Here's an open-ended question for anyone to answer: do you think the EU will eventually be so successful that it truly unites Europe as though it were one country and set an international standard?
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Here's an open-ended question for anyone to answer: do you think the EU will eventually be so successful that it truly unites Europe as though it were one country and set an international standard?
From Saturno:
All you noble Spanish! What are you waitin' for?! Beat the crap outta this grrl! NOW! :cool::cool::cool::cool::cool:Quote:
I have always thought that France is a much more civilized country than Spain...
:eek: Ohh, Xeon, maybe they simply agree with me. ;) :DQuote:
Originally posted by Xeon
All you noble Spanish! What are you waitin' for?! Beat the crap outta this grrl! NOW! :cool::cool::cool::cool::cool:
Ana.
No :) I don't agree, but each one can have their own opinion :DQuote:
Originally posted by saturno7
:eek: Ohh, Xeon, maybe they simply agree with me. ;) :D
Ana.
:D :D :DQuote:
Originally posted by irona20
No :) I don't agree, but each one can have their own opinion :D
I was just joking, although I think that in many things France is more civilized than Spain. Anyway, what has been happening in the last years with their politics has almost made me change my mind. ;)
Also note that i don't think that France is a better place, just a more civilized one. I remember when I was in Angouleme and at 7 p.m. EVERYTHING closed and suddenly, in a two minutes time, there was no one on the streets. In Paris I did have a similar impression, but not as strong, you could go out at night and there were a lot of people around (in some places). But not as in Madrid, of course.
:)
That's an interesting subject... Europe.
Having americans point of view for the construction of Europe...
I think the most important here is to have an economic strength to place in front of the US economy. But we already have this, I think. Except it could be better if organised in one big entity instead of several medium-sized ones and small ones.
We can't make United States of Europe, even if I think that's what thinkers have dreamt of at the beginning.
History makes it different, it would be states with a very different culture, and a long history behind very different from one country to another (see France, Germany and Great Britain, often been enemies in the past, especially England and France!!).
Well, in the United States, as far as I know of, it was newfound land, populated by europeans at the most, and federated by the will of the newcomers (I mean here, not native, indians as we call tem generally). Considering natives were inexistant (which is false! but let's place ourselves in the head of the thinkers of that time), everything was new to build, and then I don't know really how states were drawn, when they joined the union, and so on...
I'm sorry for my lack of american history, feel free to correct me, but please don't shout, we have the right to think differently (aie!).
So Europe, what was the question?? :)
We won't make a one and homogeneous Europe. We can unify some rules and regulation, but each country wants to keep a lot of their present situation. There is no cake-shaper in which all countries of Europe will fit. But we are moving in the same direction, the will of working together, of building something together...
I don't know what I myself, think. I think I don't know enough. But this small laius tells a bit about what I know. :)))
Marina (preparing to vivid reactions)
Well it's different. I think a lot more spanish smoke at work in the office, which I appreciate we don't do much. I think we respect more the schedules, which is good for planning, meetings, rendez-vous ;) But german people would respect them even more rigidly. But It depends who and how, all the time. You can't generalize a country only by what you saw once.Quote:
Originally posted by saturno7
:D :D :D
I was just joking, although I think that in many things France is more civilized than Spain. Anyway, what has been happening in the last years with their politics has almost made me change my mind. ;)
Also note that i don't think that France is a better place, just a more civilized one. I remember when I was in Angouleme and at 7 p.m. EVERYTHING closed and suddenly, in a two minutes time, there was no one on the streets. In Paris I did have a similar impression, but not as strong, you could go out at night and there were a lot of people around (in some places). But not as in Madrid, of course.
:)
I don't think in Paris everything closes at 7.
In Spain you live a lot later. I mean you eat later, you may go out later, and so on. Life is organised differently. A french living near Spain may like it if he sees the nightclub close in France, he can go to the other side and find a spanish one opening! ;)
But this does not mean we are more or less civilised.
We may have stronger rules, and respect them more... :)
Marina
Ok, I wasn't trying to generalize or to mix things.Quote:
Originally posted by Marina Vaillant
Well it's different. I think a lot more spanish smoke at work in the office, which I appreciate we don't do much. I think we respect more the schedules, which is good for planning, meetings, rendez-vous ;) But german people would respect them even more rigidly. But It depends who and how, all the time. You can't generalize a country only by what you saw once.
I don't think in Paris everything closes at 7.
In Spain you live a lot later. I mean you eat later, you may go out later, and so on. Life is organised differently. A french living near Spain may like it if he sees the nightclub close in France, he can go to the other side and find a spanish one opening! ;)
But this does not mean we are more or less civilised.
We may have stronger rules, and respect them more... :)
Marina
On one hand: if France is more civilized than Spain. I think that because of what I saw the two times I was there, but also because of the french people I know and because the many things I have read about France. I have always liked your country, although I don't know if I'd like to live in there, but it fascinates me.
On the other hand: obviously in Spain we live differently from France, and I like our way of living. I said that in Angouleme everything closes at 7, but not in Paris, although after sundown you can't see many people on the streets (it depends of in what quartier you are, Montmatre will be full of people, or the streets surrounding the Pompidou, but not the place where I was staying, near the Metropolitan subway station).
Anyway, both countries have advantages and disadvantages, and I feel really stupid comparing them as I like them both really a lot. :D :D
I hope I can go back there some day, there are still plenty of things in Paris that I'll like to visit... :rolleyes: :)
Ana.
Now that's funny because Metropolitan means subway, so I don't think there's any station named that way.Quote:
Originally posted by saturno7
...
but not the place where I was staying, near the Metropolitan subway station).
...
Ana.
It's like saying: "I live the THE subway station". ;)
And if you think people go to bed early in France, you should see Ireland. A lot of restaurants start getting full at 7PM and getting empty at 10PM, a lot of pubs close before 12 (the last closing at 1AM), and most nightclubs are usually closed by 2AM.
People go out earlier. A reason can be that they don't really eat meals, so they don't have prepare a meal and eat it. They just go to the take away, grab some hamburger and chips, and go to the pub. When they feel like it or when the pubs close, they move to night clubs (where bars are open a little later, and are no really more expensive than pubs). Then on their way home, they grab some more food at the take away.
:DQuote:
Originally posted by Elrond
Now that's funny because Metropolitan means subway, so I don't think there's any station named that way.
It's like saying: "I live the THE subway station". ;)
And if you think people go to bed early in France, you should see Ireland. A lot of restaurants start getting full at 7PM and getting empty at 10PM, a lot of pubs close before 12 (the last closing at 1AM), and most nightclubs are usually closed by 2AM.
I supposed that about Ireland, because in London shops close at 5 and in England many pubs close at 12 or 1 a.m. the latest. I remember that in Watford (little town near London), Thursday was the great day because shops didn't close at 5 but at 7. :D :D :D
Anyway, I can assure you that in Paris there is this subway station called Metropolitan (or Metropolitain), and in Madrid we have another subway station called Metropolitano, which is the same. Umh, I have lived near both, it's such a coincidence. And yes, it's funny that they are called as the subway itself, although in Spain the subway is called the metro, not the metropolitano. Maybe a few years ago this word was used, but now it is not. :)
Ana.
elrond, maybe she meant that the subway is called metropolitan in France.
Or, you know metropolitain does not ONLY mean subway, don't you? It means "of the city" "from the city". A metropolitan can be someone from the city, as opposed to a peasant (well that would not be the opposite, but I don't know how to say campagnard)
a urban person = a metropolitan (not a urban)
Marina :-)
I have found the station on the web, it seems that it's rather famous as it's Art Nouveau style. Please, don't think I send it to demonstrate anything, it's just that it's nice and makes me remember good old days. :)
Ana.
mmm I don't think so. some stations have kept the old entrance, decorated and indicating that they were entrance to the Metropolitain. They are classified monuments of Paris, and will be kept so. But it is not the real name of the station. I'm checking this. :) http://www.citefutee.com/orienter/plans.phpQuote:
Originally posted by saturno7
Anyway, I can assure you that in Paris there is this subway station called Metropolitan (or Metropolitain), and in Madrid we have another subway station called Metropolitano, which is the same. Umh, I have lived near both, it's such a coincidence. And yes, it's funny that they are called as the subway itself, although in Spain the subway is called the metro, not the metropolitano. Maybe a few years ago this word was used, but now it is not. :)
Ana.
Yuo see Ana, the station name is Abbesses :)
Really!! :eek: :eek: :eek:
I have always thought that my station was called Metropolitain! Maybe it's because in Madrid we really do have one. I can't believe that I was taking the subway everyday during one month and I didn't know the name of the station. How did I managed to reach home then?? :confused:
I'm going to check my souvenirs from France, now I really want to know it's real name!! :D