Our World, Our Culture

Jiro

Jiro

If You Know What I Mean
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yes... yes... you know what this thread is about. Looks like we'll have mostly European-American cultural difference since those are pretty much a dominant culture in the world. DISCUSS!!!

Sunshinelady has mentioned about big cars in America. Liebling mentioned about a heavy-usage of plastic in America. Both comments are opposite of European way.

Sunshinelady - I had a great laugh when you mentioned about some people wearing pajamas in USA and you were shocked about a guy carrying gun to store. Please do tell us more about your experiences with cultural shock in America.

as for rest of you - please do tell us about your cultural shock experience!
 
My experience of cultural shock -

When I visited European countries such as Paris and Rome... I was shocked at the way they drive and how they ignored the traffic signals. I was especially puzzled with European size. Everything in Europe was too small for me. Small elevators, small food portion, small cars, small drinks, small everything! The elevators in Italy, Germany, and France are TOO SMALL. It's so small that only 4 people can fit in elevator.... and that's without our luggage!!

What I like about Europe is the way they practice with strong environmental conservation. They even park their cars bumper-to-bumper! Makes me wonder how are they going to get out. Oh yes - Europe is VERY motorcycle/scooter-friendly!! I would love to have that in America.

The toilets have 2 buttons on the wall and I was very puzzled. The person explained to me that it was to save water. 1 button is for flushing #2 (poo poo/kaka/doo doo/etc.) meaning more water is used to flush it and other button was for peeing (it used up less water). I thought it was very interesting and I think America should have that!
 
They don't much care for A/C in Germany, either.. at least not the part i visited. I swear i was sweating the entire week I was there.

Oh, and the restaurants close at noon so the proprietor can go home and grab some zzzz's/lunch/whatever...we had a difficult time finding lunch cuz all the restaurants were closed.

No fast food joints outside of the city limits. The only McDonalds i saw was in the airport. I'm not big on fast food but sometimes i do feel the need to supersize it, you know?

No convinience stores. Good lord, what do the local women do if it's 2 a.m. and they have an "emergency"? (i don't think this merits explanation)
 
Well, Since this is Our World, Our Culture thread - so basically any types of culture goes too.

I've never been to Europe or overseas but I can say that I've experienced the Culture Shock when I was visiting Mexico couple of years ago.

When I was in Mexico; I was stunned to see how easy it was to get stuffs there and at a very cheap price. At that time, I was pretty much clueless using the Spanish language. It was challenging because I was very rusty on Spanish. The Mexicans were very friendly to me, that is.

I also remember that when I was approached by a mexican on the street when I was browsing around in various local stores. A guy was speaking spanish which I did not understand. A friend who was with me had better spanish-speaking skills than I translated it for me and asked me if I wanted a Mexican Boomer? At that point, I was confused and I said "What? What the hell is a Mexican Boomer?" It turns out that Mexican Boomer is just another term for weed. :shock:

It was an awkward moment and I politely said "gracias pero no gracias" which means "Thanks but No Thanks".

It was just one of the weird moment I had encountered in Mexico, lol.
 
lol!! Mexican Boomer
 
Jiro said:
My experience of cultural shock -

When I visited European countries such as Paris and Rome... I was shocked at the way they drive and how they ignored the traffic signals. I was especially puzzled with European size. Everything in Europe was too small for me. Small elevators, small food portion, small cars, small drinks, small everything! The elevators in Italy, Germany, and France are TOO SMALL. It's so small that only 4 people can fit in elevator.... and that's without our luggage!!

What I like about Europe is the way they practice with strong environmental conservation. They even park their cars bumper-to-bumper! Makes me wonder how are they going to get out. Oh yes - Europe is VERY motorcycle/scooter-friendly!! I would love to have that in America.

The toilets have 2 buttons on the wall and I was very puzzled. The person explained to me that it was to save water. 1 button is for flushing #2 (poo poo/kaka/doo doo/etc.) meaning more water is used to flush it and other button was for peeing (it used up less water). I thought it was very interesting and I think America should have that!
Click to expand...

:giggle: yes, i know what you mean.. that i found website
Rubrik: Ausstellung

that is only rich People or somewhere in the Hotel. that is all!!! :)

see on pic

314t89j.jpg
 
yes!! that's the one... a toilet with 2 buttons on the wall.
 
Small elevators in Europe!

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I will have to get back to this thread when I return from my trip to Japan. I would be experiecing a culture shock, for sure.
 
JClarke said:
I will have to get back to this thread when I return from my trip to Japan. I would be experiecing a culture shock, for sure.
Click to expand...

a GOOD culture shock, I hope. better get used to eating raw seafood and bowing 1000x a day
 
I have eaten raw seafood before, so that won't be a problem for me. But eating rice EVERYDAY. Didn't you know that, whenever you eat rice, you prefer to eat it with soy sauce to taste? What I do that down here in Australia. My father said that I can not do that in Japan! :shock:
 
JClarke said:
I have eaten raw seafood before, so that won't be a problem for me. But eating rice EVERYDAY. Didn't you know that, whenever you eat rice, you prefer to eat it with soy sauce to taste? What I do that down here in Australia. My father said that I can not do that in Japan! :shock:
Click to expand...

no no..... i'm talking about seafood being prepared in a way that will horrify many Westerners and even me. mind you - it moves... YUCK. I want my meal dead please! You don't have to eat rice everyday. I do but not with soy sauce.... YUCK!

what do you do in Australia that you cannot do in Japan?
 
Jiro said:
no no..... i'm talking about seafood being prepared in a way that will horrify many Westerners and even me. You don't have to eat rice everyday. I do but not with soy sauce.... YUCK!

what do you do in Australia that you cannot do in Japan?
Click to expand...

That with soy suace in rice, is just my taste of it. I am not sure what others are in the similar sort in Australia. But Jiro, in the australian culture, we are dressed up in a relaxed way, nothing strict really.
 
JClarke said:
That with soy suace in rice, is just my taste of it. I am not sure what others are in the similar sort in Australia. But Jiro, in the australian culture, we are dressed up in a relaxed way, nothing strict really.
Click to expand...

oh. they do dress the same as well. same for koreans. they're adopting Western way... at least in major metro area like Tokyo. that means.... TANK TOP! :naughty:
 
Yeah, some aussie blokes (not unlikely myself) uses a blue singlet on men, in the aussie way with shorts, eh. Have you seen the famous AUstralian ad with Paul hogan in it? In the end said 'I'll put you an extra shrimp for ya'
 
JClarke said:
Yeah, some aussie blokes (not unlikely myself) uses a blue singlet on men, in the aussie way with shorts, eh. Have you seen the famous AUstralian ad with Paul hogan in it? In the end said 'I'll put you an extra shrimp for ya'
Click to expand...

that is very awkward to wear singlet in public.... unless you're jogging. It's viewed as faggy in America :laugh2:

Paul Hogan is the man! I like his movies.
 
Jiro said:
yes... yes... you know what this thread is about. Looks like we'll have mostly European-American cultural difference since those are pretty much a dominant culture in the world. DISCUSS!!!

Sunshinelady has mentioned about big cars in America. Liebling mentioned about a heavy-usage of plastic in America. Both comments are opposite of European way.

Sunshinelady - I had a great laugh when you mentioned about some people wearing pajamas in USA and you were shocked about a guy carrying gun to store. Please do tell us more about your experiences with cultural shock in America.

as for rest of you - please do tell us about your cultural shock experience!
Click to expand...

yeaaah, i tell you now. What i experienced :)
when i moved here and look "WHERE STAND THE MOUNTAIN BIKE IN THE BUS?" How?? oh i saw one man put their MB (Mountain bike) on the front Bus. I was like :shock: and aaaah *thinking*... that is only 2 place for MB. what if it is full. Should I wait for the next Bus? oh forget it, i prefer ride on my MB. LOL

i saw a lot cars. it got damage. I think, they don't care about something make a new or let repair. My Hubby said, sometimes PPL don't have an Insurance for accident. I was like :shock: I told him about in german must have one insurance for accident cars. If they don't want it, then they don't drive. Now, i realized and i must be careful about traffic in america.

i don't like insects in america. *eeeeeek* i found a bark-scorpion in our kitchen. I run to my hubby and say to him "please death it". He does.. I find, it is too ugly. I told my Hubby, I WANNA BACK TO GERMANY *heeeeelp* last time i saw one snake on the ground by pool and told my hubby. He loves catch the snake. I said NO NO NO!!!! he does run outside and close at snake.
i always scared about insects brown recluse, snake and scorpion.
In germany don't have like that. Only in the Zoo :)
see on pic.

e190f9.jpg


122kxzk.jpg
 
:laugh2::laugh2::laugh2: just be glad that you live in America instead of Australia or Africa because most of insects/snakes in America are not poisonous. btw - that's a nice pool! is it your property?

it is the law to have car insurance but people do have to pay for deductible usually up to about $2000 so lot of people rather not pay.
 
Culture shock for me was in the Mexican culture, they dont like having dishwashing machines in their homes even though they can afford it. They didnt believe in their dishes being washed by a machine and believed that by washing them by hand gets rid of all the old foods.
 
My friend went to China and told me. he got wrong foods, what he has order the foods by the chinese restaurant. one man service hold a plate with plenty death ants. *aaaaargh* he answer, no no!!! one man smiles
he tried explain with gesture fly like "chicken" to him. one man got it. ha!!!
he lost in communicate with chinese PPL, because in Beijing don't have support translation german or english or etc.. oh well!!! he said, don't imagine to live in Beijing. :)
 
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