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Funny Things Other Cultures Do

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    #92
    coffee_cake
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Politics Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 81,310 CMod ✭✭✭✭coffee_cake


    We do the cake thing at our work as well, your birthday your cake/pastries. That was until everyone decided to start being super healthy and refusing a piece, so we don't really bother in our teams anymore, but others do


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    #93
    kylith
    Registered Users Posts: 17,736 ✭✭✭✭kylith


    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.
    Just for anyone worried that OneArt is going to die; vinegar will chemically cook the meat, so it's all fine.
    osarusan wrote: »
    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?
    It was on a bus in Hiroshima. I don't know about giving seats on trains as it didn't come up. I did, however, get scolded (I assumed from tone of voice, I don't speak Japanese) for not moving the seat-back on the airport train to face the correct direction for travel.


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    #94
    Cerulean Chicken
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,565 ✭✭✭Cerulean Chicken


    positron wrote: »
    I find it fairly strange that in some people here use a plastic sink inside the regular kitchen sink.. not sure if this is to conserve water or not, but in any case I haven't seen this in a few years now.

    My mum does that. She has a double sink, and does lots of baking/cooking, etc. So if the things that need to be washed are in the basin she can move them from sink to sink if she needs to and can put them aside altogether if she needs both sinks. When she's peeling or preparing loads of veg she uses the sinks as big containers basically, for washing and peeling the veg in the one spot, and then fecking it into the pot right beside it.

    Re: Some menstruating women having to do things differently, a friend of mine is from Sri Lanka, and she is very much lapsed in terms of religion and tradition compared to her family. For years she's been getting out of going to church 1-3 times a month by saying she has her period :p Women aren't allowed to go to church while they have it. Her parents tell her to go (she's 30, they're just very demanding), she says no, her mother says she has to, my friend says she has her period, her mother says she's lying, and my friend invites her to check if she doesn't believe her...so she wins every time :)


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    #95
    DanaScully
    Registered Users Posts: 20 ✭DanaScully


    stefan idiot jones wrote: »
    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.

    Hahaha very funny ! But we don't eat all this stuff and we do use deoderant like everybody :mad: ! Have you tried the Metro in London?


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    #96
    Lollipops23
    Registered Users Posts: 5,420 ✭✭✭Lollipops23


    DanaScully wrote: »
    Hahaha very funny ! But we don't eat all this stuff and we do use deoderant like everybody :mad: ! Have you tried the Metro in London?

    I have, and I've spent a lot of time in France too (my folks live there). Hate to break it to you, but I've found in general the BO thing is definitely an issue in both rural and urban France, moreso than other countries I've been to.

    That said, my parents' mates in their local town are all lovely and don't smell bad at all :)


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    #97
    ShadowHearth
    Registered Users Posts: 22,929 ✭✭✭✭ShadowHearth


    I sow one thing these particular people do:

    Take 2 slices of bread, put butter on both slices, then put deep fried chips between 2 slices of bread. Then some ketchup and viniger!

    Something that I do and people go: wtf?! :D
    I love tea with sugar and slice of lemon.


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    #98
    Apanachi
    Registered Users Posts: 757 ✭✭✭Apanachi


    ShadowHearth wrote: »
    Take 2 slices of bread, put butter on both slices, then put deep fried chips between 2 slices of bread. Then some ketchup and viniger!

    Ah, the perfect chip butty - yummy!!! ;)


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    #99
    hal9000
    Registered Users Posts: 933 ✭✭✭hal9000


    FTA69 wrote: »
    "You know what they call a Quarter Pounder in France? A Royale with cheese...."

    And here its called, A Royale Ascot with Cheese!


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    #100
    MurdyWurdy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,043 ✭✭✭MurdyWurdy


    Oranage2 wrote: »
    okay I'll go again -

    In south Africa they literally have 5 people to pump gas into your car, and I don't mean five people per petrol station, I mean 5-6 guys per pump, its the oddest thing, you pull in and one guy pumps and the over guys stand around your car supervising. so un economical though they probably pay them little and they're happy to have jobs.

    Pretty sure they're doing it just for tips - I also guilt tip them loads. In fact, I guilt tip everyone in SA loads :o

    When my in-laws came here they were very shocked you have to get out of your car and pump your own petrol and then go in and pay. They're used to just sitting in their cars, having it done for them and then driving off.


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    #101
    DanaScully
    Registered Users Posts: 20 ✭DanaScully


    BO thing ? OK I Got it..

    I am very happy for you parent's mates, please could you tell me how they do to smell good? lol

    No way! It was certainly an issue during the middle-ages. This big issue now is stupid stereotype ... really.
    Lollipops23 wrote: »
    I have, and I've spent a lot of time in France too (my folks live there). Hate to break it to you, but I've found in general the BO thing is definitely an issue in both rural and urban France, moreso than other countries I've been to.

    That said, my parents' mates in their local town are all lovely and don't smell bad at all :)


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    #102
    Matt_Trakker
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,052 ✭✭✭Matt_Trakker


    Apanachi wrote: »
    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
    Ah so because they do it it Germany the Poles copied it?
    Condescend much?


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    #103
    ronjo
    Registered Users Posts: 3,177 ✭✭✭ronjo


    Matt_Trakker wrote: »
    Ah so because they do it it Germany the Poles copied it?
    Condescend much?

    Paranoid much?


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    #104
    DesperateDan
    Registered Users Posts: 1,582 ✭✭✭DesperateDan


    Beautiful Americans in clothing stores....:mad: They employ someone to stand at the door all day long and force a response from you:

    "Hi, how are you today, we hope you have a great time and if you need anything at all just ask for Justine, MMMMKAY?!"

    Fcuk off Justine. It's okay in one or two shops, but if you are going into 15 shops that day it gets on your tits.


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    #105
    Stinicker
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 7,102 ✭✭✭Stinicker


    Not really a cultural thing but in America you have to pay for your Gasoline before pumping it and the VAT is always added on at the till and not displayed in the price. That $9.99 sweater could actually cost $11.

    In Thailand to pat someones head is considered really offensive and feet should be faced away from your guests if eating on the floor.


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    #106
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 17,381 ✭ [Deleted User]


    In Vietnam, one person pays the bill and it comes from the idea that what goes around comes around. As a teacher going on a once off night out with students who'll never see each other again, it's pretty interesting to watch the social play of who pays panning out but I can't find any pattern to how it works..
    No one really wants to pay but it never turns into a debate or argument. It just happens that someone gets landed with a bill that would usually be higher that the cost of the three month course and around what their month's wages would be.

    The whole thing has rubbed off on some expats like me and a few mates but not to the same crippling extent.. One of us would randomly pick up the dinner/night tab and it's never mentioned again. But the amounts are relatively low because one, we usually earn quite a lot compared to the cost of food/drink and two, it's not in our culture to go to needlessly expensive places as a symbol of wealth. Some of the places are insanely expensive.. One 17yr old student of mine racked up a $1700 bill with 4 friends in a night. One guy's father had to pay.


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    #107
    Matt_Trakker
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,052 ✭✭✭Matt_Trakker


    ronjo wrote: »
    Paranoid much?

    sock-puppet much?


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    #108
    DanaScully
    Registered Users Posts: 20 ✭DanaScully


    DesperateDan wrote: »
    Beautiful Americans in clothing stores....:mad: They employ someone to stand at the door all day long and force a response from you:

    "Hi, how are you today, we hope you have a great time and if you need anything at all just ask for Justine, MMMMKAY?!"

    Fcuk off Justine. It's okay in one or two shops, but if you are going into 15 shops that day it gets on your tits.

    Haha this is a good reason to shop less than usual :D


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    #109
    smash
    Closed Accounts Posts: 34,809 ✭✭✭✭smash


    Matt_Trakker wrote: »
    sock-puppet much?
    say much, much?


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    #110
    Apanachi
    Registered Users Posts: 757 ✭✭✭Apanachi


    Matt_Trakker wrote: »
    Ah so because they do it it Germany the Poles copied it?

    And I wrote that where????


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    #111
    ronjo
    Registered Users Posts: 3,177 ✭✭✭ronjo


    Matt_Trakker wrote: »
    sock-puppet much?

    No, why do you ask?


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    #112
    Menas
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,318 ✭✭✭✭Menas


    In Singapore you can buy a bottle of whisky in a bar and drink some of it. Then at the end of the night you can leave it back. The bar man will etch the bottle with to show how much is left and put it away.
    Then when you return another night you can carry on drinking from your own bottle. Of course you still pay for your mixers and tip for service etc.

    In China hotel staff etc never hand you something with just one hand. So for example when they give you your room key they hand it to you with both hands.

    Peurto rican women will stare at you, kinda like 'giving the eye'. Reason is apparently that they are wanting you to smile in appreciation of their good looks rather than as a come on.


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    #113
    Matt_Trakker
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,052 ✭✭✭Matt_Trakker


    Apanachi wrote: »
    .And I wrote that where????
    There
    Apanachi wrote: »
    Another German cultural thing, btw,


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    #114
    Magenta
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,957 ✭✭✭Magenta


    stop animal cruelty wrote: »
    OP why were they offened that you used you're left hand??
    Oranage2 wrote: »
    sorry didn't really make it clear. they were sitting at my table in front of me and they didn't want to look at someone using their left hand while the ate
    stop animal cruelty wrote: »
    l understand all you've posted but l'm kinda confused, do they have a problem with people eathing/using their left hand??
    Cool Mo D wrote: »
    They don't "wipe" with their left hand, they wash their arse out with water after crapping with their left hand. That's why it's considered gross!

    Also, they often consider toilet paper unhygienic - the attitude being how are you supposed to get properly clean without using water?

    It's OK, I think she got it after the 3rd time it was explained.
    stefan idiot jones wrote: »
    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.

    TBH it sounds like you're just believing any old stereotype that you hear.
    A LOT of the people on the Metro are tourists. Have you ever actually met a French person?


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    #115
    Apanachi
    Registered Users Posts: 757 ✭✭✭Apanachi


    Matt_Trakker wrote: »
    There

    Quote out of context much?

    I wrote:
    Apanachi wrote: »
    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

    the btw reffered to the getting fined and getting points on your licence if you're on your bike and run a red light (OK, maybe a full stop would have been better than a comma before the btw, but even still, I never said the Poles copied it, just that it's also a German thing.

    If you do insist on reading between the lines, make sure there's something there to be read in the first place...


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    #116
    Matt_Trakker
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,052 ✭✭✭Matt_Trakker


    Apanachi wrote: »
    If you do insist on reading between the lines, make sure there's something there to be read in the first place...

    Don't really care how much back-tracking you do, not like winning an argument on a forum actually ever matters. I still think you meant it in a condescending way anyway, so yea whatevs.


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    #117
    DesperateDan
    Registered Users Posts: 1,582 ✭✭✭DesperateDan


    Matt_Trakker wrote: »
    There

    I'm pretty sure he wasn't saying "Germans invented this cos they're great and better than Poles", more like "This also occurs in Germany" :D


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    #118
    Apanachi
    Registered Users Posts: 757 ✭✭✭Apanachi


    Matt_Trakker wrote: »
    Don't really care how much back-tracking you do, not like winning an argument on a forum actually ever matters. I still think you meant it in a condescending way anyway, so yea whatevs.

    You just think what you want, it doesn't really bother me either way.

    I do find it pretty amazing that you seem to think you know what I meant beter than I do myself though, maybe you should write my posts for me in future


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    #119
    ronjo
    Registered Users Posts: 3,177 ✭✭✭ronjo


    Matt_Trakker wrote: »
    Don't really care how much back-tracking you do, not like winning an argument on a forum actually ever matters. I still think you meant it in a condescending way anyway, so yea whatevs.

    When you are in a hole, stop digging....

    Slovaks nearly always sign their names with just their surnames.


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    #120
    old hippy
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 9,441 ✭✭✭old hippy


    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 given up my seat on trians and buses in Japan and been thanked for it. Maybe it's just a certain generation?


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    #121
    Matt_Trakker
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,052 ✭✭✭Matt_Trakker


    ronjo wrote: »
    When you are in a hole, stop digging....

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b97zJxKEqAk
    Apanachi wrote: »
    You just think what you want,
    Will do
    Apanachi wrote: »
    maybe you should write my posts for me in future

    If ya want.

    People stand far closer together in queues here, it's not nice to have some auld won breathing down your neck when queuing to pay for the groceries, don't know if it goes on in other central Europe countries.


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