Salzburg, Austria

What to expect in... Salzburg

12. Qualität aus Österreich

The Austrians are proud of the quality of the products they produce, especially when it comes to food. It's a green-conscious country that hates pesticides and GMO produce. Monsanto is not welcome here.

11. Cool accents
The German here is different than mainstream German.
It sounds cool - Arnold Schwarzenegger cool.

10. Mozartkugeln
Chocolate is mandatory.
Mozartkugeln, Kinder, Ritter Sport, and Milka are all popular chocolate brands.
Nutella's pretty important to a well-balanced diet too.

9. Vacation
Austrians have lots of vacation days. They value relaxation and time with friends and family more than material possessions.
The Mediterranean is popular destination for Austrians.

8. Christmas Markets
Nowhere does Christmas like the Alps.

7. Social Equality
They spend a lot on social programs (and haven't gone bankrupt yet like other European countries.)
Many workers in the region are employed by middle-sized companies that treat their employees very well.

6. Directness and nitpickiness
The older generation is direct, orderly, and particular.
The younger generation is changing that quickly though.

5. Great food and beer
Bratwurst, awesome fries, wiener schnitzel, a variety of fresh breads, apfel strudel, chocolate cake, mmmmmm....
German breakfast also hits the spot.

4. Cool clothes
They're more for the tourists and holidays, but lederhosen and dirndls will always be cool.



3. The Alps
This is fairytale land.

2. The Sound of Music
Salzburg's street musicians aren't toothless old men with harmonicas, they're GOOD!
Take a break off your feet and enjoy the shows.



1. Mozart
The God of Austria was born here.

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Rome, Italy

What to expect in... Rome

14. Apartments

Family size is small and housing is crazy expensive, so people mostly live in apartments.

13. Momma's boys
The parents take care of their children until they get married and move out (which sometimes doesn't happen.) The young generation has pretty high demands from their parents (and the government.) Cradle to grave.

12. Constant change
The government rarely lasts longer than a couple years. This is partly because there is a huge political divide between north and south.

11. Fashion
It's not quite Milan, but Rome is still one of the fashion capitals of the world. No sweatpants allowed.

10. Classical music
Italy is the birthplace of opera, modern classical string instruments, and western musical annotation. Italy hosts festivals around the country to celebrate its musical heritage.



9. Soccer
The people are wild about soccer.



8. Tourists
This is one of the world's top tourist cities.



7. Espresso bars
As an essential part of the daily routine, people take the time to sit down and enjoy an espresso.

6. Gelato
Amazing, to-die-for ice cream. Gelato is served in kiddie cups because it's rich and satisfying.

5. Amore
The people of Southern Italy are very warm and friendly.
It's not uncommon to be invited over for a meal.

4. Pizza + pasta
It's sooooo good, but they say the very best is in Naples.
The pizza's a lot healthier and fresher than American pizza.



3. People sitting around
Times are rough in Italy (and the rest of Southern Europe.) Government dependency is high, but the government is broke!
Unions are also powerful, which is typically good for wages but bad for employment rates.

2. The Empire
Ancient Rome is a source of pride for many Italians because of its role in shaping western civilization.



1. Catholicism
The powerful Catholic church has had a major impact on the culture, making Italy more traditional than other European countries. People love Jesus and the Virgin Mary and take part in Catholic traditions, but aren't very religious.
Don't miss a trip to Vatican City (which is conveniently inside Rome.)

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Hong Kong, Hong Kong

What to expect in... Hong Kong

14. Umbrellas

Umbrellas are also conveniently the symbol of protest against Mainland China. They can protest all day and avoid getting tan (being white is desirable.)

13. Gambling in Macau
The Portuguese used to own Macau (and even Taiwan, which was formerly named Formosa.) Few Americans have even heard of this city, but its casinos rake in as much cash as Las Vegas.



12. Mainland (Chinese) tourists
They're the pushy ones in the crowd.

11. Shopping
It's a shopping bonanza! There's no sales tax except on tobacco and alcohol. This country has among the lowest taxes and most open trade in the world and they're RICH! And they said it couldn't be done.

10. Safety

In 2011, Hong Kong boasted the lowest murder rate in the world. You won't feel threatened here.



9. Few kids
Hong Kong ranks in the bottom three for birth rates.

8. Dim sum
Dim Sum is Hong Kong's must-have dish (basket.)

7. Cleanliness
After traveling through Mainland China, you'll think Hong Kong is heaven.
Hong Kong is serious about sanitizing things in public places (like handles and rails.)

6. Cosmopolitan atmosphere
Hong Kong was an old port city (formerly under the control of the British) and has had lots of contact with foreign countries. Hong Kong hosts people from all over the world.



5. Cantonese Chinese and British English
Here they speak the minority Chinese language (second to Mandarin) and the minority English dialect (second to American English.)
It's the worst of both worlds (jk.)

4. Neon signs
Businesses fight for your attention with big, bright, colorful signs. Neon is never tacky.

3. Political frustration
In 1997, the UK gave control of Hong Kong back to China. Hong Kong is still struggling to adjust. This year's massive protests are known as the Umbrella Revolution.
Maybe they'd get more done if they had more intimidating names (however it's still better than the recent "Sunflower Movement" in Taiwan.)

2. Banking, finance, and trade

Hong Kong is one of the world's financial hubs. You'll see lots of nice suits and ties here—most likley people working for large, international corporations.

1. Tight space
There's 7 million people packed into 7,000 skyscrapers in this small corner of China. As a result, real estate is very expensive.

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Beijing, China

What to expect in... Beijing

16. Nightmarish Bathrooms

They stank real bad. Bring your own soap and toilet paper. Also, work out your quads for a few months before coming because it will help you to use the toilet.

15. The Beijing Bikini
This is OK here.

14. The wall

The Great Wall of China is pretty close. Just don't get on one of the trick buses—they might drop you off in the middle of nowhere and leave you no choice but to board their outrageously-priced shuttle.

I recommend taking a flying tour - 

13. The Silk Market
A huge shopping center full of knock-offs. The shopkeepers may stand in the doorway and block you in til you buy something for 1000% the price. For real, sometimes you should aim for 10% of what they're asking.

12. Creepy Maosoleum

You can start your morning off fresh by seeing Mao's dead body in a dark room with 70's commie-style decor and fake flowers. 

The domestic tourists in line push their way through the line to pay respects to that sweet, harmless, lovable little guy.

11. Fixation on the western world

Anything American is cool. 

White people are a tourist attraction (they may form a line to take pictures.)

It's funny to see American symbols at Tiananmen Square.

10. Construction
They've been making more buildings than they actually need.
Not sure how economically sound that is.

9. Big brother
The internet and all mass media are very limited.
Also, you'll be stopped at a few security checkpoints.



8. Spitting
The mainlanders aren't shy with the bodily functions.

7. Hutongs
These ancient communities at the heart of the city give you a taste of real Beijing culture.
Sadly, the government is knocking them down and building what looks more like a theme park than a community.



6. Lack of Spirituality
The government did a good job of killing spirituality.



5. "English"
English is lacking, even at central tourist locations. Even the poor countries I've visited have had better English support for tourists.



4. Too much to do, so little time
It's a huge city and there's a ton of history to learn.

3. Pollution
You can see the air. Breathing this air is the equivalent of smoking 22 cigarettes a day, so try not to breathe.



2. Megasize everything
Buildings and street blocks are huge. Things that look close on a map are always a far walk away.



1. Pushiness and loudness
It seems there's no concept of personal space.

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