schnits reacted:
better watch yourself Rudy- Let me tell you that Romania is not a 3rd world country, but rather a 2nd world country. My family immigrated from there in 1992, and I have a lot of ties to the old land

or should i just wait until someone with ties to vietnam speaks up? :) Economically, in terms of per capita gross domestic product - purchasing power parity, romania ranks 96th in the world. new zealand is 51st and vietnam is 167th. for comparison, canada ranks 22nd (all data from 2010). certainly, that might come as a shock to many canadians since we are always told how great everything is here, but it is also indicative of the way that many people feel about their homelands. but facts are stubborn things. we're still way ahead of the other three -- and, anecdotally, it may be why we attract people from countries far less well off.

as for romania being a "second world country"... well, that ceased to be when Ceaușescu fell since that designation was reserved for communist/socialist/centrally-planned economies.

you will note that there is no prejudice here -- i am only interpreting data and providing evidence. I am sorry that your feelings may be hurt, but that is entirely your issue.

however, i take your advice earnestly. i am getting quite used to being threatened in these forums! :)