Civ V tourney!

The Scenario:A tournament of equal skill civ players takes place. It is an extra large map with every civ having someone playing as it.
The question is: Which civ would you want to be, who you would want to be your neighbor, and which civ would you try your darndest not to be?

For me, I would love to be either Poland or its arch enemy, Russia.
My dream neighbors would be Carthage or America.
The civ I'd stay away from is also America

I'd easily be Babylon and hope whoever is next doesn't really like early wars much

Well against real players I like to go with a culture victory for three reasons.
1) It's the victory condition that give me the most satisfaction in game. I think that culture victories have a lot more intricacies than other victories/hardest to master.
2) It's the rarest of the victory condition between players imo.
3) Picking the ideology no one else did/Causing major unrest is just hilarious.

For these reason Ethiopia would be my pick if I DIDNT know the field, and I would play super defensive sense I'm sure to be extremely hated.

I mostly don't want to be near a warmonger.

I wouldn't want to play Venice.

Im the Maya!
Easy start... can popup needed archers early to protect-discourge vs agressive neighbor....
get early good science not really having to rush it...

Worst neighbors...
Dudes with early great UU like Shaka, Atila or Khan...

If it's Pangea I'd go for Arabia. If Continents I'd go England.