Of course it's different from home. That's the entire point.
I was amused by the one that mentioned the sales tax thing... when I went to Brazil, I was at a store with a couple other people, and saw something I wanted to buy for R$15, and was disappointed when I realized I only brought R$15 with me, so obviously I didn't have enough. They looked at me like I was a space alien.Quote from: travel bookOf course it's different from home. That's the entire point.
To start off, visitors to the USA (http://thoughtcatalog.com/timmy-parker/2013/10/30-non-americans-on-the-weirdest-things-that-are-norms-to-americans/).
Please keep it light-hearted.
Well, I'd be doing the same! The whole point of a price tag is to indicate how much you'll be paying, so I don't understand why you would not include tax on it. Trick you into thinking you're paying less, I guess?I was amused by the one that mentioned the sales tax thing... when I went to Brazil, I was at a store with a couple other people, and saw something I wanted to buy for R$15, and was disappointed when I realized I only brought R$15 with me, so obviously I didn't have enough. They looked at me like I was a space alien.Quote from: travel bookOf course it's different from home. That's the entire point.
To start off, visitors to the USA (http://thoughtcatalog.com/timmy-parker/2013/10/30-non-americans-on-the-weirdest-things-that-are-norms-to-americans/).
Please keep it light-hearted.
nah, each state has their own sales tax, its easier to price things as a distributor with the general price and have the local stores apply their local tax when checking out. sales tax may be high in California but non existent in Delaware. When they get priced there's really no telling where the actual product will end up from the distribution center.Yeah, like Jimmy says, that still makes no sense. In our supermarkets, the price tags of branded goods are on the shelves, not on the products - with the exception of freshly packaged goods like vegetables and meats that are always of the store's brand. The supermarkets compete with their prices, especially on branded goods, so it would be pointless for a distributor to start putting prices on them.
Second weirdest thing was whenever we went to a cafe I would try to order a chocolate milkshake. Not a big deal in Australia, in fact very standard. In the US we could not find a cafe that did milkshakes and I have no idea why. Every waitress looked at me like I just asked to lick her eyes. Eventually we figured out that you have to go to like, diners and specific kinds of restaurants but it was weird.
The lack of tipping culture outside the United States always kinda weirds me out, but by the goddess I wish we ('Murrica) would adopt it.
The lack of tipping culture outside the United States always kinda weirds me out, but by the goddess I wish we ('Murrica) would adopt it.
Japanese driving laws are insane. It's perfectly normal to basically stop in the middle of the road to unload a vehicle (not like there's parking on the side of the road most places). I mean it's great because there is 100% no reason to drive as a tourist unless you're heading out to the countryside so it's really not an issue but feth me it was weird.
The lack of tipping culture outside the United States always kinda weirds me out, but by the goddess I wish we ('Murrica) would adopt it.
That'd mean you'd have to start paying people decent wages. Which I can assume you'd be fine with.
Decent wages are a guarantee, decent tips are unreliable "charity". Fuck tips, they're stupid.
Also, Jimmy, basically you just need to go to a dairy bar/ice cream parlor. Yeah, we've got our frozen frappe thingies, but those are not real milkshakes and most restaurants do not actually sell them. Restaurants are too focused on cookies, pie, and cake as a dessert most of the time.
You were in the wrong state :D Cross over into Connecticutt and the other New England states and find an ice cream parlor. Every one that serves them does so with the intent that they make the best...just make sure to call them "frappes" not milkshakes- we get defensive about the name even if it's ridiculous to do so.
In the United States, "frappe" has two meanings, only one related to coffee, and neither connected to the Greek coffee drink.[10] In the northeastern region of New England, a frappe (pronounced "frap" and spelled without the accent) is a thick milkshake.[10] [11] A coffee shop there, in Boston, Massachusetts, combined a milk shake with coffee and called it "frappuccino".[10] When Starbucks bought the shop, the Coffee Connection, it bought the trademarked name.[10] The Starbucks in Greece offers both Frappuccino and Greek-style "Frappe" (written by Starbucks without the accent).[12] Since then frappe has entered the American lexicon as an iced coffee drink, either sold chilled or frozen. Many of Starbucks' competitors, in the United States, in the Philippines and elsewhere, have begun offering drinks similar to the popular and trademarked frappuccino and called them "frappe" with or without the accent, some which do not include any coffee.[13]
You were in the wrong state :D Cross over into Connecticutt and the other New England states and find an ice cream parlor. Every one that serves them does so with the intent that they make the best...just make sure to call them "frappes" not milkshakes- we get defensive about the name even if it's ridiculous to do so.
Aren't frappes specifically iced coffee though, as in short for frappuccino? I've only heard that name refer to that. Milkshakes are a different thing here (UK/Ireland) if that's the case.
The closest Starbucks to me that I know of is about 80 miles/130km away from me and I've never been in one or any specialty coffee place. I've also only found out a frappe was a thing just now in this thread so I naturally assumed "frappe" was short for "frappuccino" and not a different thing. So no, it's not really obvious.
When I came back to the UK I bought a sandwich from a woman who called me pet and chatted about the weather.
Everyone in the states drives all the time, everywhere. I understand why, because everything is incredibly spread out, but it's so weird to me.
For the US, the biggest things for me were:Um, I assume you mean racism?
- race. subtle, but there, at least in the midwest and the south
It's one of the things that always strikes me when Top Gear UK-Which is known as Top Gear to everyone else. :-P
Biking on the sidewalk is actually illegal in the UK, which is funny because in Norway it's sort of the norm.
Another thing about Top Gear (which I've never watched and know little about), is how in the states, people seem to think Jeremy Clarkson is funny and entertaining, while in the UK, everyone hates him for being a conservative, inconsiderate bigot. It probably doesn't come across well on Top Gear since many Americans I know who completely disagree with his views still think he's funny, but over here, Top Gear is just one of the things he's known for and he's a very outspoken, public figure in other ways.
Edit: Biking on the sidewalk is actually illegal in the UK, which is funny because in Norway it's sort of the norm.
Oddest thing about that was the lack of caffeine in Mountain Dew (at the time).
Reading the link from the first post has made me scared of American bread. Is it really that sweet? I love bread - real bread, that is. Eating sweet bread all the time.... god no. Also it would probably make put on 20 kilos in 2 weeks.
Reading the link from the first post has made me scared of American bread. Is it really that sweet? I love bread - real bread, that is. Eating sweet bread all the time.... god no. Also it would probably make put on 20 kilos in 2 weeks.I can imagine how American bread would taste because I know it from fast-food restaurant chains. The hamburger patty bread tastes stuffy and saturated. I last had a chicken burger at McDonalds when I was 16, and I threw it in the trash after the first bite because it was so awful.
As a person that grew up in Maryland: No one knows where it is. Most think the entire state is Washington DC. :facepalm:Whenever I tell someone I grew up in Maryland, they mention the time they had crab legs or whatever in Baltimore. No, I'm not from that part of Maryland...
When I was young and naive, I learned from online forums that Americans took shits that clogged their toilets. I assumed that Americans take massive shits that we Europeans just can’t match (after all, everything is bigger in America)Ain't that the truth, and I'll leave it at that.
When I came to US, I learned that they just have different toilets with small hole that gets clogged. European toilets never do that. They have bigger hole. You can put tennis ball trough it.
-Eating salad before the main course…wtfOther than the salad thing (salads aren't pre-meal food in other countries?), yep.
-Called the main course an ‘entree’
-Having a ridiculous amount of flags
-The number of shitty commercials on major cable channels, not to mention the number of shitty TV shows that somehow get constant airtime
-Tax not included in price in shops
-In some cities (not all) people give you strange looks if you walk around the city and don’t drive (saw this in Houston a lot)
-How poverty is so rife in nearly every major city
American chocolate sucks.Only because it's not actually chocolate.
Wearing shoes in the house… What the fuck are you doing? You step in all nasty shit, for example, if you stepped on a fruit then walked all over your living room then thats how you get ants.I grew up on a farm, so walking inside with your shoes/boots on (especially during winter) was an invitation to have a frying pan or something thrown at you (it makes sense...shoes are dirt magnets, and these magnets fail as soon as you step inside). As an American, I just cannot walk around inside with shoes on, and can't understand why people do. Now, wearing at the workplace is different, but even then, I'd take my shoes off if I could.
I find it really weird how college football players are kind of celebrities. They’re scrutinized and have fans and do TV interviews, and it just boggles my mind so much. They’re just students that do an extra-curricular activity! I don’t understand.THIS.
Pancakes for breakfast was weird too,Wait, what?
When I went to Brazil, I found out that I was not supposed to flush toilet paper. Turns out that the sewer system in the city I was in can't handle toilet paper and if you try to flush it the toilet will back up. Luckily I was told in advance by one of the guys from the lab who had been there before. He found out the hard way.QuoteWhen I was young and naive, I learned from online forums that Americans took shits that clogged their toilets. I assumed that Americans take massive shits that we Europeans just can’t match (after all, everything is bigger in America)Ain't that the truth, and I'll leave it at that.
When I came to US, I learned that they just have different toilets with small hole that gets clogged. European toilets never do that. They have bigger hole. You can put tennis ball trough it.
Whenever I tell someone I grew up in Maryland, they mention the time they had crab legs or whatever in Baltimore. No, I'm not from that part of Maryland...Wheres about did you grow up? Honestly I grew up in Maryland but really didnt eat crabs until I dated this girl from Annapolis.
Allegany County. The redneck part of Maryland...Whenever I tell someone I grew up in Maryland, they mention the time they had crab legs or whatever in Baltimore. No, I'm not from that part of Maryland...Wheres about did you grow up? Honestly I grew up in Maryland but really didnt eat crabs until I dated this girl from Annapolis.
Red hot dogs is a danish thing! I wonder if the ones in Maine originated in Denmark too?I would not be surprised.
Mightn't differing diets have to do with it as well?QuoteWhen I was young and naive, I learned from online forums that Americans took shits that clogged their toilets. I assumed that Americans take massive shits that we Europeans just can’t match (after all, everything is bigger in America)Ain't that the truth, and I'll leave it at that.
When I came to US, I learned that they just have different toilets with small hole that gets clogged. European toilets never do that. They have bigger hole. You can put tennis ball trough it.
I don't know much about plumbing, but when I had IBS I did quite a bit of research into fibre and was shocked at the levels of fibre deficiency and constipation in the USA. From what I was reading, it's basically normal to be constipated all the time. People were talking about only opening their bowels once every couple of days as though that were just the way it is. So it is distinctly possible that it's both plumbing and diet!Yeah, definitely. My apartment has an ancient toilet (friggin landlord [insert keysmash here]) which I find to be far more easily disabled when I have recently eaten meat than when I have not.
QuoteI find it really weird how college football players are kind of celebrities. They’re scrutinized and have fans and do TV interviews, and it just boggles my mind so much. They’re just students that do an extra-curricular activity! I don’t understand.THIS.
Whenever I tell someone I grew up in Maryland, they mention the time they had crab legs or whatever in Baltimore. No, I'm not from that part of Maryland...Wheres about did you grow up? Honestly I grew up in Maryland but really didnt eat crabs until I dated this girl from Annapolis.
QuoteI find it really weird how college football players are kind of celebrities. They’re scrutinized and have fans and do TV interviews, and it just boggles my mind so much. They’re just students that do an extra-curricular activity! I don’t understand.THIS.
Actually, we're missing the even bigger picture. High school football players.....
So not to change the subject away from poopin', but I'm curious what the data in your avatar is.I don't know much about plumbing, but when I had IBS I did quite a bit of research into fibre and was shocked at the levels of fibre deficiency and constipation in the USA. From what I was reading, it's basically normal to be constipated all the time. People were talking about only opening their bowels once every couple of days as though that were just the way it is. So it is distinctly possible that it's both plumbing and diet!Yeah, definitely. My apartment has an ancient toilet (friggin landlord [insert keysmash here]) which I find to be far more easily disabled when I have recently eaten meat than when I have not.
People were talking about only opening their bowels once every couple of days as though that were just the way it is. So it is distinctly possible that it's both plumbing and diet!*cautiously raises hand*
Oh my god that is the best double entendre ever :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:Whenever I tell someone I grew up in Maryland, they mention the time they had crab legs or whatever in Baltimore. No, I'm not from that part of Maryland...Wheres about did you grow up? Honestly I grew up in Maryland but really didnt eat crabs until I dated this girl from Annapolis.
That sounds...TMI....
People were talking about only opening their bowels once every couple of days as though that were just the way it is.Um, yes. That is just the way it is. How is that bad? Granted, I don't exactly keep track, but if I had bowel movements multiple times a day I'd be convinced something was wrong.
Plus, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches will get you weird looks in Norway.heh (http://satwcomic.com/a-trip-into-american-culture)
Plus, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches will get you weird looks in Norway.heh (http://satwcomic.com/a-trip-into-american-culture)
Red hot dogs is a danish thing! I wonder if the ones in Maine originated in Denmark too?
everything you need to know about americaIs it just me or is there no voice audio track on that video?Plus, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches will get you weird looks in Norway.heh (http://satwcomic.com/a-trip-into-american-culture)
the meat tastes different though, beef or something?
yeah the music overtakes the audio for the left speaker, I typically only have one headphone on at work, had to put both on to hear it accuratelyI can't get the voice to play in either speaker. I only get the music track.
also cesium: your county is where Dr. McNinja lives! (I think)
After all this talk about it I really want to eat a peanut butter sandwich.
I think one should say here that classic American peanut butter is awesome. I have tried a variety with less fat and sugar, but that wasn't the real thing.
In the USA:
...
Houston guys in business-suits wearing stetsons and cowboy boots and those leather-thong-tie-fastened-with-a-brooch things.
Gambling-machines built into the tables and bar-tops in a Las Vegas micro-brew pub. Actually, pretty much everything in Las Vegas.
I saw forgeiners (well, other forgeiners) in Japan ordering silly things at bars too. The Sararīman liked my brother and I because we drank Japanese beer about as aggresively as they did... I miss Asahi.Maybe it's a regional thing, but I have never been in a place that sold beer (apart from cheapo supermarkets) that didn't have at least one Japanese beer in it.
After all this talk about it I really want to eat a peanut butter sandwich.
I think one should say here that classic American peanut butter is awesome. I have tried a variety with less fat and sugar, but that wasn't the real thing.
Ugh no, peanut butter shouldn't contain ANYTHING except peanuts (and possibly salt, if you really want it - but I do not).
Not outside of the country, but still a culture shock during traveling, going North and not being able to get sweet iced tea makes me sad.
Not outside of the country, but still a culture shock during traveling, going North and not being able to get sweet iced tea makes me sad.
Not outside of the country, but still a culture shock during traveling, going North and not being able to get sweet iced tea makes me sad.
well, it's a cultural thing: as Southerners we're honor bound to offer libation.
and most people balk at Moonshine before 5 PM.
:D
When I went to Brazil, I found out that I was not supposed to flush toilet paper. Turns out that the sewer system in the city I was in can't handle toilet paper and if you try to flush it the toilet will back up. Luckily I was told in advance by one of the guys from the lab who had been there before. He found out the hard way.
There was a little wastebasket next to the toilet, and you were supposed to fold up the paper (so the, ahem, material is on the inside), and put it in the wastebasket. In the bathroom in the physics department they even had a sign with instructions that said (in Portuguese) not to flush the toilet paper but to put it in the wastebasket and "do not forget to fold it well". I'm guessing with the number of foreigners that visited, they probably had problems with that in the past. :psyduck:When I went to Brazil, I found out that I was not supposed to flush toilet paper. Turns out that the sewer system in the city I was in can't handle toilet paper and if you try to flush it the toilet will back up. Luckily I was told in advance by one of the guys from the lab who had been there before. He found out the hard way.
I hesitate to ask, but how are you supposed to dispose of toilet paper if not by flushing?
What is weird about school buses?In Australia (with the exception of a few private schools that are located away from public transport) we don't have school buses at all. Many kids take the bus (or train or ferry) to school, but they just ride the normal public transport along with other passengers, at subsidised fares under the School Student Transport Scheme. (http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/ssts) Why buy fleets of buses, and then only use them for school-kids, rather than public transport?
Not outside of the country, but still a culture shock during traveling, going North and not being able to get sweet iced tea makes me sad.I enjoyed the iced tea in Texas (and it is way better than the Coca Cola etc. usually offered as an alternative), but sweetening any kind of tea ruins it. We will not speak of those barbarians who add milk...
What is weird about school buses?In Australia (with the exception of a few private schools that are located away from public transport) we don't have school buses at all. Many kids take the bus (or train or ferry) to school, but they just ride the normal public transport along with other passengers, at subsidised fares under the School Student Transport Scheme. (http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/ssts) Why buy fleets of buses, and then only use them for school-kids, rather than public transport?
hey now, a nice cup of spiced chai is one of the great joys in life. you want odd, try your tea with salt & yak butter.Not outside of the country, but still a culture shock during traveling, going North and not being able to get sweet iced tea makes me sad.I enjoyed the iced tea in Texas (and it is way better than the Coca Cola etc. usually offered as an alternative), but sweetening any kind of tea ruins it. We will not speak of those barbarians who add milk...
Ugh no, peanut butter shouldn't contain ANYTHING except peanuts (and possibly salt, if you really want it - but I do not).
You need to add a little oil to allow the ground peanuts to blend together better, either a nuetral flavored oil or peanut oil.
hey now, a nice cup of spiced chai is one of the great joys in life.Props for not employing the redundant "chai tea".
A Marine Corps uniform means a lot in the South. I know someone who asked for directions in a swamp. The person he asked pointed at the uniform in the back of the car and said "Is that yours?". Said person then personally led the Marine through dozens of mysterious twists and turns to get him where he was going.
It's not completely bizarre to think of the South as being a country of its own. I've known some experienced travelers who said they got the same feeling crossing the Mason-Dixon line as they did when crossing a national border.
Here in the US you can really do either. Most cities/towns have ordinances saying that if you are on a bike to maintain the speed limit and are treated as a vehicle, but they can also bike on the side walk. They are treated pretty much like both pedestrian and motor vehicle.
On my way to Vienna I passed through Amsterdam airport. I was deeply alarmed at police officers walking around with machine guns. I mean I'm still getting used to Australian cops carrying guns and I'm pretty sure they've had those for a while. I don't want this to turn into a gun debate but man, that was probably the oddest thing I've seen in my travels.
Ugh no, peanut butter shouldn't contain ANYTHING except peanuts (and possibly salt, if you really want it - but I do not).
You need to add a little oil to allow the ground peanuts to blend together better, either a nuetral flavored oil or peanut oil.
It is in England
Though by South American standards, they're tame.
Oh yeah pancakes in America are totally different. What we call a pancake in Norway at least is a lot thinner, kind of like a crepe but not really. You have it for dinner, usually you put blueberry jam or just plain sugar on it, and roll it up. Before pancakes you have something else, pea soup is pretty common.You mean lefse, or is this something completely different?
To paraphrase someone who wrote into the Richmond Dispatch many, many, many moons ago. "North, west and east are directions. The South is a place."
On my way to Vienna I passed through Amsterdam airport. I was deeply alarmed at police officers walking around with machine guns. I mean I'm still getting used to Australian cops carrying guns and I'm pretty sure they've had those for a while.Australian police have been armed since before Federation, I think. I've seen police carrying submachine-guns and wearing body-armour in Sydney Airport; they keep a low profile, but they are there. The ordinary cops are all tooled-up with their Glocks and shotguns. And then there are the private security guards for big cash transfers etc., usually packing revolvers and sometimes shotties too. If you keep your eyes open, there are plenty of guns on display in Australia.
QuoteOh yeah pancakes in America are totally different. What we call a pancake in Norway at least is a lot thinner, kind of like a crepe but not really. You have it for dinner, usually you put blueberry jam or just plain sugar on it, and roll it up. Before pancakes you have something else, pea soup is pretty common.You mean lefse, or is this something completely different?
QuoteOh yeah pancakes in America are totally different. What we call a pancake in Norway at least is a lot thinner, kind of like a crepe but not really. You have it for dinner, usually you put blueberry jam or just plain sugar on it, and roll it up. Before pancakes you have something else, pea soup is pretty common.You mean lefse, or is this something completely different?
Completely different. Lefse is served cold, and isn't necessarily sweet.
It just seemed really weird not to at least say "Look at the kitty! It's called a lynx!".Ahhh, yeah, that'd have been better.
The traditional Icelandic term for police officer is lögre- gluţjónn, which literally means “law and order servant.” Many members of the Icelandic police still approach their work in that way. The police officer is there to serve the pub- lic. To serve and protect. The role of servant is a noble role. And it is good when the police is able to approach its work in that way. I prefer not to use the term lögreglumađur [“po- liceman”], although it is much more common today. There are attempts everywhere to water down the “servant’”term. I think this is unwise. I want to bring back the term lögre- gluţjónn.
On my desk I keep a pair of white gloves like the Icelan- dic police used to wear. I keep them there as a reminder. A police officer who approaches a scene wearing white gloves sends out a message that he is not about to engage in vio- lence. To me, those white gloves perfectly symbolise what a police officer should be.
Quote from: Icelandic police officer Haraldur Sigurđsson in Alda Sigmundsóttir's ebook "Living Inside the Meltdown"To serve and protect.
QuoteI find it really weird how college football players are kind of celebrities. They’re scrutinized and have fans and do TV interviews, and it just boggles my mind so much. They’re just students that do an extra-curricular activity! I don’t understand.THIS.
Actually, we're missing the even bigger picture. High school football players.....
This is very much a regional thing...mostly in the South/Southeast, at least to the level I assume you're talking about (FNL and what have you)
Stack of Norwegian pancakes
Although I have no idea why it's telling you to use lingonberry jam, I've never heard of anyone eating that with pancakes. It's probably just because they're Swedish too, and everything Swedish goes together, right? :roll:
I also find it funny that everything Scandinavian is always called 'Swedish' or 'Danish' something, even when it's not actually Swedish or Danish. Poor Norway, not getting credit for anything.
More like some sort of oatmeal brownie.
Without chocolate, the correct term would be "oatmeal blondie."
the correct term would be "oatmeal blondie."
Without chocolate, the correct term would be "oatmeal blondie."
And now I have 'Heart of Glass' stuck in my head.
Everyone in the states drives all the time, everywhere. I understand why, because everything is incredibly spread out, but it's so weird to me. Especially on the west coast, everything is so wide and vast and open, the roads are so wide and... yeah. My west coast-based boyfriend told me he felt claustrophobic when he visited the UK because everything was so narrow and tiny, but to me this is the norm.
Also I'm 25 and I can't drive, which everyone I know from the states finds really weird.
WRT US pricing I'd like to point out that:
some goods are priced before they reach a store (clothing and books come to mind)
Are you really saying that a bookstore (or clothing store) in the US has no say in how much they charge for a book or an item of clothing? That's not how I thought the free market works,
You couldn't buy stationery at a mall bookstore (they would advertise marital aids on yellow pages though)Generally a bookstore means what it says, it sells books. Print shops are considered a separate entity.
You could buy stationery, items of personal hygiene and candy at a pharmacy (aka a drug store)I've always thought having food, drinks, etc. at pharmacies was weird, but I thought it was normal to have hygiene stuff there.
These people actually use bank cheques for paying utility bills and for shopping? Is this like the 70s or something?I do most transactions through debit/credit card, but that's not always a possibility, especially if paying rent or at a lot of local shops. I loathe carrying around large amounts of money, it makes me nervous.
Why would anyone want to use a credit card? Why run up a debt? Can't you like afford to pay for it right away?Two reasons. First is that people are tricked by too-good-to-be-true "free" cards and low rates, but fail to consider hidden fees. Second is because credit is king. If you don't build up and maintain good credit, you may find yourself unable to buy a car or home, or take out any sort of loan. I use my credit card for things I know I can pay for so that I can establish good credit.
Maryland has a week every August when they don't charge sales tax on any clothing item under $100 to encourage people to do school shopping. Otherwise it's 6% on most things except groceries.
If you don't build up and maintain good credit, you may find yourself unable to buy a car or home, or take out any sort of loan.
Surely you can build up a good credit check by simply having a small overdraft though?
Well. I later learned that all this is how things are done in the US. Fine. That was exactly the culture shock part.Are you really saying that a bookstore (or clothing store) in the US has no say in how much they charge for a book or an item of clothing? That's not how I thought the free market works,
Welcome to corporate America. If it's a chain store, it receives the item in bulk and is told what price to sell it for. There is very little room for variation. Price setting is generally done by regional managers rather than by the managers of individual stores, who, by the way, are given lengthy instructions on how to deal with every situation and would be fired if they deviated from them.QuoteYou couldn't buy stationery at a mall bookstore (they would advertise marital aids on yellow pages though)Generally a bookstore means what it says, it sells books. Print shops are considered a separate entity.
QuoteYou could buy stationery, items of personal hygiene and candy at a pharmacy (aka a drug store)I've always thought having food, drinks, etc. at pharmacies was weird, but I thought it was normal to have hygiene stuff there.QuoteThese people actually use bank cheques for paying utility bills and for shopping? Is this like the 70s or something?I do most transactions through debit/credit card, but that's not always a possibility, especially if paying rent or at a lot of local shops. I loathe carrying around large amounts of money, it makes me nervous.QuoteWhy would anyone want to use a credit card? Why run up a debt? Can't you like afford to pay for it right away?Two reasons. First is that people are tricked by too-good-to-be-true "free" cards and low rates, but fail to consider hidden fees. Second is because credit is king. If you don't build up and maintain good credit, you may find yourself unable to buy a car or home, or take out any sort of loan. I use my credit card for things I know I can pay for so that I can establish good credit.
Here, you have either a credit card or a debit card, at least as far as I know.Strange. I have always held a combocard. But I only use the credit side, when buying things from the internet or travelling. Actually I think I might be able to use it as a debit card in Sweden also, because my bank is a Swe/Fin-merger.
So how are things run here:
Weird. Surely you can build up a good credit check by simply having a small overdraft though?
Credit means that it's being processed through Visa or MasterCard's network, you use a signature to verify who you are (above a certain amount), and the retailer pays the transaction fees.
If you process a debit card as a credit card, that is not extended credit, it just processes through the credit network.
Also, you can build credit by paying off cards before the interest charges ever hit, too.
And, credit checks also affect employment opportunities, even.
You could buy stationery, items of personal hygiene and candy at a pharmacy (aka a drug store)
Weird. Surely you can build up a good credit check by simply having a small overdraft though?
It's much cheaper for me to make credit card payments (since I limit what I pay for with it) than it is to pay overdraft fees at my bank, which are pretty steep.
Surely this is only true if you are intending to buy the car or house on credit?
And keep in mind that any car you can find for under like $2000US is probably going to be a piece of crap. Those challenges on Top Gear where they all go out and buy old-but-decent-enough-for-being-only-$1000 cars? Ain't happening here. I don't know if that's happening in real life in the UK but it definitely ain't happening here. On Craigslist the cars under $1000 right now are mostly late 90's 'mechanics special' or 'needs work but runs and drives' POS's.
shotties
WRT US pricing I'd like to point out that:
some goods are priced before they reach a store (clothing and books come to mind)
Are you really saying that a bookstore (or clothing store) in the US has no say in how much they charge for a book or an item of clothing? That's not how I thought the free market works, but whatever - surely you know this better than I do. I just would have thought the store buys in stuff at whatever bulk price they can negotiate, and then charge whatever they see fit.
My culture shock things about US (IIRC):
- You couldn't buy stationery at a mall bookstore (they would advertise marital aids on yellow pages though)
- You could buy stationery, items of personal hygiene and candy at a pharmacy (aka a drug store)
- These people actually use bank cheques for paying utility bills and for shopping? Is this like the 70s or something?
There are many, many, many people who don't have a computer or who aren't computer savvy or don't have an online bank account who have to rely on paying their bills by check. [/list]
There are many, many, many people who don't have a computer or who aren't computer savy or don't have an online bank account who have to rely on paying their bills by check.
There are many, many, many people who don't have a computer or who aren't computer savy or don't have an online bank account who have to rely on paying their bills by check.
We stopped using checks way before internet and on-line banking existed. There are other ways of transferring funds. A standard protocol for me authorizing the bank to pay various bills in advance (i.e. the authorization lasts for an indefinite period) is all that is needed. So power company sent two copies of the bill. One to me (in case I want to contest it), and another to the bank. If I don't react, on the due date the bank will transfer money from my account to that of the power company. The emergence of on-line banking has improved this system by removing the need to mail anything. It's a win-win. I don't need a checking account. I don't need to worry about forgetting to mail my check. The company gets its money timely.
copies of the cancelled check are sent with monthly statements
And of course all transfers show up in the paper trail.The bank used to mail me a bimonthly summary of all the transfer related to my savings account (never had a checking acoount here) until may be a year ago. The same information is available to me on-line, so it would be kinda pointless to continue sending those. My choice actually - my bank also has customers who are not used to using the internet, so they probably opt to do it in a more old-fashioned way.
Pretty much everything in Germany has a paper trail :roll:
copies of the cancelled check are sent with monthly statements
My bank stopped doing that in the early 1970s... but they were just a minor organisation (called Barclays).
I'm not sure how exactly the boiler and heating in my current flat works, I've never seen anything like it anywhere else, but we have to flick a switch in the kitchen in order to have hot water in the boiler, and also for the heaters to work. The heaters will start working right away, but if you want a shower you'll need to wait an hour. We usually don't keep the switch on since it makes our bills go through the roof and is probably crazy wasteful (I assume it keeps heating and heating instead of stopping when it's hot enough? I don't know how these things work). The whole system seems really archaic and annoyed me a lot when I first moved in, but I don't really mind now.
I find the "shower curtain inwards bulging phenomenon" fascinating and annoying at the same time.
This is one of my biggest pet peeves. I can go into the shower a perfectly happy individual and exit it a raging lunatic if the shower curtain adheres itself to my leg too many times.According to my father, this problem is caused by incorrect mounting of the curtain-rod. His idea is that the rod should always be far enough "outside" the open perimeter of the bath/shower-tray that the water-proof curtain "breaks" on the inside edge of the shower, and the optional outer curtain hangs straight. I'm not so sure myself, but I prefer a shower cubicle with a door anyway.
Another (http://forums.questionablecontent.net/index.php/topic,29437.msg1199755.html#msg1199755) thing that struck me as weird in the USA was "sticks" of butter. In Australia, butter usually comes in 250g blocks.
Question: Do you refrigerate your butter?
and (of course) a separate sauna section.That's awesome, but hardly an "(of course)"!
Ohio - 28 religious channels on TV.
Netherlands - Karnemelk (buttermilk) in coffee.Karnemelk? In coffee?? Who? Where?
Boterhams - open sandwich, buttered slice of bread sprinkled with schokolade hagelpuur (chocolate sprinkles)...Yes, of course.
...and eaten with knife and fork.Wait, what? Who eats their sandwiches with knife and fork? And how? Don't all the sprinkles fall off? I wanna know where you've been since it's clearly not where I'm from.
Germany - Homeopathy treated seriouslyAt least one person I know goes to doctors who also practice "alternative medicine" as they call it not because they take it seriously, but because physicians' attitude sometimes is "oh, you have pain? take those pain pills and go away", while the "alternative" ones will try to find out what is up.
They do in the states, too, but you can get "natural" PB with just peanuts and maybe salt.
Hengelo, Overijssel, in 1986 when I was working at HSA (Hollandse Signaal Apparaten)Netherlands - Karnemelk (buttermilk) in coffee.Karnemelk? In coffee?? Who? Where?
And no Vegemite available anywhere.Quote from: ZoeBBoterhams - open sandwich, buttered slice of bread sprinkled with schokolade hagelpuur (chocolate sprinkles)...Yes, of course.
Twente.Quote from: ZoeB...and eaten with knife and fork.Wait, what? Who eats their sandwiches with knife and fork? And how? Don't all the sprinkles fall off? I wanna know where you've been since it's clearly not where I'm from.
By the way, the words you used mean chocolate sprinkles, dark. (Chocoladehagel, puur.) Which is what the box would say for dark chocolate sprinkles.. Also, there's no s in chocolade.My Nederlands is rusty - I learnt German (Hochdeutsch) in school, then Twents in Hengelo, then to Bremen and back to an unholy mixture of Hannoverana, Plattdeutsch and Ostfriesisch... there are some serious dielect differences over just a hundred kilometers.
Hengelo, Overijssel, in 1986 when I was working at HSA (Hollandse Signaal Apparaten)Ah, de Achterhoek. Yes, I imagine they do a few things differently over there.
My Nederlands is rusty - I learnt German (Hochdeutsch) in school, then Twents in Hengelo, then to Bremen and back to an unholy mixture of Hannoverana, Plattdeutsch and Ostfriesisch... there are some serious dielect differences over just a hundred kilometers.Wow, yeah, I can't imagine what kind of weird mishmash of accents that would produce. I can tell a German accent in Dutch from a Flemish one but I'm not sure about Twents. Also, the Dutch 'chocolade' is an oddity of pronunciation since 'ch' is pronounced roughly the same as in German and English, whereas other words containing 'ch' are pronounced like a hard 'g' as in 'gezond'. Like schoon (of which scone is derived), chloor and acht.
When I speak Deutsch, it's very formal, almost stilted schoolgirl Hochdeutsch, Hannoverana. Probably because I was born in Berkshire, UK, the heimat of the Mountbatten-Windsors. The local dielect was influenced by, and in turn influenced, Court German.
When I attempt to speak Nederlands, it's often mistaken for Vlaams due to the English background (hence some latinisation). When I try Platt, I mix Nederlands constructions in, as the Twents dielect of Nederlands is heavily influenced by Platt. Then again, my Francais sounds like Wallonaise from the English and Dutch in it.
So I might say "Een, Twee, Drei.. er, Dree" DOH. Having a superfluous 's' in is about standard. Schokolade, Chocolate, Chocolat, Chocolade... Dank U well, Danke Schoen, Thank you... Gesundheit, Gezondheid, Sundhed... oh wait, that's Dansk I think. Soundness (Health)
Another Dutch oddity : Kijkhuis. Nothing to do with Cakehouse.I don't know what that refers to, but I wouldn't think those are as easily confused since the English pronounced analog would be kikehouse instead of cakehouse.
It took me ages to realise that "peanut butter and jelly" means "peanut butter and jam". Not jelly - what in the US would be Jello.There's a difference between jelly and jam here, but I still don't know what it is.
That's easy. Warning: Very crude and disgusting joke inside the spoiler, click at your own peril.It took me ages to realise that "peanut butter and jelly" means "peanut butter and jam". Not jelly - what in the US would be Jello.There's a difference between jelly and jam here, but I still don't know what it is.
It took me ages to realise that "peanut butter and jelly" means "peanut butter and jam". Not jelly - what in the US would be Jello.There's a difference between jelly and jam here, but I still don't know what it is.
What I learned today in Jelly School.It took me ages to realise that "peanut butter and jelly" means "peanut butter and jam". Not jelly - what in the US would be Jello.There's a difference between jelly and jam here, but I still don't know what it is.
Jelly is only made with the fruit's juice, jam with the pulp or crushed fruit, and preserves with fruit chunks. Same sugar and pectin added in all three, just the size of the fruit changes.
Quote from: LTKAnd no Vegemite available anywhere.Quote from: ZoeBBoterhams - open sandwich, buttered slice of bread sprinkled with schokolade hagelpuur (chocolate sprinkles)...Yes, of course.
Hengelo, Overijssel, in 1986 when I was working at HSA (Hollandse Signaal Apparaten)
I never visited the US or anything, but OH MY GOD HOW IS IT POSSIBLE TO OBSESS THAT MUCH ABOUT SUPER BOWL?!
World Cup.And that is?
Yeah, but it's a different type of football.
But there's never any real fuzz being made around the World Cup. Not in the scale of super bowl, that is.YMMV
How is it a World Series if only American teams are in it?That's the better question (with the occasional exception of Toronto.
Thinking about it - the oddest, strangest and most weird country I've ever been to is.... the past.The future'll be a strange place as well.
The Super Bowl is exactly that - the World Cup Final equivalent of American Football.
How is it a World Series if only American teams are in it?That's the better question (with the occasional exception of Toronto.
Oh yeah, FIFA. Now I know what you mean. But there's never any real fuzz being made around the World Cup. Not in the scale of super bowl, that is.Are you kidding me? Have you ever been out when Germany has a world cup game? It's deserted. And everything is full of football stuff. There are suddenly flags and jerseys everywhere, commercials are centered around football, every news station recaps every single game. It is EVERYWHERE.
Bribery is endemic in the USA. They call it "tipping". You bribe the waiter not to spit in your soup. :-D
I wanted to try tipping some cows, but the farmer wasn't happy about the attempted bribery.
Bribery is endemic in the USA. They call it "tipping". You bribe the waiter not to spit in your soup. :-DExcept you don't tip/not tip until after you are done eating :roll:
My German debit card has a Maestro logo on it, as do 99% of the debit cards I've seen here.Most German debit cards have been replaced by V-Pay/Girocard cards over the course of the last few years actually. Which is bad, as these are not as internationally accepted as Maestro cards.
Except we also have a chip and PIN system for additional security.
My German debit card has a Maestro logo on it, as do 99% of the debit cards I've seen here.Huh, must be just the Dutch and Germans then. I guess it's more secure to have separate credit and debit cards - you couldn't do shit with my debit card without the PIN, even if you have it in your hand - but given my frequency of international purchases I'd much rather have just one card that works for everything.
That's actually really convenient. Why don't more countries do it like this?That's how my card works in effect. The same card, which is branded as a credit card, actually acts as both a credit card and a debit card. At bank ATMs, or retail EFTPOS terminals, I choose which account I want to draw from, type in the appropriate PIN for that account, and I'm done. At the moment you can still sign for credit-card transactions, but that is being phased out, and from 1st August 2014 only PINs will be accepted in Australia.
Yup, my debit card looks exactly like my credit cards, aside from also having my picture on it.
Yup, my debit card looks exactly like my credit cards, aside from also having my picture on it.
Please tell me it's a picture of your sugary sweet ass.
And, in many sit-down restaurants, your card often ends up being taken out of sight to be run through the credit card terminal, then they come back with the receipt to sign.One of two reasons I generally pay in cash at restaurants. The other is that very often diners in a group divvy up the bill, and that is much easier with cash. Unless you're that guy who only has $50 notes in their wallet, and expects everyone else to make change for them. Don't be that guy.
Over here a lot of restaurants are willing to give everyone separate checks. Then again, over here we tip 20% (especially if they split the checks on a larger party) so I guess it evens out.
I've never had a problem with the chip and PIN system, maybe we have more reliable software now?I think the trouble is in the hardware. Usually polishing the contacts on the card with one of those microfibre cloths fixes the problem.
In 99% of the restaurants in Germany, you can only pay cash (except in the really posh ones, I suspect).That sounds really annoying, especially with all the coins.
Apparently in Japan, you pretty much always need to have cash on you if you're outside of Tokyo, and that ATMs keep bank hours rather than being available 24/7. Can anyone confirm/deny this?
I didn't try it at smaller hotels like the Smile! chain that I'm in love with, but I'd be willing to guess they'd provide that service. (Hell they gave me a free pint of whiskey.Why has this chain not come to America?
In 99% of the restaurants in Germany, you can only pay cash (except in the really posh ones, I suspect).That sounds really annoying, especially with all the coins.
In my first year of university, while I was learning how to budget, I had two bank accounts. One was my main account into which my student loans were paid, and from which I paid my rent and major bills. The other was my day-to-day expenses account; a weekly direct debit from the student account paid Ł15 into the expenses account and that was my allocation of money for the week. I could still make large purchases from the student account but it helped me to think harder about how much I was spending, especially since I didn't carry the debit card for the main account with me.
Americans respect the law but don't obey itIt's kind of tricky. I respect the laws I do obey, at least.
What's funny is the speed limit is the law here, but pretty much everyone goes under the assumption that the speed limit really means "don't go more than 5-10 mph above this.I always go 5-10 km/h (metric system, mind you, so it's not quite as much over the limit as mph) faster. It's about going just far enough so you won't get a speeding ticket. Which doesn't always work. I hate speeding tickets.
What's funny is the speed limit is the law here, but pretty much everyone goes under the assumption that the speed limit really means "don't go more than 5-10 mph above this.
Because you forgot all about the library like you told your old man, now.
Strictly speaking you can get a ticket for going one mph over...Actually, even that depends on the state.
Amazingly hard beds. We tried four different hotels before we found one we could actually sleep in.
That's the standard, but kph isn't necessarily wrong. :roll:Uhm, yes, it is. "Kilo" is not any unit of measure, it is an order of magnitude.
What's the fastest speed limit down there?In Australia, the highest speed-limit on a non-freeway road is now 100km/h, I think. Freeway (in the UK you would say motorway) speed-limits vary by state. In NSW it is 110km/h. Trucks are fitted with speed-regulators which theoretically limit them to 100km/h on all roads.
Uhm, yes, it is. "Kilo" is not any unit of measure, it is an order of magnitude.Kilo is a very common abbreviation for kilogramme. In Australia, we have an all-purpose word: "kay".
Amazingly hard beds. We tried four different hotels before we found one we could actually sleep in.
You had issues with LITERALLY the best part of hotels in Asia? Japan's similar and I sleep in a Japanese style bed now purely for the firmness and support on my poor lil'spine.
Stuffing is the best food ever.
What's the fastest speed limit down there?In Australia, the highest speed-limit on a non-freeway road is now 100km/h, I think. Freeway (in the UK you would say motorway) speed-limits vary by state. In NSW it is 110km/h. Trucks are fitted with speed-regulators which theoretically limit them to 100km/h on all roads.
Most highways in Australia are *not* freeways, but fairly narrow single-carriageway roads, with soft shoulders often 100mm or more lower than the "bitumen", as the tarmac metalled surface is known here, so 100km/h is plenty. It is questionably safe to overtake on many sections of such roads, because the closing speed of a vehicle coming the other way is 200km/h or 56m/s. If you pull out to overtake a 30m-long "B-double" truck on the Newell Highway (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/96/NewellHighwayNrWestWyalong.jpg/640px-NewellHighwayNrWestWyalong.jpg), for example, and spend ten seconds on the wrong side of the road, an oncoming vehicle will have to have been something like 600m away when you started to overtake. Can you look at a white blob through the heat-haze, and be sure it is not, say, only 400m away? And that assumes there are no bends, bumps or dips to hide oncoming traffic.
Also, from that article - it says that touching the customer will increase your tip. Hell no. If a waiter touched me, I would not tip anything at all. Don't put your hands on me, random stranger.I'm not sure but I think they found that effect specifically for waitresses who serve male customers.
Also, from that article - it says that touching the customer will increase your tip. Hell no. If a waiter touched me, I would not tip anything at all. Don't put your hands on me, random stranger.Eeew! Yes. No touch me! I can't wait for robot waiters quite frankly. I think I'd prefer that to a jetpack. I especially don't like those waiters who insist on introducing themselves to me: "Hi, I'm <insert first name here>, and I'll be serving you tonight." Ugh! So phoney. I do not disdain them, or their service, but random waiters are not my friends. No, I don't especially like using my personal name at work either, but it is so much the custom in Australia that one cannot object without coming off as a weirdo.
Wait, why do you object to someone telling you their name? I'm pretty sure it wasn't your intention, but your post really comes off as "why is the help telling me its name?" in the worst possible way :|Yes, I suppose it does :-(. I carry reactions based on my ancestral culture, which is much more formal and hierarchical than you are probably used to. Within the family, we refer to each other by our titles, not our names. I call my father "Father" (as is common in the West too, of course, although it might be "Dad"), but he calls me "Elder Daughter". Ones personal name is for close friends, so when a random stranger in a professional setting seems to want to assume the status of a friend, it feels intrusive, fake and manipulative. It's not a "the help" status thing, I think, because it grates in the same way when superiors in the workplace insist on using my personal name, and expect me to do the same to them. The boss is not my friend either.
And...how would you work with someone and not tell them your name?I said my personal name. That is, as opposed to my surname. What you would probably call your first name or Christian name. Yes, of course I have adopted the Western name order for public purposes, living in Australia, but it still feels wrong, and deep inside my "first name" is still my surname. Because, you know, the family is more important than the individual. ;)
I had my hair cut today and didn't leave a tip. I felt a bit guilty, but the cut cost Ł22. I had been led to believe I would get a 30% discount by booking in advance for an appointment on a Tuesday, and didn't, so I'm choosing to see it as a 30% tip.
Within the family, we refer to each other by our titles, not our names. I call my father "Father" (as is common in the West too, of course, although it might be "Dad"), but he calls me "Elder Daughter".
Wait, why do you object to someone telling you their name? I'm pretty sure it wasn't your intention, but your post really comes off as "why is the help telling me its name?" in the worst possible way :|Yes, I suppose it does :-(. I carry reactions based on my ancestral culture, which is much more formal and hierarchical than you are probably used to. Within the family, we refer to each other by our titles, not our names. I call my father "Father" (as is common in the West too, of course, although it might be "Dad"), but he calls me "Elder Daughter". Ones personal name is for close friends, so when a random stranger in a professional setting seems to want to assume the status of a friend, it feels intrusive, fake and manipulative. It's not a "the help" status thing, I think, because it grates in the same way when superiors in the workplace insist on using my personal name, and expect me to do the same to them. The boss is not my friend either.
And looking at that billshrink page: wedding musicians, really?
Tutors (students who teach lower grade students) almost always want to be referred to by their first nameWell duh, they are students :roll: Same goes for professor assistants, by the way, which I believe is equivalent to a TA in the US.
See, I kind of find it funny, because people who know me to pretty much any degree call me Eric. But my closest friends? Those are the ones that call me by my last name! Also, I find it depressing when someone says that "x is not my friend" in a context where you don't have a reason to dislike x. Why isn't x your friend? Why can't they be your friend for a little while? Not having everyone be your friend to some degree by default sounds like an awful way to live.I totally disagree. (I realise this might well be a language/culture thing and I think it is an interesting thing to explore in this thread! Probably friend means something different to you than it does to me.)
My parents are still mommy and daddy.
Oh and for most of my childhood I went by my middle name, Lynne (or Lynnie), which is far easier to pronounce.
Plus there are cultures (Akima, is this the case in China?) where using aunt or uncle is a sign of respect.In Russia, at least when I was young, (Aunt/Uncle + given name) was the polite (ie usual) way for children to address an older friend of the family (e.g. a friend of your mother or a neighbor who'd let you play on their lap).
Baba is Russian for Grandma.Baba is Turkish for father. Same as Papa in German.
When I lived in Miami, all of the students would generally refer to the teacher as "miss" no surname, which I had always usedAlso if the teacher is a man?
Plus there are cultures (Akima, is this the case in China?) where using aunt or uncle is a sign of respect.In Russia, at least when I was young, (Aunt/Uncle + given name) was the polite (ie usual) way for children to address an older friend of the family (e.g. a friend of your mother or a neighbor who'd let you play on their lap).
(and he'd refer to me as Eric)Wait, you're Eric, too? That means there are at least three of us.
And another cultural difference I found in the Midwest when I made my glorious return was the ubiquitous use of the phrase "You're fine" whenever domeine made a blunder of some sort. It really creeped me out at first.
(Checks toof's profile to see if I'm still the oldest Eric) When's your bday, toof? We're both 26!1988-04-08.
*midwesterner here* I probably say "you're fine" or "no worries" ten or more times a day at work.This.
I said my personal name. That is, as opposed to my surname. What you would probably call your first name or Christian name. Yes, of course I have adopted the Western name order for public purposes, living in Australia, but it still feels wrong, and deep inside my "first name" is still my surname. Because, you know, the family is more important than the individual. ;)
Also, I find it depressing when someone says that "x is not my friend" in a context where you don't have a reason to dislike x.For me, friendship is an important relationship, and I like to think that I offer a bit more to my friends than not disliking them. There are many people in the world I don't dislike, and I'm perfectly prepared to be polite to them or smile at them, but they are not friends; they are clients, coworkers, acquaintances, my dentist, random people I meet on railway platforms and so on. Friends are people I care a lot about, and applying the word "friend" to anyone I don't dislike feels to me like devaluing friendship.
So Akima, do you expect people to call you just by your surname, or do you wish them to add "Ms." in front of it.What I expect is that people will use my "first name", and I accept that as customary in Australia. I would prefer Ms. <surname> in the workplace, but that is a lost cause here. I don't have any problem with being addressed simply by my unadorned surname either, but that is not common in Australia, especially for women, at least in civilian life.
This may be difficult for us "occidentals" to understand. I hope that your coworkers understand and respect your reasons.They don't have to. At work, and in the "outer world" generally, I go by my "Australian name" given in Western name-order (first name, surname), and co-workers address me by my "Australian" first name. I keep any discomfort to myself; it's part of fitting in my adopted country. As you have observed, it is very common for Chinese-descended people to use a Western first name if they live in Western countries. If they were born in a Western country, their family might well have given them a Western name at birth. Many will be Christian, and will probably have been baptised with a "Christian name". Hong Kong is sort of "between worlds", but there too, the influence of missionaries, British imperialism, and Western influence generally, means that many people use a Western first name, at least to interact with Westerners. This is all much less so in "Mainland" China.
Plus there are cultures (Akima, is this the case in China?) where using aunt or uncle is a sign of respect.Yes this is true in China. You would not do it to your boss at work normally, but an older person (generally a generation older) you meet regularly on polite terms might be addressed in this manner once you knew them fairly well. Grandfather and Grandmother are both also terms of respect for addressing unrelated elderly people whose names you do not know.
Toof- I'm 1987, so I "win" bwahahahahahaWell, that just means you started earlier. We won't know who's the winner until one of you finishes the human race.
Also, I find it depressing when someone says that "x is not my friend" in a context where you don't have a reason to dislike x. Why isn't x your friend? Why can't they be your friend for a little while? Not having everyone be your friend to some degree by default sounds like an awful way to live.What Akima says about this makes total sense but there's still a feeling of meanness to saying "x is not my friend", even if you are friendly towards that person. If someone said that about you, even though it'd be completely true, wouldn't it still just hurt a little bit? It's one of those truths that's better left unspoken.
Well, that just means you started earlier. We won't know who's the winner until one of you finishes the human race.
Being born in China, I was not given a Western name at birth. I was named in the traditional way, inheriting my family surname from my father, and having my personal name selected by my grandparents. When we moved to Australia, my family obviously had to adopt Western name order, romanized spelling for our names, and English-language "first names". In my case, the two syllables of my Chinese personal name each sound like a common English girl's name, so the school where I was first enrolled wrote them down separately as my first and middle names using English spelling, and that is how I got my Australian name. I'm OK with it, and I made it "official" when I became an Australian citizen.I actually find it slightly strange that most people from East Asia seem to take on a standard western/English name for western/English people to use instead of their actual one. It makes sense to find a way to spell your actual name in Latin characters, but why not try to adapt it as closely to the actual pronounciation as possible and then use that? To me at least, being called by a completely different name would always feel like it's not really me. Of course, Chinese names are sometimes hard for Westerners to pronounce, but people can at least try. Changing your name completely to a standard western name feels to me like giving up part of your cultural identity, just to accomodate lazy Westeners who can't be bothered to learn Chinese names - I realise that this is not necessarily how people who are in that situation actually feel about it, though! I might be getting it completely wrong.
Of course, Chinese names are sometimes hard for Westerners to pronounce, but people can at least try. Changing your name completely to a standard western name feels to me like giving up part of your cultural identity, just to accomodate lazy Westeners who can't be bothered to learn Chinese names - I realise that this is not necessarily how people who are in that situation actually feel about it, though!Well... Of course taking on a Western name does feel like giving up part of your cultural identity, but when you emigrate to another country with an (initially) very alien culture, that is a standard part of the package. In order just to function effectively in society, or to aspire (however futilely, see the posting before this) to being seen as a fully equal citizen in it, you have to put on your "host-country suit" before you walk out of the front door. Obviously, the longer you've been wearing the suit, and the younger you were when you first put it on, the better the suit fits, but it never entirely stops chafing I think, not least because nobody will ever let you forget you are wearing it. Do I mind that? Yes I do, but it has to be set against the great advantages my family has gained by emigrating. As we say: Eat bitter; taste sweet!
Of course, China was never a British colony, but still there is a problematic period in Anglo-Chinese history. Does "Peking" come from that period?You mean that not all of China was a British colony; you are forgetting Hong Kong, Weihai (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weihaiwei_under_British_rule), and the quasi-colony of the Shanghai International Settlement (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanghai_International_Settlement). The British imperial boot was not removed from China's face until 1997. So yes, a problematic period only recently ended (though it pales utterly in brutality, if not duration, compared with the period of Japanese imperialism in China). The name Peking was used during that period, but is not regarded as particularly of it. Peking was in use long before the First Opium War kicked off the Century of Humiliation. It derives from the pronunciation of the characters 北京 in the dialects spoken in the southern ports through which Portuguese traders and missionaries first entered China in the 16th century. Bay-jing is simply the northern pronunciation of the same characters, because Standard Mandarin (pǔtōnghuŕ) is based on northern dialects. Peking preserves the syllable-structure of the Chinese in a way that Beige-ing does not and is really far more legitimate. I have written before (http://forums.questionablecontent.net/index.php?topic=25004.msg960278;topicseen#msg960278) about the many ways in which Westerners and Chinese people have managed to misunderstand one another.
In any case, it puzzles me why English speakers would want to pronounce Beijing any differently than Bay-Jing. I mean, this is precisely how the "J"-sound is usually pronounced in English words!Exactly. The soft French-style pronunciation of the J in Beijing is alien to both Chinese and English. Noam Chomsky argues that we exoticise the "other" in language, and that for many English-speakers, the default exotic is French. :P
I have written before (http://forums.questionablecontent.net/index.php?topic=25004.msg960278;topicseen#msg960278) about the many ways in which Westerners and Chinese people have managed to misunderstand one another.That was an interesting read!
I think I pronounce Beijing "Bey-Jing" but that's probably a regional English thing on the first vowel.Uh, is there a pronounciation difference between Bey and Bay? I would pronounce them the same...
The soft French-style pronunciation of the J in Beijing is alien to both Chinese and English. Noam Chomsky argues that we exoticise the "other" in language, and that for many English-speakers, the default exotic is French. :P
I'd imagine GM's response to be "what the hell do you mean optional?" :roll:
the more hospital countries
Hospitable?the more hospital countries:?
Maybe they really do mean hospital countries - you know, countries with hospital-like qualities: Old, devoid of light, terrible food, an unending sense of dread?Hospitable?the more hospital countries:?
Yes that's what I meant, I forgot a be. My mind was stuck thinking of this (http://img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20121122021328/borderlands/ru/images/d/d2/Load_screen_(9).png).Hospitable?the more hospital countries:?
Shame about your water. :wink:Shame about your Liberal* Premier :-P
The Liberals are the Right-Wing Conservatives here.Buh? :psyduck:
Australia is upside-down, remember?The Liberals are the Right-Wing Conservatives here.Buh? :psyduck:
I wouldn't ask her out, per se, but asking her on a date would probably be solid. Or don't even do that. Just ask to do something date-like alone. Ask her to coffee or something, see how alone time goes.
Satire, but relevant to our *illustrious* Oz Prime Minister. God I hate that man. http://www.theshovel.com.au/2014/06/08/abbott-commits-to-cutting-australias-reputation-by-30-by-2015/ (http://www.theshovel.com.au/2014/06/08/abbott-commits-to-cutting-australias-reputation-by-30-by-2015/)
Okay, obviously I was mistaken in stereotyping this as "Americans have this weird notion of dates and non-dates". My apologies.
Edit: *blink* "go out" implies permanence (in Britain, I assume)? I never knew that.