World’s coolest nationalities: Mongolia #4; Japan, China, Singapore on list, but…

by Robert Koehler on January 22, 2011

in Completely Random Crap, East and Central Asia, Mongolia

So CNNGo came up with a list of the world’s 12 coolest nationalities…

America (USA! USA! USA!) came in #5. Mongola — yes, Mongolia — came in at #4, led by actress Khulan Chuluun. Singapore came in at #2, Japan at #7 and China at #9.

{ 42 comments… read them below or add one }

1 setnaffa January 22, 2011 at 1:23 pm: CNN is a corrupt and wrong-headed organization that made deals to ignore Saddam Hussein’s human rights abuses so they could have access…

They’re wrong about coolest countries, too…
2 Fullslab January 22, 2011 at 1:55 pm: I don’t think I’ll have to wait long for many S. Korean nationalistic netizens to throw throw a fit over this(for being omitted) but no matter to them and ‘setnaffa’…
” — remember, if you care that much about being cool then you, valued reader, simply ain’t cool.”
3 pawikirogii January 22, 2011 at 2:10 pm: yeah, mongolia is way cooler than America. can’t wait for that Mongolian star wars movie to come out!
4 R. Elgin January 22, 2011 at 2:13 pm: This poll makes as much sense as having a poll for the world’s angriest yogurt.
5 cm January 22, 2011 at 2:40 pm: #2, just because you think that will happen, it will now probably register in your mind as if it really did happen.
6 keith January 22, 2011 at 3:12 pm: Cool people don’t pay any real attention to silly lists like that. I agree with Elgin @4

I agree that Turkey is a cool place, Istanbul is a stunning city and the people are very hospitable. Mongolians are a nice bunch too, all the Mongols I’ve met have been really pleasant people. The China and Japan inclusion is puzzling. I’ve met some wonderful Chinese, but a lot of Chinese have shocking manners, and Japanese usually seem to be either weird or boring in general.

The Dutch should be on the list for cool over the Belgians.OK the Belgians have better beer, but the Dutch in general are really good mellow people.
7 seouldout January 22, 2011 at 4:10 pm: Singabore?! Really, it’s just too far fetched.
8 Fullslab January 22, 2011 at 6:25 pm: #5 backing netizens and doubting the ease at which they may throw a fit toward foreign media when not considering it as “cool” despite the fact that Koreans marketed Korea as “The Grandfather of World Culture” during the 1988 Olympics.
9 Canarias January 22, 2011 at 7:47 pm: Argentina is not on this list? The only country on earth that sold its future for the sake of being a Ramones video on repeat deserves a spot!
10 jefferyhodges January 22, 2011 at 8:31 pm: I didn’t realize that America had a nationality . . .

Jeffery Hodges

* * *
11 cm January 22, 2011 at 9:37 pm: “#5 backing netizens and doubting the ease at which they may throw a fit toward foreign media when not considering it as “cool” despite the fact that Koreans marketed Korea as “The Grandfather of World Culture” during the 1988 Olympics.”

The only rage and fit that I see, are coming from you. It’s a tongue and cheek article, why not enjoy it for what it is, instead of trying to turn it into a Korea bashing session?
12 setnaffa January 22, 2011 at 10:02 pm: #2, I’m not even Korean! And I have no idea why you have so much hate in you!
13 setnaffa January 22, 2011 at 10:12 pm: CNN Reporter blames talk radio for JFK and RFK assassinations… http://www.breitbart.tv/abcs-amanpour-links-jfkrfk-assassinations-to-todays-political-atmosphere/

CNN is having trouble these days…
14 tinyflowers January 22, 2011 at 10:27 pm: I think I like this failslab guy. He’s such a perfect caricature of the expat Korea hater. It’s not gonna be hard to make this guy look silly when he’s digging up shit from way back in 1988 to make his point about a non-existent Korean reaction to some stupid teenybopper article. Just goes to show how some people will search high and low to find anything to support their prejudice and hate.
15 Hamilton January 22, 2011 at 11:23 pm: French yogurt is the angriest, no contest.
16 setnaffa January 22, 2011 at 11:44 pm: Hamilton, thanks for the tip on spoiled milk!
17 DLBarch January 23, 2011 at 1:23 am: I’d say that list was pretty spot on. I’ve been to 10 of those 12 countries, and, yes, SG does in fact rock. It’s expat community is pretty slick, too. It may be the only big city in Asia without a large population of expat hipster dufus douchebags.

“Kool Korea”? Ha! You’ll need a lot more than a Prada Transformer to make that happen.

As for Botswana, well….

DLB
18 bumfromkorea January 23, 2011 at 1:41 am: Well, I wouldn’t want to disappoint Fullslab.

AHH WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH THIS JOURNALIST?! THIS IS COMPLETE BULLSHIT! SOUTH KOREA IS THE COOLEST COUNTRY IN THE HISTORY OF EARTH AND THEY KNOW IT! THEY’RE JUST JEALOUS OF OUR ACHIEVEMENTS AND OUR KIMCHI AND BIBIMBAP! ARRRRRGGGGHHH!!!! BOYCOTT CNN!! BOYCOTT AMERICA!!! KOREA RULES! K-PRIDE!

Gotta keep our audiences happy, after all…

French yogurt is the angriest, no contest.

The tzatziki in my fridge wanted me to say that you and your French yogurt can go fuck itself. Then it started to commit hate crimes against a box of Yoplait. It was ugly.
19 seouldout January 23, 2011 at 1:49 am: Tzatziki – 4 the WIN!
20 seouldout January 23, 2011 at 2:22 am: It may be the only big city in Asia without a large population of expat hipster dufus douchebags.

Well then, who does everyone else mock?

After a bit of thought I present to you the missing nationalities – Lebanese and Norwegian.

Lastly, we all do realise it’s CNNGo, right? The desperate providing a corporation content… for free.
21 setnaffa January 23, 2011 at 2:28 am: I’m hoping the hipster d-b’s move to these “cool countries so we can get on with enjoying the coolness of where we’re at…
22 setnaffa January 23, 2011 at 2:29 am: italics? [/i]
23 setnaffa January 23, 2011 at 2:30 am: Dang…
24 setnaffa January 23, 2011 at 2:31 am: BTW, how cool is the traffic and weather in China?
25 YangachiBastardo January 23, 2011 at 5:07 am: my personal top 10

10) Portugal: could listen to their language for hours in a row

9) Argentina: canarias at # 9 couldn’t say it better, come to Baires where Bronx circa 1978 lives on

8) Brazil same as Portugal + bad-ass motherfuckers

7) Quebec (well, strictly not a country yet)…poutine and play off season when Habs are in

6) Hong-Kong again not strictly a country but…party hardy and business, fuck love it

5) Japan: c’mon teenage love is forever in your heart

4) Malaysia: i’m tempted to say KL has the best restaurants in this God-forsaken world

3) Greece: summer nights, ouzo, grilled fish, more ouzo, sunburns, retsina, friendly people, did i mention ouzo ?

2) Chile: Argentina with a future+ great food

1) C’mon do i really have to mention this ? Club friday, electro pop, movies, drama, pretty people, great, cheap booze and a sense of reinvention and progress every day, plus love the geometrical design of pretty much everything there
26 isaacakira January 23, 2011 at 5:37 am: So am I cool?
27 Hamilton January 23, 2011 at 11:00 am: “The tzatziki in my fridge wanted me to say that you and your French yogurt can go fuck itself. Then it started to commit hate crimes against a box of Yoplait. It was ugly.”

That isn’t anger it is sociopathy. Anger simmers, it seeths, feel the rage of yoplait black forest cake and then write a chipper Haiku that pushes your Tzatziki into counselling. When anger boils over it is no longer anger. Yoplait screams han, the professional anger-rage-hate-suffering of those way more cooler than you can ever be.
28 hoju_saram January 23, 2011 at 7:32 pm: Ok, I’m gunna bite.

Singapore, cool? Christ, it’s only slightly less boring than Helsinki, is a nanny state with a permanent conservative government which has to encourage its citizens to have sex. It’s about as cool as my aunt Beryl.

My list:

1. Brazil. Anyone who has ever trawled the baladas of Sao Paulo, cruised the alleys of Itacare or people watched in the cobbled streets of Florianopolis would have to agree that this is one cool country. The language is like music and the women are drop-dead gorgeous.

2. Argentina. Slightly less raw than Brazil, but with a pinch more refinement. Again, the lasses have to be seen to be believed.

3. Chile. I had a weekend bender in Santiago once that still makes me smile. I fell in with a crowd of Chileans at a local bar and was taken to every party in the city for the next 3 days. Great people.

4. Greece. I’ll second YangachiBastardo; ouzo, seafood, sunburn and very friendly people.

5. Japan. The friendliest, most polite people in the world, bar none. And its different in a quirky, fun way.

6. Egypt. Visit Cairo and tell me these people aren’t cool. They live in one of the most crowded, polluted cities in the world, and they’re happy and positive. Got a lot of spirit.

7. Bali. Ok, technically not a country, but I give this place multiple thumbs up because they’re wedged between Java and Lombok, two muslim islands filled with nasty, angry, hateful people, and they’re friendly, happy, healthy and very funny. I’ve been staying with a family in Bali for 8 years, and I never get tired of the place. Just skip Kuta.

8. Australia. Ok, I’m biased here, but Oprah thinks we’re cool too. Friendly, funny and happy.

9. America. Probably hasn’t really been cool since Michael Jordan, but its big, bad and friendly all rolled into one, and I like it.

10. Ireland. Should be higher on the list, but I can’t be bothered changing it. The Irish are friendly, love a crack, love a beer, and have a great sense of beauty, particularly the lyrical type. If I had the choice of picking a random nationality to be stuck with for a long period of time it would be a paddy.
29 sanshinseon January 23, 2011 at 9:13 pm: > Koreans marketed Korea as “The Grandfather of World Culture”
> during the 1988 Olympics.

Does Fullslab or anyone else have a cite for that? I paid fair attention to the PR back in pal-pal, but have no memory at all of this phrase….
30 jefferyhodges January 23, 2011 at 10:46 pm: Did that code stop the italics?

Jeffery Hodges

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31 jefferyhodges January 23, 2011 at 10:46 pm: I guess not. Well, I tried . . .

Jeffery Hodges

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32 Fullslab January 24, 2011 at 12:52 am: #12 setnaffa,
What was it I said that makes you think I “hate?” I’ve never been to a country and felt so much hatred towards me, and for the record I don’t hate(read my first post again — I’m cool) so why are you trying to flip it?

#14 tinyflowers,
How is it that I hate? I think you use that word much more than me.

#17 DLBarch,
Stop the hating!

#29 sanshinseon,
Read commentor # 12
http://metropolitician.blogs.com/scribblings_of_the_metrop/2006/06/korea_a_good_sp.html#comment-19193047
33 tinyflowers January 24, 2011 at 2:16 am: Your willingness to believe anything and everything that supports your prejudices. Looking at that link, I was right. I had you pegged.
34 setnaffa January 24, 2011 at 8:41 am: Fullslab, the Metropolitician has an attitude that encourages the rejection he feels from others.

I don’t know why _you_ feel hated in Korea; but most Koreans are actually very warm and friendly people. Their traditions mold them such that they’re shy in a non-Western way. They have a hard time dealing with strangers. Once they know how to relate to you, they’re fine.

There are bad apples everywhere. Don’t be one just because you met some. I met quite a few good and bad folks in the workplace; but my family and friends opened up a whole new world away from the cubicle world…

Try again. It may not be “cool” according to folks who like places where taxi drivers kill you or you can be caned for chewing gum; but there are many nice things right near you, wherever you are in Korea…
35 Koreansentry January 24, 2011 at 11:16 am: I don’t care about other countries, what the f-ck with Chinese? Are Chinese nationality cool? Even with China produces world’s largest illegal immigrants trying to get about of China and there’s millions of Chinese throwing away PRC passports, how come Chinese nationality made to the list???
36 Yeongung January 24, 2011 at 11:36 am: lol @ 10 and 18

Yeah, Americans made this list 3 times! #1, 3, and 5! Woohoo!
37 dogbertt January 24, 2011 at 12:55 pm: I don’t care about other countries, what the f-ck with Chinese? Are Chinese nationality cool? Even with China produces world’s largest illegal immigrants trying to get about of China and there’s millions of Chinese throwing away PRC passports, how come Chinese nationality made to the list???

Jealousy is such an ugly emotion.
38 Darth Babaganoosh January 24, 2011 at 10:51 pm: I don’t care about other countries, what the f-ck with Chinese?

blah blah blah… More racist hate from Koreansenseless.

Stay the fuck in your own forums and spew all the hate you want.
39 tinyflowers January 24, 2011 at 11:40 pm: Yeah Koreansentry. Stay in your own forum. This one is for Korea haters to get their daily hate on.
40 RyanJ January 25, 2011 at 3:25 pm: You know, when I watched that movie Mongol, I was struck by the beauty of Khulan Chuluun.

Years later browsing your blog I saw your partner for the first time in a travel blog post about a wine bar near Gyeongbokgung, and I remember recalling a striking similarity in features between the two women.

In retrospect, perhaps not so much:

http://www.rjkoehler.com/travelog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/DSC_5593.jpg
cf.
http://www.khulan.mn/images/Wall%20photos/Khulan-Chuluun-Mongol-movie-still-Borte-with-red-earring.jpg

http://www.rjkoehler.com/travelog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/DSC_5725.jpg
cf.
http://www.khulan.mn/portfolio/images/Portfolio05.jpg
41 Darth Babaganoosh January 25, 2011 at 5:26 pm: Yeah Koreansentry. Stay in your own forum. This one is for Korea haters to get their daily hate on.

Yes, we’re all here because we hate Korea.

Forgive me for not wanting the signal-to-hate^H^H^H^Hnoise ratio to worsen.

Very well, carry on, KoreanSenseless… tinyflowers wants to hear more of your hatred of “the Chinks”. Although with your own forum nearly overflowing with it, it would probably be easier if he went over there.
42 tinyflowers January 26, 2011 at 1:18 am: tinyflowers wants to hear more of your hatred of “the Chinks”

Don’t put words in my mouth. Thanks for proving my point. Hater.