Please elaborate it, I’m curious about your experience 
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Or you can live in the European countryside and have a big house and a car that you drive everywhere.
Like others have stated: the different countries across europe are wildly different culturally, but based on geographic location a short (and overly stereotypical) summary would be:
Northern Europe: terrible climate, progressive, great welfare state compared to the rest of the world (people are taken care off in regards to healthcare, education etc), terrible food, more practical/efficiency based, less ‘celebrating life’, but everything is organised very well.
Southern Europe: nice weather, more traditional culturally, slightly worse welfare state, things are less organised/efficiency based but people seem to be enjoying life more. Way better food!
Western Europe: Historically more American Capitalist influence, more progressive.
Eastern Europe: Traces of former sovjet influence, more traditional.
Of course this a complete generalisation and a lot of countries are exeptions to the above.
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Haha. There’s many examples…
One of my favs was we were doing some material testing…or at least we needed it done to verify what they were supplying met the specification… so I ask in a meeting to send me info on the impact testing as there was some concerns the witness signatures were faked… I then got emailed a photo of a hammer… cheers but I’m gonna need abiiittt more detail than that… I then got emailed back the same photo of the hammer but more zoomed in… got to love it!
there was never a dull moment, but we always got the jobs done, usually over lunch with wine… : )
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Don’t come to the Netherlands, already too crowded here.
On a serious note: if I would have to pick a new place to live in the EU, it would defo be Portugal, especially if you are not depending on the Portuguese labour market. And it is still close to your family.
Pro’s: low cost of living, affordable housing (Alentejo my favorite region with lots of space and beautiful coast line), great climate and Portuguese people are ace.
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Haha your response made me think of this:
‘Denmark is the top ranking country when it comes to lego’s’ 
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Well, the first question most strangers ask you in the USA at a party or whatever is “what do you do?” which I’ve used most my adult life to decide who not to get to know.
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Which reinforces my point beautifully.
“As little as possible” is often my reply to that one. The subsequent response is often enough to gauge whether or not it’s worth pursuing a conversation.
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I’m interested to know your cutoff point to this question. Presumably if they reply ‘drug dealer’, ‘murderer’, ‘terrorist’ you give them a wide berth. But if they reply ‘dustbin man’, ‘nurse’, ‘bus driver’, ‘house husband’, ‘nuclear physicist’, ‘musician’, ‘Professor’, ‘shop assistant’, ‘McDonald’s server’, ‘comic book illustrator’ you make a judgement?
I don’t make a judgement based on what the other person does as that’s not something I would ask a person who I don’t know well.
“This and that” has always been my default answer. Some people just don’t know what else to talk about I guess. It’s not like I walk away after a person asks me and I’m less likely to be as reactionary the older I get but it always struck me as if the person is trying to determine my placement in the social hierarchy or if I might be good to network with. I haven’t had a serious American girlfriend since high school and feel like this is somewhat related.
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I guess my comment was somewhat confusing, I meant that a person asking that question sort of turns my mind off to them, not what they “do” in life regarding employment.
Ah ok. My misunderstanding. Sounds like we are making the same point.
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Indeed. On a side note when I would meet someone from Scotland the first question I would ask them is if they drank buckfast which in hindsight but be an annoying question.
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Are you from Yorkshire?
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No, I’m from New Jersey 
haha. Was going by the Kes avatar.
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You mean us passport holders could stay in the EU longer than 90 days before?
Cause that’s been the case for all tourism for a very long time for other non eu passport holders 
didn’t know united states tourists had special treatment.
What if you’re wrong and they’re just trying to make conversation by getting to know you the only way they know how, albeit awkward?
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