's supposed to be.
Kumiko-H
Yes, it seems that most countries that appear high class and well off, have a greater diversity of life-style between the rich, middle-class and poor. Many people don't understand what it's like to not have money in a country surrounded by it. I myself, have had to move house every year for about three or four years, each time to a smaller and smaller one. We sold our house four years ago to survive and have payed phenominal rent ever since. Housing costs in Ireland are criminal. A small house in the middle of nowhere would as standard cost over a 100,000 euro. The smallest rent amount we've payed for four people was 800 a month for a two bedroomed house, not bad, but very rare. Incidentally, my parents are moving to Portugal in order to live.
Sherlock
I
was in... Lermos I think it was called. The snow, scenery and buildings were so
beautiful and it was amazing to see so many using skis as their main transport.
What got me was how the busses were free and came so regularly! I think I'll
have to go there on my honeymoon... if I ever have one. 
AUSTRIA!!! I spent a week or so there for the millennium! It truely is a beautiful country and the people are so nice it's scary!
Tareren (Heya!)
It
wouldn't kill people to be nice, regardless of what city they live in. Still, I
must say that Singapore looks amazing. Especially the surrounding islands... I
hope to visit there someday too. I'm sure the troubles in Indonesia will pass
one day. Ireland was a very war-like country at one stage too... I suppose it
could be referred to as the 'teenage-years'. XP
I was wondering where from Singapore you were, but turns out you're from Indonesia! You keep suprising people!
Anyway, I was wondering about Singapore. I had to question whether or not so many different people could get along so well. A goverment fed idealism... still, not the worst thing a government can do, teaching people to be accepting. It would be nice to see people get along and actually be geniune about it, but I guess these things take time and must be force fed sometimes. As for people being out for themselves and well... rude, for lack of a better word... I suppose that comes along with a large city. You get it in Ireland aswell, but generally only when people are looking for a fight. I was brought up a certain way and it annoys me when people deliberatly or accidentally bump into me and don't at least say "Sorry" or "Excuse me"... that could be because I've had encounters so many times... my immidiate reaction is to say sorry, but sometimes all you get back is "So you should be!".
mdntdragon
Love the quote. It's been a long time since I've heard that. What you're saying is true. However, most countries have had some amazing political leaders in their time. The unfortunate thing about that, is that for centuries to come, people will put their faith in the government, hoping that one day, they will see a great leader again. America is a very powerful country when it comes to politics. The entire world is aware of your president and secretary of defence, etc. and when people in America were voting, people all over the world were crossing their fingers and saying "Please not Bush, please not Bush!". I don't think Ireland even has a secretary of defence and if we do, I want to be it... sounds like a do-nothing job, really. XP
zefiroN
Norway... surely it can't be that bad. Honestly, the only thing I've learned about Norway was in geography class. If anyone from Norway is reading this I'd be very interested to know what it's truely like, apart from being a low-land country that fishes! Damn education system! XP
mindolluin
I value
all input regardless of it's weight. Hong Kong's density of population is huge,
I'm not suprised it's so crowded! XP
kakitsubata
The posts are long, yeah, but they don't have to be.
DigiAngel
America is very well renowned for it's freedom and opportunity. It's interesting to hear someone note the bad points. Just because people have freedom and opportunity, does not guarantee that they will put it to good use. Freedom of speach can cause a great deal of emotional harm. People have the freedom to be Nazi's if they choose, but the good thing is that they do not have the right to act out their beliefs so it hurts another human being physically.
Soundwave
The Polish
I've met so far have all been very friendly people and very proud of their
heritage.
Macia
Hmm... interesting. I've recently spent time with two Polish people in Ireland. When Poland became part of Europe, the came here for work. One of them has decided to stay. They thought about Poland the same way as you, but also said that Poland is a very beautiful country with actual season changes. We went to the pub and one invited me to stay in Poland with him for a month!
Thanks to everyone for their posts so far, I really wasn't expecting such a large feedback! I'm learning a lot here. If anyone has any questions about Ireland I'll be happy to answer... provided I know the answer! XP
Hey, talking about US, I remember the joke that the MC of the Academy Awards (Oscar, did you guys watched it?) said about BUSH (your president, not bushes.. ^^)
) After
that, the MC went on to throw another joke about Bush making US going onto war
with Iraq, again using Gap as a comparison... it was so funny...
He said that Bush is so amazing that he even dare to reapply for his position after all that he has done and the thing that is even more amazing is that he actually get it again ! XP
The MC said something like.. "Instead of making the States having a surplus like the years before, he had caused our economy a deficit of us$73 million! ...Let's say you are working at Gap [i assume this to be a clothes store.. it is, right?] as the cashier clerk.. Can you imagine what would your boss said to you when he/she discovered that you had caused the shop to lose US$73m worth of money?"
That is not direct quoting from the MC, but.. yeah, the idea is there (btw, this is just a joke...I was laughing so hard when he said all these
p.s. Sorry if this posting offend any US citizen XO so sorry... sorry sorry sorry... Does not mean anything by it, it was just so funny o.O
Anyway, is there still any war in Ireland? I studied Ireland in my social studies subject in high school.. about all the disputes that rooted from religious issue (Catholicism vs Christian) ..Are there still any verbal abuse or riots or stuff like that?
Hey, talking about US, I remember the joke that the MC of the Academy Awards (Oscar, did you guys watched it?) said about BUSH (your president, not bushes.. ^^)
) After
that, the MC went on to throw another joke about Bush making US going onto war
with Iraq, again using Gap as a comparison... it was so funny...
He said that Bush is so amazing that he even dare to reapply for his position after all that he has done and the thing that is even more amazing is that he actually get it again ! XP
The MC said something like.. "Instead of making the States having a surplus like the years before, he had caused our economy a deficit of us$73 million! ...Let's say you are working at Gap [i assume this to be a clothes store.. it is, right?] as the cashier clerk.. Can you imagine what would your boss said to you when he/she discovered that you had caused the shop to lose US$73m worth of money?"
That is not direct quoting from the MC, but.. yeah, the idea is there (btw, this is just a joke...I was laughing so hard when he said all these
p.s. Sorry if this posting offend any US citizen XO so sorry... sorry sorry sorry... Does not mean anything by it, it was just so funny o.O
Anyway, is there still any war in Ireland? I studied Ireland in my social studies subject in high school.. about all the disputes that rooted from religious issue (Catholicism vs Christian) ..Are there still any verbal abuse or riots or stuff like that?
I didn't see the awards myself, I don't watch t.v. that much, but I wish I had now! I heard there was contraversy over Michael Moore's speach about the war, but what's new? Chris Rock was the host and yep, GAP is a brand of clothing... just in case you were wondering.
Hmm... verbal abuse, certainly. Riots no. It's mainly a person to person thing. The hatred's almost a distant memory, at least for the Repuplic of Ireland.
War wouldn't be the correct word to use. Terrorism is a much more suitable description. We have the infamous terrorist group, the IRA. Despite popular belief the IRA was not always a terrorist group. They were the Irish Republican Army and were merely defenders of the peace. Eventually however, it dispanded and a new IRA was formed referring to itself as the Real IRA. The 'real' IRA are terrorists who set off bombs randomly with no consideration for who they're hurting and they have dealings with other terrorist groups, the middle-east, etc. There is no war, just hate and it's mainly in Belfast (the northern part of Ireland under British rule). There was hatred between the Protestants and Catholics (Catholicism and Christianity are the same), but now-days, it's nothing more than few people with corrupted ideals thought to them by their parents or other idiots who decide to kill someone because of their religion and/or nationality. British troops are still stationed in Belfast for peace keeping. I'm from the republic and I there is certainly no war here, thankfully... infact... there's nothing here! XP Good question!
I've been living in the US for about 4 and a half years now, and I must say, I've been rather unimpressed with it's people. They constantly express dissatisfaction with it--a number of them are constantly "threatening" to move to Canada if a conservative gets elected (which is one of the stupidest things I've heard--the electoral system was created specifically to remedy this problem), but then, these same people never do--they're too damn spineless. Politically I'm independent--I have mildly liberal viewpoints, but I hate most liberals for being such goddam pussies. I'm not terribly fond of what the government is doing, and I'm not terribly fond of our system of government--if you ask me, I'd like to get rid of democracy entirely. But at least I appreciate it, something that many US citizens absolutely fail to do. It really pisses the hell out of me. And whether I support the government or not, I at least still love the country as an idea. So many loudmouths really have no idea just how well they've got it--if they were to live in virtually any other country on earth, they'd be squashed in an instant.
Concerning my country of origin, where I lived for about twelve and a half years (Singapore)--well, I love it. I love it quite a bit more than the United States. Sure, we don't get any real say in the government, and sure, we're terribly oppressed--nah, not really--but I like how much simpler and more effective the government is there. And besides the entire place is a city. The suburbs are so damned boring! The transportation and the food are also spectacular. SG rawks.