by His Excellency 82 Replies latest jw experiences
Black skinned people need greater exposure to sunlight to produce the correct levels of vitiman D. I'd be seeking a country with a lot of sun.
Never seen a black skinned person in my life and have travelled half the world. Only brown skinned people.
Even Google can't find any. Where have you seen them?
https://encrypted.google.com/search?q=black+skinned+people&safe=off&site=webhp&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=6ClOUqemBPHa0QXonYGQAg&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1745&bih=980&dpr=1
I think its a combination of French and water.
If only that were enough for a distinct society.
Must not be enough maple trees in Louisiana
Australia is great, but it is very isolated. Most people I know that come here from the US eventually get homesick and leave.
I don't know how it compares to Canada, but Sydney if very multicultural, which is great, but also leads to some racism. Nothing like how racially vilified I felt by black people, being a white person visiting various black suburbs, like harlem and the bronx in New York.
Canada is too cold.
"I think the Canada <-> New Zealand comparison is probably fair: both have larger, brasher neighbors that they pretend to like but laugh at when they are out of the room."
New Zealand laughs at us? 
Speaking of New Zealand... how does a Kiwi find his sheep in the dark?
Wonderful.
The part of Canada that is closest to Australia, just across the water, is not too "too cold" and has passable Unis,
In many gardens there, you find bamboo, Hybiscus in bloom now, Palm trees, the late Fig harvest coming up, very little snow at sea level locations, no deep frost,
and most studies are done indoors anyway. But If you must ski, snowboard ,
there is white stuff just up the road in the mountains.
Climate: South East QLD, Australia (very moderate)
Severe weather: cyclone season in South East QLD - winds, floods.
Cultural: Canada
Identity: Canada
Academic: Canada/USA
Borderless travel and common currency between countries/states: Australia/USA
Accent: Canada (more moderate and universal)
High levels of intolerance, ignorance and prejudice towards persons with other accents: Australia
(strange phenomenon since 45% of the population are first and second generation migrants)
Embracing innovators: Canada
Deleterious insecurity around identity, innovation, culture, accent: Australia
(Shi-Irwin-Utzon-Marshall syndrome, or tall-poppy syndrome)
Business hub in Australia: Sydney
Harbour: Sydney
Progressive: Canada
Bureaucracy and overregulation: Australia
(very high, stifles business/growth/innovation, creates hostile workplace environments)
Human development index: Australia
Check international university rankings carefully, and ignore cherry picking claims by the universities themselves.
Links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_development_index
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_Human_Development_Index
http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Culture-Shock!-Australia-Ilsa-Sharp/9781558689251
http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Culture-Shock!-Canada-Pang-Guek-Cheng/9781558680876
http://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings
http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings/2012-13/world-ranking
Australia has almost as many New Zealanders as New Zealand.
Canada is great. The whole world likes Canadians.
Australia is a bit weird. We like to think of ourselves as self-reliant, tough and resilient, while always championing the concept of a "fair go" for everyone. In reality we are clustered together in dense populations centres that cling desperately to the fringe of our coastline. We hunker down, scared and frightened of all the northern hordes descending upon us, as if by by some strange gravity, in leaky fishing boats, terrified they will destroy our way of life and clog our freeways. We constantly badger overseas visitors minutes after they step off the plane with "so what do you think of Australia", thus belying any claim to having a strong sense of self or being able to confidently project our identity to the rest of the world.
I, personally, blame all those bloody New Zealanders.
I chatted with a New Zealander at lunch. I asked what they put on for a barbie and he said Steaks.....and sausages. He was suitably impressed by our Canadian Thanksgiving potluck replete with pyrogies, yam casserole, carrot salads, potatoes-stuffing-turkey, several sorts of pies, and it goes on and on and on...
So I think Canada beats downunder on cuisine, hands-down.
Harbour: Vancouver, Canada. One of the most beautiful cities in the world.
Innovation: I beg to disagree, Fernando.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain_drain
