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People from other countries - they’re just better than us, aren’t they?

468 replies

PebbleDashedDoor · 31/05/2026 14:12

I’m on holiday in the Balkans and like everytime I go overseas, it’s difficult not to conclude people from other countries are just better than us.

Immaculately kept, litter free, great service in bars and restaurants by experienced staff, polite well behaved kids eating out in restaurants, not a screen in sight. Everyone generally better looking, better dressed.

Or do I have rose tinted holiday goggles on?

OP posts:
hourglass2 · Yesterday 15:53

PebbleDashedDoor · 31/05/2026 14:12

I’m on holiday in the Balkans and like everytime I go overseas, it’s difficult not to conclude people from other countries are just better than us.

Immaculately kept, litter free, great service in bars and restaurants by experienced staff, polite well behaved kids eating out in restaurants, not a screen in sight. Everyone generally better looking, better dressed.

Or do I have rose tinted holiday goggles on?

Yes rose tinted glasses a plenty.....

hourglass2 · Yesterday 15:59

LongDistanceClara44 · 31/05/2026 17:42

Great, another thread slagging the English off and 43% of voters agree. It's so boring and depressing.

Yep sick of it now.....

Allonthesametrain · Yesterday 18:17

Having travelled a lot and studied/worked mostly within Europe, I absolutely agree! The kids generally have their own style and not the same sheep fashion. Varied hairstyles, clothes, lots of scarves, also just seem more mature and dare I say a 'chav' attire and attitude has been extremely rare. When I do school trips the difference is remarkable; our girls in crop tops, all have straight long hair, false eyelashes, gym pants; other countries more natural, bit punky, no grey sweat pants, individual and far less Kardashian.

DoughnutDreamer · Yesterday 18:21

AImportantMermaid · 31/05/2026 15:20

I think this when I go to Italy. I always say to my partner, ‘The Italians have really got their shit together’. The culture, the food, the wine, the clothes, the language…it all feels so relaxed yet exuberant.

And yet, the worst and most consistent racism I have ever witnessed is from Italians, the area of Italy my dh comes from is filthy, litter along every road, broken glass on the beaches, and graffiti everywhere. Eating a nice plate of food and drinking lovely wine in the Italian sunshine doesn’t mean Italy has its shit together.

MaturingCheeseball · Yesterday 18:34

DoughnutDreamer · Yesterday 18:21

And yet, the worst and most consistent racism I have ever witnessed is from Italians, the area of Italy my dh comes from is filthy, litter along every road, broken glass on the beaches, and graffiti everywhere. Eating a nice plate of food and drinking lovely wine in the Italian sunshine doesn’t mean Italy has its shit together.

Absolutely. Half my family are from Italy. EVERY SINGLE TIME I read about Italy on MN it is total crap. Italians do not swig wine all day, living la dolce vita, pinching the cheeks of bambini (particularly English bambini) and swan around in Armani. THEY DON’T.

And as for being racist - they are even regionalist ! Had the car spat on once because of the number plate… and one’s surname is dissected to see if it is from an unapproved location. So you can imagine what the general opinion of recent arrivals is…

Mithral · Yesterday 18:46

And as for being racist - they are even regionalist ! Had the car spat on once because of the number plate… and one’s surname is dissected to see if it is from an unapproved location. So you can imagine what the general opinion of recent arrivals

I have an Italian sister in law (from the north of Italy) and when she dyed her hair black as a teen her mother cried because she looked like a Sicilian!

Goldenbear · Yesterday 19:14

SlightlyAjar · Yesterday 08:46

It’s hilarious that, on a thread that was started to proclaim how all other nationalities are ‘better’ than British people, a non-Brit agreeing with the premise is being attacked.

Hardly that surprising, MN is a British forum, as I believe the OP would know as this is a complete wind up of a thread! MN is all the worse for this kind of divisive crap now.

x2boys · Yesterday 19:34

Allonthesametrain · Yesterday 18:17

Having travelled a lot and studied/worked mostly within Europe, I absolutely agree! The kids generally have their own style and not the same sheep fashion. Varied hairstyles, clothes, lots of scarves, also just seem more mature and dare I say a 'chav' attire and attitude has been extremely rare. When I do school trips the difference is remarkable; our girls in crop tops, all have straight long hair, false eyelashes, gym pants; other countries more natural, bit punky, no grey sweat pants, individual and far less Kardashian.

Only they dont do they ?
There has always been alternative fashion in the uk
At a recent family get together my cousins son born and brought up in france who lives and works in paris
Was sporting exactky the same hair do as his yorkshire cousins .

Allonthesametrain · Yesterday 19:59

x2boys · Yesterday 19:34

Only they dont do they ?
There has always been alternative fashion in the uk
At a recent family get together my cousins son born and brought up in france who lives and works in paris
Was sporting exactky the same hair do as his yorkshire cousins .

Edited

Of course not all don't but in over 40 years of travelling/studying/living and working it's definitely something I've noticed a lot. Are his parents English?

x2boys · Yesterday 20:04

Allonthesametrain · Yesterday 19:59

Of course not all don't but in over 40 years of travelling/studying/living and working it's definitely something I've noticed a lot. Are his parents English?

English father , French mother

Arlanymor · Yesterday 20:06

hourglass2 · Yesterday 15:59

Yep sick of it now.....

To be fair to the OP, she never said where she came from. I was going to ask... because 'Britain' if it was the answer, is not a country... but it's the usual goady post of saying something outrageous and then buggering off. So I can't be arsed to engage any further with this thread if people are going to just treat this forum with complete disdain.

Goldenbear · Yesterday 21:52

Allonthesametrain · Yesterday 19:59

Of course not all don't but in over 40 years of travelling/studying/living and working it's definitely something I've noticed a lot. Are his parents English?

How ridiculous! Britain is well known for its fashion heritage and this has always been present at a high end level - Saville Row tailoring and street fashion usually mirroring the British music and creative scenes. I'm not sure where you live or teach but there aren't any hints of the 'American' Kardashians in the wardrobes of the teens around here and it same for my late nineties -00s youth and my Mum's sixties fashion. Your comments are so out there and smack of reading about the UK in some trashy newspaper as only the culturally unaware would not know about the historical link to fashion in the UK!

Goldenbear · Yesterday 21:58

Goldenbear · Yesterday 21:52

How ridiculous! Britain is well known for its fashion heritage and this has always been present at a high end level - Saville Row tailoring and street fashion usually mirroring the British music and creative scenes. I'm not sure where you live or teach but there aren't any hints of the 'American' Kardashians in the wardrobes of the teens around here and it same for my late nineties -00s youth and my Mum's sixties fashion. Your comments are so out there and smack of reading about the UK in some trashy newspaper as only the culturally unaware would not know about the historical link to fashion in the UK!

If anything, I going some European countries have young people who are mostly very conservative in their dress sense or dress like their parents or lots of mountain/hiking clothes i.e. very practical. Are you fashionista teacher then, are you qualified to state this? So you teach fashion?

mathanxiety · Today 00:40

x2boys · 31/05/2026 14:55

You have never heard of Apprentiships then?

They are few and far between.

Vocational training (not necessarily 'apprenticeships') is much more woven into the expectations of people elsewhere.

mathanxiety · Today 00:47

LikeWhoUsesTypewritersAnyway · Yesterday 13:13

Yes I am being serious. Most people on here are lovely. It's a shame you're not seeing all these nice and funny people. You are just choosing to see/pick out the bad posters/the not-so-nice posters, and are coming across as having a very negative attitude. As a pp said, try going to some boards other than AIBU. This is well known for being harsh!

I think it's very sad that you have such a low opinion of British people (well, English if we're being honest here!) You should open your heart and meet with and talk to a lot more Brits. You'll see we are a lovely, funny, kind nation with huge warm hearts. Smile The British are an awesome nation. I love being British, and am very proud of being British!

In other words, 'You've been badly hurt. Come back and risk that again.'

mathanxiety · Today 00:52

SmashThePatriarchy · Yesterday 14:18

Of course I have, I’ve been myself. I have never heard anyone refer to it as “The Balkans”.

The Balkans is the historic name for the region. It has never been that unusual.

SmashThePatriarchy · Today 06:28

mathanxiety · Today 00:52

The Balkans is the historic name for the region. It has never been that unusual.

I am never attempting to make a joke on MN again.

x2boys · Today 07:05

mathanxiety · Today 00:40

They are few and far between.

Vocational training (not necessarily 'apprenticeships') is much more woven into the expectations of people elsewhere.

Well aa you live in the USA ( i think) how would you know?

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