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| Fresh produce! Don't take it for granted! |
I polled four people who have lived or do live outside of their home country and asked them to tell me what things they found or find strange when they first arrived in their home away from home. Here are twenty of their answers, along with some of my comments about the subject!
First, some introductions: San is a German woman living in Sacramento, CA, Daria is a Russian woman living in New Jersey, Tobia is a German woman who lived in Idaho during her high school years, and Rachel is an American living in Wales (I think that may be a Sting song?😁). These are only some of their answers, so there may be a part two!
I want to stress that there is no right way, and nobody in this post is saying that one way is better or worse than another. These are just reflections on differences and/or things people aren't used to.
You can see other posts in the Twenty Questions series here. Also, don't forget to fill out --> THE QUESTIONNAIRE if you want your answers to feature on a future list!
1. San: That tap water is always free (yay!) and that you get free refills on soft drinks at most restaurants. (I say at most restaurants, because I have experienced the occasional exception in places like San Francisco, where they’ve adopted the European way of charging for every single glass. Beware!)
My take: I hate paying for water, and Germany (sorry San & Tobia) is a country that if you ask for tap water, they basically deny you, which really chaps my hide. There are some countries (France for example) where if you ask for water they will bring you a bottle, but if you ask for a glass of water, they WILL bring you tap water. As for soda, I don't drink it, but usually in Europe you don't get free refills on coffee either (boo)!
2. San: That (mostly) everybody calls everybody else by their first names. As you might know, there is a formal and informal way in Germany to address other people. The formal Sie is used in situations requiring respect or formality, such as when speaking to strangers or in professional settings, and you’ll also address the person by their last name (Mr/Mrs). The informal du would be used for family members and friends, and with people with whom you are on a first-name basis (e.g., colleagues). I’ve really gotten used to it and like that it’s more informal here (it has less of a hierarchical feel), but at first, it was really hard for me to call my professors (at university) or supervisors by their first names.
My take: I was raised to say Mr. or Mrs. so-and-so as a child, and in college, we did call the professors Professor so-and-so (last name). However, my friend Bugsy is a professor and I think that they are more informal now, like they just call him Dr. G. Also when I learned French I was taught to always say vous (formal) but when I worked in France, they all told me to call them tu (informal) which surprised me! Readers, feel free to chime in. What were you taught and/or what do you teach your kids? Do you still call anyone Mr. or Mrs.?
3. San: That there is a lack of good public transportation options (and/or bikeable areas). Sacramento is actually not that bad in both regards, and over time, it has improved in some places, but the reliance on your personal car is still mind-boggling to me. I remember when I first came here, I took the bus to a shopping center in the afternoon (and keep in mind, that was a time before digital bus schedules or the UBER app at you finger tips on your smartphone) and I got stranded because, for my return trip, the last bus had left the shopping center around 5 p.m. AT 5 PM! The stores were open til 8 p.m. I did not understand how there could be no later bus. (I ended up having to walk to a gas station to use their phone to call a taxi, and it was hellishly expensive to get home.)
My take: I totally agree! I have taken a train or bus to a small mountain town in Europe, which is nearly impossible in the U.S. Also in some places the public transit is FREE (Belgrade, Luxembourg, Tallin)!!
4. San: That stores are open 7 days a week. In Germany, stores - for the most part, with some exceptions - are still closed on Sundays. I’ve really gotten used to being able to run errands every day of the week, and I would probably miss it.
My take: I have gotten used to stores being closed on Sunday, but I still don't love it. Also they often are not open as many hours on regular days. However, I have found this differs depending on where you are (for example in Spain, grocery stores are closed on Sunday. In France, they are starting to sometimes have limited hours on Sunday, and in Belgrade they actually have 24/7 grocery stores in some places).
5. San: That people still write checks. When I moved here, checks were everywhere (and still are, although it’s gotten more common to pay through other means). In Germany, checks were something that I remember my parents using when I was little, but by the time I was old enough to have a bank account, financial matters were handled with bank transfers. I only ever had a checkbook - and wrote actual checks - in the US.
My take: The US has been behind Europe for a while regarding payment options. I remember when credit cards became more common (when I first moved to France, I used cash for everything) and I was asked where my chip was because they were using a chip reader rather than a swipe. Well, we got the chip finally, but it was probably a few years (?) later! However, did you know that many European countries don't have credit cards? They have a Visa or whatever, but it comes straight out of their bank account every time. Readers, feel free to chime in. Do you or does anyone you know still write checks?
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6. Daria: From heat straight to air conditioning. I was surprised that once the heat was off, the air conditioning came on pretty immediately. Back home we crack windows open in the dead of winter to air out the room. To this day my windows are open quite often. I cannot sleep in a stuffy room, my husband, however, does not have that problem.
My take: I agree with you. I prefer open windows, and when I lived in Florida and Louisiana, I hated the hot outside/freezing inside contrast. I would prefer to be a little warm than have fake air on me all the time! In Europe they are starting to get AC more, but it used to be very rare!
7. Daria: Breakfast. Back home we ate a very small breakfast, some bread, butter, maybe, some cheese and sausage if we were lucky. Eggs were like gold and eaten for dinner. In the US the breakfasts were more like desserts, and I very much enjoyed pancakes and waffles.
My take: Amen! I notice that everyone is a little different. In France it is very common to just have a croissant and coffee for breakfast. In the Netherlands, they usually eat cold lunch (sandwich, some sort of salad). In many European countries, they have bread, cheese and lunchmeat for breakfast (which was weird to me at first)!
8. Daria: Lots of positivity. By nature and culture I am a pessimistic person. That is simply how you survived since caution was imperative to be in Russia in the 90s. So it was weird to me to hear my fellow peers at the university say things like "I failed my test today. But the score will only go up from here." I thought "well, the score can go either way, up or down." Or "when I graduate and make a lot of money, I will…”Schooling was much harder in Russia, and gainful employment was not guaranteed, like, at all (unless you knew a guy who knew a guy who knew a guy). For me, that statement was more along the lines of "if I graduate, I hope I get a job where I make good money."
My take: I have been told over and over how "cheerful and friendly" people from the US are. Some people love it; other people think that it is very fake! By contrast, I do think a lot of cultures that were under the Soviet umbrella don't smile very much (not all of course, but some)!
9. Daria: Dusting. We dusted with clean, moist clothes, while in the US folks used something fluffy/feathery that, in my opinion, was not effective?…
My take: We used a feather duster when I was a kid, and you are right Daria, it is not that effective! Readers, feel free to chime in. What is your dusting method?
10. Daria: Back home, it was not customary to eat anywhere but these two places: home or restaurants/cafeterias. In the US I was surprised to see my peers at university eat during class as the professor lectured, eat while walking down the street, eat in their cars and public transportation.
My take: This is also true in Japan. Eating in public can actually be considered rude, and they often don't have public trash cans!
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11. Tobia: Tampons - when I had to buy tampons for the first time after arriving I was so overwhelmed. The boxes where huge and and they all said "applicator." I had no idea what that was. I had to ask my host mom which was a bit embarrassing as she was a Mormon and wasn’t using tampons. I ended up getting a box but I had issues. I think first time using it I left parts of the applicator in. Also they were so huge you couldn’t fit them in your pants pockets or hands when going to the bathroom. I ended up buying none ever again and bit the bullet and getting the very overpriced OB tampons I knew from home.
My take: My aunt used to use OB and I remember the first time I tried one. I did not do it right and it was so uncomfortable. However, after realizing that they save the environment (no plastic) and are much easier to carry for backpacking or traveling, I have been using OB for years! And luckily I can find them everywhere in Europe.
12. Tobia: School you move around - another thing that was different in school was that we moved a lot. In Germany it’s common that each class has a designated room and teachers come to your classroom. Only for special classes like music, art, PE or science you would go to the teachers room – mainly because of the equipment in the room. But everything from languages, math, history and stuff is in your class room.
My take: That would be awesome to not have to lug around your stuff from room to room. Readers, feel free to chime in. Does anyone have experience with a place where the teachers come to you?
13. Tobia: Fresh food – I was lucky enough that my host mom cooked dinner every day. But still I had the feeling I hardly ate any fresh veggies or fruits. I was a vegetarian when I came to the US and I missed greens. So much so that I was looking forward to when we were on the road with the team because I could go to subways and get some greens on my sandwich. I was not aware that I ate so much more colorful in Germany.
Bonus from Daria: Fruit and vegetables available out of season and year around! In contrast, we had to wait for the summer months to get fresh fruit and vegetables.
My take: I feel like this may be a rural Idaho thing. When I lived in Iowa, I was shocked by their idea of a "salad" which was iceberg lettuce with a tomato and dressing. Full stop. In California we grow a lot of produce, so get a lot of fresh foods in season, but of course, like Daria said, we can also get a lot of out of season things year round too! Readers, feel free to chime in. What is it like in your state/province?
14. Tobia: Milk and water. The amount of milk drinking I have seen in the US. Argh. I came from a non milk drinking family but even milk drinking families in Germany don't have milk for dinner. And lunch. And breakfast. I hated it. The only option for me was water as my host family didn't have anything else. There was no pop or iced tea or coffee for the Mormons. It was so boring.
My take: Our family was a water drinking family. I would never drink an entire glass of milk. Yuck. However, we also did not really drink soda or juice either! I am still mainly a water drinker to this day! And beer, but beer is mostly water, right? Readers, feel free to chime in. What did you drink at meals growing up?
15. Tobia: Eating with knife and fork. I was really surprised about the different way Americans eat with knife and fork. In Germany the fork is in your left hand and switching it to the right is a no go. Unless you don't need a knife. Then it is in your right. Also I realized many people hold the cutlery in sort of fist which looks a bit rough. I had never known there are different ways to eat with cutlery.
My take: Before I left for my summer in France, we were shown how French people use their cutlery so that we would not be perceived as rude. I actually prefer the "European way," but I was having lunch with people from all over and we were talking about this, and people from the UK also hold their cutlery differently. Also, did you know that in Japan you are not supposed to stick your chopsticks upright into your rice? It is considered disrespectful and a bad omen because it resembles an offering made at funerals for the deceased. Readers, feel free to chime in. How do you hold your cutlery (Knife in the right/left? Fork in the right/left? Put it down between bites? Hold it in your fist?)
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16. Rachel: Wales exists! Back in 2007 I was doing the backpacking thing and I had just returned from a trip to Belfast. My travel started in Dublin, then went to Edinburgh and London. I was so proud that I had visited all the capital cities in the UK and started to write a blog post about my trip, but when I googled “Map of the UK with capital cities” I discovered I had missed a capital city! There was a country called Wales and a capital called Cardiff and I had not been there. Keen to write my blog post, I decided to visit. It was 2 hours from London. I did not think this would be the start of me living in the UK, but I found out Wales existed and now I’m here.
My take: I have not had this exact issue, but I definitely have gone to some places that were not high on my list because they were on the way to somewhere else, and have been pleasantly surprised! For example, Lithuania or Armenia! I highly recommend both of them!
17. Rachel: Ok, controversial topic here, but Brits love their beer. I was a little shocked how normal it was to see people using all sorts of things as urinals at night. For instance: Cashpoints (ATMs). Here is a link for a photo journalist who documented a night out in Cardiff. It’s kind of wild. Also, no one wears a coat on a night out. I had a friend ask if people were cold, and I replied that beer is the jacket you wear on the inside.
My take: This is one of my favorite YouTube videos about a Scottish Sobriety Test. It's only about 30 seconds long and worth a laugh. Also I celebrated New Years Eve in Sydney with a group of Scottish people and it was....wild to say the least.
18. Rachel: Perceptions of distance. When I first moved to Wales I got a job in a town (Pontypridd) 12 miles away. I was serving beer to a customer and he asked where I was from. I said I was from the USA. “Wow!” he said “Imagine that, you moved all the way to Pontypridd from America!" “Oh no” I said, “I live in Cardiff.” (12 miles from Pontypridd) “Wow!” he exclaimed, in the same tone of awe, “and you come all the way to Pontypridd for work!” Wales is funny with geography. I have met people who have moved 4 streets over because they wanted to be closer to their family.
My take: This happens a lot in Europe too. I was in Spain and was going to rent a car and drive to a place about 100km (60 miles) away and then do a loop back and I asked my Airbnb host for suggestions of places to stop along the way and he told me that I better stay the night in the middle because that was too long of a drive for one day. Readers, feel free to chime in. What do you consider a "long way" from home?
19. Rachel: Things that I expected to be meat were not meat. When I arrived in Wales I was so hungry I went to a pub and ordered Welsh Glamorgan Sausage. When it arrived, I was surprised to see my sausage was made out of potatoes and leeks and was actually vegetarian. Another national dish is Welsh Rarebit. It is not rabbit or meat, it is cheese on toast. Very good cheese on toast. While Wales does not have a particularly inspiring cultural dish to eat, it does have absolutely amazing cheese. Wales used to host the Great British Cheese Championship, but it’s been replaced by a series of local cheese festivals instead.
My take: I have tried and enjoyed rarebit (usually on eggs and/or toast). Readers, feel free to chime in. Have you tried rarebit and if so, what did you think?
20. Rachel: Bog snorkeling. Wales is home to the Bog Snorkeling World Championships. These are held in Llanwrtyd Wells. I watched these in 2012. It was just as weird as it sounds.
My take: I had never heard of this before now. If you click the link, you will see that it is a sort of triathlon, and it's only £15 to join! I think I might put that on my 2026 event calendar!
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Your turn to weigh in! Here are the questions; feel free to answer any or all of them!
Were you raised to call people by their first or last names?
Were you raised to call people by their first or last names?
Do you still write checks or know anyone who does?
What are the "fresh vegetables" like in your state/province?
What did you drink at meals growing up?
Does anyone have experience with a place where the teachers come to you?
How do you hold your cutlery?
What is your dusting method?
What is your dusting method?
What do you consider a "long way" from home?
Have you tried rarebit and if so, what did you think?
Have you ever heard of bog snorkeling?
Bonus questions:
Which one of these made you giggle?
Which of these were you surprised by?
I was raised to call people by last names, and as a college teacher, it's what I prefer. Only one student tried to call me by my first name - nope nope nope! I can be friendly without being friends. My colleagues are all over the map on this - some are Dr. _, some are just last name, some are first name, others are Dr. Initial.
ReplyDeleteI write checks for donations, for things like drivers licenses( they charge a convenience fee for credit card), and professional services ( like a plumber). I don't like sending cash in for my kids' school stuff- envelops can go astray or sit at the bottom of a backpack or misfiled) so I use checks for that.
I drank milk at dinner and breakfast growing up, though breakfast also had juice or Hi-C. Now my kids drink mostly. water /soda/flavored water with meals ; milk goes with cookies or other desserts if needed. Milk in cereal for breakfast, though.
I live in the Midwest, so a long way from home would have to be about 8 hours of driving. So about 400 miles? Anything shorter than that isn't too bad. We do 900 miles in a day driving out to see family, which is a long day but might as well get it done.
I dust rarely so I think I use a dry cloth to knock a light coating off. If it's thicker, a dry one then a damp cloth with vinegar water.( or a diaper wipe if I'm in a hurry).
900 miles in a day is a lot! I have driven straight to Wyoming from California, which is about a 15 hour drive and it is doable but it is a LONG drive! I just checked and that is about 930 miles. There definitely is a certain point where driving makes more sense than flying, especially if you have multiple people or are going to need a car at the other end.
DeleteI nominate this post for most fascinating/educational of the year.
ReplyDelete- Last names, with an exception for priests and nuns, who were "Father Bob" and "Sister Sue". When they boys talk about their teachers, they refer to them by their last names (ex: they won't talk about Mr. Smith, they'll just say Smith). Hubs guided the boys to refer to non-teacher adult as Mr. Bob and Ms Sue, which is something he picked up from our neighbor, who is a teacher. The teachers don't call each other Mr Smith and Ms Jones, but they do call each other Mr Bob and Ms Sue).
- I only write checks when there is no other option. The most common case is when we have contractors at the house. The other day I saw a woman writing a check to pay at the grocery store, and all I could think was that time had passed her by. That's something I hadn't seen since I was a child going grocery shopping with my mom. Neither of the boys has checks and I don't think they would know how to write one, which is something that makes me say "hmm" and also "stepmom here, it's none of my business".
- I always drank milk with dinner until I moved out of the house and lost the habit pretty quick. The boys and I drink water with meals and Hubs usually has lemonade.
- I'm left handed, so European by accident. Fork in my left hand, knife in my right.
- A "long way" is a work commute of over 30 minutes. When I'm traveling I generally try not to drive more than 6 hours in one day.
- Rarebit is a dish that needs to come back! I made it in cooking lab in college (the perks of a nutrition degree) and a time or two for dinner as a singleton. It's very easy to make, so I'm not sure why I don't make it now. I don't think that it would be Hubs's cup of tea, but the boys would love it.
- This is the first time I've ever heard of bog snorkeling, but now that it's on my radar, I have faith that it will not be my last.
I think re the boys and checks, what would they need to write one for? Most of the time even contractors can be paid with Venmo or Zelle (been there, done that), unless they are very old school. I know some people still pay their rent with a check, but I also think that now you can often do a bank transfer (ACH) in order to pay rent too. I have not written a check in probably over five years and I sold my house, paid the contractors etc. with no issues!
DeleteFun topic! I feel like I could do a whole one but on things I've noticed when I've been in the States!
ReplyDeleteWere you raised to call people by their first or last names? It depends on the person. Last names for older people and teachers/ professors. This was both for me as a child and how my own children were brought up.
Do you still write checks or know anyone who does? My MIL is the only person I know who writes cheques, and she is 83. I haven't written a check in ages.
What are the "fresh vegetables" like in your state/province? BC has a ton of fresh vegetables! Although when I was a kid things were limited, as we didn't have things like avocados or out-of-season fruit. I think that was common in the 80s though.
What did you drink at meals growing up? I drink water, my kids drink water, but I think I was forced to drink milk when I was growing up. Idk, I have blocked out those memories.
How do you hold your cutlery? If it's fork only, then in my right hand. If I'm using a knife, fork in left hand, knife in right. No switching.
What is your dusting method? microfibre cloth and usually a furniture polish
What do you consider a "long way" from home? Anything more than a five hour drive
Have you tried rarebit and if so, what did you think? I have, it's good
Have you ever heard of bog snorkeling? No
I think you and I are in the same camp produce-wise. When I was a kid (also the 80s) we didn't really have a lot of out of season or out of location items. For example, mangos. We didn't really get mangos, and I remember getting a coconut and it was a huge novelty (and it was brown and VERY hard to open). We always had apples, but when I was small, it was Granny Smith or Red Delicious, or maybe Macintosh if we were lucky, not all these fancy apples that they have now.
DeleteThis is fascinating! Thanks to you for putting this together and the contributors for sharing! Really enjoyed the insights.
ReplyDeleteWere you raised to call people by their first or last names? A semi-combo of the two (for non-teachers) as a kid: Ms./Mr. First Name. So “Ms. Jen” or “Mr. Rick.” Mainly applied to coaches, neighbors, friends’ parents, babysitters, etc. I think? this is somewhat common. Maybe regional? As an adult, I use first names, except when I was in college, when I always used Prof. or Dr. X. I work with professors now but always call them (in email mainly, not face to face) by their first names. It feels too formal and reverential to say Dr./Prof, esp as they are not my professors. I’ve seen colleagues do the opposite which I think is fine although my boss once corrected someone who was using the formal title (I thought it was out of line/awkward for him to do so esp as she was using the more not less formal address, and people should do what they’re comfortable with!)
What did you drink at meals growing up? Juice/iced tea/occasionally soda as a kid, water as a teen. Rarely milk, that was more for cereal or cocoa only. Incidentally, lack of large servings of water (and coffee) availability was a major struggle for me when I was in Germany some yrs back, ha. The tiny glasses/mugs (and non takeout coffees/difficulty of getting a large transportable bottle of water, or refilling it) did not really work for me and I ended up both severely under caffeinated and legit dehydrated lol. On my second visit I had a whole system devised to account for this!
What do you consider a "long way" from home? A couple hours drive/120 miles, and a 6-8 hr drive to visit someone is also not uncommon (granted, def would stay overnight). I think this is one area where Americans (sometimes thought of as provincial/unsophisticated for not traveling widely or having passports, etc.) deserve some “credit,” many travel within/across states (even vast ones) fairly routinely! (Although yes mostly by car, as a necessity due to lack of other options, unfortunately!)
Where did you grow up? When I lived in the south, it was very common (to this day, as an adult addressing an adult) to say Ms. Jen or Mr. Rick. Re your colleague, I feel like it's best to defer to more formal and have someone ask you to call them by their first name than the other way around! I would hate to accidentally offend someone by being too informal.
DeleteAnd yes, the tiny glasses of water/coffee etc. really are annoying sometimes. I carry a bottle and refill it whenever I can, but there are definitely some places where you don't get many chances! Some places have lots of drinking fountains in public and others really want to make you pay for a plastic bottle of water. It doesn't make sense.
Were you raised to call people by their first or last names?
ReplyDeleteMy father was huge on respect and manners. Always Mr. and Miss/Mrs. Last Name
Do you still write checks or know anyone who does?
I write checks for taxes. My 95-year old mother still sends birthday checks.
What are the "fresh vegetables" like in your state/province?
Lots of roadside places for in-season veg and fruit for 3 seasons as well as farm markets. Grocery stores pick up the slack.
What did you drink at meals growing up?
Hot chocolate for breakfast; my mom's brewed iced tea for every other meal.
How do you hold your cutlery?
Usually American style.
What is your dusting method?
Ignoring it for as long as possible; then, an old Tshirt of Rick's and some Pledge.
What do you consider a "long way" from home?
More than 4 hours. If it's raining, which means Rick may or may not use the wipers to my satisfaction or turn them off when it stops raining, then one hour because he just drives me crazy and I want to jump out of the car.
Have you tried rarebit and if so, what did you think?
Yes! I love it when it's done well and on very thin toast.
Have you ever heard of bog snorkeling?
No. Ugh.
Hot chocolate for breakfast! I love it. I want to come over and hang out with your Mom. My mother, who is not 95, still writes checks for a lot of things! Also we used to get checks from two of my grandmothers every birthday! One passed away and the other one must have gotten tired of us forgetting to cash them, or we got too old, so she no does it.
DeleteI love your answer about the drive! I can just picture the wipers wiping on dry glass and that noise that they make when they do and I can imagine that would be quite annoying.
I still write checks. A fair number, actually. It means I don't have to pay extra processing fees for credit cards for some bills, particularly the water bill. I also send checks to my niblings for their birthdays.
ReplyDeleteI could absolutely never eat with fork in my left hand unless I wanted food all over myself!
My water bill was similar to yours but luckily we could pay with an e-check, so I just sent a bank transfer from my bank electronically. I had a checkbook but it sat and gathered dust for a long time, so I currently do not have any with me! Birthday checks are a nice touch; my grandma used to send us one every year and I always looked forward to it!
DeleteI LOVED this post, Kyria. What a fun idea.
ReplyDeleteWere you raised to call people by their first or last names? I grew up doing Mr or Mrs for most people, but then there were a few people who refused to be called by their official title. It's funny to think about now. My kids often call someone by Mr or Ms, but then their first name. So my kids call my friend Joy, Ms. Joy and her husband Mr. Tim. I think it's a nice middle ground. That said, they call lots of adults by their first name, too. It really depends.
Do you still write checks or know anyone who does? Yup. Not as often, but it's one of my weird favourite things to do. I find it so satisfying.
What did you drink at meals growing up? Milk was my go-to for many years, but my mom hates drinking milk so she always had water and now I NEVER drink milk.
What is your dusting method? I hate dusting. I do a mixture of dry and damp. I do think damp works better BUT if the dust layer is at all thick, damp just makes a mess since it all clumps.
Have you tried rarebit and if so, what did you think? Nope.
Have you ever heard of bog snorkeling? Nope.
I think Mr./Mrs. first name is a good middle ground. They do that in the south, even when an adult is talking to an adult. I feel like in the west, that could work but sounds a little strange coming out of my mouth (like not native, if you know what I mean). In my last job, we called all of our clients Mr./Mrs. and even if they asked us to call them by their first name, my boss told us not to. He was very old fashioned though, and it was always hard to deflect when they already had asked us to be less formal.
DeleteWere you raised to call people by their first or last names? Last names incl. titles (Germany), when I started secondary school, we were told to address a teacher we didn't know by name as professor.
ReplyDeleteDo you still write checks or know anyone who does? Not for ages.
What are the "fresh vegetables" like in your state/province? Fresh, seasonal, local, we grow a lot ourselves and shop at local farms and order via crowd farming (https://www.crowdfarming.com/).
What did you drink at meals growing up? Nothing, my parents considered drinking while eating unhealthy.
Does anyone have experience with a place where the teachers come to you? Always, I went to school in Germany.
How do you hold your cutlery? Knife in the right, fork in the left hand, elbows below the table. My mother was strict on etiquette.
What is your dusting method? What is dusting?
What do you consider a "long way" from home? Anywhere that requires a stopover to fly to.
Have you tried rarebit and if so, what did you think? We call this a fancy toasted cheese sandwich.
Have you ever heard of bog snorkeling? Welsh people are different, let's face it.
Ha! Some of your answers cracked me up. First of all, nothing to drink with meals!? That is the first I have heard of this and I would love to hear the science (if there is any) behind your mother's theory of it being unhealthy. And also, is this why it's hard to get a glass of water in a restaurant in Germany or are they just trying to make more money off of bottled water? Second, what is dusting?! Amen sister. Dusting is evil. Third, rarebit really is fancy cheese sandwich, BUT you can also put it on all kinds of things, so in my case, the place I have had it puts it on omelets. This is really just a fancy cheese omelet, but I like it!
DeleteThe thing about no drinking goes back to a long debunked claim that liquid with dinner dilutes stomach acids and leads to bloating.
DeleteAnd there are two reasons why it's hard to get a glass of tap water in a German restaurant. No. 1 is hygiene regulations. There have been numerous reports about restaurants with open jugs of tap water on tables, some with a fancy slice of lemon in it, which were tested by local health authorities and found to be contaminated with all sorts of stuff transfered by people touching and pouring. The water jugs were on the tables for a couple of hours. Also, jugs are filled from taps in the kitchen where dishes and food are rinsed. So there's that. But tap water in Germany is safe to drink, it's the handling of jugs etc that can be problematic. You can always ask for a glas of tap water, I often do and if the waiters get stroppy I tell them it's for taking medicine or because I am about to faint. Reason No. 2 is that Germans love mineral water, and especially carbonised mineral water, that comes in a fancy bottle from an apparently healthy spring. It's a romantic and a classy image. Not always true but when you go for a meal you want class. And obvs making money is involved.
Interesting! I do like sparkling water too but usually when eating I just want a plain glass of water!
DeleteHi this is Daria. I enjoyed reading and reflecting on this post so much.
ReplyDeleteDistances- America is so big so driving 60 miles one way is not bad at all. Heck, some people commute for four hours each day.
When I was growing up we drank: water, tepid tea, and sugary drinks made from stewing dried fruit in hot water for a while. I actually miss those drinks!
Fresh vegetables in NJ are: corn, tomatoes, lettuce, spinach.
Thank you for this lovely post- the beer stories and the bog snorkeling is something else! lol
Thanks for contributing Daria! Can you make the stewed dried fruit drink yourself? Maybe you could bring back that tradition! I love fresh corn and it is actually corn season right now, right! I got spoiled in CA with all of the fresh produce and farm stands that we have.
DeleteThis was such a fun read! It's very interesting how different things are done in different cultures! Here are a few of mine:
ReplyDeleteFirst or Last Names: We were raised to call people with honorary titles. Either Mr or Mrs in professional settings or Auntie/Uncle or other honorary titles of respect in other/social settings. It took a while but I eventually got used to calling people with just their first names.
Drink at meals: We drank water with meals. I still drink water with meals but sometimes a sip of soda is so good, specially with pizza. LOL
Cutlery: American way. I have used the British way before but my left hand isn't very coordinated.
Dusting method: Oh, dear.... :-(
Rarebit: I have not ever tried it.
Made me giggle: The tidbit about how people in the US eat everywhere! LOL
Came as a surprise: That most stores are closed on Sunday in Germany still.
Oh dear! Love it. Apparently dusting is a bad word around these parts. I am not much of a duster myself. Re stores being closed on Sunday, this is very common in a lot of European countries. I needed some hiking socks and went out on a Sunday in Romania looking but 9/10 of the stores were closed for the day. Also a lot of restaurants are even closed. I mean, you can still get food but you have to search a little further sometimes, depending on where you are. And I always try to get groceries on Saturday just in case!
DeleteSuper fun post! I do not have time to put all the thoughts I just had while reading this into a comment, as it's time to wrap up blog reading and go see E off to school, but super fun and interesting to read! Ivan and I often chat on this topic and compare/contrast random things when we go back and forth between Mexico and home.
ReplyDeleteI would be interested to hear some of the things on your list!
DeleteWhat a fun post! I love all the wonderful differences between countries, and even states. They make the world such an interesting place!
ReplyDeleteWere you raised to call people by their first or last names? I was raised to call teachers & doctors by Mr. Mrs. and Doctor. Otherwise, it was all first names.
Do you still write checks or know anyone who does? I still write a lot of checks! Most of my bills (electric, phone, etc ) charge a fee to pay with a card, so I send them checks. But I don't use checks at grocery stores. I don't ever take the checkbook out of the house.
What are the "fresh vegetables" like in your state/province? They're awesome, and I know we're really lucky. When I was a kid, it was apples and oranges all winter long.
What did you drink at meals growing up? Water only. But I actually love milk! But I drink milk as a snack, not with my meals.
Does anyone have experience with a place where the teachers come to you? No.
How do you hold your cutlery? I switch my fork to my right hand after cutting and balance my knife on my plate. That's how I was taught was polite. I remember one of my friends got yelled at for keeping her fork in her left hand!
What is your dusting method? I use a soft cloth and dusting spray, like Endust.
What do you consider a "long way" from home? Anything over a 4 hour drive.
Have you tried rarebit and if so, what did you think? I have not. It sounds good!
Have you ever heard of bog snorkeling? Nope.
I was taught the same way as you re silverware. If we were cutting we would change hands, then swap the fork back to the right to eat the bite of food, and we always put our knife down if we were not using it!
DeleteI agree re fresh veggies! I remember a lot of apples and oranges in the winter. However, I was also lucky even then, as mandarins and oranges were grown locally, as were apples, although I think in the dead of winter they may have been from cold storage.
Were you raised to call people by their first or last names? last names and my parents had their daughter/son in laws call them Mr. and Mrs. Once grandkids arrived it was easier, because everyone calls them nana and pops
ReplyDeleteDo you still write checks or know anyone who does? I prefer to pay online, but I do write checks every once in a while. I agree that we were so far behind Europe. When Ed studied abroad he told us about how he could just tap his card and we were like HUH?
What are the "fresh vegetables" like in your state/province? I admit my folks served all vegetables from a can. I do enjoy buying fresh peppers and onions and cucumbers and tomatoes and on and on. Our produce section is great in our grocery store and we are spoiled because we can get so much fruit year round
What did you drink at meals growing up? We were big milk drinkers and so were our kids, but as an adult I'm all water all the time. When I was a kid and when my kids were young, we drank apple juice at breakfast. Pure sugar, gross. I only recently stopped buying it. Curly was so mad.
Does anyone have experience with a place where the teachers come to you? No. We switched classes starting in junior high. I like the change of scenery
How do you hold your cutlery? Um, like a lefty, i guess? My fork in my left hand. My knife in my right hand
What is your dusting method? I use an old torn up undershirt, but I have a long handled feathery thing to reach the fan. Um, don't ask me how infrequently that is used
What do you consider a "long way" from home? Being more than 6 hours from home
Have you tried rarebit and if so, what did you think? No never heard of it
Have you ever heard of bog snorkeling? Nope
Bonus questions:
Which one of these made you giggle? I don't know if I giggled, but holy crap - San being stranded at the store and not realizing the bus schedule was mind blowing
Which of these were you surprised by? That we are considered so upbeat and positive about things. Really?
Yes! I also called many of my partner's parents by their last names! I would never had called my last ex's mother by her first name!
DeleteEd is totally right! They got the chip first, then they got tap to pay first! I know exactly what you are talking about with the long handled feathery thing. I just got on a chair or my bed to dust the fan, and only once the dust was so thick that I could see it coming over the sides...
Re being upbeat, yes! Apparently we smile and overshare a lot! This is not me, but I guess there are some people who do that and they have made an impression! (although to be honest, I am not sure where these impressions are coming from)
Were you raised to call people by their first or last names? We were raised to call adults Mr/Mrs Lastname. As we got to late teens, my parents' friends would often ask us to call them by their first name. With my in-laws they wanted me to call them mum and dad when I married G, but that was just too weird, so I call them by their first names.
ReplyDeleteDo you still write checks or know anyone who does? I haven't written a check since the early 2000's I think. We had a chequebook when we were first married, but as soon as internet banking came along, we stopped using it.
What are the "fresh vegetables" like in your state/province? We have lots of fresh vegetables in season. I often get a box called Fairfood which mainly has produce from local farmers mostly, with bananas coming from Queensland.
What did you drink at meals growing up? We drank orange juice at meals
Does anyone have experience with a place where the teachers come to you? In year seven, we had a lot of our classes in our home room, and only had to move for classes that had special equipment.
How do you hold your cutlery? Left-hand fork, right-hand knife. It's polite to hold the fork a little like a pencil (not a fist) and have the tines pointing down (ie not scooping food). If you need to, you use your knife to push food that can't be stabbed onto the top of the tines. When you've finished eating, place your knife and fork together on the plate.
What is your dusting method? I use a microfibre duster on a stick, but if things are particularly dusty I'll use a slightly damp cloth to catch the dust.
What do you consider a "long way" from home? We would happily drive a couple of hours for a day trip. Our biggest drives are full day (10 hours) when we drive to Sydney or Sydney to Queensland.
Have you tried rarebit and if so, what did you think? Rarebit was the first dish we made in Home Economics (cooking) class at school. I liked it, but I love cheese.
Have you ever heard of bog snorkeling? I had not heard of bog snorkeling and I don't want to try it.
The way you hold your cutlery is the way that I was taught that Europeans do it. Tines down and everything, never scooping or using your fist. I have a friend who does that (with the fist) and it is a little bit painful to watch to be honest. She is such a nice person and yet a very crude eater!
DeleteI wonder why rarebit was one of the first things you made. Is it very common in Australia in general? I also like it because I like cheese and there is one specific restaurant that has it that I have gone to a lot but I don't see it on menus a lot in the US.
That's such a fun post - thanks for including me in this post and I loved hearing more "strange things" from others! I definitely relate to Tobias tampon story (LOL), O.b.s were and still are one of the things I always bring back from Germany (because they're so much cheaper there!). I also eat with knife and fork and often hold the fork in my left hand, even if I don't use a knife.
ReplyDeleteThe perception of distance is definitely something I noticed too! In Europe, where things are much closer together, we're not willing to drive longer distances. LOL
Interesting that you both say that the OBs are cheaper in Germany, as I have not found that to be the case. I can get a huge box from Amazon in the US for much cheaper than I can get the little boxes at the pharmacy. So maybe I am shopping in the wrong place! Where do you buy them when you are back home?
DeleteOh no.... don't go to the pharmacy for tampons. Every supermarket or drugstore carries them. Even the little kiosks or gas station – where they will be more expensive though.
DeleteOh dear. I think I accidentally pushed publish mid-comment! I was commenting on how adults were addressed. We had a very informal approach in my community but it is what parents preferred. I was taught to use Mr and Mrs but no parents wanted to go by that. They had us call them by their first name. Interestingly most elementary teachers at Paul’s school go by their first name. So last year he had Ms. Kristen and this year he has Ms. Jean. Only his K teacher when by her last name. I only called teachers Mr/Mrs + last name. I never would have used their first name!
ReplyDeleteI never would have called my teachers by their first name; in fact, even now I still say Mr. Powell or Mr. Price rather than their first name. In fact, I am trying to remember Mr. Price's first name and I cannot even recall it! I even called Mr. Lovely's parents by their last name, never by their first, and he always called my parents by their last names (Mr/Mrs)! I guess we are going away from that!
DeleteSo Phil refers to the kids' principal as "Steve" - I am adamant that we all call him Mr. Searl! Phil will also park in the principals parking spot when we pick the kids up from after care at like 5 pm. Phil's thinks there's no way Mr. Searl is coming back to school at that time. My view is that you can't assume that. And there are other spots open when he does this. I guess he has a bit of a rebel in him.
DeleteI do not want my kids friends to call me Mrs. Segner, though. It just seems overly formal. They can call me Lisa! I do have a hard time sending emails to Paul's team and using the teacher's first name! But I've had to adapt - I do still say Ms. Kristen and Ms. Jean to show some respect!
Phil the rebel! I can't believe he parks in the principal's spot. Did he have issues in school when he was a kid that he is now getting "back at the man" for? Haha!
DeleteThis was so much fun to read - thanks for compiling! Was Tobia in the U.S. in the 90s when Big Milk was making all of us drink as much milk as possible? LOL. We were not a milk-drinking household!
ReplyDeleteWere you raised to call people by their first or last names?
I usually called them by their first names, mostly because I probably didn't know their last name! It was always weird to me to read books where the kids called all of the adults Mr. or Mrs. Last name.
Do you still write checks or know anyone who does?
No. I don't even know if I own any checks!
What are the "fresh vegetables" like in your state/province?
Florida has amazing produce, so I think this might be a rural Idaho thing, not a U.S. thing.
What did you drink at meals growing up?
Usually Kool-Aid, lol. I still laugh at how it was just basically flavored sugar water. WHAT.
Does anyone have experience with a place where the teachers come to you?
No.
How do you hold your cutlery?
I hold my fork in my right hand (my dominant hand) and my knife in my left hand.
What is your dusting method?
I love a Swiffer! I think it does a great job catching dust.
What do you consider a "long way" from home?
Gosh, what an interesting question! Probably anything more than 8+ hours away? IDK!
You are probably right about Big Milk! Milk, it does a body good! Pass it on! I remember those commercials, and I did not even have television!
DeleteInteresting that you called adults by their first names; it seems you are the minority. I wonder if that is more of a southern thing? I know that when I lived in the south, it was common to say Ms. Stephany rather than Mrs. so and so.
I agree re fresh veg; I think it is a rural Idaho in the 90s thing, as now there is also fresh produce there!
I was in the US 99/00 so maybe the habit of milk drinking was well established. Advertising works. HA!
DeleteI love these! I remember, living in Germany, how incredibly inconvenient it felt that stores were closed on Sundays. I seem to remember them closing early on Saturdays as well, so if you ran out of toilet paper late on a Saturday afternoon, boy were you screwed.
ReplyDeleteThe lack of public transportation in the US compared to Europe is shocking!
Ew, milk. Growing up we usually drank water. But we also had soda sometimes, and koolaid. I think it was mostly water though- we didn't drink milk. I think Tobia's view of America was a little skewed since she lived with a Mormon family!
Growing up, we always called adults "Mr and Mrs." I think things are a little less formal now, and kids frequently cal adults by their first names. I've actually encouraged my daughter's best friend to call me Jenny but she insists on calling me "Angie's mom", ha.
Kool-Aid seems to be a popular one! I know we did have it around (is it still around?) when I was a kid but my parents were pretty strict about drinking water at meals. However, it definitely was a thing back then!
DeleteI think you are right about Tobia's views. Not only was it Mormon, but it was also many years ago so even in Idaho things may be different now!
Some of my friend's kids call me by my first name, but there are some that insist on the sign of respect of calling me Auntie, and their mothers would kill them if they just called me first name only!
I agree. My Mormon family had a few traditions other people didn't have. When I was visiting friends for dinner we always had pop/soda. And I think the fresh produce thing was actually a budget thing. Since I didn't eat in school and had a packed lunch it was always just sandwiches and then casserole and stews at home. Which was better than burgers and hot dogs all week long but side salads and veggies were something I was used to for my meals.
DeleteThank you for letting me share! I love everyone's answers. I laughed a little at San's comment on Checks - I was so surprised that no one used checks when I moved to the UK. Americans would sometimes send me checks for my birthday and I was not sure what to do with them so I sent them back to the US for my parents to cash. Even my tax refund comes via direct debit - I can't remember the last UK check I saw.
ReplyDeleteTobia's comment on milk is funny too! We give milk to the kids but I don't drink milk myself. I don't offer the kids milk during meals though, so perhaps I consider milk a sort of "pre bedtime" or "snack" drink? I would never offer someone a glass of milk although we do always have it in the house. I'm not sure why I don't really think of milk as a drink... I would find it odd if adults were drinking milk at meals though.
Hah! Well you have been away from the US for a while now. I don't get too many checks, and for those I do (insurance refund for example) I can do a mobile deposit! That would have been much easier than sending them back to your parents!
DeleteI don't really like milk; I tolerate it in coffee or cereal, but drinking an entire glass does not sound fun. Even in mochas I will get nonfat because I don't love the fattiness of a whole glass of milk.
Fascinating stuff!!!
ReplyDeleteWere you raised to call people by their first or last names? I can't remember. Probably. I usually have my kids call people Mr./Mrs./Ms. first name, though.
Do you still write checks or know anyone who does? Yes. I write checks for my kids' piano lessons and for the lady who cleans our house. Sometimes if we are having work done, we pay by check too. I have a fountain pen that I use to write checks - makes the experience feel not so onerous. There is a whole thing now at work where work wants to be able to do certain re-imbursements via debit card and not paper check. It's causing quite an uproar.
What are the "fresh vegetables" like in your state/province? I feel lucky that we can get some sort of "fresh" vegetables all year round. Although I don't buy things if they are too far out of season.
What did you drink at meals growing up? We drank milk. My father told me that when I was growing up in Canada, there was a milk subsidy that all families got. I often do wonder if we drink too much milk in the US - the dairy lobby seems to be very strong.
Does anyone have experience with a place where the teachers come to you? When I was in elementary school in Canada, the French and Music teachers came to the classroom. I remember they all had a little cart that they would wheel around with them.
How do you hold your cutlery? Definitely the American way, cut with the right hand and then switch to eat.
What is your dusting method? Um... I don't. Maybe swipe with my hand if something looks really bad.
What do you consider a "long way" from home? So this is so interesting to me too! My sister in law married a British man, and I remember at their wedding talking to her husband's sister and she said of some other cousins, "Oh we don't see them very often because they live so far away." They lived a three hour drive away. I feel like for us, a three hour drive is considered close. Maybe not day trip distance, but certainly close enough to do a couple times a year without thought. We often drive to Philadelphia for a day trip and that's a little over two hours. Anyhow, I found this idea of "far" so interesting.
Have you tried rarebit and if so, what did you think? no! But now I want to. Cheese and toast can't be terrible, right?
Have you ever heard of bog snorkeling? No! must go google this now .
Tobia's point about tampons is so interesting to me too. When we were in Taiwan last year, we had to buy pads and it was so confusing. The pads there are sold by length, rather than absorbency, and we couldn't tell what size we needed. They were pretty amazing pads, though, I have to say. I'm going to stock up on more when we go back there in December.
Okay, now I need to know...what is the longest pad they have!? Actually I am going there next year so I will be sure to try to find out! Stay tuned. Also, I love a good fountain pen. It makes everything more tolerable.
DeleteI love your answer to the dusting method question. I admit to being a bad duster. I keep the kitchen very clean but don't care as much about the windowsills or whatever else needs dusting. For example, when someone once mentioned how often they cleaned their baseboards, I was like, oh, am I supposed to be doing that regularly (FYI I did it exactly once in the 10 years I lived in my place!)
Finally managing to comment. Of course I read the post right away.
ReplyDeleteThere are some really fun stories here and I could relate to a few besides the ones I mentioned. Like the positivity that Daria described. I was never able to put it into words but yes. I wholeheartedly agree. It was very off-putting and felt a bit superficial.
Also the air-conditioning. When my host family went to church I often sat out on the stairs and left the door open. Until they came back from church early and I was reprimand for it. Like all the bugs are coming in and stuff. I would have gotten the environmental argument.
Ok, I need to read all the comments now to learn more and the take on all the things.
Ok I was too quick and didn't answer the questions.
DeleteWere you raised to call people by their first or last names? I am still calling people by Last name when I am first introduced. I was taught the older person is the one offering first name. Only thing sometimes I am the older person these days. That is weird. When I am talking English though I am always first name basis. I don't even think about it.
Do you still write checks or know anyone who does? I have never in my life wrote a check. And I don't know anyone in Germany who did. Was that even a thing here?
What is your dusting method? I grew up dusting with a rag. And I can easily do this. Since living with the husband my cleaning habits have adopted his so swiffer it is. However I don't necessarily think it is better since I feel the dust just settles back on the surface when I am done. Often enough I use a rag or even a wet one. But let's not get overboard. Dusting is one time event a year or so.
What do you consider a "long way" from home? I remember we went for a bbq 3 hours in the US. That is the distance from Berlin to Leipzig. I would never ever do that for a BBQ. At least not by car. I did do it via train which was a 60 min ride.
Have you tried rarebit and if so, what did you think? no, i still don't get what it is...
Have you ever heard of bog snorkeling? nope