Can't say it better! If only the men in my part of the world comprehend this. I said this once, not as eloquently as you do but the reply I got from a man was "So you like to be beaten and made to do house chores?"..Sigh...
I dated a man from this website who invited me out on a last minute, insisted on where we should eat, ate and drank double of what I had and THEN asked for the bill to be split half/half.
I never wanted to see him again. He didn't think anything was wrong at all. Someone's parents raised their son to not be a man.
I cannot imagine any woman who wants to give their everything to a man like that.
I think backpacking and train is still very viable but due to the recent economic crisis, there are a lot more low cost flights available e.g. Ryan Air, Easy Jet, Cimber etc. So you may want to consider some flying coupled with trains. For example, trains from Austria to Hungary to Czech Rep is quite good. Denmark is better by flight. Trains run from Germany to Denmark to Sweden. I'm based in Denmark so if you need more tips on Denmark, Sweden or Norway, write me.
Oooh Looking back, I have quite a few...but here's one I never forget.
When the guy starts to pick on little things about people and things around him. Like how a girl's hat sits funny or that there's a speck of dust on the table. ===> Control freak who expects more of others than himself
I've always been curious about other cultures so to me the pros outweigh the cons in finding a partner of another culture. Having said that, it depends on how different our cultures are and how comfortable and secure I feel with the person. In my own culture, men are very much influenced by their family members and do not manage them well. I find this a big minus so I don't think I can go back to dating men in my own culture. Otherwise I am pretty open minded and flexible. p/s: It helps to remember that there are always exceptions.
RE: Ladies, how do you anticipate the bill to be handled on a first date?
10 big points to the Belgians and Irish men!