I’m Scotch/Irish on my dads side, Dutch/German on my mothers side. Talk about conflict.
I’m the classic case of “melting pot”
Right on!
And to those who don’t like it, <censored>! :mrgreen:
I’m Irish on two sides, with Dutch and Portuguese (and an embarrassing element of English which the family has always called Cornish to distinguish ourselves from the Poms) and a few bits of other stuff to make me a certified mongrel. 
-Argentina Guachos, Falklands War, Eva Peron, Nazis, Transandine Railway
-Brazil Sugar loaf Mountain, Rio de Janeiro, Bahia,
-Chile Santiago, Fruitilar, Osorno, Chiloe, Valdavia, Puerto Mont, happy times
-Uruguay
-Colombia
-Mexico Mexicana pilots best in World!
-USA Henry Ford, Bill Clinton, FDR, Ronald Regan, Big Boy
-Canada next to USA
-Spain beautiful Women
-France good place to live if you are a fascist
-Germany see France, France is now better
-Austria ruled by elected dictatorship
-Sweden Swedrabia
-Italy best food, girls with hot bodies,
-England not a Country
-Czech Republic made good tanks before WW2
-Ukranie I like the chick with the peasant hairstyle
-Rusia either invading some other country or about to invade some other country or has just invaded some other country, has worst dressed rich people
-China Communism Lite meets Turbocapitalism
-Japan Good looking Women, polite people
-Saudi Arabia Arab Fascists
-Lebanon Was a nice place, till the Islamists screwed it up
-South afrika Gave white people a bad name
-Israel The new excuse for hating the Jews
-Australia. Do as I say, not as I do.
-New Zealand Kiwis Rule!
-Argentina : Well about argentina i would that the first i think is handsom girls
-Brazil : About Brazil 1.football 2.Rio de Janeiro 3. samba/mambo and cocoa
-Chile
-Uruguay
-Colombia
-Mexico
-USA : 1.war and “heavy” oil prices . Also rock .
-Canada : Cold winters , nice summers i gues
-Spain : Real Madrid , Catalunia , Valearides
-France : Aifel tower , Louvre and “romance”
-Germany : World War I , II . Scorpions , Brandenburg’s Gate .
-Austria : Chocolate , chocolate and chocolate
-Sweden : Diamonds , winter , 1.80 handsom blond girls
-Italy : Rome , Colloseum , nice wine nice beaches .
-England : Beatles
-Ukranie : Chernobyl nuclear disaster
-Rusia : Josef Stalin , Lennin , war with georgia
-China : Mao CHe Tung , billions of people
-Japan : Hiroshima , Nagkasaki , sake , samurai ,
-Saudi Arabia : Lot of oil , Persian Gulf War(or was other country ?)
-Israel : Holy Land , Six Day War and Yom Kippur War
Argentina Guachos, Falklands War, Eva Peron, Nazis, Transandine Railway
You mean Gauchos.
Well, if you want to speak of melting pots, my wife is from the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
Trinidad, being at the southern tip of the Windward Islands of the Caribbean, lies just off the coast of Venesuela, it’s capital city being Port of Spain.
Map
http://www.islamargarita.com/venezuela-map.htm
It was a Spanish colony, peopled by Arawak and some Carib Indians, until taken over by the British. The British (Picton in particular), encouraged by French refugees from the island of Hispaniola/Espanola (modern Haiti and San Domingo) introduced slavery to the island. After emancipation, the former slaves refused to work the sugar and coffee plantations and so the British encouraged Portuguese migrants to come and work there. However, they couldn’t handle the environment and began to drop like flies. The colonists tried again, this time with Chinese indentured workers, but they rioted and refused to work in such harsh conditions - turned to running laundries for a living. So, in desperation, the colonists treated with India and sort Indian, indentured workers. This was successful. The Indians worked the plantations for seven years and then were given a plot of land and released from their indentureship. Naturally, these workers had to be replace, and so Indians were taken to Trinidad up until around 1905. Even today, it is Indian labour that works the plantations.
Those were the beginnings of the melting pot - Spanish, Amer-Indian, British (English,Welsh, Irish and Scottish), African/African-Caribbean, East-Indian (Hindu and Muslim), Chinese and Portuguese. Many of these people of various races which include other immigrants that followed, such as Syrians, have inter-bred and inter-married over the generations, a diversity which has produced a wonderfully enriched nation and culture.
Trinidadians refer to themselves not as a melting pot (although the term does lean to that of mixing of colours), but as Calaloo, which is both a plant and a dish made from the plant. The dish basically means mix-up, and that’s how Trinidadians see themselves. A mix-up of race, colour, culture and creed, and for the most part - it works.
Although most of the Caribbean Islands have mixtures, the level of the mixtures is almost unique to Trinidad, with Guyana, formerly British Guiana, sharing a similar history coming a close second.
And wherever you find Trinis, you will will find Carnival. 
Trinidad:
http://www.carnaval.com/cityguides/trinidad/trincarn.htm
Notting Hill:
Wow 32bravo, they are definitely “calaloo” down there in Trinidad&Tobago! That’s amazing the amount of cultures on two small islands:shock:. Thanks for sharing!
Well, thank you, sir.
As I’ve touched on ‘Carnaval’ here’s a little more inof from my own experiences:
When I first visited Trinidad, about thirty years ago, the ratio of women to men was quoted at being 10:1.
there is nothing Trinis enjoy more than Caranaval, and with it comes Bachaanal which is scandal and confusion or, as far as the girls are concerned Scandalous behaviour - and they compete to be the most outrageous - they take no prisoners…no man is excused…no man is safe.
http://greatdance.com/choreographerscarnival/IMG_1542.JPG
Carnival is not Carnival without bacchanal!
http://greatdance.com/choreographerscarnival/2008/02/kiddies-carnival/
Carnival/Caraval begins with ‘Jouve’ just after midnight on the Monday running into lent. It finishes with “Las’-lap” ending at midnight on Tuesday, the beginning of Ash Wednesday. Forty-eight hours of drinking and bachaanal, before the abstinence of lent.
Going about Port of Spain on the morning of Ash Wednesday, it’s as if Carnival had never happened, the place is clean and very very quiet (not a drunk or vagrant in sight). One would never believe that about a million people had been “Jumpin’ up and gettin’ on bad” the night before.
There was also a group of Afro-Americans who were settled in Trinadad. Escaped US slaves who joined the British forces in the War Of 1812, and gave noteable service in a number of battles during this war, as members of the Colonial Marines, including the raid on
Washington.
After the war they were, as free settlers, given plots of land in Trinidad, where descendants still refer to themselves as ‘Merikens’
Hey, now I’m really impressed, RC!!
These soldiers were the people whom introduced the Baptist faith to Trinidad.
They were particularly good at agriculture, having been slaves from the land. They didn’t have the same reservations to working the land as the African-Caribbeans, but wanted land to work. Unfortunately, the first lands they were given, was pretty bad, and the town which they built there continues to have the name Hard Bargain. However, they petitioned for better land which they were granted, and they built another town which is known as New Grant.
The churches which they built to practise their faith were named after their rifle companies, and one can still travel about south, central Trinidad and find churches sporting names such as 7 Company Baptist church.
Not quite my cup of tea music wise, but it is catchy. I would probably enjoy it more at the source! Kind of like Jimmy Buffet songs, they’re better enjoyed at the Florida Keys.
Wow, That’s something I never would have known either, thanks redcoat.
I can appreciate that. I’m sure you’d love it at source, blended with rum and the Trini girls as they whine on down on you.
:shock::D:cool:
:D:D:lol:
It’s all fun and games until the wife hits you over your head!
Depends on the missus - mines a Trini.
Yes, true.