To ask about people from different countries

I moved to England just after Princess Diana’s death, and thought I’d arrived in a country of total maniacs. I remember looking out the window of my accommodation at a very regulated bus queue with everyone obediently standing in line an equal distance apart, and then seeing the tv news with people weeping and screaming over the flowers…

That's why I can't do it. I don't think I've ever studied anyone that closely. How do you manage to look at someone's clothes labels or shoe brand without bothering them? I've never peeped over someone's shoulder and looked at the language of their book. I tend to look at local sites, architecture, go to restaurants and cultural events. We all travel for different reasons I suppose.

Southern Europe - babies and schoolchildren are welcomed everywhere and anywhere until all hours. That makes it easy for parents to socialise and kids to play together. I really think that is a big factor in their laid back style and openness with others. The weather helps, but even in Winter (which is never freezing anyway) the same principles apply.

Northern Europe- not the same attitude to taking kids everywhere. Strict meal times and bed times. Longer school terms. Strict school rules (fines etc,) and Weather.

Just a couple of observations, and I'm sure there are many more.

Sorry IcedPurple, I should have specified that I lived in Naples for years and for a while in the Cilento and Sicily. Yes, Milan would be a very different ball game.

There are clues if you look close enough. Like the language of the book/newspaper they're reading, the label on the clothes, even shoes (certain brands popular in some countries but not all).

@marcopront By hearing them talk or getting to know, knowing of them etc

Where in Italy did you live?

I lived in Milan for several years and found the locals to be quite reserved and guarded in public. When they got to know you it was a completely different story, but people certainly weren't striking up conversations with strangers on the Milan Metropolitana. They would consider it quite strange if you attempted to do so.

Fascinating thread! I think about these things often. I’m enjoying reading the responses.

It’s often the way they dress, hair style, the way they behave, talk loud, shout at their kids (!), the way they look. Of course you can’t tell all the time, but quite often.

That's a great talent to have!

Ok, I can.

How are you confirming you are right 85% if the time?

Interesting post, op!

I’m from England but have lived in a Southern European country for the same amount of time I was in England. There are many different nationalities where we are and I can predict what nationality a person is probably 85% of the time. From the way they look, dress sense and the way they act. A lot of stereotypes are often very true indeed!

It usually follows that the further south the more laid back and gregarious the people and the further north, the more reserved they are. This does generally seem to follow. For example, the Scandinavians are known to be reserved and to greatly value and be very aware of their personal space. The Italians on the other hand (I lived there for many years) have no such qualms. They'll happily sit next to you on the bus, even if all the other seats are empty, and strike up a conversation.

I travel a lot and couldn't tell you where someone was from by looking at them.

People in different cultures are socialised differently OP.

If you travel a lot you soon learn to see where people come from.

This thread is about how people from certain countries have certain characteristics.

How do you see where they come from unless you base it on their characteristics.

I teach in an international school with people from all over the world. I cannot always match them with their nationality.

The thread seems to be saying people from country X have characteristic Y and we know they are from country X because they have characteristic Y.
Or alternatively people with characteristic Y have characteristic Y.

I think that IS the German stereotype - Aryan.
No idea why we keep been taken for German though. I sometimes get English people think I am Spanish when we are in Spain, we do have a house there and so go often and my Spanish is reasonable but the locals know I'm not, its just The Brits who get confused.
My friend is married to a Frenchman and he says that its because we don't "seem English" but he couldn't say what exactly it was

If you travel a lot you soon learn to see where people come from.

I’m not from the UK or Germany, but Germans aren’t known for being tall and blonde!? I’d say the opposite, dark hair. Where I live you can spot the German tourists miles away. 😂 And there are lots of them at the moment.

How do you know what country everyone is from?

We're just returning from a holiday on the Costa Brava, staying in an apartment in a complex with a pool, with mostly Spanish neighbours.

The pool area is absolutely gorgeous but we noticed most Spanish people only came down to swim and then returned to their apartments or went off somewhere else.

If we weren't heading for the beach we would lie by the pool for a good few hours, but often completely had the place to ourselves. I guess Spanish just take the sun for granted and don't actually want to lie in it for any length of time.

I do think warmer weather might affect how people behave culturally. But it's hot in Spain and Egypt and those two cultures are very different.
I always think British people are really reserved and unfriendly to strangers. But not all of them obviously. Honestly there are too many factors that determine how people behave to pin it down.

id it make us the rebellious, stubborn, funny, resilient people we are?

😂

DH is German by birth but has been here since he was 10. Me and the DC born in England and speak very little German.
When we were in Italy last year everyone thought we were German and none of us are tall and blonde (some of us are tall and 1 of us is blonde but nobody is both). No idea why we seem "German", its happened in other countries too.
It tends only to be in Germany that people think we are English ironically