I have lived in 4 different countries for more than a year, not including my first 18 in the US and 8 (and counting) in Japan. My observations:
Hong Kong: Awesome food. I would go back today for another year, just to eat. People were nice (i.e., not necessarily rude on purpose), but belching/farting etc in just about any public venue was grating on my Western-based cultural expectations. Other common occurances just seemed petty: people refusing to line up for buses/trains/ATMs, with a resulting mess of elbows and knees (yo, Hong Kong-ers: you will find more room on the elevators/buses/trains if you let people getting off out first). I ended up leaving Hong Kong because I could not stand the uncivilized people, even while admitting that I may be basing this on my Western upbringing.
Canada: Loved it. America without the guns indeed. Also without the sickening food portions, the garbage, and the stupid people. Amazing that a country this close in geographical and cultural aspects can be so darn different. I would move to Canada in a hearbeat.
NZ: Loved it. A country full of sports freaks, so I fit right in. Doesn’t seem like deoderant is all that popular yet, which meant for some anxious moments in elevators with guys who had just ran in to work (literally). The ice cream was to die for, and I have the bulging waist line and hardened arteries to prove it. Very active, friendly people and families seemed to be fairly close.
India: Hated it. I tried so damn hard to avoid seeing/hearing/talking through my ‘Western upbringing’, having lived half my life in countries other than the one I was born in, this should not be difficult. But I had a real hard time living among smelly, dirty people who seemed so intent and fervent in how ‘right’ they were about everything. (Even more so than Americans!). People were very thin-skinned; any comment made that even slightly seemed like a negative was due to my ‘Western/racist’ thinking. Would not go back to India if you paid me to live there.
Japan: Lots of smokers, but smoking only became really non-PC in the last 10 years or so in the US, so no big deal. As a consumer, Japan is heaven. Store people are polite and helpful almost to a fault. The wrappings done for any purchase (not just gift wrapping) are an art, and have to be seen to be believed. I have never eally understood Japan’s complex about their small homes; I find them much easier to clean <g>. The girls are stunning (Hong Kong and France a close second, but I only spent few weeks in France, so I can’t give an expert opinion. I also hear good things about Brazil).
I think Westerners have a real hard time identifying with Middle Eastern cultures. At least I do. Japan? People making a big fuss about the ‘male dominated’ society have no clue what they are talking about.
Back to the OP (sort of): define friendly. In my experiences: Friendliest stores? Japan or maybe NZ. Friendliest neighbors? Canada. Friendliest ‘friends’? Japan and Hong Kong. Friendliest co-workers? Japan, NZ. Best food? HK, Japan. Best women? Japan, HK. Best men? (according to three female friends of mine, all of different nationality/race): NZ, Spain.
I do think it comes down to your attitude: what do you expecct? Do you expect to be ripped off by local taxi drivers? Then every wrong turn will be on purpose. You can not get a proper ‘read’ of a country in one week, spent as a tourist in hotels and at tourist spots. Even a year of simply ‘living’ in a country is probably not enough - you lack a sufficient ‘common background’ to really fit in. By this I mean everything from child-hood tv programs (Sesame Street), to songs popular when we were in junior high (99 Luft Balloons), cliches, old idioms, etc. I love it when people get an autograph from someone and then say that ‘so and so is really _______’ (fill in adjective) based on their one, 10-second encounter.
Geez, long post…