Is it normal to be ashamed of ones nationality?

[Galenarie]

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Have you heard about the things happening here, in Romania?
I'm Romanian and I've always loved England and wanted to go there because here shitty and our nation is defined only by our gypsies and our corrupted politicians. Oh, and the criminality. Consider me racist or whatever, but it sucks to be the joke of Europe because suddenly, all Romanian gypsies leave and go to places such as Italy or France and become beggars there because they've sucked all the money from us. Ironically, some gypsies here have more stolen money and goods than I could ever hope to gain by honest work. That 2.5% of gypsies (pardon me, 'Roma' population) has, in my opinion, increased the criminality rate, monopolizing us in our own land and humiliated us not only in Europe, but overseas as well.
Ah, and don't get me started about the politicians. I am no expert in politics, I confess, but our president has stolen votes not only once, but twice and also made fools of us along with his short and stupid prime minister (or rather, prime puppet) and his government. That much I have figured out. Currently, the prime minister has resigned (people suspect this to be another part of the president's scheme to go through the current protests without any personal losses) and a new government was assigned, this time designed especially for a fail. Yay.
Our culture is a total disgrace, as well. When I saw the English Wikipedia article about Romania, I have stumbled upon Inna. You have most likely never heard of her, but she is quite a star here. I personally consider her a classical type of talentless whore. Excuse me. Our past composers and writers all result this? It's embarrassing. Everybody who wants to become successful here can't do so without a small number of brain cells and something interesting for the tabloids to talk about.
In conclusion. You may believe whatever you wish about me. I do not consider myself a racist, because I do not dislike gypsies because they're gypsies. I dislike them because of their behavior. Imagine how you'd feel if you'd be harassed in a restaurant in Florence by some gypsies who heard you speak Romanian and who insistently ask you for money. I believe our country is beautiful, but the current politicians do not promote tourism here because it's too troublesome for their singular neuron to do so. So, once I get the chance, I will go to England because to me it seems like the grass is greener there. So, you shouldn't ask me about where you should go, because I'd tell you to stay there. biggrin

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[Galenarie]

Ominelle

Well, all countries have their good points and their bad points. I really should have taken that into account when starting this thread. Oh, and we have the tabloid problem here, as well. People are just starting to stand up to these big news corporations, I think it was the fact that they hacked into a dead girls phone to get gossip. It's sickening.
There are many good things about my country, I suppose, but it depresses me to constantly hear and see the bad things about it, especially in our newspapers and media. The English wouldn't be English without self depreciation. We've worked out that anyone who's proud to be English is either a posh snob who's never seen the real world, or a chav from a council estate who couldn't be arsed to pay attention in History class. I know, stereotypes are silly.
It would be nice to live in a classless society, but I'm not entirely sure if they exist.
I just stick to saying I'm Welsh. People are nicer then, and my dad doesn't let me say I'm English anyway- Welsh pride. XD
I'd really like to visit Romania one day. One of my favourite books ever is set there (for quite a bit of it anyway), and the pictures I've seen of the countryside are absolutely stunning! Some of the pictures are quite similar to the moors we have in Devon, I wonder if bluebells grow in places on Romanian moors too? It's so pretty. ^.^
Oh, and you aren't the joke of Europe. To be honest, many English people are pretty sure they are. I can see why. (Highest obesity rate in Europe, below average education system, most of us can't be bothered to learn other languages, rudeness, et cetera, et cetera)
The world isn't a very good place to be at the moment, is it? neutral

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Yes, the world isn't at it's best state, but human nature might never allow it to be. We'll always have something working wrong, and it will always stand out. I believe you'll always see your own country's flaws first, and that's why none of us is happy with where they are. Even those who are proud to be Romanian are mostly proud of our past. What's annoying here is how we depress ourselves. I often hear how we call our own system a way of modern slavery. And once you look at it, they're right. We dig our own graves, as it seems. rolleyes
Anyway, I'm happy to hear that you don't have a bad opinion of Romania. Indeed, our country does have beautiful landscapes, high mountains and so forth, so at least we have something. I honestly don't know about bluebells around here. I'm not much of an expert in such things. We have dog roses, though. mrgreen And some flower which, in my knowledge, translates in English as Edelweiss. It is a monument of nature here, as they call it. It's rare, and is shorter here than in other parts of Europe. It grows in the Carpathian mountains. I've been once to London, but not outside the city. I still plan to go there again this spring, and this time I'll try to go around and see the landscapes. I've always loved to just look at pictures of Scottish lakes, I find them absolutely stunning.
Mostly, only the English (at least, from what I've heard of) are more appreciative towards us. I don't want to offend anybody French, but the French have been making fun of us at their national TV stations and on radio. We do get to hear how they call us beggars and other similar things. It is hard for us to go anywhere outside our country because of our reputation. Like I said, it pleases me to hear a word of praise about this place.

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[Galenarie]

Ominelle

London is a lovely place, but it's nothing like the rest of the country. XD
I'd say if you were visiting, then you should go to Salisbury Plain, to see Stonehenge and then visit Dartmoor. Dartmoor isn't as famous as other places in the country, but in my opinion, it's probably the most beautiful place by far. There's a place where for a few months each year, the ground is carpeted with bluebells. It's stunning! ^.^
Oh, and visit some of the old castles and manor houses too, they're always worth a look~
As for the rest of the country. Well, we've basically become a very crowded island where everyone complains. People are living off the state and allowed to become ignorant and obese, whilst the people who actually work are being worked harder than ever, and people who want to work can't even find jobs. neutral
It's very sad to hear about what's happening in Romania, it kind of makes our problems seem blown out of proportion. :c I suppose we can look on the bright side, though. At least we aren't in Syria right now. :/
Err, back to flowers, since it's a much happier subject, we have dog roses here >.<, but we don't have Edelweiss. sad It's a shame, Edelweiss are so pretty, they're like snow in flower form. XD
I keep singing that song from the Sound of Music now. Oh well, my family thinks I'm mad, anyway. dramallama
Edit: The highlands of Scotland and many places in North Wales are very pretty too! Definitely worth a visit. ^.^
I should be a tour guide... XD
And as for the French, this is what we generally think of them where I'm from:
cheese_whine cheese_whine cheese_whine cheese_whine cheese_whine cheese_whine cheese_whine cheese_whine

Lots of them are nice people, of course, but the abundance of cheese and alcohol is undeniable.

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Thanks for the tips, I'll really see what I can do. A place I'll certainly visit this time is Bath, because I need to meet someone there, but this time I still plan to visit some other places, too. Stonehenge was one of the main possible targets, but it's good to find out about other, not as famous but just as (or more) beautiful as Stonehenge. I'll see about Dartmoor, it sounds really promising. As for the castles and manors... Those are some of the few places I just love to look at and take pictures of. I love their architecture, and to me even seeing them in a picture is a nice experience. xd I just love old buildings.
Believe it or not, I have only seen an Edelweiss in pictures. They are great rarities here, so I doubt I'll be able to see one up close, anyway. But our mountains are still worth a visit, too. They're certainly not as high as the Alps, but they still look brilliant.

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[Galenarie]

Ominelle

You've convinced me to visit Romania now. >.<
Though I probably would've have gotten around to it anway. ^.^ it's my dream visit as many countries as I can before I die, and I really like Gothic Castles and stuff like that. I've heard there are a few of those in Romania, too. ^.^
I might just take a gap year one day and travel around the world~
I still wouldn't get everything done, but it's worth a try.
I did hear that Edelweiss were very rare. I didn't know they were that rare though. 0.o Also, If you want to eat curry in London, go to Brick Lane in the East End. It's a really dodgy area, so be careful not to get mugged, just remember the curry is worth it. XD

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Heh, I'm glad to hear that I have 'contributed to the Romanian economy'. Anyway, as long as you don't go to any markets in the large cities, I think you'll be as safe as you can be around here from being mugged. If you want to buy anything from Bucharest (although I don't think you'll find here something which you won't find in England), you should stick to malls.
Like I said, I am a big fan of old buildings, and yes, Romania does have a few castles. What's interesting is that you'll find ancient ruins as well as medieval castles and slightly newer castles and manors. You have a lot of historical buildings worth visiting here. I recommend Bran Castle and the city of Sighișoara, in Transylvania, which is a medieval citadel. Peleș Castle is also worth seeing. They are not Gothic, but they are some of the best we have to offer.
I'd also like a tour around the world, but I take one country at a time. Mostly, I've only visited Europe, but I'd love to go to Argentina or Japan.
Thanks for the tip. I like curry, but it's not that a common thing to find here. If you do find it, it's nothing special. We don't have really a special cuisine here, sadly. We do have a few specific things, but our food is mostly heritage from all the cultures who have influenced our country throughout the centuries, so we don't have something which is really ours. Or anything special which is foreign. Indian cuisine, for example, is rare. Thus, the rarity of curry.

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[Galenarie]

Ominelle

Our "traditional" food tends to be ridiculed throughout the world, so I won't really go into detail with it. XD
I can just say that, as a nation, we tend to eat more for sustenance than for pleasure. >.<
We are, however, very open minded when it comes to foreign foods, especially from the east (India, China, Japan).
I'd also love to visit Japan one day. Not only does it seem like a country of extreme natural beauty but the culture fascinates me no end. It's just so different from what I'm used to, it's incredibly interesting. As for castles in England, I can only really think of things like Longleat (which is more of a manor, but a nice place nonetheless, it's also a safari park) and Castle Drogo, which is nothing special castle wise, but still worth a look.
My favourite castles have to be in Wales. Castell Raglan and Castell Coch are beautiful.
As for Romania, I've always heard that the were Gothic castles there? Still, Bran castle seems very pretty, and very different from other castles I've seen. I'll try and stay away from the markets, but I have a tendency to go exploring at random intervals off the beaten track. It's got me in no end of trouble before. sweatdrop
I've already completed one of my life's goals, to see the Pyramids. ~(^.^)~ They're so much more awe inspiring in real life. It's hard to believe that they were actually built by humans. When I visited Stonehenge, though, the audio CD had me in fits of laughter! It actually said; "When the Ancient Egyptians were building the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Ancient Britons, were digging a ditch." That pretty much sums us up. XD

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I think you're talking about Hunyad Castle (or Hunedoara, how we call it). It's the most famous Gothic castle in here. And the largest. Although I liked the buildings in Florence (and Italy overall) more, but I guess I'm asking for a bit too much. I have heard of a large, Gothic cathedral in Milano, and that's another thing I'd like to see. But the Italians are famous mostly for the cathedrals and churches, not castles. Or, at least, I haven't really heard of any extraordinary Gothic castles in Italy.
Oh, and Bran castle is probably the most famous Romanian castle because of the Dracula story, which says that he, Dracula, inhabits the castle. Actually, Vlad III (or Vlad the Impaler) didn't really live there.
I have also been to the Pyramids, it was really beautiful indeed. It has a whole other vibe in real life. Sadly, they didn't allow us to enter any of the Pyramids, just small crypts around them which were meant for the slaves. And really, I think I'd like to hear that CD for myself, it's almost unbelievable. Though, funny. xd

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[Galenarie]

Ominelle

We were allowed to enter the smaller pyramid but we didn't go in. It was so hot, I thought I was going to melt. A Scottish family actually passed out because of the heat. xd
And after a quick search on Google images, Hunyad castle is probably what I was thinking of.
We're hoping to go to Italy soon, but we're going to Paris again first. I'm doing a GCSE in French, and it really helped last time I went there. I must say, your written English is outstanding. >.< I'm attempting to learn French and Welsh (it probably doesn't help that I'm doing them both at the same time) but I don't think I could ever be that good at another language. :/

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Thank you very much! The first time I have tried to understand English was at the age of three, and I've been practising ever since. But, judging by my age, that's not really that long for some. I'm also trying to learn French, but it's not a passion of mine. What I am trying to learn and really want to know is Italian. I've been a few times in Italy and I really like the country and I find the language similar (in certain aspects) with Romanian, but, after all, so is French. xd

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