Born, raised and still living in Canada (Québec), I felt most at ease - and myself! - in the nordic countries, especially Norway and Finland. Minimal and direct communication, huge personal bubble, extreme punctuality, efficiency in most things, yet people are very laid back about work & leisure. On the other hand, I really loved Ireland for its joie-de-vivre and the way they make you feel welcome (in general).
I also really appreciated how socially acceptable it is to just be very direct and honest with people in Nordic countries! It felt just so relaxing knowing that I could just be honest and straightforward and people would not be insulted by that the way they seem to constantly be here in the US. I also really appreciated that people talked directly and bluntly to me. It just seems like an easier, more relaxing way to interact.
c'est drole moi aussi c'est sois la Nouvelle -Zelande (habite 2 and) ou la Norvège ou j'ai habité 5ans. pour moi c'est le "no nonsense" facon de vivre et la vie centre sur le plein air.
@@vladimirblagojevic1950 which country? any thoughts about where your experience lands them on Drew's factors (time, prob-solving, communication, openness)?
After living in the Netherlands for a while, I've accidentally offended my family members (in the US) several times when I thought I was just talking normally... the directness doesn't translate well haha
02:44 THIS! literally cured my nervosis/depression when I moved from Russia to Mexico. In Russia i was constantly stressed over little things (including being on time) and in Mexico - nobody gets angry about that lol In a few months almost all my stress went away and I started to LIVE.
The more I think about this comment, the more seriously I'm considering a world tour of humanity's most relaxed places in search of a new home! My disability-level difficulty conceptualizing time has resulted in severe consequences such as lost jobs and dropping out of school despite being a good student. And even though I FINALLY learned how to be on time as an adult, the effort required is exhausting and stressful! This sounds so much better! "...my stress went away and I started to LIVE." Yes!!! 🚫🕰😃 Love and healing to all who've been shamed for having a timeless mind. We are NOT bad, just different! ❤❤❤
Diversifying experiences seem to have this “push - pull” affect to me. The more exposure you get to a range of different ideas, cultures, etc. The more you’re able to see patterns of behaviors and values that you can leave or adopt and in a lot of ways you start cracking the code of “you” But on the flip side it can also feel alienating at times too, because while you connect to pieces of various cultures it can also feel like you don’t have a home in any of them as well
Growing up Thai in India, lived abroad in the Czech Republic and Portugal , i totally relate. I feel like I take the best part of all cultures. I’m much more flexible when it comes to anything unpredictable. There’s no sense of home and it feels like you could end up anywhere in the world in the next year. It’s a privileged feeling yet so confusing at the same time ..
I feel this so much. It's a good feeling to learn that you can manage to make a life anywhere and find your way. You learn how adaptable you can be and how it makes you more prepared for adversity but yes sometimes I get this feeling of dilution. That I have no place to call home or that I'm fully present within any of the places I've lived.
VERY WELL SAID.. but if you then push through that feeling and keep going then you realize home is in you and all of these places are home in you... and , you bring home to each new culture as well :)
I’m studying abroad in France right now and my French friend described French people like coconuts bc they are tough on the surface but once you get close to them they are sweet and super loyal. And Americans are avocados bc they are nice to everyone but it’s hard to get close to them.
I've lived in France and apart from a small amount of anti English sentiment from a few older French people I found them mostly welcoming especially if you speak good French which they appreciate and respect. I agree about Americans, I work with a lot of Americans on Focusmate and they often stress me out because I can always tell they're masking their emotions with faux positivity, presumably because in American culture being more emotionally honest is seen as taboo. Where I'm from in the UK we're more honest if ie we're feeling tired or fed up. It's interesting how different personality types react to different cultures. I seem to get on best with people from England, France Germany and India but less so with people from the US, Italy, Ireland and Australia.
I left México for a job in the U.S. and I'm still unsure about whether or not I made the right decision. I miss my culture, the people and the food, but on the other hand I'm grateful for the opportunity to be doing something I actually enjoy and getting paid decently well for it. I guess there's never really a life choice with no sort of compromise, and we just have to keep going and make the most out of it. Thanks for always sharing so authentic and relatable content, Nathan. Has helped me a lot.
Very true. I haven't spent enough time in any foreign country or ethnic community to begin experiencing this day-to-day, but I have found this to be the case between living with recovering addicts as roommates (emotional tension & stress is as present as bonding over therapy groups and board game campaigns) to visiting an indigenous community for a week (sure I'm the guy who tends to be 30 minutes late, but whole families being 2 hours tardy every day was a culture shock with the chief jokingly emphasizing scheduled starting times with an utterance of "o'clock sharP" xD).
Juan, I know what you mean, I always feel drawn back to Mexico for the people, I wish the economy was better for the average family there. Rate of pay sends many talented people packing to other countries. Culture and family in Mexico are the best!!
joão carlos, er America is the most Mexican nation on earth i find it hard to believe you'll miss anything. what visa did you get to be able to leave Mexico.
@@PHlophe Yes I'm aware of that, but unfortunately it depends on the city and social circles. I live in Seattle and the culture couldn't be more different from that of Mexico, so I find myself missing a lot.
After I left the U.S. and was living in México, I was amazed at how much more relaxed and less stressed/anxious I felt, even though it was my first time living in another country for the first time, and also being a solo female who didn't really know anyone there. I went from having almost daily panic attacks, to not having a single one (until I went back to the U.S.) in my entire time living there. Even though I still always like to be on time and don't think I'll ever lose that, I didn't feel that certain stress towards HAVING to be on time everywhere. I also laughed so hard when you were talking about asking directions in México, since I basically just had to figure things out myself, which was a challenge in itself. I'm now living in the beautiful country of Georgia 🇬🇪 and after moving straight from Mexico to here... Wow... what a HUGE change of culture and a completely different way of living and communicating. It was quite the culture shock and took me a while to get used to it, but I honestly feel so at home now and love my life here. While it's been hard getting used to the more direct approach towards communication, as well as not receiving smiles of acknowledgement or "hellos" on the street wherever I go, I often find myself grateful for it now. Things are straightforward and to the point. As a pretty extreme introvert, I feel much more comfortable with life here and I don't feel forced to be as social as I felt I had to be in México (even though both have their ups and downs of course).
Hi👋 I’m from Georgia 🇬🇪 i was just reading the comments and i got so excited to see the georgian flag here. I’m happy u feel comfortable living here ❤️
@@teklaodiladze Your country is so beautiful and I feel so lucky and grateful to live here. The people have been so welcoming and kind. There is endless inspiration here. 🥰❤️
Your story of France going straight up "No 😌✋" to everything reminds me so much of Damon Dominique's struggle to do ANYTHING 😂😂 getting his door fixed, figuring out his visa, getting internet for his newest place
I always say that I learn more about my culture when I’m immersed in another than I ever would back home. I remember when I first started traveling I thought I identified more with the European way of doing things. Then I fell in love with a madrileño and moved to Madrid. I soon realized, “holy sh*t I am so American.” 😳 I learned so much about Spanish culture, but equally as much (if not more) about myself and my own upbringing.
What living elsewhere has prompted me to do is to choose which of my traits and cultural values I will not compromise in spite of how things are done elsewhere. First, that means I treat all people I meet as equals who have value. I acknowledge them and express my gratitude for their services to me. Always. Second, I watch more closely, listen more carefully and refrain from quick judgements of the situation which, of course, will largely be based on my cultural standards. I leave room for other interpretations of the circumstances. For example, one morning I stepped into a small hotel elevator in Japan and the six men in it shifted to the back and turned their faces away from me. If I hadn't understood that they were giving me the gift of space and greater privacy in a confined environment, I could have misread the behaviour and been very upset about being treated like a social leper.
That's interesting how living abroad feels when you can't go back home. I'm from Kyiv, Ukraine and used to wonder what living abroad could be like as I wanted to have such an experience. Now having moved to Poland I'd say that of course, there may be some difficulties everywhere due to culture differences, trying to learn new language etc., but if you are safe both physically and economically, you can deal with everything else. One of the reasons being - you just can't move home. Sometimes lack of choice (and thus - not overthinking everything) makes things easier and yourself - stronger and more adaptive. That's something I haven't thought about earlier
Hi, Kate. I'm from Russia, but i totally stand for Ukraine, and really hope, that peace will come back to your beautiful country. My cousin's family lives in Dnipro, his wife and children got evacuated to Check republic. Слава Украине 💙💛
I was born and bred in Warsaw, Poland. I lived for many years in the UK though. I'm glad you you have found a safe place to live in Poland. I don't think Poland is an easy country for foreigners though. It's very bureaucratic and the Polish health care system, the (ever-changing) taxes, the (ever-changing) schooling system, the employment law - they are hard to navigate even for the Poles! Sometimes I wonder if I would manage to live in my own country as a foreigner ;) I found UK to be easier and far more predictable. I'm glad that, at least, Poland is becoming more multinational. Take care and stay safe.
in my experience, living now in Oaxaca, México, and being from Barcelona I have come to realise that some people live more in the present in Mexico not because there is an idea of living in the present and stop worrying about what's to come but because there is no other option when you basically have enough to survive each day. And the cop reference when it comes to traffic I have also encountered and I would say it has more to do with corruption and not being really inspired to do your job. I have met many people really not helpful when you go to a shop for instance but now I realise that the wages, at least in Oaxaca are so extremely low and the job conditions so painfully abusive that why should they care about their job at all? It is indeed a very complex thing to understant and I am still trying, but I would say economics, politics, corruption and a lack of oportunities play a huge role.
I feel this - been living in Oaxaca as well and the overall distrust of institutions I've noticed is a huge demotivating factor for a lot of people to go after their dreams. Exactly the opposite of the American 'can-do' mentality that Nathaniel described. The political/economic situation is stacked against people, so very few make the effort to understand it.
@@cartel_papi I love it! I went at first to try something new and to learn Spanish. But I ended up staying way longer than I expected bc of the people, food, culture, and overall vibe
I laughed a little to hard at “The go to answer in France is no.” Nothing can prepare you for the French no as an American in Paris. Loved this video 💛
I was surprised to not have this experience in France but where I come from people are even more grumpy so I guess I approached them with the correct attitude/energy.
I'm French, lived in Portugal, Switzerland and the US, and you're spot on about how we relate to opportunities. The one thing I enjoyed and wanted to make a part of me is the american attitude towards opportunities. Americans see failure as learning, French see failure as defeat. It is is so empowering to embrace life as as "let's go for it and see what's comes out" rather than "do not try anything unles you're 100% sure it will work out". As for fake, yeah, living in the US, I got along like a house on fire with the latino, sphilipinos, but interacting with Americans felt like being in a commercial, everyone is nice and smiling but there's no real interaction, especially white americans, have this way of smiling while they talk, which is is really unsettling, makes everything feel fake and superficial
Lol I love the commercial reference. I went to New Orleans as an exchange student 18 years ago and that's exactly how I remember my interactions with white Americans but I had never described it like this. Spot on. PS: I'm black French.
@@kathrynjohnson4982 yeah and we foreigners know it's a cultural thing. But it's still something I find weird and unsettling - it's like everyone is trying to hard, if you know what I mean. I don't think badly of US Americans and Canadians who make small talk to everyone, I know it's just how they were raised. But it would be very weird to ask the person working at your local McDonalds how their day is going in Britain, or to smile with teeth while saying 'good morning' to someone you don't know well. There's no right or wrong and no one here implied there was, it's just a cultural difference.
Honestly living abroad has made me miss the "best friends" things in America. Like I enjoy when someone wants to tell me their whole life immediately because it's so much easier to meet people and i understand if they disappear later. but at least i got to see their whole self for the brief time that i knew them :)
I lived in Paris for a few months and I had the exact same experience with the French language. Knowing French, I felt like people were so so kind to me and I had the best time with the littlest things like talking to restaurant owners or neighbors. I somehow felt like I had a community and there was automatically a sense of ease I felt talking to people even though I don't look anywhere close to stereotypically French. I also did feel like I only started enjoying Paris once I let go of waking up early, started going out on weeknights, talking less about work - adopting a lifestyle that actually fit the place. It's hard for me to field questions about French people being rude because (bureaucracy aside lol) I actually felt really at home in Paris (often having been previously known as the blunt friend ;D). Loved this video and also your approach to treating differences in culture as fun and interesting rather than a point for negative comparison.
This video should have been called "living abroad is awesome"!!! As an Argentinian who has family in Italy and lives in the UK, I relate so much and I agree with all the observations!
I love the Argentinian stereotypes because they really lean into it. I remember when I was there visiting friends, and we were talking about how people from my country (NZ) have the nickname "Kiwis". I asked them if Argentinians have a similar nickname, and one of them instantly responded "Assholes", another "Drama Queens". In saying that though, I felt so welcome in Argentina by everyone I met, and don't think those nicknames are entirely true!
Being adorable assholes is kind of our charm! I love to see the reactions of people coming here, as much as traveling! I feel like my culture is hella intense, in best and worst way... but even if we can be too straight forward we do respect if "el gordo" doesn't wanna be called that. And we are very friendly most of us :D On the other hand, when I visited your country I was AMAZED at how truly polite everyone was, so much happy vibes, everywhere. And I couldn´t belive that everything worked well, like someone stopped to let me cross the street even if there was no one around and no stop light. I woulda get rolled here in Buenos Aires xD. ooohhh and I was SHOKED that you didn´t have Dulce de Leche ice cream swirls in McDonald's. I entered two of them not putting two and two together lol Cultures are def the best thing about humanity.
in my experience, people from other latin countries effectively hate Argentinians because of their arrogance. As Nathaniel said "this is not based on nothing". As an Argentinian myself, I must say this egocentric and arrogant attitude is more present in the capital, although not absent in the rest of the country.
I enjoyed the nuanced observations of each culture that you've lived in, and I chuckled at so many of the anecdotes. I've lived in the UK, Asia and Central America. As a South African woman of mixed heritage, I felt most comfortable in Central America and in Asia. My experience was that all countries and cultures dabble in racism. Being brown, it was assumed that I was Pakistani (UK), Filipina (Hong Kong), Madeiran (Jersey, CI), Spanish (Ireland), and I was called these as an insult. What pissed me off was the hatred towards anything that is different. I did feel like a cultural chameleon, like I could adapt and morph into the energy of the culture I was living in. I've just discovered your videos. Really enjoying watching them :-)
I’m from Norway and have lived 7 months in the south of Spain now. I completely agree with everything said, and find it very interesting. I have met a lot of students from all around the world, and found that I really like Italians. They’re just great! In fact, I had an Italian host sister for 3 months, and it’s one of the best things I have experienced. Spanish people are also extremely direct, dramatic and aggressive, at least where I live (in Cádiz). But I like it way more this way than in Norway. People are easier to talk to and don’t have this "block" that keeps them from opening up. I am also very fluent in Spanish, which, as you said, makes it completely different and you get to actually connect with the people. I really enjoyed this video! Tengo muchas ganas de aprender Francés y italiano!!😭😫
Im from the US and in my time living in Japan (I’m a quarter Japanese and grew up with the culture) and Germany and spending significant amount of time in Egypt, I’ve noticed I go through three stages whenever I live somewhere. Honeymoon stage Culture shock and rude awakening acceptance stage And the lastly the itch to move on It’s hard adjusting where ever you go, but it opens up your eyes so much living abroad.
I have never thought, that people in different countries could be different in this way. Now this is eye widening, can't believe how much I learned in this video. Now I want to travel even more, see and feel these differences myself, it's so amazing. Amazing video, thank you for sharing your experiences!
I moved from Vancouver, Canada to Cambodia and felt such a burden lifted from my shoulders -- less pressure to maintain an image (clothing, appearance, ambition), literally more ease in my body from the warmer weather, a more relaxed approach to life, friendlier more approachable locals and foreign residents, and it was interesting to be awake while my Canadian friends and family were asleep -- I felt like this gave me a lot of spaciousness and time to focus on my projects without distraction. I also feel like being away from my friends and family helped me to focus more on the life I want rather than the social pressure to to like make babies, buy a house, have a certain kind of career. Great video, Nathaniel!
Living abroad is definitely a life changing experience, and it is incredible to see how adaptable we humans are! You should definitely spend some time in Montreal! I am Brazilian and I have been living here, and the multicultural scenario is just unbelievable! People from all over the world, the bilingualism, the culture! It’s a wonderful place !!!
hey mate! like you, i am american expat. moved to siberia, on my own, when i was 18. later, st. petersburg, russia, then italy for a long while. now, i am on year 13 in south korea. a lot of what you said in video really resonated with me! keep making the videos. i am your newest subscriber :)
Loved, loved, loved this video. I'm obsessed with cultural and linguistic differences, how it feels like our personality changes according to a language or a place - do my German friends really know me? Do my American friends only know a side of my personality? It can feel both isolating and freeing to switch between cultures and it is endlessly fascinating. Would love to hear you talk more about these topics, like for example do you ever feel lonely/one-sided in these other cultures, like you cannot present your full you because of the language or culture?
This makes a lot of sense to me. I often feel like I can’t fully be myself in a foreign language and that foreign friends don’t know who I really am. I can’t really put my finger on why that is though as I am fluent in my foreign language.
This SO interesting and accurate!!!! I'm from Argentina, I've lived in Sweden and I'm currently based in The Netherlands. Argentinian people are very very similar to Italian and Spanish people since many people came from there. I totally agree with you about the aggressive manner and egocentric attitude most have in Argentina, and the reason why is because the political and economical situation is so awful that you get stressed and frustrated right away, it is like the whole system is against you to improve in your professional career or to think about a better future. So it's sort of you are living in a jungle where politicians do not have any respect for their people and you have to build an aggressive attitude in order to protect yourself from all the malicious, injustice, and corruption that came from the authorities. If you want to achieve a goal you are on your own, you cannot count or trust in the institutions. I feel much better where I'm based right now, where you don't have to have a defensive attitude to be safe from the threats that you receive from the environment. Something that I really miss about my country is the warmness of the people, the importance of family and the openness when you want to make new friends.
Sorry to hear that, but still I cannt read any reason, why people should be disrespectful to others. There is a bunch of countries around the world really suffering under injustice and poverty, but their people are still friendly to others.
This is true, but I think it is even more nuanced than this. You perfectly describe the level of injustice that Argentinians live in constantly and how people are on thier own. What I noticed is that this makes people very selfish, hence you get that aggresive, even violent attitude sometimes. There is also the fact that the Argentinian people are quite homogeneuous, most people are from European decent with some mix of native communities, but there is almost no race diversity, no diversity in terms of culture, religion, tradition and this makes people a bit racist and intolerant to different cultures, this might also be related to the lack of political correctness. It is true that people are friendly and passionate as well, and they are welcoming to foreigners... *if* you are the western type. I found them to be far less welcoming to people from African or Asian communities. this is my personal opinion as an Argentinian who is now (glad to be) living in the UK
In my early twenties, I lived in Buenos Aires for about half a year all together (in three batches of couple of months) and I didn't like the machistic culture at all. I started off as naive, happy-go-lucky, exploring the city on my own. But quickly the reality hit. I was groped on in the middle of the day in the packed full Subte, I was getting extremely unsettling piropos from men of all ages and it came to a point I didn't feel safe going out, unless I was accompanied by my Argentinian boyfriend or his mother. Sexual harassment was just the tip of the iceberg, though. I think Argentina is a beautiful country to visit, probably is also great for partying if you're extraverted (I'm not) and I'm sure some people (particularly men) thrive there, but for me, it was not a culture I wanted to live in or raise children in. For me this was a deal-breaker and luckily, by that point, my BF was already contemplating moving out of BsAs, if not from Argentina. Three years into our relationship, he moved to my country (Europe) and we've been happily married for 15 years now.
Things have fortunately changed a lot in the last decade and are much better for wemen and queer people now. We even have anti-harrasment laws now that include "piropos". There's still a lot to improve, as there is everywhere in that aspect I believe, but I'm in my 30s now and I can honestly say that the streets feel much safer to me than when I was younger.
I moved to Paris 8 months ago, and completely agree with everything in this video! It's crazy how much the place you live in changes you, and at the same time how many things haven't changed. For example, I come from a suburb in New Jersey where its super calm most of the time and there's a lot of nature. Being in Paris, I find myself being super stressed and anxious by the city life and when I go for a weekend trip to another city in France it's crazy how fast it changes. Also, it's definitely hard to be accepted by French people here, but luckily I have a pretty good level of French and that helps enormously. Seriously, as soon as I open my mouth and French comes out its a completely different treatment than English. And they're even more amicable to me when I tell them I'm american after only speaking French because they're honored and impressed (I think) by me speaking the language. Anyway, yeah, it's been quite hard to adjust and it still definitely is, and I'm sure it will be when I start university here in September, but I wouldn't change it for the world. Everyday is a socio-linguistic cultural experiment and I fucking love it.
@@pratyushabala9136 Yeah! I actually did a program for 9 months to make my French better and to help me apply to schools and do all the practical things! It's really really helpful from that side of things, and to get used to the culture and the people and the language! I'm really happy I did it!
I also have lived in several countries (France, Argentina, UK, and Spain), and I am currently living close to Barcelona. I love culture exchange, learning languages (I can speak French, Spanish, English, Catalan, and Italian), and I love being able to speak with local people when I travel. As you said, living in a country like France is not the same as Argentina or Italy (I found so much similarity between these 2 countries). Living in Spain is very nice, I love the way people are living and they are in general open minded. Some people are very happy that I can speak the local language, Catalan and it helped me sometimes to be closer to people here. I think the secret is to be open minded, in order to be closer to people when you travel or you live in a foreign country, even if you know a few words of the local language. Last year I went to Rome and I knew a bit of Italian, and people were very happy hearing me speaking Italian, the same occurred when I went to Morocco a few years ago. Empathy and kindness help a lot when you travel :)
As a person, who have always dreamt of living in every single place in the world, I am shocked by this video!! I didn't even think of those drawbacks, seriously. Well, Nath, you change my perspective on life, as always 🤔
Thanks for your perspectives on this video! I am brazilian and have been recently volunteering abroad for one year in Slovakia. One of the crazyest experiences I've ever had. It was amazing for me to break some stereotypes, expectations and just accept the experience as it was. I learned a lot about me and other people!
I feel like we're basically the same person, except I left Australia and you left the US. I agree with so much of what you said in this video - I moved to Montréal for 2.5 years and I noticed how the French/North American cultures kind of mixed together in the way people acted towards you, that fake/nice facade of the Canadians plus the directness of the french. I live in London now where people are a lot more cold/closed off, which has rubbed off on me somewhat, but I spent a month in Tenerife 2 months ago and immediately felt so calm and relaxed, it's like my anxiety completely evaporated and I just felt so content with the pace of life people had there. It's crazy how much a new environment can change you and your entire personality
I left miserable London for optimistic North America and feel more energetic than I’ve ever felt. It’s great many of us have the opportunity to move where we feel more comfortable
I LOVED this video! Thank you!! I have a very similar experience to yours, I am a French girl living in Mexico, Have lived a little in the US, been to Italia, lived in Chile for a year (which is quite different from Argentina but still... ) I SO AGREE with you!!! I totally agree with everything you said but one thing: I feel people in Mexico are very sensitive, you absolutely can't be straight with them, honest feedbacks are almost impossible to give and to get! (yes I am french... hahaha it has been such a journey for me to learn that and especially to work with people this way! ). Yes they can call each other "gordo"/"gorda" (fatty) but never as an insult (they use it regardless of how the person looks, skinny people can be called like that too...) and yes it is said with love... hahaha This analysis was so interesting! Thank you!!
Signed up for my first lesson with italki! I'm moving to Spain next month after 3.5 years living in South Korea. All I know for certain is that Spanish will be easier to learn than Korean 😆
I know you already came to Portugal, but I would like to see you living in here! I was portrain' all these cool topics in my head and how Portugal differs, or equals, to other countries. We are so different from spain and all other european countries, but also from latin america and so on. Maybe because we have historical influences coming from many different empires and colonies. 1: We are on slow paced side for sure. We arrive late to places, but people don't like that, feels like we are changing that over time actually. 2: oh my... The burocracy here makes you want to jump off a bridge, and sometimes when you have a problem they will send you to some other place and the other places send you back to the other and no one seems to want to solve it because it's nothing to do with them, or is it? But this happens for locals, we treat foreigners better than our own 😂 3: Super easy! We love tourists and foreigners, we will hapilly speak in english or mix languages and hand gestures and whatever we can and laugh while at it. 4: 5: We are more to the introvert side and relaxed, but we are quite open minded! Good vibes here without being cringe and "too much" you know? Also, even though we are in europe, we are on the small side, 174cm medium We are definitely latin, that's for sure. I would also like to see you in Japan and do introduce it in this chart 😁
This clip was highly interesting, I too have found the similar differences traveling to Europe, specifically SPAIN. I connected well firstly as the"Americano", they when certain people learned that I was born in Cuba, their attitude changed again, then further more it changed when some learned that I was a second generation descendent from Spanish Basques. Bias exists. I believe everywhere, however I do agree with you that firstly, we who enjoy to travel, must understand that people around the world will react to people according to their biases, it's all part of being a human. I for one, wish for the day when all the world takes a more patient attitude to the differences we all have as "baggage". Right now, I'm wondering why you chose to live in Mexico after being in Europe for so long.
Yes you're so right. It's why some people come back from one country saying it was amazing, whereas another person had a lot of bad experiences there. I'm half Irish half English and have always had hostility from Irish people both in Ireland and outside of Ireland. Due to the history they think of me as a traitor or something, an Irish person who sided with the enemy (England). When in reality I was born to an Irish mother and an English father in England none of which was my choice or action. I literally can't go to Ireland because I always encounter hostility there. They're nicer to purely English people who often gush to me about how much they love Ireland and Irish people.
All I can say is that one has to be ready to adapt to the various cultures. Appreciate the fact that you are experiencing something that most won't. It will open your eyes to new and unforgettable experience.
I have been reading book Cultural map recently. And I am amazed to find out about how different cultures are. Although sometimes I can’t endure these differences I am trying to be more tolerant and adjust tp different sitiations. I think it is really beautiful.
Thank You for this... I was having such a hard time because I just moved to Germany from South africa and its so enlightening to know that I share similar sentiments with You. Thank You for this. I am in an overwhelming situation... Based of the elements in my environment. Although it plays a major part on my perception of where I am, it's important to know how the people of a country change who you are.
Watching your channel has taught me that it's okay to not fit in and find a way to exist in different realms while exploring the world. My parents took me out of Europe when I was kid, I grew up in NYC, then moved to California in my 20's, (currently in) Oregon in my 30's and as I reach my 40's, I am soon eager to go back to a Europe and find a lifestyle I never had a chance to experience and it scares me that I won't fit in. I feel like a nomadic polyglot mutt and the days I feel this, I watch your channel and your parents' channel and have hope if they did it, you have shown it, I can too. Thank you.
I am an argentinian living in Spain, I absolutelly agree with you about the similarities between argentinians and italians. The only country that made me feel at home (other than Argentina off course) was Italy. Other than these, I can say that even when I am having a great experience here in Spain, something that surprise me is how much I miss my place, and my life in Buenos Aires... I am not coming back, but I notices that I find my self looking for places and people similar to the onces that I left at home...
Awesome video! I have Italian, French and American friends, I have also lived in Mexico for a while and I can definitely relate. All the situations, images and memories arose in my mind as you talked about all the traits and approaches. That’s fascinating how each nation differs from one another even in the era of globalization and integration. Way to go Nathaniel!
I couldn't agree more with your perspective! However in Italy ( Rome specifically) I noticed "some" Italians to be the most openly disrespectful when it came to people of color, in comparison to the other countries in Europe I have visited. I didn't experience this personally but I have witnessed derogatory words used for Africans and Asians on multiple occasions. There wasn't shame or regret in their use of these words which made it feel normalized to say these things. I am a biracial (black and white) nomad so I'm quite aware of subtle discrimination and had my fair share of these issues but Rome was the only place I heard derogatory words being used openly in public. Regardless, Italy has a great culture to experience and it is a beautiful country to visit. Thanks for the content!
I have heard similar stories. Although, I think it's not only your skin that causes trouble, otherwise I should be pretty fine. I don't want to negate your experience, and you are absolutely right, but I think there is more. After living in Rome for five years, I think a) some people are suspicious of any foreigners b) we sometimes approach people in a wrong way. Every now and then I get into an unpleasant situation where I'm blatantly told that I'm a tourist/American and I think I own everything, or something like that. I'm not an American, and I'm not sure whether I should be offended by being called one but I can tell by the tone that it has never been a compliment. Sometimes, I think I have also started these situations by myself by doing something that seems normal to me but is not ok here, for example demanding for a service or favor that would have been normal in somewhere else (at least in my cultural bubble). Unfortunately, it's also true that some foreigners knowingly and purposefully do improper things or even crimes that in turn fuels xenophobia in some people.
@@hbp_ Thank you for you comment. There were no mistakes in what you mentioned. The examples that you have presented are the reasons why the citizens of a country are a bit skeptical or judgemental of foreigners, typically. However in one of my examples this wasn't the case. A group of friends and I bought a bottle of wine in Trastevere one evening. None of us had a wine opener so we decided to ask someone if they had one. We approached one guy and before we can ask him what we needed from him he says " if you're looking for weed, I don't have any. Ask the "N-words" at the end of the bridge." I was more in shock than anything to hear him utter that word with such ease. To be fair it may not have had the same meaning as in anglophone countries during that time. I've had many conversations with european friends ( pre-BLM) and they genuinely didn't understand the harm in the word when used in context . A friend of mine told me in Brazil that the "N-word" is less harmful than another word used in Portuguese that is seen as demonizing towards black people. I'm not sure about this or the case in Italy and their feelings around the word 🤷🏽♂️
@@aceofhearts619 :( I don't know. Where I grew up, in Finland, this kind of behavior and language was unheard of. Though, later on as an adult, I have realized it was a relatively small but diverse community or a bubble.
I can totally agree with a lot you're saying, growing up with three cultures at once made me develop a certain habitus towards many things. When it comes down to own thing I would simply say it widens your horizon immensely :)) P.S. Regarding personal space I would say the Scandinavians definitely win haha they value personal space very highly
In the same way that "Parisians don't represent the whole of France", porteños don't represent the whole of Argentina. Most descriptions of Argie stereotypes in your video apply only to porteños. People from "el interior" are calm energy, and far less direct, egotistical and arrogant than porteños. One of your best videos, btw. Congrats!
This is a very American thing, I've noticed. They tend to think of a whole country as culturally uniform. They don't understand the older the country, the bigger the internal differences. In Italy you travel 100 km and you're in a completely different region, with different language, different cuisine, different wines, different traditions. I bet Argentina with the strong immigration waves of the past (from Italy and other countries) reflects that even more. Almost all the traits he mentioned in the video you can find in some Italian regions.
@@TheMule71 your critique is often made by USA citizens on other criticisms of "americans", ironically. An 'American' from NYC is very different from one from Ohio and vastly different from one from Seattle, WA, etc.
Somewhat similar to what you're talking about, I noticed that when I've learned a language well enough to dream in that language or hear myself thinking in that language, I also get this intuitive feel about what the people of that country might be like -- do you know what I mean? Each language has grammar that tells you something about what's important in that country, I think. And of course, each language has its own rhythm, its own music. Italian rolls off the tongue. French makes you have to work. And German, oh my God! It hurts my brain! So, I think this must add another layer of experiencing a country when you've put the effort into learning the language. Like you say in this video, it might be that a country is more direct in the way people communicate or a country may expect you to be very indirect (I'm thinking about what I've heard from friends who've traveled in Japan, for example.) Your comments also made me think of a guy who makes videos of his travels in Asian countries and how he blows their minds when he starts speaking in a dialect. He lived in China for a while and studied Mandarin and Cantonese, so he has the accent right, but he also makes a point of speaking several dialects. And when he does, it's like you said, the attitude towards him changes completely. One of my favorites is in a nail salon! Two women are making wise cracks about him and then he asks them something in their language and they freak out, because now they know he understood what they were saying. I had a similar experience in Bangor, Maine a while back. Two women were being very catty about some of the other women in a shop, speaking in French. They were Canadian. I casually turned to one of them and asked her something about her coat, and then made some comments about the merchandise in the store. Boy were their faces red. It still seems weird to me that they didn't expect anyone else in the shop to understand French -- like other Canadians?
In Italy everyone wants to show you a delicious food from their region. They really envelope you and want to share. In Italy I felt culturally hugged. Holland was similar for me but not as strong. Did not get that in France (unless I had an outside connection to someone).
Living in Italy, this everything is impossible thing gets old after a while and quite infuriating. Honestly, it’s a bit sad. I am originally from Turkey and much prefer the can-do attitude, which I think is why I vibe much more with Americans.
I live in Istanbul. I think Turks are very similar to Italians and Argentinians as described in this video. They have very assertive opinions, sometimes communication can even feel passive aggressive (the "cik" when they want to say no), and people usually give unsolicited advice but in the same time, they are really helpful and kind. They will also take pride in helping you in any occasion. When we came with a baby in a stroller some people were helping us in the stairs by lifting it spontaneously even without saying a single word. Incredible.
@@KevinBanks512 Being hospitable and helpful is deeply ingrained in the Turkish culture. Back in the old days all kids would recite the Student Oath at school. It starts with: “I am Turkish, I am honest and I am hardworking. My principle is to protect the younger, to respect the elder, to love my homeland and my nation more than myself…” This should give you a perspective into why folks would help you with the stroller. It’s what makes them a Turk :)
Loved your video. I am born and raised in Hawaii and when I visited Mexico, I noticed the culture was very similar to the Hawaiian Culture. I instantly felt at Home when I visited Mexico. My husband and I are moving to Mexico in a couple weeks then moving on to other Latin Countries including Argentina. Thanks for the valuable tips!
I'm brazilian and I need to agree with everything kkkk. The thing of calling people by these name os totally true, not just Argentina, but a lot of countries in South America. it's hard to believe but it's said with love 😅😅
I am from Sudan and my background is from Chad. I grow up in Jordan and now I live in Canada. I always felt my mindset is more Jordanian because they are more respectful and give other people space and this is opposite to where I am from. people in Sudan would like to know more and ask more about your personal life. However, living in Canada is the best thing that happened to me. How this county is multicultural and everyone has his language and his culture, and we all live together is amazing, after I came to Canada I decided to learn Spanish and then Turkish and then French. I would like to connect with people by their language to have a deep connection and see their culture from a close point. Your videos always give the motivation to continue learning languages and travel when other people tell me to focus on my English first then look to other languages. I don't care I will still learn and keep travel and meeting new people.
Another thought-provoking video. I always enjoy hearing your thoughts about a different part of travel: Perceptions... these can be so varied. When I was in France my language skills were very limited, but I loved it there! I felt comfortable and at home. I also found many French people to be very helpful. My heart is in Mexico for many reasons and my Spanish is coming along ... I watch a lot of TH-cam creators that are currently traveling about Mexico... one of the NEW Comers to this platform is "Maddie Gold" Watch her latest where she works on her Spanish skills... very heart warming,, and gives me hope :)
Hi.I am years ahead of your curve. Whilst growing up the UK, like you, I never fitted in. My roots are in Austria, my mother was from Vienna where I also grew up. Looking back, my life has been an amazing adventure, not only with travel but also in adventure sports. I've lived in many countries (Austria, Germany, UK, Switzerland, Israel and now Italy) and have travelled the world. For me, the key has always been to learn the local languages well and to integrate. Too may expats prefer stay in their comfort zone, in their cultural bubble, won't mix with locals and can't be bothered to at least learn the basics of the local language. After 20 years in Italy now can say I'm happy, well integrated and the people are great. Good luck on your journey.
sir, I can assure you that if you, somehow manage to live in Brazil, you wil not regret it, trust me. There's something about this country that inspires and moves you. In addition, the brazilians WOULD love to see your point of view about us, lol. Great video!
I used italkie before I moved to Paris and it helped me a lot! Can definitely recommend :) I resonated with a lot of what you said in this video, thanks for making it so thoughtfully!
Born and raised here in Cancun, Mexico from German parents, I would like to express what I struggle daily. People here in Mexico in general don't know how to say no. In your case, as a foreigner you probably are not deeply rooted in the society but once you earn money here, have a house and pay all your expenses this is really frustrating... imagine going to your work here in Mexico and asking for a vacation, in most cases they agree to that and seem cool about it, but then suddenly you receive a message that you can't go and you already booked and planned everything. This happens daily here and its annoying. Also another point here is that even as a Mexican I experience a lot of trouble with they way they treat me, I don't want to say Mexicans are racist but they sure treat you different based on your looks. They take advantage and charge you more if you look more European or American (We have blonde people too!) and they treat you as one of them if you look more native Mexican. This is something that happens a lot in touristic destinations as Cancun because most of locals see American tourists as dollars with feet and they los definitely will try to take advantage of them! As you say, this is not me ranting about my country but I did agree with many things in this video, and something that bugs me out is the way some people behave in my own country. Being aware of this made me a better citizen and a more conscious person!
@@ling636 Well, we do not have so many Germans here, it is still a small community. However they like it here because it’s really cheap for them (food, housing and entertainment). Their currency gets you a lot in here. People are easygoing and the place is relatively International and you don’t need Spanish, everyone speaks a little bit of English at least. Also, they love being on the beach and the amount of light from the sun, it is sunny year long.
This is one of the most eye opening videos you’ve made!!! I have been learning French for a year and am going to France for the first time in a few months so I’m excited to see what learning the language will help me experience with the locals!!
I am a spanish who have been living in London for one year. The world is amazing and how different is the people in other parts of the world. To me was really hard to get closer to britain people comparing to spanish people who are extremely friendly. Sometimes is totally different even in the same country different places!
London is an anomaly in Britain, it doesn’t represent all of us. People are much warmer and friendlier and more open the further North you go. Try Nottingham or Sheffield or Liverpool next time and you will be enjoy it much more :)
This is all true. I've been there. But despite all the things positive or negative, experiencing different cultures and languages is one of the best things that can happen to someone because it gives you a perspective about life and everything in a way that you can't see or experience otherwise. And you also enjoy those different cultures and languages; it feels like listening to music from all genres. It was great to hear about your experience. Thank you so much for sharing! 😊
I lived in Mozambique for 2 years and now have been in Mexico for over 2 years and I still can't seem to "quitar el chip" about being on time, hah! I still arrive on time to everything knowing that I'll be the only one there but something still feels so weird to me when I arrive "late." Anyone relate?
As an italian I definetly can't relate 🤣 punctuality is a mistery to me. The few times I show up punctual I have to wait on my own so I learned to adjust my lateness according to the lateness of the group of people I'm hanging out with 🤦
Love your energy enthusiasm and hope in your eyes. Thanks for your work. Any video you've posted inspires me on a deeper level. Grateful for this. Davide♥️
Thank you! Loved this video! Being Brazilian, with Japanese and Italian parents, and living in the US for 25 years, i can identity with many of the things you mentioned. Well done!
This was super interesting and insightful! Thanks for sharing! I haven't spent as much time in these places as you have, but I definitely noticed some of the things you mentioned (in Mexico and Paris, specifically).
I'm currently in Mexico, been here for over 4 months as I was working as a teacher. Pria to this I've lived and worked predominantly across Asia, in Asia we tend to get an easy ride on the language front as many speak English, here in Mex it's a struggle, and whist the people here are warm and friendly there are character traits that are very alien to me, I didn't realize Mexicans are so very compliant, they love to do as they are told and of course the whole touchy-feely thing as an Englishman I do find this quite tough , my Mex GF doesn't like it because I don't want to hold her hand all the time when walking about on the streets
This video is so incredible. I have dedicated my life to seeking out experiences across the world, learn from different cultures, and truly connect with people. Your observations are so true and very relevant. Thank you for dedicating so much time and work to create this and sharing it with the world.
I love how you are able to take an obstacle and turn it into a quality. By example the French are always saying 'no' and how its hard to keep pushing forward and you feel like giving up but it creates the ability within you to persist and go outside of your comfortzone and be bold and brave. I think I would give up instantly but maybe not so much after this video, so thank you.
Very good point, I have never been taught this by my parents growing up but as I have grown and met new people I have discovered this is so very important. Thank you for this video.
This is so insightful and useful for me, as I’m going to be traveling in Europe this summer. Thank you for always bringing your A-game to your writing and videos.
Soooo much truth in this. I'm from the US and now live in South America. When I moved to South America, it was such a huge shock because of these stark cultural differences. Just like you explained about Mexico living day-to-day and being "late" culturally (is it late if that's how everyone relates to time?) was such a difficult thing to get used to. Everything you explained about Mexico's cultural aspects totally apply where I live as well. Great video!
Thank you for this video!! I’m moving from The Netherlands to Greece (Athens) next week. I love your realistic pov regarding several cultures. You motivate me to stay open for different approaches and that it’s okay to still use your own approach as a base
Nathaniel, your thoughts on cultures is spot on! I'm a retired American, preparing to move to Italy in a year. I've spent time in Mexico, Italy, and French Polynesia, and it's all so true and endlessly fascinating! Great video!!!
Great video! I relate to you so much. I was born and raised in the US to Greek parents but moved to Greece when I was 11. I never quite felt like I belonged anywhere so I have lived in Italy and am now in the US again waiting for the next place. I love seeing people that kind of don't fit in anywhere and are citizens of the world. I'm so happy I found your videos and am thinking about writing a blog with similar content about my experiences in different countries. You are very inspiring!
This is the first video I have seen of yours. Over eighteen minutes of just you talking, and it was FASCINATING! Compelling and fun youtube personality. You have a new subscriber!
Negrito! me gustan videos! (te darás cuenta de donde soy). Tratando de crear conexiones en Lisboa después de 10 años viajando de mochila. Increíble como se sienten las diferencias culturales. A mi como latina Europa me sigue costando. Supongo que hay una razón por la que la mayoría de las amistades que hoy sigo manteniendo son latinos, españoles o italianos. Todo lo que mencionas en tus videos de pertenecer y de armar tu circulo es tan cierto. Al final he vivido en tantos lugares, pero los recuerdos que me quedan fueron de cuando encontré gente que toco mi vida en el camino. Gracias por poner en palabras lo que muchos sentimos! Saludossssss
Nathaniel! You should definitely try Spain for a bit. You will see the interesting mix in cultures between latin America and Europe. We aren't that tall, we're very small in personal bubble space, welcoming and food is amazing! Plus you speak the language so it would be a smooth change for you.
This is honestly one of the most interesting thought-provoking video I've seen in a while. I have been an expat for more than a decade and I have a lot of respect for your ability to analyze cultures without judging. Many come in a country and always compare it with what they've been taught back home. This only cause a sort of resistance to change. I'm not done watching but I had to say this.
I would love for you to come to Canada - Montreal, Prince Edward Island, Vancouver and see if anything stands out to you here compared to different places in the world. Loved this video!
This video is great! I'm from Costa Rica, my great grand parents immigrated from Jamaica, so already in my home country my culture is different from the local culture. When I was young I moved to the Netherlands and then to Curacao, now I'm back in Costa Rica. I'm very grateful for this experience, I moved around a lot, even within the country I was in at the time, and now I still keep moving. I couldn't agree more with learning the language is GOLD. I wish more people understood this, every place I've lived I've met and befriended people that didn't learn the local language, most didn't/don't even try and as a result it takes them much longer to understand the culture. Then when it comes to punctuality, when I moved back to Costa Rica I had such a hard time understanding what they call "Tico Time", if something starts at 10.00 why doesn't it start on time? But then the Dutch sometimes overdo it by showing up to your house 30 minutes early 😅 Coincidentally I was speaking to my friends about how Costa Ricans aren't direct when they speak and that they don't say no, which is something that is difficult to get used to because one thing I sort of copied from the Dutch is that I don't beat around the bush. But over the years I've learned to be tactful when I speak, but I am still direct, I really try to avoid being rude, but no matter how much I try, people don't like to hear the word "no". All that being said though, I really love how friendly people are here, it's very nice and refreshing, and that laid backness, the "Pura vida" here is also a good thing, I've calmed down considerably over the years. I had to laugh when you mentioned the directions thing in Panama because it's so true, once someone asked me for directions, I had just moved back to Costa Rica and we don't have street names, so you really have to know where north, east south west is, which I still don't. I told them that I wasn't sure where the location was.... can you believe that they got mad at me, so they basically bullied me into giving them half-baked directions, which is weird.
I absolutely loved this video, i could not stop smiling the whole time, i really enjoy your observations and this sort of video is what i love most from all you have done!
Born, raised and still living in Canada (Québec), I felt most at ease - and myself! - in the nordic countries, especially Norway and Finland. Minimal and direct communication, huge personal bubble, extreme punctuality, efficiency in most things, yet people are very laid back about work & leisure. On the other hand, I really loved Ireland for its joie-de-vivre and the way they make you feel welcome (in general).
The Nordic countries are definitely something I appreciate.
I also really appreciated how socially acceptable it is to just be very direct and honest with people in Nordic countries! It felt just so relaxing knowing that I could just be honest and straightforward and people would not be insulted by that the way they seem to constantly be here in the US. I also really appreciated that people talked directly and bluntly to me. It just seems like an easier, more relaxing way to interact.
c'est drole moi aussi c'est sois la Nouvelle -Zelande (habite 2 and) ou la Norvège ou j'ai habité 5ans. pour moi c'est le "no nonsense" facon de vivre et la vie centre sur le plein air.
Have you been to the Balkans?
@@vladimirblagojevic1950 which country? any thoughts about where your experience lands them on Drew's factors (time, prob-solving, communication, openness)?
After living in the Netherlands for a while, I've accidentally offended my family members (in the US) several times when I thought I was just talking normally... the directness doesn't translate well haha
02:44 THIS! literally cured my nervosis/depression when I moved from Russia to Mexico. In Russia i was constantly stressed over little things (including being on time) and in Mexico - nobody gets angry about that lol In a few months almost all my stress went away and I started to LIVE.
Same for me when I left from Germany to south east Asia
Brilliant!
Where do you live in Mexico?
So on a job intervew you'd show up one hour late and not even apologize?
The more I think about this comment, the more seriously I'm considering a world tour of humanity's most relaxed places in search of a new home! My disability-level difficulty conceptualizing time has resulted in severe consequences such as lost jobs and dropping out of school despite being a good student. And even though I FINALLY learned how to be on time as an adult, the effort required is exhausting and stressful! This sounds so much better! "...my stress went away and I started to LIVE." Yes!!! 🚫🕰😃
Love and healing to all who've been shamed for having a timeless mind. We are NOT bad, just different! ❤❤❤
Diversifying experiences seem to have this “push - pull” affect to me.
The more exposure you get to a range of different ideas, cultures, etc. The more you’re able to see patterns of behaviors and values that you can leave or adopt and in a lot of ways you start cracking the code of “you”
But on the flip side it can also feel alienating at times too, because while you connect to pieces of various cultures it can also feel like you don’t have a home in any of them as well
Growing up Thai in India, lived abroad in the Czech Republic and Portugal , i totally relate. I feel like I take the best part of all cultures. I’m much more flexible when it comes to anything unpredictable. There’s no sense of home and it feels like you could end up anywhere in the world in the next year. It’s a privileged feeling yet so confusing at the same time ..
God, totally agree with you on each of the points, especially the alienating where exactly is home for me question.
Home is a place in time. That's all. We're on Earth. End of story.
I feel this so much. It's a good feeling to learn that you can manage to make a life anywhere and find your way. You learn how adaptable you can be and how it makes you more prepared for adversity but yes sometimes I get this feeling of dilution. That I have no place to call home or that I'm fully present within any of the places I've lived.
VERY WELL SAID.. but if you then push through that feeling and keep going then you realize home is in you and all of these places are home in you... and , you bring home to each new culture as well :)
I’m studying abroad in France right now and my French friend described French people like coconuts bc they are tough on the surface but once you get close to them they are sweet and super loyal. And Americans are avocados bc they are nice to everyone but it’s hard to get close to them.
I've lived in France and apart from a small amount of anti English sentiment from a few older French people I found them mostly welcoming especially if you speak good French which they appreciate and respect. I agree about Americans, I work with a lot of Americans on Focusmate and they often stress me out because I can always tell they're masking their emotions with faux positivity, presumably because in American culture being more emotionally honest is seen as taboo. Where I'm from in the UK we're more honest if ie we're feeling tired or fed up. It's interesting how different personality types react to different cultures. I seem to get on best with people from England, France Germany and India but less so with people from the US, Italy, Ireland and Australia.
spot on.
Actually that’s called cultural dimensions by trompenaars, according to this there are peach societies and coconuts
I left México for a job in the U.S. and I'm still unsure about whether or not I made the right decision. I miss my culture, the people and the food, but on the other hand I'm grateful for the opportunity to be doing something I actually enjoy and getting paid decently well for it. I guess there's never really a life choice with no sort of compromise, and we just have to keep going and make the most out of it.
Thanks for always sharing so authentic and relatable content, Nathan. Has helped me a lot.
Very true. I haven't spent enough time in any foreign country or ethnic community to begin experiencing this day-to-day, but I have found this to be the case between living with recovering addicts as roommates (emotional tension & stress is as present as bonding over therapy groups and board game campaigns) to visiting an indigenous community for a week (sure I'm the guy who tends to be 30 minutes late, but whole families being 2 hours tardy every day was a culture shock with the chief jokingly emphasizing scheduled starting times with an utterance of "o'clock sharP" xD).
You'll be fine as there are tons of Mexicans living in the United States.
Juan, I know what you mean, I always feel drawn back to Mexico for the people, I wish the economy was better for the average family there. Rate of pay sends many talented people packing to other countries. Culture and family in Mexico are the best!!
joão carlos, er America is the most Mexican nation on earth i find it hard to believe you'll miss anything. what visa did you get to be able to leave Mexico.
@@PHlophe Yes I'm aware of that, but unfortunately it depends on the city and social circles. I live in Seattle and the culture couldn't be more different from that of Mexico, so I find myself missing a lot.
After I left the U.S. and was living in México, I was amazed at how much more relaxed and less stressed/anxious I felt, even though it was my first time living in another country for the first time, and also being a solo female who didn't really know anyone there. I went from having almost daily panic attacks, to not having a single one (until I went back to the U.S.) in my entire time living there. Even though I still always like to be on time and don't think I'll ever lose that, I didn't feel that certain stress towards HAVING to be on time everywhere. I also laughed so hard when you were talking about asking directions in México, since I basically just had to figure things out myself, which was a challenge in itself.
I'm now living in the beautiful country of Georgia 🇬🇪 and after moving straight from Mexico to here... Wow... what a HUGE change of culture and a completely different way of living and communicating. It was quite the culture shock and took me a while to get used to it, but I honestly feel so at home now and love my life here. While it's been hard getting used to the more direct approach towards communication, as well as not receiving smiles of acknowledgement or "hellos" on the street wherever I go, I often find myself grateful for it now. Things are straightforward and to the point. As a pretty extreme introvert, I feel much more comfortable with life here and I don't feel forced to be as social as I felt I had to be in México (even though both have their ups and downs of course).
Hi👋 I’m from Georgia 🇬🇪 i was just reading the comments and i got so excited to see the georgian flag here. I’m happy u feel comfortable living here ❤️
@@teklaodiladze Your country is so beautiful and I feel so lucky and grateful to live here. The people have been so welcoming and kind. There is endless inspiration here. 🥰❤️
That's such a beautiful country 🥰
@@wolfiesasha887 It really is. Every time I step outside, I am overwhelmed with how beautiful it is. So much inspiration here! ❤️
@@Ellary_Rosewood what language do you speak there ?
Your story of France going straight up "No 😌✋" to everything reminds me so much of Damon Dominique's struggle to do ANYTHING 😂😂 getting his door fixed, figuring out his visa, getting internet for his newest place
Nathaniel, imo it's your best video that you've done! I didn't skip a minute :)
Not even the advert? ;)
Agreed! I think these types of insights/videos are your strong suit.
I agree. Best one!
I always say that I learn more about my culture when I’m immersed in another than I ever would back home. I remember when I first started traveling I thought I identified more with the European way of doing things. Then I fell in love with a madrileño and moved to Madrid. I soon realized, “holy sh*t I am so American.” 😳 I learned so much about Spanish culture, but equally as much (if not more) about myself and my own upbringing.
What living elsewhere has prompted me to do is to choose which of my traits and cultural values I will not compromise in spite of how things are done elsewhere. First, that means I treat all people I meet as equals who have value. I acknowledge them and express my gratitude for their services to me. Always. Second, I watch more closely, listen more carefully and refrain from quick judgements of the situation which, of course, will largely be based on my cultural standards. I leave room for other interpretations of the circumstances.
For example, one morning I stepped into a small hotel elevator in Japan and the six men in it shifted to the back and turned their faces away from me. If I hadn't understood that they were giving me the gift of space and greater privacy in a confined environment, I could have misread the behaviour and been very upset about being treated like a social leper.
@Lynda
❣️ I feel you ❣️
Thank you for this Comment!
That's interesting how living abroad feels when you can't go back home. I'm from Kyiv, Ukraine and used to wonder what living abroad could be like as I wanted to have such an experience. Now having moved to Poland I'd say that of course, there may be some difficulties everywhere due to culture differences, trying to learn new language etc., but if you are safe both physically and economically, you can deal with everything else. One of the reasons being - you just can't move home. Sometimes lack of choice (and thus - not overthinking everything) makes things easier and yourself - stronger and more adaptive. That's something I haven't thought about earlier
Sending you love ❤️ take care
@@Tamar-sz8ox thank you 🙏🏻
I was born and raised in Poland but now living in the south of Europe. Hope my old country treats you well :)
Hi, Kate.
I'm from Russia, but i totally stand for Ukraine, and really hope, that peace will come back to your beautiful country.
My cousin's family lives in Dnipro, his wife and children got evacuated to Check republic.
Слава Украине 💙💛
I was born and bred in Warsaw, Poland. I lived for many years in the UK though. I'm glad you you have found a safe place to live in Poland. I don't think Poland is an easy country for foreigners though. It's very bureaucratic and the Polish health care system, the (ever-changing) taxes, the (ever-changing) schooling system, the employment law - they are hard to navigate even for the Poles! Sometimes I wonder if I would manage to live in my own country as a foreigner ;) I found UK to be easier and far more predictable. I'm glad that, at least, Poland is becoming more multinational. Take care and stay safe.
in my experience, living now in Oaxaca, México, and being from Barcelona I have come to realise that some people live more in the present in Mexico not because there is an idea of living in the present and stop worrying about what's to come but because there is no other option when you basically have enough to survive each day. And the cop reference when it comes to traffic I have also encountered and I would say it has more to do with corruption and not being really inspired to do your job. I have met many people really not helpful when you go to a shop for instance but now I realise that the wages, at least in Oaxaca are so extremely low and the job conditions so painfully abusive that why should they care about their job at all? It is indeed a very complex thing to understant and I am still trying, but I would say economics, politics, corruption and a lack of oportunities play a huge role.
I feel this - been living in Oaxaca as well and the overall distrust of institutions I've noticed is a huge demotivating factor for a lot of people to go after their dreams. Exactly the opposite of the American 'can-do' mentality that Nathaniel described. The political/economic situation is stacked against people, so very few make the effort to understand it.
@@MikeGProductions what motivated you to move to Oaxaca? or Mexico in general and how do you like living there?
@@cartel_papi I love it! I went at first to try something new and to learn Spanish. But I ended up staying way longer than I expected bc of the people, food, culture, and overall vibe
Paul
It's crazy how much you can learn about life when you travel and go deep in other cultures, get to know locals and find what they value in life 🌍
I laughed a little to hard at “The go to answer in France is no.” Nothing can prepare you for the French no as an American in Paris. Loved this video 💛
My wife is from Spain but now I realize she is French 😂
I was surprised to not have this experience in France but where I come from people are even more grumpy so I guess I approached them with the correct attitude/energy.
@@TheRetirementality 😂😂😂
There is a book exploring the topic of cultural differences called The Culture Map, really recommend checking it out
It's a very good book and I recommend it to anyone who is living, studying or doing business abroad.
thank you for suggesting this!
Marek Elba, good tip there.
Thank you! Will definitely have a look at that!
I'm French, lived in Portugal, Switzerland and the US, and you're spot on about how we relate to opportunities. The one thing I enjoyed and wanted to make a part of me is the american attitude towards opportunities. Americans see failure as learning, French see failure as defeat. It is is so empowering to embrace life as as "let's go for it and see what's comes out" rather than "do not try anything unles you're 100% sure it will work out". As for fake, yeah, living in the US, I got along like a house on fire with the latino, sphilipinos, but interacting with Americans felt like being in a commercial, everyone is nice and smiling but there's no real interaction, especially white americans, have this way of smiling while they talk, which is is really unsettling, makes everything feel fake and superficial
Lol I love the commercial reference. I went to New Orleans as an exchange student 18 years ago and that's exactly how I remember my interactions with white Americans but I had never described it like this. Spot on. PS: I'm black French.
@@karltheman266 Yeah, I was in Daytona some 20 years ago as well and that's exactly the vibe I got.
Americans smile a lot because it is expected..that is how we seem "nice." It is considered rude if you don't smile.
stupidest morality speech ever
@@kathrynjohnson4982 yeah and we foreigners know it's a cultural thing. But it's still something I find weird and unsettling - it's like everyone is trying to hard, if you know what I mean. I don't think badly of US Americans and Canadians who make small talk to everyone, I know it's just how they were raised. But it would be very weird to ask the person working at your local McDonalds how their day is going in Britain, or to smile with teeth while saying 'good morning' to someone you don't know well. There's no right or wrong and no one here implied there was, it's just a cultural difference.
Honestly living abroad has made me miss the "best friends" things in America. Like I enjoy when someone wants to tell me their whole life immediately because it's so much easier to meet people and i understand if they disappear later. but at least i got to see their whole self for the brief time that i knew them :)
Beautiful sentiment, i fully agree. Eventually we all have to part, sometimes quicker than we thought we would.
I lived in Paris for a few months and I had the exact same experience with the French language. Knowing French, I felt like people were so so kind to me and I had the best time with the littlest things like talking to restaurant owners or neighbors. I somehow felt like I had a community and there was automatically a sense of ease I felt talking to people even though I don't look anywhere close to stereotypically French. I also did feel like I only started enjoying Paris once I let go of waking up early, started going out on weeknights, talking less about work - adopting a lifestyle that actually fit the place. It's hard for me to field questions about French people being rude because (bureaucracy aside lol) I actually felt really at home in Paris (often having been previously known as the blunt friend ;D). Loved this video and also your approach to treating differences in culture as fun and interesting rather than a point for negative comparison.
As someone who's been chronically late my whole life, I fit right in here in Mexico. Love it.
That is a main draw for me too!
This video should have been called "living abroad is awesome"!!! As an Argentinian who has family in Italy and lives in the UK, I relate so much and I agree with all the observations!
I love the Argentinian stereotypes because they really lean into it. I remember when I was there visiting friends, and we were talking about how people from my country (NZ) have the nickname "Kiwis". I asked them if Argentinians have a similar nickname, and one of them instantly responded "Assholes", another "Drama Queens".
In saying that though, I felt so welcome in Argentina by everyone I met, and don't think those nicknames are entirely true!
Being adorable assholes is kind of our charm! I love to see the reactions of people coming here, as much as traveling! I feel like my culture is hella intense, in best and worst way... but even if we can be too straight forward we do respect if "el gordo" doesn't wanna be called that. And we are very friendly most of us :D
On the other hand, when I visited your country I was AMAZED at how truly polite everyone was, so much happy vibes, everywhere. And I couldn´t belive that everything worked well, like someone stopped to let me cross the street even if there was no one around and no stop light. I woulda get rolled here in Buenos Aires xD. ooohhh and I was SHOKED that you didn´t have Dulce de Leche ice cream swirls in McDonald's. I entered two of them not putting two and two together lol
Cultures are def the best thing about humanity.
in my experience, people from other latin countries effectively hate Argentinians because of their arrogance. As Nathaniel said "this is not based on nothing". As an Argentinian myself, I must say this egocentric and arrogant attitude is more present in the capital, although not absent in the rest of the country.
I enjoyed the nuanced observations of each culture that you've lived in, and I chuckled at so many of the anecdotes. I've lived in the UK, Asia and Central America. As a South African woman of mixed heritage, I felt most comfortable in Central America and in Asia. My experience was that all countries and cultures dabble in racism. Being brown, it was assumed that I was Pakistani (UK), Filipina (Hong Kong), Madeiran (Jersey, CI), Spanish (Ireland), and I was called these as an insult. What pissed me off was the hatred towards anything that is different. I did feel like a cultural chameleon, like I could adapt and morph into the energy of the culture I was living in. I've just discovered your videos. Really enjoying watching them :-)
I’ve been an expat for 20 years and can totally relate. I really enjoyed this, it shows the benefit of travel for the soul. Great content.
How does one become an expat, in terms of finding work, etc? Can you provide some insight for me, please?
@@aliciatea8342 id also like to know
I’m from Norway and have lived 7 months in the south of Spain now. I completely agree with everything said, and find it very interesting. I have met a lot of students from all around the world, and found that I really like Italians. They’re just great! In fact, I had an Italian host sister for 3 months, and it’s one of the best things I have experienced. Spanish people are also extremely direct, dramatic and aggressive, at least where I live (in Cádiz). But I like it way more this way than in Norway. People are easier to talk to and don’t have this "block" that keeps them from opening up. I am also very fluent in Spanish, which, as you said, makes it completely different and you get to actually connect with the people. I really enjoyed this video! Tengo muchas ganas de aprender Francés y italiano!!😭😫
Im from the US and in my time living in Japan (I’m a quarter Japanese and grew up with the culture) and Germany and spending significant amount of time in Egypt,
I’ve noticed I go through three stages whenever I live somewhere.
Honeymoon stage
Culture shock and rude awakening acceptance stage
And the lastly the itch to move on
It’s hard adjusting where ever you go, but it opens up your eyes so much living abroad.
I have never thought, that people in different countries could be different in this way. Now this is eye widening, can't believe how much I learned in this video. Now I want to travel even more, see and feel these differences myself, it's so amazing. Amazing video, thank you for sharing your experiences!
I moved from Vancouver, Canada to Cambodia and felt such a burden lifted from my shoulders -- less pressure to maintain an image (clothing, appearance, ambition), literally more ease in my body from the warmer weather, a more relaxed approach to life, friendlier more approachable locals and foreign residents, and it was interesting to be awake while my Canadian friends and family were asleep -- I felt like this gave me a lot of spaciousness and time to focus on my projects without distraction. I also feel like being away from my friends and family helped me to focus more on the life I want rather than the social pressure to to like make babies, buy a house, have a certain kind of career. Great video, Nathaniel!
Living abroad is definitely a life changing experience, and it is incredible to see how adaptable we humans are! You should definitely spend some time in Montreal! I am Brazilian and I have been living here, and the multicultural scenario is just unbelievable! People from all over the world, the bilingualism, the culture! It’s a wonderful place !!!
hey mate! like you, i am american expat. moved to siberia, on my own, when i was 18. later, st. petersburg, russia, then italy for a long while. now, i am on year 13 in south korea. a lot of what you said in video really resonated with me! keep making the videos. i am your newest subscriber :)
Loved, loved, loved this video. I'm obsessed with cultural and linguistic differences, how it feels like our personality changes according to a language or a place - do my German friends really know me? Do my American friends only know a side of my personality? It can feel both isolating and freeing to switch between cultures and it is endlessly fascinating.
Would love to hear you talk more about these topics, like for example do you ever feel lonely/one-sided in these other cultures, like you cannot present your full you because of the language or culture?
This makes a lot of sense to me. I often feel like I can’t fully be myself in a foreign language and that foreign friends don’t know who I really am. I can’t really put my finger on why that is though as I am fluent in my foreign language.
love this!
@@hantur9318I know what you mean. My real humor doesn’t translate at all….
This SO interesting and accurate!!!! I'm from Argentina, I've lived in Sweden and I'm currently based in The Netherlands.
Argentinian people are very very similar to Italian and Spanish people since many people came from there.
I totally agree with you about the aggressive manner and egocentric attitude most have in Argentina, and the reason why is because the political and economical situation is so awful that you get stressed and frustrated right away, it is like the whole system is against you to improve in your professional career or to think about a better future. So it's sort of you are living in a jungle where politicians do not have any respect for their people and you have to build an aggressive attitude in order to protect yourself from all the malicious, injustice, and corruption that came from the authorities.
If you want to achieve a goal you are on your own, you cannot count or trust in the institutions.
I feel much better where I'm based right now, where you don't have to have a defensive attitude to be safe from the threats that you receive from the environment.
Something that I really miss about my country is the warmness of the people, the importance of family and the openness when you want to make new friends.
Sorry to hear that, but still I cannt read any reason, why people should be disrespectful to others. There is a bunch of countries around the world really suffering under injustice and poverty, but their people are still friendly to others.
@@paticomarquez5940 believe me , argentinian people is the most friendly an open in the world, that is not the problem.
@@anaeisen :D siempre tratando de ponerle buena honda a todo después de vivir acá cualquier pais decente parece el cielo , por hablar metafóricamente
This is true, but I think it is even more nuanced than this. You perfectly describe the level of injustice that Argentinians live in constantly and how people are on thier own. What I noticed is that this makes people very selfish, hence you get that aggresive, even violent attitude sometimes. There is also the fact that the Argentinian people are quite homogeneuous, most people are from European decent with some mix of native communities, but there is almost no race diversity, no diversity in terms of culture, religion, tradition and this makes people a bit racist and intolerant to different cultures, this might also be related to the lack of political correctness. It is true that people are friendly and passionate as well, and they are welcoming to foreigners... *if* you are the western type. I found them to be far less welcoming to people from African or Asian communities. this is my personal opinion as an Argentinian who is now (glad to be) living in the UK
you have the politicians you deserve.
In my early twenties, I lived in Buenos Aires for about half a year all together (in three batches of couple of months) and I didn't like the machistic culture at all. I started off as naive, happy-go-lucky, exploring the city on my own. But quickly the reality hit. I was groped on in the middle of the day in the packed full Subte, I was getting extremely unsettling piropos from men of all ages and it came to a point I didn't feel safe going out, unless I was accompanied by my Argentinian boyfriend or his mother. Sexual harassment was just the tip of the iceberg, though. I think Argentina is a beautiful country to visit, probably is also great for partying if you're extraverted (I'm not) and I'm sure some people (particularly men) thrive there, but for me, it was not a culture I wanted to live in or raise children in. For me this was a deal-breaker and luckily, by that point, my BF was already contemplating moving out of BsAs, if not from Argentina. Three years into our relationship, he moved to my country (Europe) and we've been happily married for 15 years now.
Things have fortunately changed a lot in the last decade and are much better for wemen and queer people now. We even have anti-harrasment laws now that include "piropos".
There's still a lot to improve, as there is everywhere in that aspect I believe, but I'm in my 30s now and I can honestly say that the streets feel much safer to me than when I was younger.
@@CallMeLu That's wonderful to hear, Lucero!
I can confirm. Things changed a lot in the past 10 years.
I moved to Paris 8 months ago, and completely agree with everything in this video! It's crazy how much the place you live in changes you, and at the same time how many things haven't changed. For example, I come from a suburb in New Jersey where its super calm most of the time and there's a lot of nature. Being in Paris, I find myself being super stressed and anxious by the city life and when I go for a weekend trip to another city in France it's crazy how fast it changes. Also, it's definitely hard to be accepted by French people here, but luckily I have a pretty good level of French and that helps enormously. Seriously, as soon as I open my mouth and French comes out its a completely different treatment than English. And they're even more amicable to me when I tell them I'm american after only speaking French because they're honored and impressed (I think) by me speaking the language. Anyway, yeah, it's been quite hard to adjust and it still definitely is, and I'm sure it will be when I start university here in September, but I wouldn't change it for the world. Everyday is a socio-linguistic cultural experiment and I fucking love it.
So, you moved early to Paris before uni starts right, that's really smart, you have time to adjust there
@@pratyushabala9136 Yeah! I actually did a program for 9 months to make my French better and to help me apply to schools and do all the practical things! It's really really helpful from that side of things, and to get used to the culture and the people and the language! I'm really happy I did it!
I currently live in France too, it's kinda hard to adjust here , and the language is a challenge 🤣
@@MrLani77 What was the name and cost of the program? I would be interested in something like this before I apply for a Masters
@@michelle.tuv.nguyen It was EF! I'd be happy to answer questions about it if you want!
I also have lived in several countries (France, Argentina, UK, and Spain), and I am currently living close to Barcelona. I love culture exchange, learning languages (I can speak French, Spanish, English, Catalan, and Italian), and I love being able to speak with local people when I travel. As you said, living in a country like France is not the same as Argentina or Italy (I found so much similarity between these 2 countries). Living in Spain is very nice, I love the way people are living and they are in general open minded. Some people are very happy that I can speak the local language, Catalan and it helped me sometimes to be closer to people here.
I think the secret is to be open minded, in order to be closer to people when you travel or you live in a foreign country, even if you know a few words of the local language. Last year I went to Rome and I knew a bit of Italian, and people were very happy hearing me speaking Italian, the same occurred when I went to Morocco a few years ago.
Empathy and kindness help a lot when you travel :)
As a person, who have always dreamt of living in every single place in the world, I am shocked by this video!!
I didn't even think of those drawbacks, seriously.
Well, Nath, you change my perspective on life, as always 🤔
I have the same dream!
Thanks for your perspectives on this video! I am brazilian and have been recently volunteering abroad for one year in Slovakia. One of the crazyest experiences I've ever had. It was amazing for me to break some stereotypes, expectations and just accept the experience as it was. I learned a lot about me and other people!
I feel like we're basically the same person, except I left Australia and you left the US. I agree with so much of what you said in this video - I moved to Montréal for 2.5 years and I noticed how the French/North American cultures kind of mixed together in the way people acted towards you, that fake/nice facade of the Canadians plus the directness of the french. I live in London now where people are a lot more cold/closed off, which has rubbed off on me somewhat, but I spent a month in Tenerife 2 months ago and immediately felt so calm and relaxed, it's like my anxiety completely evaporated and I just felt so content with the pace of life people had there. It's crazy how much a new environment can change you and your entire personality
I left miserable London for optimistic North America and feel more energetic than I’ve ever felt. It’s great many of us have the opportunity to move where we feel more comfortable
What a great exploration of cultural perspectives, attitudes and habits. Really interesting! Thanks Nat. 🇫🇷🇺🇸🇦🇷🇲🇽🇮🇹
I LOVED this video! Thank you!! I have a very similar experience to yours, I am a French girl living in Mexico, Have lived a little in the US, been to Italia, lived in Chile for a year (which is quite different from Argentina but still... ) I SO AGREE with you!!! I totally agree with everything you said but one thing: I feel people in Mexico are very sensitive, you absolutely can't be straight with them, honest feedbacks are almost impossible to give and to get! (yes I am french... hahaha it has been such a journey for me to learn that and especially to work with people this way! ). Yes they can call each other "gordo"/"gorda" (fatty) but never as an insult (they use it regardless of how the person looks, skinny people can be called like that too...) and yes it is said with love... hahaha This analysis was so interesting! Thank you!!
Signed up for my first lesson with italki! I'm moving to Spain next month after 3.5 years living in South Korea. All I know for certain is that Spanish will be easier to learn than Korean 😆
How was life for you in SK?
I know you already came to Portugal, but I would like to see you living in here! I was portrain' all these cool topics in my head and how Portugal differs, or equals, to other countries. We are so different from spain and all other european countries, but also from latin america and so on. Maybe because we have historical influences coming from many different empires and colonies.
1: We are on slow paced side for sure. We arrive late to places, but people don't like that, feels like we are changing that over time actually.
2: oh my... The burocracy here makes you want to jump off a bridge, and sometimes when you have a problem they will send you to some other place and the other places send you back to the other and no one seems to want to solve it because it's nothing to do with them, or is it? But this happens for locals, we treat foreigners better than our own 😂
3: Super easy! We love tourists and foreigners, we will hapilly speak in english or mix languages and hand gestures and whatever we can and laugh while at it.
4: 5: We are more to the introvert side and relaxed, but we are quite open minded! Good vibes here without being cringe and "too much" you know? Also, even though we are in europe, we are on the small side, 174cm medium
We are definitely latin, that's for sure.
I would also like to see you in Japan and do introduce it in this chart 😁
This clip was highly interesting, I too have found the similar differences traveling to Europe, specifically SPAIN. I connected well firstly as the"Americano", they when certain people learned that I was born in Cuba, their attitude changed again, then further more it changed when some learned that I was a second generation descendent from Spanish Basques. Bias exists. I believe everywhere, however I do agree with you that firstly, we who enjoy to travel, must understand that people around the world will react to people according to their biases, it's all part of being a human. I for one, wish for the day when all the world takes a more patient attitude to the differences we all have as "baggage". Right now, I'm wondering why you chose to live in Mexico after being in Europe for so long.
Yes you're so right. It's why some people come back from one country saying it was amazing, whereas another person had a lot of bad experiences there. I'm half Irish half English and have always had hostility from Irish people both in Ireland and outside of Ireland. Due to the history they think of me as a traitor or something, an Irish person who sided with the enemy (England). When in reality I was born to an Irish mother and an English father in England none of which was my choice or action. I literally can't go to Ireland because I always encounter hostility there. They're nicer to purely English people who often gush to me about how much they love Ireland and Irish people.
All I can say is that one has to be ready to adapt to the various cultures. Appreciate the fact that you are experiencing something that most won't. It will open your eyes to new and unforgettable experience.
I have been reading book Cultural map recently. And I am amazed to find out about how different cultures are. Although sometimes I can’t endure these differences I am trying to be more tolerant and adjust tp different sitiations. I think it is really beautiful.
Amazing information!!! I’m already addicted to your channel!
Thank You for this... I was having such a hard time because I just moved to Germany from South africa and its so enlightening to know that I share similar sentiments with You. Thank You for this. I am in an overwhelming situation... Based of the elements in my environment. Although it plays a major part on my perception of where I am, it's important to know how the people of a country change who you are.
Watching your channel has taught me that it's okay to not fit in and find a way to exist in different realms while exploring the world. My parents took me out of Europe when I was kid, I grew up in NYC, then moved to California in my 20's, (currently in) Oregon in my 30's and as I reach my 40's, I am soon eager to go back to a Europe and find a lifestyle I never had a chance to experience and it scares me that I won't fit in. I feel like a nomadic polyglot mutt and the days I feel this, I watch your channel and your parents' channel and have hope if they did it, you have shown it, I can too. Thank you.
I am an argentinian living in Spain, I absolutelly agree with you about the similarities between argentinians and italians. The only country that made me feel at home (other than Argentina off course) was Italy.
Other than these, I can say that even when I am having a great experience here in Spain, something that surprise me is how much I miss my place, and my life in Buenos Aires...
I am not coming back, but I notices that I find my self looking for places and people similar to the onces that I left at home...
Awesome video! I have Italian, French and American friends, I have also lived in Mexico for a while and I can definitely relate. All the situations, images and memories arose in my mind as you talked about all the traits and approaches. That’s fascinating how each nation differs from one another even in the era of globalization and integration. Way to go Nathaniel!
I couldn't agree more with your perspective! However in Italy ( Rome specifically) I noticed "some" Italians to be the most openly disrespectful when it came to people of color, in comparison to the other countries in Europe I have visited. I didn't experience this personally but I have witnessed derogatory words used for Africans and Asians on multiple occasions. There wasn't shame or regret in their use of these words which made it feel normalized to say these things. I am a biracial (black and white) nomad so I'm quite aware of subtle discrimination and had my fair share of these issues but Rome was the only place I heard derogatory words being used openly in public. Regardless, Italy has a great culture to experience and it is a beautiful country to visit.
Thanks for the content!
I have heard similar stories. Although, I think it's not only your skin that causes trouble, otherwise I should be pretty fine. I don't want to negate your experience, and you are absolutely right, but I think there is more. After living in Rome for five years, I think a) some people are suspicious of any foreigners b) we sometimes approach people in a wrong way. Every now and then I get into an unpleasant situation where I'm blatantly told that I'm a tourist/American and I think I own everything, or something like that. I'm not an American, and I'm not sure whether I should be offended by being called one but I can tell by the tone that it has never been a compliment. Sometimes, I think I have also started these situations by myself by doing something that seems normal to me but is not ok here, for example demanding for a service or favor that would have been normal in somewhere else (at least in my cultural bubble). Unfortunately, it's also true that some foreigners knowingly and purposefully do improper things or even crimes that in turn fuels xenophobia in some people.
@@hbp_ Thank you for you comment. There were no mistakes in what you mentioned. The examples that you have presented are the reasons why the citizens of a country are a bit skeptical or judgemental of foreigners, typically. However in one of my examples this wasn't the case. A group of friends and I bought a bottle of wine in Trastevere one evening. None of us had a wine opener so we decided to ask someone if they had one. We approached one guy and before we can ask him what we needed from him he says " if you're looking for weed, I don't have any. Ask the "N-words" at the end of the bridge." I was more in shock than anything to hear him utter that word with such ease. To be fair it may not have had the same meaning as in anglophone countries during that time. I've had many conversations with european friends ( pre-BLM) and they genuinely didn't understand the harm in the word when used in context . A friend of mine told me in Brazil that the "N-word" is less harmful than another word used in Portuguese that is seen as demonizing towards black people. I'm not sure about this or the case in Italy and their feelings around the word 🤷🏽♂️
@@aceofhearts619 :( I don't know. Where I grew up, in Finland, this kind of behavior and language was unheard of. Though, later on as an adult, I have realized it was a relatively small but diverse community or a bubble.
@@aceofhearts619 cry us a river
@@karltheman266 I will consider, thanks for the advice! Love you Karl
I can totally agree with a lot you're saying, growing up with three cultures at once made me develop a certain habitus towards many things. When it comes down to own thing I would simply say it widens your horizon immensely :))
P.S. Regarding personal space I would say the Scandinavians definitely win haha they value personal space very highly
In the same way that "Parisians don't represent the whole of France", porteños don't represent the whole of Argentina. Most descriptions of Argie stereotypes in your video apply only to porteños. People from "el interior" are calm energy, and far less direct, egotistical and arrogant than porteños.
One of your best videos, btw. Congrats!
This is a very American thing, I've noticed. They tend to think of a whole country as culturally uniform. They don't understand the older the country, the bigger the internal differences. In Italy you travel 100 km and you're in a completely different region, with different language, different cuisine, different wines, different traditions. I bet Argentina with the strong immigration waves of the past (from Italy and other countries) reflects that even more. Almost all the traits he mentioned in the video you can find in some Italian regions.
@@TheMule71 your critique is often made by USA citizens on other criticisms of "americans", ironically. An 'American' from NYC is very different from one from Ohio and vastly different from one from Seattle, WA, etc.
I totally appreciated that. "Differences" can be so subtle yet markedly different and intense at times, so thank you for your insight.
Somewhat similar to what you're talking about, I noticed that when I've learned a language well enough to dream in that language or hear myself thinking in that language, I also get this intuitive feel about what the people of that country might be like -- do you know what I mean?
Each language has grammar that tells you something about what's important in that country, I think. And of course, each language has its own rhythm, its own music. Italian rolls off the tongue. French makes you have to work. And German, oh my God! It hurts my brain!
So, I think this must add another layer of experiencing a country when you've put the effort into learning the language. Like you say in this video, it might be that a country is more direct in the way people communicate or a country may expect you to be very indirect (I'm thinking about what I've heard from friends who've traveled in Japan, for example.)
Your comments also made me think of a guy who makes videos of his travels in Asian countries and how he blows their minds when he starts speaking in a dialect. He lived in China for a while and studied Mandarin and Cantonese, so he has the accent right, but he also makes a point of speaking several dialects. And when he does, it's like you said, the attitude towards him changes completely.
One of my favorites is in a nail salon! Two women are making wise cracks about him and then he asks them something in their language and they freak out, because now they know he understood what they were saying. I had a similar experience in Bangor, Maine a while back.
Two women were being very catty about some of the other women in a shop, speaking in French. They were Canadian. I casually turned to one of them and asked her something about her coat, and then made some comments about the merchandise in the store. Boy were their faces red. It still seems weird to me that they didn't expect anyone else in the shop to understand French -- like other Canadians?
In Italy everyone wants to show you a delicious food from their region. They really envelope you and want to share. In Italy I felt culturally hugged. Holland was similar for me but not as strong. Did not get that in France (unless I had an outside connection to someone).
Living in Italy, this everything is impossible thing gets old after a while and quite infuriating. Honestly, it’s a bit sad.
I am originally from Turkey and much prefer the can-do attitude, which I think is why I vibe much more with Americans.
I live in Istanbul. I think Turks are very similar to Italians and Argentinians as described in this video. They have very assertive opinions, sometimes communication can even feel passive aggressive (the "cik" when they want to say no), and people usually give unsolicited advice but in the same time, they are really helpful and kind. They will also take pride in helping you in any occasion. When we came with a baby in a stroller some people were helping us in the stairs by lifting it spontaneously even without saying a single word. Incredible.
@@KevinBanks512 Being hospitable and helpful is deeply ingrained in the Turkish culture. Back in the old days all kids would recite the Student Oath at school.
It starts with:
“I am Turkish, I am honest and I am hardworking. My principle is to protect the younger, to respect the elder, to love my homeland and my nation more than myself…”
This should give you a perspective into why folks would help you with the stroller. It’s what makes them a Turk :)
Loved your video. I am born and raised in Hawaii and when I visited Mexico, I noticed the culture was very similar to the Hawaiian Culture. I instantly felt at Home when I visited Mexico. My husband and I are moving to Mexico in a couple weeks then moving on to other Latin Countries including Argentina. Thanks for the valuable tips!
I'm brazilian and I need to agree with everything kkkk. The thing of calling people by these name os totally true, not just Argentina, but a lot of countries in South America. it's hard to believe but it's said with love 😅😅
I am from Sudan and my background is from Chad. I grow up in Jordan and now I live in Canada. I always felt my mindset is more Jordanian because they are more respectful and give other people space and this is opposite to where I am from. people in Sudan would like to know more and ask more about your personal life.
However, living in Canada is the best thing that happened to me. How this county is multicultural and everyone has his language and his culture, and we all live together is amazing, after I came to Canada I decided to learn Spanish and then Turkish and then French. I would like to connect with people by their language to have a deep connection and see their culture from a close point. Your videos always give the motivation to continue learning languages and travel when other people tell me to focus on my English first then look to other languages. I don't care I will still learn and keep travel and meeting new people.
Another thought-provoking video. I always enjoy hearing your thoughts about a different part of travel: Perceptions... these can be so varied. When I was in France my language skills were very limited, but I loved it there! I felt comfortable and at home. I also found many French people to be very helpful. My heart is in Mexico for many reasons and my Spanish is coming along ... I watch a lot of TH-cam creators that are currently traveling about Mexico... one of the NEW Comers to this platform is "Maddie Gold" Watch her latest where she works on her Spanish skills... very heart warming,, and gives me hope :)
Hi.I am years ahead of your curve. Whilst growing up the UK, like you, I never fitted in. My roots are in Austria, my mother was from Vienna where I also grew up. Looking back, my life has been an amazing adventure, not only with travel but also in adventure sports. I've lived in many countries (Austria, Germany, UK, Switzerland, Israel and now Italy) and have travelled the world. For me, the key has always been to learn the local languages well and to integrate. Too may expats prefer stay in their comfort zone, in their cultural bubble, won't mix with locals and can't be bothered to at least learn the basics of the local language. After 20 years in Italy now can say I'm happy, well integrated and the people are great. Good luck on your journey.
Nothing like being early to a Nathaniel Drew video, can't wait.
Wassup guys woop woop
I adore how honestly you speak; the world opens up through it.
sir, I can assure you that if you, somehow manage to live in Brazil, you wil not regret it, trust me.
There's something about this country that inspires and moves you.
In addition, the brazilians WOULD love to see your point of view about us, lol.
Great video!
I followed you for som years ago, You battled a lot with eksistensiell questions. You have found your inner child again and life wisdom.
This was fascinating. Thanks!
I used italkie before I moved to Paris and it helped me a lot! Can definitely recommend :) I resonated with a lot of what you said in this video, thanks for making it so thoughtfully!
Born and raised here in Cancun, Mexico from German parents, I would like to express what I struggle daily. People here in Mexico in general don't know how to say no. In your case, as a foreigner you probably are not deeply rooted in the society but once you earn money here, have a house and pay all your expenses this is really frustrating... imagine going to your work here in Mexico and asking for a vacation, in most cases they agree to that and seem cool about it, but then suddenly you receive a message that you can't go and you already booked and planned everything. This happens daily here and its annoying.
Also another point here is that even as a Mexican I experience a lot of trouble with they way they treat me, I don't want to say Mexicans are racist but they sure treat you different based on your looks. They take advantage and charge you more if you look more European or American (We have blonde people too!) and they treat you as one of them if you look more native Mexican. This is something that happens a lot in touristic destinations as Cancun because most of locals see American tourists as dollars with feet and they los definitely will try to take advantage of them!
As you say, this is not me ranting about my country but I did agree with many things in this video, and something that bugs me out is the way some people behave in my own country. Being aware of this made me a better citizen and a more conscious person!
I have noticed alot of Germans live in Cancun. Is their a particular reason? Most german car manufacturers are in the center of the country
@@ling636 Well, we do not have so many Germans here, it is still a small community. However they like it here because it’s really cheap for them (food, housing and entertainment). Their currency gets you a lot in here. People are easygoing and the place is relatively International and you don’t need Spanish, everyone speaks a little bit of English at least. Also, they love being on the beach and the amount of light from the sun, it is sunny year long.
One of the best videos I've ever watched!
Hahaha yeah I noticed that too in Mexico!! I was always sent the wrong way, cause they can't accept that they can't help you 🤣
This is one of the most eye opening videos you’ve made!!!
I have been learning French for a year and am going to France for the first time in a few months so I’m excited to see what learning the language will help me experience with the locals!!
I am a spanish who have been living in London for one year. The world is amazing and how different is the people in other parts of the world. To me was really hard to get closer to britain people comparing to spanish people who are extremely friendly. Sometimes is totally different even in the same country different places!
London is an anomaly in Britain, it doesn’t represent all of us. People are much warmer and friendlier and more open the further North you go. Try Nottingham or Sheffield or Liverpool next time and you will be enjoy it much more :)
This is all true. I've been there. But despite all the things positive or negative, experiencing different cultures and languages is one of the best things that can happen to someone because it gives you a perspective about life and everything in a way that you can't see or experience otherwise. And you also enjoy those different cultures and languages; it feels like listening to music from all genres. It was great to hear about your experience. Thank you so much for sharing! 😊
I lived in Mozambique for 2 years and now have been in Mexico for over 2 years and I still can't seem to "quitar el chip" about being on time, hah! I still arrive on time to everything knowing that I'll be the only one there but something still feels so weird to me when I arrive "late." Anyone relate?
As an italian I definetly can't relate 🤣 punctuality is a mistery to me. The few times I show up punctual I have to wait on my own so I learned to adjust my lateness according to the lateness of the group of people I'm hanging out with 🤦
Love your energy enthusiasm and hope in your eyes. Thanks for your work. Any video you've posted inspires me on a deeper level. Grateful for this. Davide♥️
Thank you! Loved this video! Being Brazilian, with Japanese and Italian parents, and living in the US for 25 years, i can identity with many of the things you mentioned. Well done!
This was super interesting and insightful! Thanks for sharing! I haven't spent as much time in these places as you have, but I definitely noticed some of the things you mentioned (in Mexico and Paris, specifically).
I'm currently in Mexico, been here for over 4 months as I was working as a teacher. Pria to this I've lived and worked predominantly across Asia, in Asia we tend to get an easy ride on the language front as many speak English, here in Mex it's a struggle, and whist the people here are warm and friendly there are character traits that are very alien to me, I didn't realize Mexicans are so very compliant, they love to do as they are told and of course the whole touchy-feely thing as an Englishman I do find this quite tough , my Mex GF doesn't like it because I don't want to hold her hand all the time when walking about on the streets
I love this channel as well as your main channel. You should come and live in South Africa. Many different cultures. Loved this!
This video is so incredible. I have dedicated my life to seeking out experiences across the world, learn from different cultures, and truly connect with people. Your observations are so true and very relevant. Thank you for dedicating so much time and work to create this and sharing it with the world.
So happy I found your channel !! 👏
I love how you are able to take an obstacle and turn it into a quality. By example the French are always saying 'no' and how its hard to keep pushing forward and you feel like giving up but it creates the ability within you to persist and go outside of your comfortzone and be bold and brave. I think I would give up instantly but maybe not so much after this video, so thank you.
Very good point, I have never been taught this by my parents growing up but as I have grown and met new people I have discovered this is so very important. Thank you for this video.
This is so insightful and useful for me, as I’m going to be traveling in Europe this summer. Thank you for always bringing your A-game to your writing and videos.
Soooo much truth in this. I'm from the US and now live in South America. When I moved to South America, it was such a huge shock because of these stark cultural differences. Just like you explained about Mexico living day-to-day and being "late" culturally (is it late if that's how everyone relates to time?) was such a difficult thing to get used to. Everything you explained about Mexico's cultural aspects totally apply where I live as well. Great video!
Thank you for this video!! I’m moving from The Netherlands to Greece (Athens) next week. I love your realistic pov regarding several cultures. You motivate me to stay open for different approaches and that it’s okay to still use your own approach as a base
Nathaniel, your thoughts on cultures is spot on! I'm a retired American, preparing to move to Italy in a year. I've spent time in Mexico, Italy, and French Polynesia, and it's all so true and endlessly fascinating! Great video!!!
Great video! I relate to you so much. I was born and raised in the US to Greek parents but moved to Greece when I was 11. I never quite felt like I belonged anywhere so I have lived in Italy and am now in the US again waiting for the next place. I love seeing people that kind of don't fit in anywhere and are citizens of the world. I'm so happy I found your videos and am thinking about writing a blog with similar content about my experiences in different countries. You are very inspiring!
This is the first video I have seen of yours. Over eighteen minutes of just you talking, and it was FASCINATING! Compelling and fun youtube personality. You have a new subscriber!
Negrito! me gustan videos! (te darás cuenta de donde soy). Tratando de crear conexiones en Lisboa después de 10 años viajando de mochila. Increíble como se sienten las diferencias culturales. A mi como latina Europa me sigue costando. Supongo que hay una razón por la que la mayoría de las amistades que hoy sigo manteniendo son latinos, españoles o italianos. Todo lo que mencionas en tus videos de pertenecer y de armar tu circulo es tan cierto. Al final he vivido en tantos lugares, pero los recuerdos que me quedan fueron de cuando encontré gente que toco mi vida en el camino. Gracias por poner en palabras lo que muchos sentimos! Saludossssss
loved this video so much ! as an Argentinean with Italian roots living in Los Angeles working with mexicans, i really feel you !
Nathaniel! You should definitely try Spain for a bit. You will see the interesting mix in cultures between latin America and Europe. We aren't that tall, we're very small in personal bubble space, welcoming and food is amazing! Plus you speak the language so it would be a smooth change for you.
I love that the hardship of the experience you are describing is what opens the eyes to see the nuances of the cultures :)
This is honestly one of the most interesting thought-provoking video I've seen in a while. I have been an expat for more than a decade and I have a lot of respect for your ability to analyze cultures without judging. Many come in a country and always compare it with what they've been taught back home. This only cause a sort of resistance to change. I'm not done watching but I had to say this.
I would love for you to come to Canada - Montreal, Prince Edward Island, Vancouver and see if anything stands out to you here compared to different places in the world. Loved this video!
Quality > Quantity I love this TH-cam channel so much 🥰🥰🥰
This video is great!
I'm from Costa Rica, my great grand parents immigrated from Jamaica, so already in my home country my culture is different from the local culture. When I was young I moved to the Netherlands and then to Curacao, now I'm back in Costa Rica. I'm very grateful for this experience, I moved around a lot, even within the country I was in at the time, and now I still keep moving.
I couldn't agree more with learning the language is GOLD. I wish more people understood this, every place I've lived I've met and befriended people that didn't learn the local language, most didn't/don't even try and as a result it takes them much longer to understand the culture.
Then when it comes to punctuality, when I moved back to Costa Rica I had such a hard time understanding what they call "Tico Time", if something starts at 10.00 why doesn't it start on time? But then the Dutch sometimes overdo it by showing up to your house 30 minutes early 😅
Coincidentally I was speaking to my friends about how Costa Ricans aren't direct when they speak and that they don't say no, which is something that is difficult to get used to because one thing I sort of copied from the Dutch is that I don't beat around the bush. But over the years I've learned to be tactful when I speak, but I am still direct, I really try to avoid being rude, but no matter how much I try, people don't like to hear the word "no". All that being said though, I really love how friendly people are here, it's very nice and refreshing, and that laid backness, the "Pura vida" here is also a good thing, I've calmed down considerably over the years.
I had to laugh when you mentioned the directions thing in Panama because it's so true, once someone asked me for directions, I had just moved back to Costa Rica and we don't have street names, so you really have to know where north, east south west is, which I still don't. I told them that I wasn't sure where the location was.... can you believe that they got mad at me, so they basically bullied me into giving them half-baked directions, which is weird.
this is actually so refreshing hearing someone who actually understand that you need to adapt to a culture you're communating with]
I absolutely loved this video, i could not stop smiling the whole time, i really enjoy your observations and this sort of video is what i love most from all you have done!