Since we had a post about the most friendliest countries, we should look at countries that have unexpected friendly people, not the usual answers like Ireland, Scotland, Canada, Taiwan, etc. For me it’s Montenegro. Londoners are considered to be cold and rude but I find them to be very pleasant with me.

  • ultranaut@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    8
    ·
    4 hours ago

    Paris. I’ve always heard bad things about Parisians but they were cool. The only rude people I encountered were tourists.

    • Notorious_handholder@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      2 hours ago

      Im planning to visit Paris soon in a few weeks so hearing this is really helpful! I don’t speak French well and have been trying to get better before the trip. But was worried I’d be treated rudely for it from all the stories I’ve heard. Glad to know they’re just stories

  • BlueÆther@no.lastname.nz
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    4
    ·
    5 hours ago

    For me it was Russia when I spent aroubd 9 days there (in and around Moscow). The people were genuinely friendly and there we not the scammers/tourist traps like in most of Europe and Asia.

    The markets were as interesting as any I’ve been to in Asia/North Africa.

  • rabber@lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    12
    ·
    edit-2
    7 hours ago

    Netherlands. People there actually smile, it’s crazy

    And honestly the US. When I moved to Vancouver Island I started spending a lot of time on the Olympic peninsula and people in that region are ridiculously friendly. Port Angeles is like twice as friendly as Victoria it feels like

    • spacecadet@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      60 minutes ago

      If avoiding conflict was a sport, a random person from Seattle would take home gold from the Olympics every four years.

    • ivanafterall ☑️@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      5
      ·
      edit-2
      5 hours ago

      My answer, too. I remember being uncertain how I’d be received as an American. I stopped in a random restaurant once to ask for quick directions. The lady didn’t just give me some “fuck off”/simplistic “go that way” answer, she walked from behind the counter, came around, took the map I was holding out of my hand, and spent SEVERAL minutes explaining to me in perfect English all kinds of helpful info.

      I loved that place.

  • cecilkorik@lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    21
    ·
    8 hours ago

    China. The people are super nice, sweet, helpful, lovely people. It’s just their government I hate. I don’t know if they hate it too or not since they’re not free to say but I think they’re nice people and they deserve better.

  • Shimitar@downonthestreet.eu
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    28
    ·
    9 hours ago

    Iran has been by far the most friendly and welcoming people. And I visited -a lot- of places.

    Also USA had very welcoming people, I must have been lucky by judging from people online, but in real world, my experience has always been very positive.

  • nightofmichelinstars@sopuli.xyz
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    10
    ·
    8 hours ago

    France. You hear about how they’re rude if you can’t speak the language, which I can’t at all. But everyone I spoke to was totally helpful, polite, and personable. Even most of the people who I interacted with who didn’t speak English tried their best to understand and answer my questions.

  • harryprayiv@infosec.pub
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    18
    ·
    9 hours ago

    I’m wasn’t surprised but Mexico.

    I was in the waiting room at a dentists office in Ciudad Obregón. Every single person that came in was greeted with a warm hello by every single person in the waiting room.

  • Aliktren@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    5
    ·
    7 hours ago

    Germany, went just as brexit was happening, loved the place and people were so friendly, had a few long conversations with people on the bus/train. Also best breakfasts anywhere.

  • iltoroargento@lemmy.sdf.org
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    7
    ·
    8 hours ago

    Cambodia. Genuinely the nicest, and most helpful, people I have ever encountered all throughout the country. I was told about their general friendliness before, but was blown away by actually seeing it firsthand.

      • Iapar@feddit.org
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        7 hours ago

        Because we reduce a population made of individuals to anecdotal evidence.

        “People from there are like this” is just a problematic way of thinking.

        Even if it is positive. Saying all Asians are good at math may seem positive, but it is racist because you imprint one attribute to a whole group and rob people of their individuality.

        It’s racist 🤷

        • BumpingFuglies@lemmy.zip
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          3
          ·
          6 hours ago

          No, the only one approaching racism here is you, as you’re the only one equating culture to race. A black German is the same as a white German.

          • Iapar@feddit.org
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            6 hours ago

            So when I say “all black people are thieves”, that is racist.

            So when I say “all Germans are thieves”…if it is not racist, what is it?

            • StJohnMcCrae@slrpnk.net
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              3
              ·
              edit-2
              4 hours ago

              Race/ethnicity is an immutable physical characteristic. Culture is a set of norms and attitudes that people choose to (or not) adhere to. Nobody would fly off the handle if you said new yorkers are stand-offish. It’s generally true - even if it doesn’t necessarily apply to the whole.

              “Judge people not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

              • Iapar@feddit.org
                link
                fedilink
                arrow-up
                1
                ·
                3 hours ago

                Being German is genetics, like being black.

                Not even new-yorkes? Then they are not really that stand offish, aren’t they?

                But is is okay to judge people by the color of their flag?

                • StJohnMcCrae@slrpnk.net
                  link
                  fedilink
                  arrow-up
                  3
                  ·
                  edit-2
                  3 hours ago

                  You’re tripping dawg. Your argument is weak, which is why you’re trying so hard to twist people’s words into something they’re not.

                  Culture is a set of norms, attitudes and behaviors. It’s not racist to predict behavior based on whether said people self-identity themselves as members of those cultures. It’s not a difficult concept to grasp, so stop intentionally misinterpreting what people are saying. What you’re doing at this point is trolling, and you know it.

            • BumpingFuglies@lemmy.zip
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              1
              ·
              4 hours ago

              I tried to find the correct word or phrase to use, and the consensus seems to be “cultural racism”, so I guess it’s technically a kind of racism, even though it doesn’t directly relate to race. “Culturism” would be a more accurate word, I think.

                • BumpingFuglies@lemmy.zip
                  link
                  fedilink
                  English
                  arrow-up
                  1
                  ·
                  1 hour ago

                  It’s as similar to racism as any prejudice is. It’s just a lazy term coined, I’d bet, for the sake of quick understanding within the context of its era, rather than for semantic accuracy.