How many different nationalities have you met....

..... or worked alongside?

I'm asking because it's just hit me that, although I haven't traveled outwith the UK, I've met a large number of people from different countries. More specifically, worked alongside them at the supermarket branch I work in.

Off the top of my head, we've employed and I've worked with the following:

American,
Irish,
French,
Dutch,
Polish,
Finnish,
Czech,
Bulgarian,
Russian,
Lithuanian,
Algerian,
Tunisian,
Turkish,
Iranian,
Pakistani,
Indian,
Sri Lankan,
Ghanaian,
Nigerian,
Gabonese,
South African,
Thai,
Filipino,
Chinese.

One of my neighbours is Norwegian and when I was (briefly) at university I had some Greeks in my class. Aberdeen has two universities, so that covers most of them as the majority were students. Add in the oil and gas plus engineering, life sciences etc that produces a fair old selection - it feels as though I don't have to see the world, it comes and pays me a visit!

Mike.

Your post shows that the UK is much more "multicultural" than the US. In my own experience, having traveled more than the average American, I have known or worked with the following (and I am not counting established US residents from non-US backgrounds):

Canadian, including Quebecois
English
Irish
Korean
German
Indian
Swiss
Mexican
Indigenous tribal American
Czech
Thai

dscott8 wrote:Your post shows that the UK is much more "multicultural" than the US. In my own experience, having traveled more than the average American, I have known or worked with the following (and I am not counting established US residents from non-US backgrounds):

Canadian, including Quebecois
English
Irish
Korean
German
Indian
Swiss
Mexican
Indigenous tribal American
Czech
Thai

Not quite sure I agree with that scott. I travel extensively, being a military brat having had a father and nine brothers and sisters in various military installations abroad.

But I've been fortunate enough to meet everyone on Michael's list with the exception of four without ever leaving the US. Universities in America are very diverse. There is an International Department in most to welcome and make them feel at home. Not to mention exchange students of which we've entertained two - Canadian and Russian.

The second largest count of friends I have are Romanians. I have a renovated abandoned commercial building turned large flat in Bucharest -- occupied by friends. A flat in France and England.

From Michael's list...

American,
Irish, - Ireland is beautiful. How does the grass get so green!
French, - Oh boy!
Dutch, - Many trips to Amsterdam.
Polish, - a former roommate.
Finnish, - university. Gorgeous girls.
Czech, - university. co-workers. amongst friends living in Bucharest.
Bulgarian, - friends now living in Bucharest.
Russian, many. Dated several.
Lithuanian, - friends living in Bucharest.
Algerian, - university
Tunisian, never met
Turkish, - university
Iranian, co-worker. Very interesting his plight.
Pakistani, - university..
Indian, who hasn't?
Sri Lankan, a sister's husbands family.
Ghanaian, have not met
Nigerian, - university
Gabonese, have not met
South African, dated
Thai, have not met. Well, a short embarrassing encounter on a beach. They were eating sand crabs pickled in a jar that made me puke upon smelling. A Thai delicacy. The jars sit on shelves in their homes.
Filipino, - an American friend's wife. Good food!
Chinese - lived next door. One of my most memorable families. Actually a Japanese/Chinese union.

Add to this list...
Romanian.
Uruguay
Ukraine
Armenian - a very lovely family and set of female twins. Darn good food.
Venezuelan
Wales
Bahranian female -- If skype counts. lol
German -- dated several. Fell madly in love with one.
Swedish - Quite a few friends in Sweden. Sold a flat there to a newlywed couple dirt cheap. Absolutely love that country.
Swiss -- I have bank accounts there and a lovely personal banker. If she hadn't already been married...
Spain
Sierra Leone
Scotland -- visited quite a few times. I have an obsession for castles. One of my last visited is in Scotland. 19 total.
Portugal
Peru
Jamaican - restaurants.
Italian - many. A good female friend who probably still has a crush.

Many different 'Native Americans' as I am, partly. Also my father was part British West Indies. Many a trip there.

And the list goes on and on.

I had a teenage desire to kiss a girl from every country and leave my DNA on their lips. When you tell a girl that, you'll be surprised how many are willing to further your DNA spread through the exchange of bodily fluids. Honest, try it! I ain't caught the cooties yet! - threatens my niece. lol

One or the most interesting though was the Bahranian girl. Insanely interesting.

I'm sure I've overlooked many. I'm a people person and I travel abroad a lot. I married a lovely woman from Coventry, England who I met at my University.

Ah! I met a tennis player from Belarus!

dscott8 wrote:Your post shows that the UK is much more "multicultural" than the US.

It's probably a historical thing. The UK was once the linchpin for the largest trade-based empire in history before we dismantled it and let everyone go their own way. The fact that overall, the British Empire disassembled itself in a civilized fashion rather than fragmented into civil war etc meant that the UK kept its links with the countries it had once ruled (most of whom now form The Commonwealth) and kept trade links going. Whenever you have trade, you have immigration/emigration, so families from other cultures moved into the UK seeking life in a place that generally follows the rules.
Of course, the multiculturalism of any given area in the UK is incredibly variable, the most multicultural areas tend to be the inner-city regions. Once you get into the suburbs and rural areas, it goes to what is almost localized monocultures with regions a bare three miles apart having cultures as different from each other as Washington and Texas are.

As for the cultures I've worked with, I'm not sure.
I tend more towards negative culteralism. I don't give a damn about a person's background as long as they can do whatever job needs doing.

According to my 3DS though, I've passed by people from at least 40 different countries...

Just remembered two more - Romanian and Australian, so that takes it up to 28 nationalities in all. So far, anyway!

Like Michael, I'm pretty much the same , if they can do the job, I don't give a damn where that person comes from.

I do have to say that Eastern European girls do seem to tend towards the attractive end of the spectrum. The Russian woman I worked with, Linda, was absolutely gorgeous and smart as well - she could speak three languages in addition to her own. However she was a bit of a honey trap with two kids attached, so I "didn't go there", as it were! She was actually glad that I was the only guy who didn't continually flirt with her!

Oguzhan, the Turk, was one of those people where you were never quite sure which side of the "genius or idiot" line he was actually on. Very intelligent, but, boy could he be completely dense at times!

As for the Indians, generally good people, but they certainly have huge weddings. One had five thousand people at his, whilst another's sister "merely" had two thousand when she got hitched. All arranged of course, although I do remember one, Ravi, being very reluctant to go back to India because of, as he put it, "the crushing weight of family expectations". He much preferred the freedoms of the UK. Eventually he had to go back home after his university course was over (Visa expired and not renewed), but I don't think he was particularly overjoyed at the thought. Poor bugger.

Mike.

The Senior Center where I'm typing this
has a World-Map showing the origin-places of people here.
Twenty-four countries are shown.
I know that this list is not complete.

HTM

USA
Indigenous tribal American
Canada
Canadian Quebecois
Mexico
Chili
Brazil
Norway
Sweden
Russia
Poland
France
Germany
Scotland
England
Wales
Ireland
Spain
Portugal
Netherlands
Italy
China
South Korea
Japan
Singapore
Philippines
India
Lebanon
Israel
Australia
New Zealand
South Africa
Morocco
Bahamas


The individuals I have known from India had their weddings over there even when both bride and groom were permanent US residents, so I haven't seen a wedding in person but the stories they tell!

Most of the Indians that I have seem getting married lately seem to be using the semi-arranged marriage route. Basically he and she each let their respective families know that they are interested in being married at which point the families search for an appropriate bride/groom. Once one it located the pair of them date for a short while with the understanding that unless they truly dislike the person they will be marrying that person. It differs both from the traditional arranged marriage route in that there is a short dating period to determine compatibility and from the traditional Western love match route in that the family selects the finance not the individual. Generally it seems to work well. Most (though not all) of the couples seem happy.

All I can really say is lots, despite having only visited one foreign country (The US). I doubt I could ever re-construct a comprehensive list at this point.

But with university, parliamentary work and living in our nation's capital for 20+ years, lots is probably the best and most accurate answer I can honestly give.

Sheesh... *met*? This won't be comprehensive...

Canadian
American
Mexican
British
French
German
Belgian
Dutch
Austrian
Czech
Spanish
Italian
Iranian
Palestinian
Jordanian
Israeli
Chinese
Japanese
Korean
Filipino (Don't know why the country is "Ph" but the nationality is "F", but I digress...)
Malaysian
Thai
Singaporean
Taiwanese
Indian
Pakistani
Vietnamese
Russian
Afghan
Indonesian
Australian
Swiss
Greek
Swedish
South African


(And I'm sure I'm missing a bunch of South American and African nations where I met the people but never caught where they were from and couldn't readily recognize it from accents...)

Michael Riddell wrote:..... or worked alongside?

I'm asking because it's just hit me that, although I haven't traveled outwith the UK, I've met a large number of people from different countries. More specifically, worked alongside them at the supermarket branch I work in.

Off the top of my head, we've employed and I've worked with the following:

American,
Irish,
French,
Dutch,
Polish,
Finnish,
Czech,
Bulgarian,
Russian,
Lithuanian,
Algerian,
Tunisian,
Turkish,
Iranian,
Pakistani,
Indian,
Sri Lankan,
Ghanaian,
Nigerian,
Gabonese,
South African,
Thai,
Filipino,
Chinese.

One of my neighbours is Norwegian and when I was (briefly) at university I had some Greeks in my class. Aberdeen has two universities, so that covers most of them as the majority were students. Add in the oil and gas plus engineering, life sciences etc that produces a fair old selection - it feels as though I don't have to see the world, it comes and pays me a visit!

Mike.

Oh bummer, *lol* this question is going to be complex...

Mmm, i´ll restrict myself to only listing those that i´ve had a good bit more than just a meeting or two with, otherwise it´s going to end up with over half the world included.

Thailand (distant relative, and a elementary school classmate, uhm, and some more)
Japan
China
Russia (friend of my brother´s girlfriend among others)
India
Pakistan
Turkey
Syria
Iraq (one of the dentists i´ve been to, very nice guy)
Iran (really nice dentist who is also friend of my cousin among others)
Yugoslavia
Greece
Romania
Poland
Ukraine
Estonia
Finland
Latvia
Åland
Norway
Denmark
Germany
Iceland
USA
Canada
Australia
New Zeeland
Egypt
Israel
Palestine
Gambia (troublesome and rough, but also friendly guy i went to school with)
Morocco (distant relative)
Ethiopia
Somalia (really annoying girl i went to school with for just 2 years but felt more)
Spain (made a couple of friends when i was there yay)
Italy (brothers girlfriend among others )
UK (my niece likes it there)
France
Cuba
Austria
Vietnam
Malaysia (friend of a friend )
Ireland (friend of my brother is really nuts about the place, even speaks the language fluently and brought home a number of more or less interesting people)

At least another 2 each from somewhere in South America and Africa that i don´t remember where they´re from.
Oh, and i think Barbados or something?

Yeah, i went to school for a couple of years in one of the most immigrant dense suburbs of Stockholm. It was kinda funny when the Swedish class had exactly one person who was actually 100% native, and that was me, because even the teacher was a Finland-Swede.


All that and i haven´t travelled outside of Europe, and not a whole lot at all.
Been to just Finland, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Åland, Spain.

I´ve probably forgotten quite a few more people as well. And like i said, if i started counting anyone i´ve had a meaningful conversation with at least twice, then a lot more countries would be added.