Zzulu posted:

LordArgh posted:

not floating in a bog 2/10

Free Market Mambo posted:

Anecdotally, I understand Norrbotten has been having a hell of a time getting immigrants up there. Many are literally refusing because "it's too cold. "

Never mind that they probably will have a better chance at integrating and finding gainful employment in a smaller town (which usually need workers).

Today, and only today, let us look upon Närpes and be impressed by their accomplishments.

His Divine Shadow posted:

Kva säir et?

Free Market Mambo posted:

Jag menar att jag ha hört bra saker om hur Närpes haft tagit i invandrare under den senaste decennierna, men man måste alltid skämt om Närpes. Det är konstigt, men det är låg.

His Divine Shadow posted:

Jo jag vet, ville bara skriva på närpesiska. Har mycket släkt där.

Zzulu posted:

"beer floating event"



where you float, and also beer

Free Market Mambo posted:

Finlandsvensk is like clear spring water compared to the pitchy almost-french screeching filling Stockholm's skies.

ZombieJesus posted:

Ugh that water must be 90% piss after an hour or two. Do they just stand up and piss over the edge en masse or do they jump in to pee? Either way, gross.

kikkelivelho posted:

kikkelivelho posted:

kikkelivelho posted:

kikkelivelho posted:

LordArgh posted:

suicide rate, clearly

quote:

If people think competition is incredible in Japan or China, they don't know S. Korea. The competition for grades, wealth, looks, just about anything and everything is truly awe-inspiring, and like other commenters have said, unlike perhaps the Japanese, Koreans are far more blunt in their evaluation of you.

Gained 3-4 lbs? Everyone from your family members, co-workers, friends to the restaurant lady you always go to will remind you of this.

The country itself is without a doubt one of the greatest economic success stories in modern history transitioning from a country poorer to Somalia to being one of the richest countries within 2 generations with very little in the way of valuable natural resources. The conclusion that Koreans have drawn is that the human capital (longest work hours, highest test scores, and nowadays even popular culture- dominant pop culture in Asia) is the reason for their success, so the generation of "adults/elders" (40+) has created a cultural imperative of sorts to succeed in everything.

They kill themselves because of shame. A disproportionate number of S. Korean suicides come from the very old (60+) who because of the speed at which the economy rose failed to catch up, and the very young (K-12). Just to give you an idea of the intensity of generational transitions, my dad (63) studied by candlelight in a mud-thatched roof with no electricity, ate his first banana at age 24, and is now using his bluetooth driving his Lexus LS 460. Many failed to adapt at the same rate. Korean kids are placed into an unending competition from an early age with many finishing the US K-12 Mathematics curriculum by the end of elementary school. Failure denotes incredible shame, and many resort to suicide. Hell, in my cousins' school, the former #1 killed himself because he dropped to #3, and this was in junior high. Younger parents are starting to realize how absurd this all is, but the #'s don't lie.

The Korean after-school private education academies? That's a 17 billion USD per year industry in a population of 49 million that according to the latest polls will likely increase even more. It's not at all rare for kids even in jr. high to go home at 10 pm, then do more homework, then wake up at 7 a.m. again with most schools having half-days during Saturdays (this might've changed in some schools).

Japan shares many of the same issues, but the primary reason does seem to relate to the downward spiral of their economy. Many seem to think that Japan's "wealth" as the #3 economy in the world actually means something, but in reality, just like elsewhere, it doesn't translate well to the middle and lower classes. Their economy has essentially been in stasis for 20 years now for the vast majority. People still compare Samsung to Sony, but the gap is huge and widening further. I believe Samsung's annual profits are greater than the 8 largest Japanese electronics conglomerates combined or something.

Employment opportunities seem to shrink more and more each year, and pay gets lower and lower adjusted for cost of living and deflation. They perhaps don't share the obsession with "perfection" that Korea does but the shame still remains when they fail to do well in school, work, etc... This has created the phenomena of the hikkikomori (shut-in) and the "herbivore man (草食系）who essentially shuns relationships.

Honestly, this is a phenomena that exists in the US and Korea too, but well... Koreans and Japanese view Americans as "stupidly optimistic," an observation shared by just about every non-American country for 200 years it seems lol. We seem to have the amazing propensity to consider our success merely delayed even in the worst of times.

Kinda long i know, but i lived in both countries and I've always been interested in the topic. Honestly bruh, when you're told by society to reach for the stars, and that everything else apart from the top 1% is garbage from an early age, it kinda makes anything that's NOT ELITE look paltry by comparison. Nothing seems good enough and it's difficult to derive satisfaction from anything. And hell, that's when you're objectively successful. When you "fail" or be average, you're very cognizant of your mediocrity, and for some, that's too much to take.

This has spawned a lot of cultural backlash. More people seem to be developing a hippie mentality re: life than the $$$$ generation of before, but this is purely anecdotal, and I'll believe it when I see it in the form of reliable #'s and statistics.

There's a bit of me that's proud of my country's achievements, but it kinda bothers me that the other Asian countries are starting to idolize Korean actors/actresses, popular culture, and even the beauty obsession of my people. It's not.... healthy.

Accretionist posted:

And Korea. Korea's suicide rate gives Japan's a run for its money.

Fun comment from elsewhere on Korea:

Accretionist posted:

Rape/sexual assault rates? I know Scandinavia's better-than-average reporting skews their rates up. And that internationally, low reporting and corruption skews rates down.

kikkelivelho posted:

That's kinda hosed up. IMO they should focus more on the finer things in life, like sauna, viina and salmiakki.

Zzulu posted:

why is norway so utter poo poo at sports, especially the only sport the rest of us nords are good at, i.e cold sports


They got snow and ice just like us

Randarkman posted:

you're not supposed to excel and draw attention to yourself in norway. you conform and keep your goddamn mouth shut, its not like you're better than anyone else.

Dark Off posted:

can i move out of finland now?

http://formin.finland.fi/public/default.aspx?contentid=336964&contentlan=2&culture=en-US
The finnish foreign ministry is gonna publish its own official fin emojis. They are proud that finland is the first one to do this. here's some examples.

etalian posted:

Didn't Nokia get wiped out by Microsoft?

Herman Merman posted:

kikkelivelho posted:

DeepQantas posted:

Water usage?

e: doesn't look like it after googling...

HerraS posted:

Also lol is that map really loving metal bands per 100 000 people?

kikkelivelho posted: