(Nice) Cultural Differences

[AquaticAmbi]

This is an idea I've had for a while, but I'm not sure if anyone will share my interest.

• Upon talking to Rich one day when he was sick, I suddenly wondered if eating chicken noodle soup was the big thing to do when one is sick in other countries like it is here. So is it?
  
• Is giving flowers and chocolates to a lover common?
  
• Do girls usually wear make-up everyday to school or do they only wear it on fancy occasions?

Pretty simple. Answer whatever questions of anyone's, no matter when they are posted. (You don't have to only answer the post above you.) I'd really like to see different answers representing different countries. Then ask some of your own questions, but nothing mean (e.g. "Buhhh... Are all Americans fat Christians?!")

This shall be so disorganized, but meh.

[Rex Tirano]

I never have chicken soup when ill, although it is the stereotypical thing to do. I don't know if it actually makes you better, I just think it tastes like shit. ^_^;;

I don't know about flowers and choc... Personally, if Rich ever gave me a box of chocs I'd throw them at him because I never eat them. ^_^;; Nice thought an' all, but they just end up getting eaten by other people because I forget about them. Bring on scroungey £1 Cadbruy's anyday. But yeah, I think it is stereotypical.

Makeup. I wear make up, have done for just under a year. And I wear it to school and when I go out, the only time I don't is when I'm at home alone [or just family] or morning after a sleepover. [I can't stop talking about this, sorry -_-;;] But when Rich came into our hotel room, I dashed into loo to put on make-up, even though I prolly didn't need it. It's a confidence thing, and I always feel uglier without it.

- Rexy

[Mojo]

Ok, I'm from The Netherlands. That little country above Belgium that is NOT Germany.

Usually, when we are sick, we don't do soup. Too much work. We eat aspirin. That, and cough-syrup if needed. Furthermore, we just stay in bed, and stuff, 'till we're not sick anymore. With, ofcourse, some exceptions. Hell, I even go to class when I have a light fever...

Giving presents to a lover. Yeah, we do that. But they usually don't give food. They often give jewelry. (Note how I said "they", since I dislike jewelry. Takes away the attention from where it should be. The girl, not the metal things on her.).

Girls usually put on make up when they go to school. If they don't, they often look ridiculous. Besides, a little black make up around the eyes make them jump out, which is very sexy.

[Nate]

My mum always proscribed chicken soup for the sick but that's a Jewish thing more than an Australian thing. I don't know if anyone else does it. Some researchers found out a few years back that apparently chicken soup does contain something that boosts the immune system.

In terms of the makeup question, I don't know seeing as I went to an all boys school and now go to an engineering university (which is much the same thing) but I personally prefer women without makeup - I think it makes them look like clowns with that unnatural colour on their faces. But that's probably got to do with my mum never wearing makeup when I was growing up.

[AquaticAmbi]

Interesting, interesting. But do ask some of your own questions!

Most girls in America seem to wear make-up all the time. Up until this year, I was one of them. I've out grown the "need" feeling for it for the most part.

[Adder]

Chicken soup? Not really. I was brought up on "honey and lemon with warm 7up" for a cold/flu/sore throat

Flowers and choc? Well, it's a bit "romantic freak" with this generation but individuals like it.

Make-up? Don't know, but I guess it's now a daily thing.

[SeaRex]

I heard that in Australia, they wear hats on their feet and hamburgers eat people.

But that's probably just because they live in another hemisphere.

[AquaticAmbi]

Crazy Aussies.

Oh, and I forget where (parts of Britian maybe?) but it's rude to be early and polite/acceptable to be a little late for appointments, while in the US, it's rude to late and good to be early.

[Godlesswanderer]

I've also heard that people ride in Kangaroo pouches. I know it's true, I've seen nate doing it .

I'm not too sure about it being rude to be early and polite to be late here. If someone's early, that's usually a good thing in my books as long as they're not too early. If they're late I don't mind too much as long as they're not too late.

But then again you said appointments and I thought you said parties... so meh...

[outlaw king]

Well , im from n.z , and heres what we do.

* Sickness? = usually a lemonade or butter chicken fixes me right up. , White meat helps me.

* pressies? = we usually prefer the ol ' "
win something for her at the carnival " trick . Also barbyques ( shite thats bad spelling ) seem to work. The n.z country folk seem to like grilled lambs tales ( no joke! ) , there actually quite nice!

Makeup = I dont really no.

[Nate]

I heard that in Australia, they wear hats on their feet and hamburgers eat people.

No, that's in Rand McNally! Don't you know anything?

Yeesh!


And, yes those are but a few of the many questions I have been asked about Australia. I was even once complimented on my fluency in English!

[The Red Muse]

Ahaha!
Now this sounds fun;

Illness-
No soup. Medicine if needed, but mostly people just take a painkiller or two and go to bed. Some people enjoy going to a sauna when ill, but I just can't stand the heat whenever I'm sick.
*TRM does not recommend to go to a sauna when having a high fever*

Flowers & Chocolate-
What the hell are these? Never hear of no flowers...
Finnish men don't give you flowers, unless you nag about it for a long, long time.
Atleast that how it works in my household. *sigh*
And now I feel depressed...

Make-up-
I ain't got time to put on make-up every morning. Infact, I hardly wear make-up nowadays...and I look like a hobo. I'm a lazy person...
But most (95,8%) people aged 13-15 wear make-up all the time. Even while asleep.
Scary, isn't it?

*runs back to work*

[SeaRex]

Oh, and I forget where (parts of Britian maybe?) but it's rude to be early and polite/acceptable to be a little late for appointments, while in the US, it's rude to late and good to be early.

I always thought that being fashionably late like that was more of Spanish and Italian thing. I think that Britain is pretty reliant on time, just not as much as us.

Someone set me straight if I'm wrong.

[AquaticAmbi]

Hmm, I think you're right. It was in Spanish class that I learned that.

*sad because no one else has questions to ask*

[Wil]

I'm trying to think of some nice additional questions, but it's hard. I try thinking about my experiences in Thailand, but the interesting bits of their culture I remember I can't imagine varying much in the Western world. Over they people ‘save face’ which effectively means they laugh at you when you trip up so you don't get embarrassed. Thais are attracted to people with pale skin (just like we may buy tanning creams, they buy whitening creams). Then there's the strong gay and transexual culture. It's not at all difficult to come across a bar or district in any Thai town. I have no idea how any of this could generate more input…

I have never even heard of chicken soup being used to soothe illness. I associate flowers and chocolates with romance simply because that's what they are in the entertainment media - I have no experience myself. My school has very detailed and comprehensive uniform codes on what makeup girls can wear. When everyone laughed at them, I wasn't sure whether it was the ridiculous detail or the pointlessness of them that was quite so funny - probably both. The latter would indicate the girls do generally wear makeup. Frankly… I wouldn't know which are wearing any and which aren't. Is there some kind of chemical test I can perform on them to find out?

[Nate]

Try wiping their face and see if it remains on the tissue... always works for me!

[Annouka-BadCat]

I'm in rainy old Hartlepool up in the north of England, and it's pretty much like this:

Illness - chicken soup of any kind is almost always prescribed by the old women. Everyone else goes to the chemist and checks out with a bottle of medicine. So do the old folks, when nothing else works. But they still insist it was their 'good old soup' that did the trick.

Love - yep, the same. Some of the younger males tend to go in Ann Summers as well and buy their girlfriends rauncy underwear. Four sizes too big/small...

Make-up - all the time, and it varies between lipgloss and a tiny bit of eyeshadow and liner (like me) and the full-on tart look. And they're even worse on a friday night around town. It's actually quite amusing to just walk around and look for the ones who've put it on with a shovel.

Ok, some questions. Where you are from;

• As the girls get older, do the skirts get shorter, until about the age of 21, when the feeling of, 'oh my god, I've got cellulite' hits?
• is there always a gay on the perfume department at any given department store? (Nothing wrong with being gay, here, there is just always a gay guy on the perfume counter...always...I'm beginning to think its a job requirement...)
• Are the people in music stores always into metal/punk/rock/alternative music? (I think that's a job requirement as well.)
• When greeting another male, do men call each other 'mate', whether they're friends or not?

[Fuzzle Guy]

Now I know our culture is pretty much the same as English Culture, but we still have the small bits of Manx Culture in there.

Is eating chicken noodle soup was the big thing to do when one is sick in other countries like it is here. So is it?

Yeah we eat Chicken soup on the IOM

Is giving flowers and chocolates to a lover common?

yes

Do girls usually wear make-up everyday to school or do they only wear it on fancy occasions?

Fancy Occasions

I live in the Civilised area of the Isle of Man (You know, cars, Radios, TV, roofed houses, decent shops, no Viking Graveyards in your garden) down the south of the Island, in the Parish known as "Gregneash" (Manx for Crenash which is Norse for something I can't be bothered researching) Everyone, and this is not an exaduration, Every Single Person do not have cars, Radios, TV's, Roofed Houses, Decent "Non-Medieval Merchant" style shops, and yes, they do have Viking Graveyards in their backgardens.

The following Image is not fancy dress, they really dress like this.



Cregneash from above.



Not a picture of Cregneash but a picture of Bradda Head taken from Cregneash. The Tower is Called Milners Tower (I used to pretend I was a king when I was a Kid, and that was my castle. My Dad used to drive us to Bradda Head and take us up to the top of the tower and tell us a story. But I'm not going to go off topic.



Our Culture is cool. We have Traditional Manx Festivals every year. I go every time because you get loads of really cool traditionally made Manx Dolls for free. The one my brother got last time looked a bit like a voodu doll. Of course, to add to the trditional manx culture we have British Gas, B&Q and other companies there hoping to sell their products. They have huge pigs in the animal contest which almost bite your hand off when you try to feed them.

I don't know if you ever have this kind of thing where you live, but it's always nice to learn about other peoples cultures.

[Godlesswanderer]

• When greeting another male, do men call each other 'mate', whether they're friends or not?

Having not been to any other countries I'm not sure but I think that's only a UK, Australia and New Zealand thing.

[Nate]

• Are the people in music stores always into metal/punk/rock/alternative music?

Yeah, I think that it's compulsory for them to have long, greasy, dyed hair and as many piercings as possible.

• When greeting another male, do men call each other 'mate', whether they're friends or not?

Within my experience 'mate' is generally reseved for when you don't like the person enough to use their name. But that's probably just me.

[Wil]

When greeting another male, do men call each other 'mate', whether they're friends or not?

Yes, but it depends on the person. People from lower classes do often, but so do the school jocks, who use it even more. Other people don't normally unless they're talking to their friends in the lower class/jock circles.

is there always a gay on the perfume department at any given department store? (Nothing wrong with being gay, here, there is just always a gay guy on the perfume counter...always...I'm beginning to think its a job requirement...)

You know, I've never actually seen a man in a perfume department, but they're not the sorts of places I usually hang around. Much like pig farms, and for a similar reason.

[Mojo]

Ok, some questions. Where you are from;

• As the girls get older, do the skirts get shorter, until about the age of 21, when the feeling of, 'oh my god, I've got cellulite' hits?
• is there always a gay on the perfume department at any given department store? (Nothing wrong with being gay, here, there is just always a gay guy on the perfume counter...always...I'm beginning to think its a job requirement...)
• Are the people in music stores always into metal/punk/rock/alternative music? (I think that's a job requirement as well.)
• When greeting another male, do men call each other 'mate', whether they're friends or not?

1: In summer, yeah. We (me and my mates) sometimes hang out at some pub, outside, and watch all the new flesh that walks by. Man, it's good to be a guy.
2: I dunno, I never go there.
3: Actually, in a lot of stores here, they all like hip-hop and RnB. It sucks, cos there's alot of Trance, Hip-Hop, and R 'n B sections, but none supporting stuff like old rock, underground rock (that's what I like to call it), or alternative. Small minded people...

[Annouka-BadCat]

Yeah, I think that it's compulsory for them to have long, greasy, dyed hair and as many piercings as possible.

That too.

You know, I've never actually seen a man in a perfume department, but they're not the sorts of places I usually hang around. Much like pig farms, and for a similar reason.

The only problem is to walk from one end of the department store to the other, you have to pass through it. And get sprayed by every assistant holding a bottle of the latest perfume by 'x' designer which inevitably smells like cat pee. Yeh stink by the time you come out the other end - my tactic is to run. Like hell. But trust me, there's always a gay dude. Especially in Fenwicks, for some reason...

1: In summer, yeah. We (me and my mates) sometimes hang out at some pub, outside, and watch all the new flesh that walks by. Man, it's good to be a guy.

I'm sure all the guys in the world would agree. Well, most of them, anyway.
Iwatch them too, simply to laugh my socks off when one bends over and her belt... 'scuse me, skirt rides up over her hips leaving her bottom-bared to the world with a bright red face. Good times, good times .

[AquaticAmbi]

[QUOTE=Annouka-BadCat]I'm in rainy old Hartlepool up in the north of England, and it's pretty much like this:

Illness - chicken soup of any kind is almost always prescribed by the old women. Everyone else goes to the chemist and checks out with a bottle of medicine. So do the old folks, when nothing else works. But they still insist it was their 'good old soup' that did the trick.

Love - yep, the same. Some of the younger males tend to go in Ann Summers as well and buy their girlfriends rauncy underwear. Four sizes too big/small...
Fuzzle Guy, neat pics and descriptions... Viking graveyards--that's pretty awesome. In America, of course, we don't have any people that still live like those, except for the Amish--Communities of people who basically reject the ways of modern society.

• As the girls get older, do the skirts get shorter, until about the age of 21, when the feeling of, 'oh my god, I've got cellulite' hits?
• is there always a gay on the perfume department at any given department store? (Nothing wrong with being gay, here, there is just always a gay guy on the perfume counter...always...I'm beginning to think its a job requirement...)
• Are the people in music stores always into metal/punk/rock/alternative music? (I think that's a job requirement as well.)
• When greeting another male, do men call each other 'mate', whether they're friends or not?

1) That's pretty much relevant to women between ages 13-late twenties. Sometimes it happens outrageously before and past this range of ages. There are still some women with enough dignity to leave some things to the imagination though, thankfully. Not nearly enough of them though.
2) Hah, I don't think I've ever seen a man in a perfume department around here. I could imagine it in bigger places like New York or something.
3) Not always, but it seems like most of the time.
4) Like previously said, "mate" isn't used in the US, but most guys here do that with the words "dude" and "man." Counting the number of times these two words are used in a conversation between males is great fun.

[Rich]

Still never heard about chicken soup for illness in this part of England.

Um, I dunno how accurate this is, but here in Britain, everyone drinks tea more so than coffee, right? But everywhere else in the world, people drink coffee instead. See, theres a difference. *Gives up at culture stuff*

[AquaticAmbi]

The US lives on coffee. We're all just a bunch of caffeine addicts. Just about all adults start their mornings with a big cup of it. Personally, I hate coffee and plan on never developing an dependency on it. Besides, coffee breath is plain disgusting. You Brits know where it's at: Tea is teh yum.

In Spain, they drink chocolate like coffee instead of the American and such place's version of hot chocolate, which is very milky. Their chocolate is similar to baker's chocolate. It's dark, bitter, and full of caffeine like coffee.

[used:)]

What i liike about the US is that because we're so huge, our very land has been divided into different cultures. In texas you find the best barbecue and jalupeno poppers, up in the north eeast rurual (and in every other rural region I imagine) you find them beer lovin, nascar cravin red necks always wantin a go, and then in the northern states like Minnesota you find those scandinavians peoples with their phunky accent. So despite our crappy government, the different cultures of America can really take the cake in some instances.

[Annouka-BadCat]

Um, I dunno how accurate this is, but here in Britain, everyone drinks tea more so than coffee, right?

Yeah, that's pretty accurate, can't beat a good cup of tea in the morning, though there is a growing amount of coffee bars selling worryingly overpriced caffeine...

[Alcar]

Always wondered, but are Jocks really the so called 'leaders' or 'elite class' of males in American schools? And are the ditzy Cheerleaders the female equivalent?

Over here, in NSW anyway, it's quite different. The 'Lads' own the School (male), and the Slutty / Bitchy chics own the female half. Have to admit I prefer it our way But only because I reside in the Lads. For further clarification for those not living over here, I guess I've basically described our Schools as being 'owned' by the British counter-part of Chavs, both male and female.

Alcar...

[used:)]

Always wondered, but are Jocks really the so called 'leaders' or 'elite class' of males in American schools? And are the ditzy Cheerleaders the female equivalent?

Over here, in NSW anyway, it's quite different. The 'Lads' own the School (male), and the Slutty / Bitchy chics own the female half. Have to admit I prefer it our way But only because I reside in the Lads. For further clarification for those not living over here, I guess I've basically described our Schools as being 'owned' by the British counter-part of Chavs, both male and female.

Alcar...

Nope, although that is the case in some situations. The sheep that my classmates are are all hearded by the polo shirt wearing preps. The jocks are sort of the dirty work people.