Funny Things Other Cultures Do

kingtut

Two things I remember from my time in the Czech Republic

1) In the office they never put coats on the back of chairs (for me it was strange)

2) They freaked out when an American guest tipped the remains of his current drink into his new drink. They found this disgusting, it's not something I'd do myself usually but I didn't have any issue with it.

Not sure if that is common with all Czechs but just my experience :P

Minderbinder

kingtut wrote: »

Two things I remember from my time in the Czech Republic

1) In the office they never put coats on the back of chairs (for me it was strange)

2) They freaked out when an American guest tipped the remains of his current drink into his new drink. They found this disgusting, it's not something I'd do myself usually but I didn't have any issue with it.

Not sure if that is common with all Czechs but just my experience :P

When I was there I thought this was considered an insult to the barman as in you're suggesting he didn't fill your drink to the top. I usually do it because the end of a drink tends to be warm and unpleasant.

kingtut

Minderbinder wrote: »

When I was there I thought this was considered an insult to the barman as in you're suggesting he didn't fill your drink to the top. I usually do it because the end of a drink tends to be warm and unpleasant.

They didn't fill your drink to the top ?? That in itself is odd !!

Fratton Fred

Boombastic wrote: »

They should at least have an idea that Ireland is not split Northern Ireland, Southern Ireland

It works both ways to be fair.

A typical complaint would be "I get annoyed the way the English dont know anything about Ireland, I was in Edinburgh last week and...."

jester77

The eating raw mince on a sandwich in Germany. I like my meat but it's not something I have gotten my head around to yet.

kingtut

jester77 wrote: »

The eating raw mince on a sandwich in Germany. I like my meat but it's not something I have gotten my head around to yet.

I saw that when I was in France, it was in someone's house and she ate it straight out of the container it was stored in. Where is the puking emoticon

coffee_cake

Flaker wrote: »

So it's etiqutte to eat with your right hand only and not the one you've used to wipe their arse.

Do you usually go around wiping other people's backsides?!

jester77

kingtut wrote: »

I saw that when I was in France, it was in someone's house and she ate it straight out of the container it was stored in. Where is the puking emoticon

Steak tartare is what the French call it, they usually eat it as a patty with a raw egg on top. Not even 10 pints of beers would get me to eat that.

DanaScully

Oranage2 wrote: »

So have you good people of AH ever come across a total culture difference in Ireland or abroad?

That's a good question.

I am French and I noticed that in Ireland you like drinking tea many times a day, but it is always the exact same tea (with sometimes milk and sugar). Isn't it strange? :P I like mint tea, caramel tea, strawberry tea as well

Another thing, when we enter a shop in Ireland or UK, the seller always says "Hello How are u"? I am not sure if he really cares about my health...

In France we don't say "thank you" to the bus driver before leaving. It it because there are two doors : one near the driver for coming, the other one at the end of the bus for leaving.

Once one of my friend went to Italy in a homestay family. The parents didn't want her to cut her pasta/spaghettis with the knife.. (sometimes it is easier to do that)

Boombastic

DanaScully wrote: »

.......................
Another thing, when we enter a shop in Ireland or UK, the seller always says "Hello How are u"? I am not sure if he really cares about my health...

.......................

they don't, it's just a greeting

OneArt

jester77 wrote: »

The eating raw mince on a sandwich in Germany. I like my meat but it's not something I have gotten my head around to yet.

Nom.

It's usually with pork, and it's treated with vinegar so all the germs are killed. Thought it was strange at first as well, but I love raw meat so I thought it was delicious.

Seriously, I have to stop myself from eating raw mince when I'm making burgers...

osarusan

kylith wrote: »

In Japan you're not expected to give up your seat on the bus to the elderly because they don't see it as politeness, they see it as being given a debt they can never repay, which is shameful to them.

I've been in Japan for years and never heard or seen anything like this. What part of Japan was this?

Bus only? Or train too?

ScumLord

OneArt wrote: »

Nom.

It's usually with pork, and it's treated with vinegar so all the germs are killed. Thought it was strange at first as well, but I love raw meat so I thought it was delicious.

Seriously, I have to stop myself from eating raw mince when I'm making burgers...

I was wondering how it could be made safe. Someone told me before raw pork is a as dangerous as raw chicken. Mince has always gone off pretty quickly in my experience.

Rasheed

That the Polish, possibly other Eastern European countries too, wear their wedding rings on their right hand!

rain on

Germans knock on the table instead of clapping, at work anyway, apparently in informal contexts they clap.

Teyla Emmagan

Indian people shaking their heads when they mean yes.

Oranage2

Czarcasm wrote: »

I couldn't believe what the OP was saying about the whole left hand wipe thing... apparently it is indeed true!


From: http://indiatour.dadaksa.com/etiquette.htm




I knew about the burping after a meal in Saudi Arabia and China alright, but it's not something that ever caught on here... though many have tried

I thought it was common knowledge about India and a lot of Asian and middle eastern countries.


okay a big thing I see in Ireland are a lot of Europeans place your change on the counter. in a lot of Europe they have trays on the counters to put money, so the cashier does it here without the slightest thought whilst in Ireland it can be seen as quite rude.

Seaneh

In some south american countries guests will be seated and fed before the host family.

the guests will be give several courses and massive portions to show how glad the family is to have them and to show that the family has plenty of food (basically, we're not poor). You're expected to eat it all as well.

In Ecuador it's easy to finish it all even though you'll be stuffed afterwards, because it tends to be amazingly fresh, light, delicious food.

In Peru and Bolivia it's a bloody struggle, lots more stoggy rice and beans and tough meats which when compared to the nice light ecuadorina salads and soups and fish are much harder to force down!

Then the family sits and eats a normal meal with normal portions whole you sit and digest your feast for about 5 hours before you can even think about doing anything.

Cookie_Monster

Kiwi dipping crisps in a mix of dehydrated onion soup and condensed milk.

Cookie_Monster

castletownman wrote: »

The poor knowledge the British tend to have on Irish geography, politicians and other things, despite us being their near neighbours, is quite hilarious.

Aren't the French their nearest neighbours? (NI excluded of course ;-))
Cairnryan to Larne 39 miles
Dover to France via Chunnel 31 miles

noxqs

jester77 wrote: »

The eating raw mince on a sandwich in Germany. I like my meat but it's not something I have gotten my head around to yet.

Steak tartare, is not just any random 2 euro mince. Its usually mince of only the freshest fresh tenderloin - with crushed pepper, salt and finely chopped onion. Usually served with a raw egg yolk on top.

Anyone who eats this dish would be equally disgusted if it was made out of standard mince. While fresh tenderloin, shouldn't be as susceptible (not to mention texture and taste isn't on the same plane of existence either).

It's pretty good but its one of those dishes you don't order in some random restaurant without trusting their quality.

stefan idiot jones

Lapin wrote: »

In Mayo, the natives celebrate the coming of nightfall by sleeping with sheep.

We have to do this in Wales. It's the Law.

stefan idiot jones

What I always find funny is that the French do not use deoderant, or come to that, any kind of personal hygiene.

smash

stefan idiot jones wrote: »

What I always find funny is that the French do not use deoderant, or come to that, any kind of personal hygiene.

What kind of French people you been hanging out with?

Fratton Fred

There's one country in north west Europe, where it is impolite to get in someone's way.

You could walk down the street not looking where you are going, knock one of the locals flying and they will say "Sorry".

Very amusing!

stefan idiot jones

smash wrote: »

What kind of French people you been hanging out with?

Have you ever been on the Metro ? My brother lives in Paris and he read last year that statistically, the French spend the least per head on personal hygiene products. Or that the stinking cheese that they eat is just oozing out of their pores with the garlic, horses, onions, snails, frogs legs and all the other stereotypical vile foods that they eat.

wobzilla1

When it's your name day in Bulgaria. You have to be prepared to receive guests all day and have food and alcohol there for them.
I think someone already mentioned the nodding for no and shaking the head for yes. I confused the **** out of the waiter on my first night there.

Matt_Trakker

jester77 wrote: »

Steak tartare is what the French call it, they usually eat it as a patty with a raw egg on top. Not even 10 pints of beers would get me to eat that.

Is actually a Polish dish, named after the Tatar mountains.

In Poland too, you need to take off your shoes as soon as you go into someone's house. Makes sense tho, coz there's so much dog poo everywhere, nobody cleans up after dogs...plus all the sand and salt that used over the winter for the snow.

Also, when you your mates, or mates of mates you have to shake their hands (men) or give at least 2 kisses on the cheek, (women, 3 in some regions) and you have to do this ever single time, even if you met them yesterday, or the day before or the day before.....except at work....but some guys will extend the hand to shake it, even tho you see them every single day. Don't get it.
But the kissing is OK, Polish women are feckin deadly.

People are always on time here, it's weird. You gotta be a bit late, you couldn't be on time for things in Ireland because the thing you're going to wouldn't be organised to start on time. Which is better coz it means you don't have to be on time.....if that makes sense....

People stand a traffic lights waiting for the green man, even tho there's no cars on the road for as far as the eye can see. Mental, it's in case a cop sees you and will fine you...and he will.but they very rarely stop and fine you for speeding in your car. Mad.

That birthday thing is the same too, you're expected to fork out for drinks for people at your own birthday...food too if it's a house party. Feck that, did it once and never again, cost a fortune and all I got for presents were some crappy tshirts and a few bottle of drink. Made a huge loss. Usually come back to Ireland for them now instead, better craic.

Apanachi

rain on wrote: »

Germans knock on the table instead of clapping,

After 17 years in Germany, I still find this highly amusing, they also knock on the table to greet everyone when they arrive at a full table

wobzilla1 wrote: »

When it's your name day in Bulgaria. You have to be prepared to receive guests all day and have food and alcohol there for them.

Similar in Germany, if you're at work on your birthday, you have to bring the cake.

Matt_Trakker wrote: »

In Poland too, you need to take off your shoes as soon as you go into someone's house. Makes sense tho, coz there's so much dog poo everywhere, nobody cleans up after dogs...plus all the sand and salt that used over the winter for the snow.

Again, it's the same here in Germany

People stand a traffic lights waiting for the green man, even tho there's no cars on the road for as far as the eye can see. Mental, it's in case a cop sees you and will fine you...and he will

Another German cultural thing, btw, if you have a driver's licence and cycle through a red light here on your bicycle, you get fined and points on your driver's licence too

FTA69

The crazy handhsaking with the Poles is gas as well, they actually do it mid-stride without even stopping to talk to each other.