zlacker

"a lot of people like to feel like the rest of the world is a shithole." I wouldn't say that's my bias - I like to travel so I like to feel like the rest of the world is welcoming. However, clear problems that are different from what I'm used to do make me uncomfortable

>>ludama+(OP)
>I like to travel so I like to feel like the rest of the world is welcoming.

I'm not making any assumptions about you in this post, but just making a comment.

I think the challenge here is that "welcoming" is relative to who you are, including your financial status and skin color.

There are countries people talk about on HN and Reddit which are super welcoming, everybody is friendly, great for remote work, taking an inexpensive vacation, etc.

I once traveled to one of those countries with a white friend. It was comical to see how differently we'd be treated even though we'd be walking next to each other on the road or sitting together at a restaurant. We're clearly friends and hanging out. He'd get his ass kissed and I'd be treated like a non-entity. Our English, human interaction skills, and financial status were pretty much the same. It's not like anybody could tell his passport or mine by looking at us.

Again, UAE and other countries in that region have lots of problems. So this isn't negating what you are saying.

>>apohn+L3
Thanks for this comment. As a white-ish person who has mostly traveled with other white people, I was totally blind to this and made the same judgement: that these countries are just inherently welcoming to foreigners.

>>titano+8q
Try dressing like a slob and borderline bum next time you visit the city next to where you live, then do the same dressed in an expensive tailored suit and matching watch(just get some gaudy knockoff on amazon, its not like anyone can actually tell). The difference in how you are treated is just nuts. Its not that these countries are inherently welcoming to foreigners, its that the service sector of pretty much all countries are welcoming to people who are very wealthy. (or rather people who can plausibly fake it)

>>apohn+L3
Out of curiosity, which country was that?

>>apohn+L3
If I like to travel I am less likely to focus on "wanting places to be shitholes", that's all I meant in your quoted text