# Questions you've always wanted to ask about another country



## Banzai (Jun 4, 2009)

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## SilentWitness (Dec 27, 2009)

Banzai said:


> 6) In Australia, why do they call "soda", "soft drinks"? What do they call things like orange juice, "squash" etc?


'soft' drink as opposed to 'strong/hard' drink, that being alcohol, I'd say. Us Aussies don't muck about getting to the point regarding grog.

Orange Juice is known as orange juice. :um

Squash is just a brand, and that's not orange juice, it's other citrus flavour, like lemon or lime.

Regarding question No 1, Is this post 9/11?

Not much damage can be done by a car, but a plane? My thoughts on that one anyway.

And No 5. Obama is trying to change that.


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## JayDontCareEh (Jul 16, 2007)

Is the show "Coronation Street" an accurate portrayal of everyday life in the UK?


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## SilentWitness (Dec 27, 2009)

For Americans

1. Is there a big division between the people of the South and the North?

For Canadians

1. When you travel os or speak to foreigners on the phone, do you hate being mistaken for an American?

For the Brits

1. Is the class division still apparent? Does your accent (i.e where you're from) mean more than it should?

For the Scots and Irish

1. Do you hate being mistaken for the other?

Anyone from Europe, including the U.K

1. Do you appreciate having so many different and interesting cultures/nations all around you and can visit them quite easily?


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## thewall (Feb 1, 2009)

1) I once asked an American, do you need a passport to fly from one state to anotehr and they said yes. But if you wanted to drive from one state to another, assuming that frm what films depict are true, you just pass by a sign saying you've arrived in a state right? No border controls, nothing. So why do you need a passport to fly from one state to another? (unless there are other purposes of the passport) :con

You don't need a passport to fly from one state to another, I have no idea why that person told you that. 

2) Are most houses in America detached?

Yes.

3) What is America doing to curb obesity?

Not nearly enough. 

4) In America, how comes "asian" means "oriental" and not "south asian"? is it because there are more orientals than south asians?

It's just because people are ignorant to the terms.

5) In America, they have private health care. So what happens if you're too poor to afford it?

There is Medicaid, but you have to qualify for it. I don't so I'm screwed and have no health insurance. Boo for privatized health care!

6) In Australia, why do they call "soda", "soft drinks"? What do they call things like orange juice, "squash" etc? 

Just thought I'd add that we call them soft drinks in America too, among other things.


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## matty (Nov 2, 2009)

D11 said:


> 'soft' drink as opposed to 'strong/hard' drink, that being alcohol, I'd say. Us Aussies don't muck about getting to the point regarding grog.


If thats not the reason, it should be. I honestly dont know. It is just what I have grown up knowing it as. I relate soda to soda water. Soft drink to me is anything but cola. I call all colas by there brand.


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## Monroee (Aug 26, 2009)

Banzai said:


> 1) I once asked an American, do you need a passport to fly from one state to anotehr and they said yes. But if you wanted to drive from one state to another, assuming that frm what films depict are true, you just pass by a sign saying you've arrived in a state right? No border controls, nothing. So why do you need a passport to fly from one state to another? (unless there are other purposes of the passport) :con
> 
> 2) Are most houses in America detached?
> 
> ...


1. From my knowledge, you do not need a passport to fly to different states. I should know, I've done it. And I don't have a passport. And no, there is not border control on states. Why should there be? We're all Americans here. (Or most of us. ;] ) There is a slight chance that I am wrong but most likely, whatever American who told you that was retarded.

2. In the city, it is mostly apartments. In the suburbs, yes its mostly detached houses. Is that weird for the UK? Its the norm here.

3. Nothing. Now I'm off to go eat a Big Mac...

4. I don't know much about Asia. Someone else can answer this one.

5. I don't know much about health care either. And now everything is changing with Obama's new plan. Before, if you were too poor to have health care and didn't have a job that gave you it, you wouldn't have it. But that maybe changing now.

God, as an American I wasn't very good at answering those. Anyone else can re-answer them if necessary. :|

My question:

About France: Is it true that in jobs they have really long lunch breaks, like two hours? And I heard they get a lot of time off in their jobs, how much?

In America, everything is very business oriented. We get short lunch breaks and very little days off because business owners are too greedy to see they are overworking their employees. But I heard its different in France.


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## coldmorning (Jul 4, 2007)

1) I once asked an American, do you need a passport to fly from one state to anotehr and they said yes. But if you wanted to drive from one state to another, assuming that frm what films depict are true, you just pass by a sign saying you've arrived in a state right? No border controls, nothing. So why do you need a passport to fly from one state to another? (unless there are other purposes of the passport) 

No passport required to fly from state to state. This has been the case since before and after 9-11. Driver license will do.

2) Are most houses in America detached? 

Not sure what the % is but it's common.

3) What is America doing to curb obesity? 

Nothing that I know of.

4) In America, how comes "asian" means "oriental" and not "south asian"? is it because there are more orientals than south asians?

I've always wondered the opposite... why "asian" doesn't mean Chinese, Japanese, etc in the UK. China is a part of the asian continent, no?

5) In America, they have private health care. So what happens if you're too poor to afford it? 

They have public health care for the poor. Taxpayers here have to pay for those too poor, too sick (no private insurer will take), and too old to get private insurance. Obama's plan basically forces healthy people to buy private insurance so the private insurers can be even more profitable than they are now.


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## Classified (Dec 7, 2004)

Homersxchild said:


> And no, there is not border control on states. Why should there be? We're all Americans here. (Or most of us. ;] )
> 
> My question:
> 
> ...


It's not really Border control, but if you drive into California, there are checkpoints. There are also checkpoints inbetween Arizona and Nevada.

France does have better working conditions, just don't visit in August unless you go to the typical tourist spots and want lots of people around. They tend to get that month off in the summer. And if you are in Paris, you should eat dinner for a few hours with friends in front of the Eiffel Tower.


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## GermanHermit (Sep 6, 2008)

D11 said:


> (...)Anyone from Europe, including the U.K
> 
> 1. Do you appreciate having so many different and interesting cultures/nations all around you and can visit them quite easily?


I do!


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## leonardess (Jun 30, 2009)

Banzai said:


> Ask the questions that you've always wanted to know about the various different cultures on here and hopefully, someone will answer them!
> 
> Here's mine:
> 
> ...


*never been there.*


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## leonardess (Jun 30, 2009)

D11 said:


> For Americans
> 
> 1. Is there a big division between the people of the South and the North?
> 
> ...


Oooooh yes - for me, this is by far the best thing about living where I do. I am proud that I can say I have now travelled more than the majority of Americans. I've been to Italy and France several times. I've seen Venice. It's like having the whole world at your doorstep. I'm also proud to be able to say that I've lived and worked for many years abroad. Not many Americans can say that either, and my passport has all kinds of stamps in it. I absolutely LOVE to travel, to see new places and visit all the great art galleries, see the places that before, I only saw in movies. I would never trade the experiences I've had for anything.


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## leonardess (Jun 30, 2009)

JayDontCareEh said:


> Is the show "Coronation Street" an accurate portrayal of everyday life in the UK?


um...for the most part. Except i don't chat to my neighbours that much, lol.

but what you see as far as the weather, the characters' appearance, the setting, the shops and so forth - yes, that's pretty much it.


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## leonardess (Jun 30, 2009)

My question:

About France: Is it true that in jobs they have really long lunch breaks, like two hours? And I heard they get a lot of time off in their jobs, how much?

In America, everything is very business oriented. We get short lunch breaks and very little days off because business owners are too greedy to see they are overworking their employees. But I heard its different in France.[/QUOTE]

I don't know about France in particular, but I believe that in Europe, time off is MUCH better. Working in the UK, I get 20 days paid holiday a year, and you get that starting in any job. There may be one or two exceptions that I don't know of, but I doubt it. Other countries tend to get a bit more, I think. I'd say that generally speaking, working conditions such as time off are much better outside the US. In Spain, they actually do have a siesta in the afternoon which is something like two hours, possibly more? but there was talk of doing away with that recently. I think that would be horrible. It's a cultural thing, and I hate to see cultural differences gradually hacked away, my worst nightmare is a homogenized globe.


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## fern (Nov 16, 2008)

I don't understand the way British people use the word "pudding".


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## TATA (Sep 18, 2008)

3) What is America doing to curb obesity?
McDonald is not allowed to be opened next to schools. Vending machines with unhealthy drinks are not allowed in schools anymore. Healthier lunches in schools for kids.
5) In America, they have private health care. So what happens if you're too poor to afford it?
If you are poor enough you get health insurance through government. But if you are a $1 above the minimum, you are basically screwed. The minimum income allowed is $850 a person a month.
QUOTE]


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## TATA (Sep 18, 2008)

Banzai said:


> 1) I once asked an American, do you need a passport to fly from one state to anotehr and they said yes. But if you wanted to drive from one state to another, assuming that frm what films depict are true, you just pass by a sign saying you've arrived in a state right? No border controls, nothing. So why do you need a passport to fly from one state to another? (unless there are other purposes of the passport) :con
> QUOTE]
> 
> Need to have some kind of ID, driver license works. For kids, they don't even ask for birth certificate :mum


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## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

Banzai said:


> Ask the questions that you've always wanted to know about the various different cultures on here and hopefully, someone will answer them!
> 
> Here's mine:
> 
> 1) I once asked an American, do you need a passport to fly from one state to anotehr and they said yes. But if you wanted to drive from one state to another, assuming that frm what films depict are true, you just pass by a sign saying you've arrived in a state right? No border controls, nothing. So why do you need a passport to fly from one state to another? (unless there are other purposes of the passport) :con


No passport needed, just a driver's license at the most.
This is an example of what you would see coming into my state:








To my immediate west is the state of Indiana - it's sign and it's own slogan.







, 
and my north, Michigan








, to the east Pennsylvania:







,
southeast to West Virginia:








,and finally south to Kentucky.









We have no border patrols at the states. 



> 2) Are most houses in America detached?


For the most part, yes. Apartments, condominiums are not. The famous row houses in some of the older cities in the east are also attached,



> 3) What is America doing to curb obesity?


There has always been education for learning about what to eat. Fast food places are starting to put out menus that have less fat in them and more healthy ingredients. We can still get everything at the grocery, too. 



> 4) In America, how comes "asian" means "oriental" and not "south asian"? is it because there are more orientals than south asians?


They would normally include anyone from the Far East including Southeast Asia.



> 5) In America, they have private health care. So what happens if you're too poor to afford it?


There is a government-assisted program with sliding scale according to what someone makes, I believe. I didn't have my own health care until I go my present job. It seems to change every year for me.



> 6) In Australia, why do they call "soda", "soft drinks"? What do they call things like orange juice, "squash" etc?


 Orange juice is orange juice, same name. Squash is a vegetable to us, so I am not sure if you mean the same thing.


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## Banzai (Jun 4, 2009)

JayDontCareEh said:


> Is the show "Coronation Street" an accurate portrayal of everyday life in the UK?


*Er...yes, no, maybe? :con

So is High School Musical an accurate portrayal of everyday life in American high schools?
* 


D11 said:


> For the Brits
> 
> 1. Is the class division still apparent? Does your accent (i.e where you're from) mean more than it should?
> 
> *Yup. Very apparent here in London. There's cockney (working class) and then standard London accent (middle class) (and those people who speak in a snotty upper class accent but I've never heard one round here yet) but occasionally you do get people from the other class speaking the other accent. Speaking "gangsta" is quite a new thing amongst youths nowadays, regardless of class. I wrote a spectacularly detailed explanation here if you care to read *





coldmorning said:


> 4) In America, how comes "asian" means "oriental" and not "south asian"? is it because there are more orientals than south asians?
> 
> I've always wondered the opposite... why "asian" doesn't mean Chinese, Japanese, etc in the UK. China is a part of the asian continent, no?
> 
> *It's more that, when you say "asian" here, the first image that comes to people's minds are people who are from India etc. It's probably because there are alot more people from South Asia than East Asia here. And perhaps historical reasons as well? Didn't the Brits used to colonise India or something...*





EremitaGermanus said:


> And due to ethnical/religious differences and conflicts in the past, some areas are constantly prone to disputes.


*Yup - Where I live, it's very ethnically diverse so you get alot of people from different ethnic backgrounds. On the plus side, people are alot more understanding of different cultures. For example, most people here will have heard of the word "halal" which is probably unheard of for most Brits. On the down side, BNP wannabes exist.*



fern said:


> I don't understand the way British people use the word "pudding".


*I think some people just use it to refer to any dessert. *



TATA said:


> Need to have some kind of ID, driver license works


*So how comes you need ID then? What's it for?

*


millenniumman75 said:


> Orange juice is orange juice, same name. Squash is a vegetable to us, so I am not sure if you mean the same thing.


*Wow, really?  What vegetable?Here, squash means one of those concentrated juices drink which you dilute with water first.

So in America, an apartment means a house which is attached to another house? What's a house called which is attached on both sides? (like, a row of houses attached together). Here, a house attached on both sides is called a terraced house whilst a house attached on only one side is called a semi detached.

Lol, I always used to think an apartment means like, a block of houses (without roofs - UK equivilant of a "flat") stacked on top of each other or something :lol

My other zillion questions:

1) What's the difference between "college" and "university" in America?

2) What's the purpose of the SATs in America exactly?

3) From my understanding of it, in America, for high school, you have a GPA. Is this assigned by your high school? So what happens if your high school decides to just give you a high one so that it'll look good for them?

4) What's an honours list in America?

5) Are guns legalised everywhere in America?

6) That same American person told me that most people own a gun. Is this true?

7) Is it true that in America, you can write both "armour" and "armor" and they'll be both correct?
*


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## gaz (Jun 27, 2008)

1) In America do you have to pay road tax? In the UK we must pay road tax and display a paper disc on the windscreen of the vehicle.

2) In America does everyone say ''Awesome'' and ''dude'' all the time as they do in films/tv?


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## Neptunus (Oct 29, 2007)

Banzai said:


> *So how comes you need ID then? What's it for?*


Mostly incase you commit crime - like get a traffic ticket, rob a convenience store in another state. Another reason would be for identification during an emergency -- hospitalization or car accident.



> *So in America, an apartment means a house which is attached to another house? What's a house called which is attached on both sides? (like, a row of houses attached together). Here, a house attached on both sides is called a terraced house whilst a house attached on only one side is called a semi detached. *
> 
> *Lol, I always used to think an apartment means like, a block of houses (without roofs - UK equivilant of a "flat") stacked on top of each other or something :lol*


Not exactly. An "apartment" is a small space that you rent. Usually, they average up to 3 rooms max with a kitchen and bathroom. They can be located in any type of building: a house, a hotel like structure with dozens of apartments, "blocks of houses"...

If you really want to get into the nitty-gritty... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apartment


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## Perfectionist (Mar 19, 2004)

D11 said:


> For Canadians
> 
> 1. When you travel os or speak to foreigners on the phone, do you hate being mistaken for an American?


Yes! I wouldn't make a big deal out of it though, because I'm Canadian.


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## Hadron92 (Apr 17, 2009)

I find it interesting that a lot of people are fascinated (is that the correct term, lol) by America, whereas I'm not...well, in the sense that I look at it in the same way as I do on just any other country...

I think it may have something to do with the fact that I don't watch movies, and am therefore not exposed to Hollywood like some others are.:lol

Don't know if that's a good or a bad thing.:roll


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## SOME (Jul 13, 2009)

Banzai said:


> *So is High School Musical an accurate portrayal of everyday life in American high schools?*
> 
> :lol No. I laughed when I saw that movie and compared it to my high school. The movie is very inaccurate. None of the guys have long hair or dress all fancy. Almost Everyone has bald heads and baggy clothes, and walk around with their chest pumped like if they were a rooster looking for their chicken. The kids who do have long hair and dress fancy get harassed. I gusse it depends on what part of the US the movie was focused on.:con
> 
> ...


In the UK what's the education system like?

*1) How many hours and days of school are you required to full fill?*

*2) Is the grading system same as the US? e.g A B C D F*

*3) Do you have to go threw elementary school, middle school, high school, then college?*


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## Amocholes (Nov 5, 2003)

I*n America do you have to pay road tax? In the UK we must pay road tax and display a paper disc on the windscreen of the vehicle.
*
In a way. We have to register all of our vehicles every year. The amount depends on what type of vehicle it is. It varies from state to state.

*2) In America does everyone say ''Awesome'' and ''dude'' all the time as they do in films/tv? *

Definitely not. Only those who watch too much TV and actually think it's cool.


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## Banzai (Jun 4, 2009)

SOME said:


> In the UK what's the education system like?
> It's comparable to sports almost - we have a "league table" and the idea is that schools are meant to compete against each other. The higher grades you achieve, the more points you get, the higher your position on the league tables, the better the image for the school.
> 
> *1) How many hours and days of school are you required to full fill?*
> ...


What is elementary school, middle school, high school and college? :um

Here, we have primary school (about 5-11 or something). then secondary school (12-16). then college (16-18 ). The university after. Compulsary education finishes at 16 here but free education finishes at 18.

*When do you start the GPA system?

*_"5) *Are guns legalised everywhere in America?*

It might depend on the gun and state. Every state has it's own Jurisdiction, But no one really cares. _ "

So you're telling me, since there are no border controls between states, I can walk into a no-gun country with a gun and nobody would do anything about it?


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## Doc Rice (Dec 28, 2009)

In the States there are a lot of different dialects (i.e. some people pronounce pen as pin); are there different dialects in the U.K. and are they much different from each other? You can easily tell the difference between someone from Texas and a person from Washington, so is it the same ordeal in England?


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## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

Banzai said:


> *Wow, really?  What vegetable?Here, squash means one of those concentrated juices drink which you dilute with water first.*
> 
> *So in America, an apartment means a house which is attached to another house? What's a house called which is attached on both sides? (like, a row of houses attached together). Here, a house attached on both sides is called a terraced house whilst a house attached on only one side is called a semi detached. *
> 
> ...


Example of a squash - or gourd. We see these in the fall/autumn









The frozen can of juice? We call it "orange juice from concentrate" - the one you add water to .

Well, two houses put together are called a "duplex" here. Three together would probably be apartments/comndominiums/row houses at that point.

Colleges are "usually" smaller in scope and size than universities, although some have the name "College" in their actual name. A "college" can also be a subschool in a university.

SAT - Scholastic Aptitude Test - a multiple choice/essay test that kind of tells a school how much a student knows. The more questions he gets right, the higher the score.

GPA - Grade Point Average - is the average score a student has through all of his classes in a grade/career. A = 4.0, B =3.0, C = 2.0, D = 1.0, F = 0.0. If he has five classes and gets 3 As and 2 Bs, then he would have 18 divided by 5 classes for a 3.60 GPA. Honors list is dependent on how high that GPA is. For my high school, a 3.0 was Honor Roll and a 3.51 was Principal's List (High Honors).

Guns are legal, but one has to have a permit to have it. That permit requires a background check of the persons "criminal record". If a person has been convicted of a felony of most types, they cannot own a gun.

I don't know about "most" people owning a gun - we don't talk about it :lol. It's not an everyday conversation.

Honor/Color/Organized/Neighbor, Honour/Colour/Organised/Neighbour - all are accepted, but we normally acknowledge the former. We automatically recognize the foreignness if the latter is used.


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## Banzai (Jun 4, 2009)

Doc Rice said:


> In the States there are a lot of different dialects (i.e. some people pronounce pen as pin); are there different dialects in the U.K. and are they much different from each other? You can easily tell the difference between someone from Texas and a person from Washington, so is it the same ordeal in England?


Yup. Loads. Scottish and London accent would be two very good comparisons. Even within London you get different dialects (cockney, gangsta, standard and not sure about a "posh" one either).

"that", would be said as "thah'" in cockney, "dah'" in gangsta, and "that" in standard.


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## slw2 (Dec 29, 2009)

i'll see if i can hit some that haven't been answered a million times.

in the us, there's not a lot of difference between a college & a university -- like there is in the UK. generally, a college is a small school without a lot of degrees. a university is more diverse with lots of degree options. if you get a degree from either, it's equally good.

the SAT's are standardized placement tests for college/university entrance. we also have ACT's that are given by a different group. they are only part of what an institution uses to determine whether or not you're accepted, but they are an attempt to evenly grade your abilities since school systems in one area may not be as good as school systems in another area.

your GPA is your Grade Point Average. This is the total of your grade scores divided by your number of credits, so the schools don't arbitrarily hand them out -- and the schools in our area are not judged by the student's GPA's. an A is a 4, a B is a 3, a C is a 2, a D is a 1, an F is a zero. if the class is honors or college level, they weight it with an additional point. an A, B, C, D, or F is not the same percentage in each school district however -- another reason for the SAT/ACT tests.

an honors list is typically a list of students with a fairly high gpa, usually above 3.5 -- or all A's & B's.

guns are legal most places in the US -- although it is not legal to actually fire them in many places. it is illegal for people with a felony record or who actively take drugs or who have been involuntarily committed to buy a gun. most of the people i know own a gun, we own several. 

i would spell it armor -- maybe armour is ok too -- i don't really know.

you do need identification to fly from one state to another -- doesn't have to be a passport, but it does have to be from the acceptable list. this is because of security rules since 9/11. you do not have to have anything to drive to any of the states near me, there are no checkpoints. if you are driving, it's illegal to drive without a license -- and most hospitals will want identification if you want to be treated, but they won't turn you away without it.

i only say duuuude when i'm being a smartass. i do occasionally say awesome, but i feel real cheesy when i do it.

we don't pay a road tax per se. in our state, roads are maintained from the general fund which comes out of our state income taxes. we do have to pay personal property tax on our vehicles which is based on the value of the car. we also have to pay a county registration fee and we have to pay for license place stickers with our DMV -- so they get plenty out of us vehicle wise. it seems like we get a bill in the mail for our vehicles everytime we turn around.

ok -- my question -- do you guys in the UK or Ireland really have to buy a license to have a tv set?


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## Banzai (Jun 4, 2009)

Hadron said:


> I find it interesting that a lot of people are fascinated (is that the correct term, lol) by America, whereas I'm not...well, in the sense that I look at it in the same way as I do on just any other country...
> 
> I think it may have something to do with the fact that I don't watch movies, and am therefore not exposed to Hollywood like some others are.:lol
> 
> Don't know if that's a good or a bad thing.:roll


Hm, I think it's more internet exposure for me since I don't watch films either - Americans pretty much inhabit every corner of the internet nowadays so its difficult not to be cornered by their culture 



slw2 said:


> ok -- my question -- do you guys in the UK or Ireland really have to buy a license to have a tv set?


I think you actually need a license to watch _TV _so you'd even need a license to watch TV online, on your mobile etc.You don't need a license to buy the actual TV set (since you can still use it to watch dvds or something)

Do they have something similar over there?
_
*"For Canadians

1. When you travel os or speak to foreigners on the phone, do you hate being mistaken for an American?*_ "

I'm actually pretty guilty of this - I can't tell the difference between the two :um

In America, hows the educational system work? When do you decide what subjects you want to study? Is it in high school? How many subjects are you allowed to study?


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## nothing to fear (Mar 23, 2005)

D11 said:


> For Canadians
> 
> 1. When you travel os or speak to foreigners on the phone, do you hate being mistaken for an American?


it wouldn't bother me, but oddly enough i'm rarely mistaken for american when in a foreign country.


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## slw2 (Dec 29, 2009)

Banzai said:


> I think you actually need a license to watch _TV _so you'd even need a license to watch TV online, on your mobile etc.You don't need a license to buy the actual TV set (since you can still use it to watch dvds or something)
> 
> Do they have something similar over there?


no we don't -- anyone can go buy a tv -- or as many as they want -- we have free broadcast tv. you pay a cable or satellite bill if you want that service. but, there's no government regulation of people getting tv service.

if you have cable or satellite, i think there's a small utility tax on each bill -- but there's no licensing or anything to watch tv.

an internet friend in ireland told me she was about to get in trouble for watching tv without a license -- i was shocked.


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## whiteWhale (Nov 19, 2009)

millenniumman75 said:


> Guns are legal, but one has to have a permit to have it. That permit requires a background check of the persons "criminal record". If a person has been convicted of a felony of most types, they cannot own a gun.
> 
> I don't know about "most" people owning a gun - we don't talk about it :lol. It's not an everyday conversation.


You do not need a permit to buy a gun in the majority of the states. Although there is always a background check like you said. New Jersey is the only state that I know of that requires a permit to purchase and that is only for handguns.

What you do need a permit for is if you want to carry a gun concealed on your person. In some states it is legal to "open carry" a loaded gun. Such as on your belt out in the open.


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## Banzai (Jun 4, 2009)

slw2 said:


> no we don't -- anyone can go buy a tv -- or as many as they want -- we have free broadcast tv. you pay a cable or satellite bill if you want that service. but, there's no government regulation of people getting tv service.
> 
> if you have cable or satellite, i think there's a small utility tax on each bill -- but there's no licensing or anything to watch tv.
> 
> an internet friend in ireland told me she was about to get in trouble for watching tv without a license -- i was shocked.


Yup - and on top of that, you have to pay for cable/satellite as well. If you just pay for a tv license, you get 5 channels and that's it (but nowadays, most TVs come with this thing where you can get 30 extra channels for free - "freeview")

@Millenium - that's a very strange looking fruit. I've never ever seen anything like that before.


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## slw2 (Dec 29, 2009)

in none-US countries, do you see a lot of american tv shows/movies -- or do you have mostly ones made in your own country?

if you have mostly american movies/tv shows, is it weird to here most of it with american accents? even the foreign actors in our shows seem to be able to do a really good american accent

i like some of the stuff we get here on BBC America, but it's kind of an exception to see a foreign movie -- last one i watched was Run, Fatboy, Run

i swear i don't spend all my time watching tv/movies


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## Hadron92 (Apr 17, 2009)

slw2 said:


> if you have mostly american movies/tv shows, is it weird to here most of it with american accents? even the foreign actors in our shows seem to be able to do a really good american accent


I don't watch TV shows, but I sometimes watch American news channels, and the accent of the presenters sounds so...alien...lol.


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## Banzai (Jun 4, 2009)

slw2 said:


> in none-US countries, do you see a lot of american tv shows/movies -- or do you have mostly ones made in your own country?
> *Yes - we get a bit of both I think. I don't know why but we don't get many other shows from other countries (Australia for example).*
> if you have mostly american movies/tv shows, is it weird to here most of it with american accents? even the foreign actors in our shows seem to be able to do a really good american accent
> *I've never found it weird, probably because you get used to it whilst growing up with them on all the time. If I hear something from Australia then I will probably find it weird.I find accents like the ones in Harry Potter even weirder (even cringe worthy) for some reason and I have a London accent too...*
> ...


.


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## slw2 (Dec 29, 2009)

Hadron said:


> I don't watch TV shows, but I sometimes watch American news channels, and the accent of the presenters sounds so...alien...lol.


you'd think i was from mars then, i have a southern accent -- not too bad if you're from the southern us, but a definite drawl if you're not.

i love most of the UK & australian accents


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## Hadron92 (Apr 17, 2009)

As for the Australian accent - I find it slightly noticeable, but it's definitely not as "alien" as the American accent.


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## Banzai (Jun 4, 2009)

.


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## Hadron92 (Apr 17, 2009)

Banzai said:


> That's a first . I'd have thought the American accent would sound less weird because most foreign TV and stuff are American. Come to think of it...i don't really know of any Australian shows that are on :um


That's not from a TV show I'm talking about - I'm talking about people I hear speaking in real life. e.g. I had an Australian teacher once.


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## slw2 (Dec 29, 2009)

Banzai said:


> Maybe it's just me but I could never tell the difference between American accents. I can't even tell the difference between a Canadian and an American...:um


those would be the non-descript tv accents?

you'd know i wasn't canadian -- it would be like mistaking mathew mcconnohey (sp? i'm sure i murder his name) for a canadian


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## Banzai (Jun 4, 2009)

.


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## slw2 (Dec 29, 2009)

matthew mcconaughey

he does quite a few movies here -- mostly romantic comedy type stuff

this is a pic of him & kate hudson in fool's gold -- they're playing to death on cable.


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## Banzai (Jun 4, 2009)

.


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## slw2 (Dec 29, 2009)

that just means your taste in movies is probably better than mine

i'll stop hijacking the thread now or at least until i can think of another trivial foreign country question


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## Banzai (Jun 4, 2009)

.


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## njodis (Nov 8, 2006)

Do people in China talk about digging a hole to North America?


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## slw2 (Dec 29, 2009)

Banzai said:


> Na, it means my knowledge in movies is next to non existent  (in 2009, the only films-at a cinema anyway- I watched were Transformers and Twilight...so yeah :um)
> 
> Ok, here's a question (previous unanswered question) - what's elementary school, high school and the other schools? (like, what ages are they from)


well -- i haven't seen either of those.

elementary is kindergarten through 5th or 6th grade -- generally that's 5 years old to 10 or 11

middle school/jr high is either 6th through 8th -- or 7th through 9th -- that's 11 to 13 or 12 to 14

high school is either 9th through 12th or 10th through 12th -- 14 to 17 or 15 to 17.

some kids start school late in the year and are 18 by the time they graduate.

i think high school is similiar to college in the UK? except i think you pay some fees for college and every kid here can go to a free high school.
we don't have the same testing structure that you guys have.

i'm not going to ask this -- someone explained it once -- but it's very weird to me that we say math -- and you guys say maths.


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## Cosmin (Mar 16, 2007)

njodis said:


> Do people in China talk about digging a hole to North America?


Which is quite funny if you _look_ at it in a geeky way... :yes


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## Banzai (Jun 4, 2009)

.


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## SOME (Jul 13, 2009)

Banzai said:


> *When do you start the GPA system?*
> _I believe it's middle school. I never really payed attention to my GPA lol_
> 
> _"5) *Are guns legalised everywhere in America?*_
> ...


Assuming the gun is legal with the premit and paper work. Yes you can drive into a no-gun state, but only in passing. The gun has to be unloaded in a locked container separate from the driver's compartment. Other than that I think you'll be ok. The gun laws are confusing.:eyes


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## slw2 (Dec 29, 2009)

in the US, most cell plans charge a text fee.

you can pay for a block of texts -- or unlimited text -- or pay by each text. i think our phone plan is $5 for 250 or 500 texts per line -- we never seem to go over that. i don't know what it costs for unlimited.

most plans are 20 cents per text if you pay for individual ones -- and both the sender & the receiver have to pay.

sometimes video & picture texts are more.

it's a huge rip-off when you consider the per byte charge.


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## Banzai (Jun 4, 2009)

.


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## slw2 (Dec 29, 2009)

Banzai said:


> What about if I'm walking to another state? Do I just need to put the gun in a locked container and I can carry it in a carrier bag with me?


i didn't know we had no gun states -- we have certain localities that ban certain kinds of guns -- or what you can do with them -- or who can own one.

like where i live, in the city you can own a gun, but you can't shoot it. but in the county, you can shoot it -- just not in an occupied dwelling or within a certain distance of a street or a house.

i looked it up, and wiki says that you have to honor the laws of the state you're going into -- as opposed to the one where you bought the gun or where you live.

banzai -- come on over, most states you can strap on six shooters and walk around just like the wild, wild west -- as long as you don't want to go into a bank, a bar, or a government building -- oh, or get on a plane of course.


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## slw2 (Dec 29, 2009)

Banzai said:


> What about if I'm walking to another state? Do I just need to put the gun in a locked container and I can happily carry it in a carrier bag with me?
> 
> Wow. Both sender and receiver has to pay AND you have to pay per byte?? :eek
> 
> Here, only sender pays. First time I heard that the receiver has to pay, I was pretty shocked. I'm pretty sure you don't have to pay per byte here either - you just have to pay one fixed rate for that type of thing you are sending (e.g SMS etc)


no -- i wasn't clear -- you pay 20 cents per text if you don't buy a block or pay unlimited. if you figure out the per byte charge of the average text, it's highway robbery -- but you don't actually pay by the byte.

but, yes, both sender & receiver pays -- which bytes if you're getting spam texts or someone keys in the wrong number. you have to pay anyway.

at least that's how my plan works -- we only have about a million cell phone providers over here.


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## nothing to fear (Mar 23, 2005)

max4225 said:


> Do the people up north really like ketchup potato chips? They sound delicious. And is curling as fun as it looks? I've been itching to try that thing where you scrape the ice.


some here like ketchup chips. they used to be my favourite as a kid. i might have stopped eating them when i realized how disgusting it looked when i ate them, and the red would get on my fingers. i haven't had them in years but they are sounding tasty now.

i've never tried curling, but i think it looks fun. people i know who have played it say they really enjoy it, in high school it seemed like a good sport to join for some because they would get outings, time out of class, and didn't have to use as much physical strength as other sports (i think?).


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## njodis (Nov 8, 2006)

I had to play curling in elementary school, and the lady told us to put our arms, legs, or any other part of our body between the "rocks" if two of them were accidentally sent flying toward each other, to save them from breaking. Needless to say, this lady clearly hated children.


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## SilentWitness (Dec 27, 2009)

listenjusting said:


> Here's a one-minute movie trailer in the language/dialect I speak.
> I'd like to know how it sounds to an English-speaking ear.


I cheated and looked it up. :idea

It's dialect of Dutch is that correct? I was confused because at the start I thought it was German, then listening further thought it was Dutch, then a kind of mix of the two.

Very interesting language and nice to listen to, and the movie looks good too. 

My accent is Australian, a bit like Jesse Spencer from House M.D or Nicole Kidman. 
Definitely NOT like Paul Hogan or the late Steve Irwin (RIP). The very broad aussie accent from the country folk or older Australians.

__________________


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## leonardess (Jun 30, 2009)

fern said:


> I don't understand the way British people use the word "pudding".


it's bizarre, the things they consider pudding. There's black tower pudding - it's made from pig's blood.

There's yorkshire pudding - it's a hard, crusty, baked thing, kind of like bread with no innards.

They have nothing that's like what Americans consider pudding.


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## leonardess (Jun 30, 2009)

Perfectionist said:


> Yes! I wouldn't make a big deal out of it though, because I'm Canadian.


See? what'd I tell you?


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## HopeFloats (Feb 20, 2004)

1) I once asked an American, do you need a passport to fly from one state to anotehr and they said yes. But if you wanted to drive from one state to another, assuming that frm what films depict are true, you just pass by a sign saying you've arrived in a state right? No border controls, nothing. So why do you need a passport to fly from one state to another? (unless there are other purposes of the passport)

You don't need a passport to travel within the U.S., or an id either. You do need an id to get on a plane though, for airplane security. You would only need a driver's license if you are driving, but you don't need anything to travel by bus or on foot or whatever.

3) What is America doing to curb obesity?

It varies from place to place, but I think a lot of people view it as an individual problem. That is, there is a general opinion that individuals become overwight because they make poor choices about food and excercise. However, I think there are other factors that effect obesity, which our country isn't doing enough to solve.


5) In America, they have private health care. So what happens if you're too poor to afford it?

It varies depending on the state. Some states have a lot of assistance for the poor, and some have next to nothing. There are some private charities that can help too. But mostly, you just learn to make do without it. I haven't had any insurance in years. You hope you never get hurt or sick, you learn to take care of yourself as much as possible, and if anything goes wrong, you're screwed. It isn't true that ERs are required to help people with no money. I know someone who used to work in an ER, and she quit her job because she couldn't stand the way they made her turn away people that couldn't pay. I don't know the exact statistics, but I've heard 
medical bills is a common reason for declaring bankruptcy.

For Americans

5) Are guns legalised everywhere in America?

generally, yes, but the laws vary from state to state

6) That same American person told me that most people own a gun. Is this true?

I don't own a gun, and I don't know too many people that do. I don't really know much about gun laws, but people are generally responsible to educate themselves about local laws and follow them when they travel.

In America, hows the educational system work? When do you decide what subjects you want to study? Is it in high school? How many subjects are you allowed to study?

It varies from place to place, but generally younger kids aren't given choices, but as they get older they are gradually allowed more choices, as long as they meet requirements for graduation.

what's elementary school, high school and the other 
schools? (like, what ages are they from) 

School is mandadtory from age 6 to 16. Grade school goes from grade 1 (6 years old) to grade 8 (13 years old). This is sometimes divided into elementary school (grade 1 to 5 or 6) and middle school(grade 6 or 7 to grade 8 or 9). High school begins at grade 9 or 10 and goes through grade 12. School is free from first grade through twelth. Some places also have kindergarden or preschool for kids under 6.


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## HopeFloats (Feb 20, 2004)

1) I once asked an American, do you need a passport to fly from one state to anotehr and they said yes. But if you wanted to drive from one state to another, assuming that frm what films depict are true, you just pass by a sign saying you've arrived in a state right? No border controls, nothing. So why do you need a passport to fly from one state to another? (unless there are other purposes of the passport)

You don't need a passport to travel within the U.S. You do need an id to get on a plane though for airplane security. You would only need a driver's license if you are driving, but you don't need anything to travel by bus or on foot or whatever.

3) What is America doing to curb obesity?

It varies from place to place, but I think a lot of people view it as an individual problem. That is, there is a general opinion that individuals become overwight because they make poor choices about food and excercise. However, I think there are other factors that effect obesity, which our country isn't doing enough to solve.


5) In America, they have private health care. So what happens if you're too poor to afford it?

It varies depending on the state. Some states have a lot of assistance for the poor, and some have next to nothing. There are some private charities that can help too. But mostly, you just learn to make do without it. I haven't had any insurance in years. You hope you never get hurt or sick, you learn to take care of yourself as much as possible, and if anything goes wrong, you're screwed. It isn't true that ERs are required to help people with no money. I know someone who used to work in an ER, and she quit her job because she couldn't stand the way they made her turn away people that couldn't pay. I don't know the exact statistics, but I've heard medical bills is a common reason for declaring bankruptcy.

For Americans

5) Are guns legalised everywhere in America?

generally, yes, but the laws vary from state to state

6) That same American person told me that most people own a gun. Is this true?

I don't own a gun, and I don't know too many people that do. I don't really know much about gun laws, but people are generally responsible to educate themselves about local laws and follow them when they travel.

In America, hows the educational system work? When do you decide what subjects you want to study? Is it in high school? How many subjects are you allowed to study?

It varies from place to place, but generally younger kids aren't given choices, but as they get older they are gradually allowed more choices, as long as they meet requirements for graduation.

what's elementary school, high school and the other schools? (like, what ages are they from) 

School is mandadtory from age 6 to 16. Grade school goes from grade 1 (6 years old) to grade 8 (13 years old). This is sometimes divided into elementary school (grade 1 to 5 or 6) and middle school(grade 6 or 7 to grade 8 or 9). High school begins at grade 9 or 10 and goes through grade 12. School is free from first grade through twelth. Some places also have kindergarden or preschool for kids under 6.


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## GermanHermit (Sep 6, 2008)

*Do they bring German/European movies/shows in the US and Canada? *


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## slw2 (Dec 29, 2009)

EremitaGermanus said:


> *My question: Do they bring German/European movies/shows in the US and Canada? *


only a few, although i'm sure you could get anything on dvd
mostly ones that are in English -- although we seem to have a better tolerance of subtitles in oriental/martial arts type movies.

most are subtitled, i haven't seen a new show dubbed in ages.

on cable, i do see a few french movies -- i don't think i've ever seen a german one. 
we do see a few british ones as well.

for tv shows, they'll usually make a US version - like they have for you are the weakest link, some of that talent/reality shows, and what to wear.

i really like the UK version of what to wear much better until i tired of the whole thing.

i also like the UK how clean is your house, they would totally ruin that one if they decided to americanize it.

they have done a few shows in the US, we're equally dirty but it seems our houses are bigger and newer.

i'd say the percentage of US based shows is over 95% --maybe as high as 99%

oh - is it weird to watch something like House -- where the star is a british actor pretending to be american?


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## Colhad75 (Dec 14, 2009)

What does ****** Tonk mean?? You hear it in country songs alot, always wondered what it meant.

"****** Tonk"


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## slw2 (Dec 29, 2009)

Colhad75 said:


> What does ****** Tonk mean?? You hear it in country songs alot, always wondered what it meant.
> 
> "****** Tonk"


a ****** Tonk is a beer joint kind of place -- a downscale bar, most likely one that plays a lot of country music


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## Banzai (Jun 4, 2009)

slw2 said:


> like where i live, in the city you can own a gun, but you can't shoot it. but in the county, you can shoot it -- just not in an occupied dwelling or within a certain distance of a street or a house.
> 
> *what do you mean you're not allowed to shoot it? Isn't that the point of a gun? do you mean you can't shoot it for fun and you can only shoot it in self defence?*
> 
> banzai -- come on over, most states you can strap on six shooters and walk around just like the wild, wild west -- as long as you don't want to go into a bank, a bar, or a government building -- oh, or get on a plane of course.


*Haha, when I'm older and richer, I'll be sure to travel to the states one day and interrogate the first American citizen I see about American culture 

Another question: In America, do you learn the imperial measuring systems only? (e.g pounds) I notice that alot of people use those terms on here, something which I have no idea about.
*


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## slw2 (Dec 29, 2009)

Banzai said:


> *Haha, when I'm older and richer, I'll be sure to travel to the states one day and interrogate the first American citizen I see about American culture *
> 
> *Another question: In America, do you learn the imperial measuring systems only? (e.g pounds) I notice that alot of people use those terms on here, something which I have no idea about.*


i think the law is -- it's illegal to discharge a firearm within the city limits -- which doesn't prevent you from owning one, just shooting it. they were all over the news with plans to enforce that last night as a lot of americans like to shoot up in the air on new years.

there have been cases where people shot at other people in self-defense and weren't charged under the law, so i'm not sure how strictly it's enforced. there's a lot of gang & drug activity in the city -- as well as in the county -- so maybe that's one they use when they want to.

we have a mix of imperial, i guess you would call it -- pounds, ounces, feet, inches, yards - and metric. my husband has tools that go in both systems. most people automatically understand what a pound or a foot is, but have to stop and think about meter or kilogram. 
they teach the metric system in school. we just kind of pick up the rest from living here.

a pound is 16 ounces -- an ounce is about 28 grams -- a kilometer is less than a mile.

talk about confusing -- i get confused everytime that someone says they way x number of stones -- a stone is like 14 pounds? then i have to do some quick math to figure out how big they are


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## Banzai (Jun 4, 2009)

^Other way round here. They don't teach imperial here at all (I saw on the news a few years back that there was this one place which banned the use of it) so most people don't know the conversions of it. 

Question: what's a green card?


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## slw2 (Dec 29, 2009)

a green card is issued to someone coming into the country so it's legal for them to live & work here permanently. doesn't mean they're on they're way to citizenship or anything. 

a green card is highly prized here by our vast illegal alien populations. there's a whole black market business that makes fake ones.


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## Cedilla (Dec 25, 2009)

Banzai said:


> Another question: In America, do you learn the imperial measuring systems only? (e.g pounds) I notice that alot of people use those terms on here, something which I have no idea about.
> [/B]


In the US we learn the metric system in school, but outside of anyone working in a scientific field nobody ever, ever uses it in a social context.

Mechanics tools, are made in SAE(imperial), and metric. Generally, we use metric tools, on things manufactured outside the US, but domestic equipment, requires metric, and SAE tools. I understand metric tools, but the sizing of SAE tools baffle me, and I have to use trial and error to fit a SAE wrench(Spanner), or socket.

I kinda understand, the relation between metric, and imperial, when measuring distance, or weight, but If you started talking about how much you weigh, in kilograms, or how far something is in kilometers, I would be confused.

Also I can't tell the difference in speaking accent between, people from the northern US, and Canada. They sound the same to me.

If your watching the National News from the US, the people on there have a dialect on their own, I think they have to learn it in college. It sounds alien to me as a American.

Ok I have a question for non-English speaking countries. It appears to me, from watching T.V and surfing the web, that their are a lot of English speaking people in traditionally non-English speaking countries. Do alot of people learn English as a second language, opposed something else. Do people in Europe learn the languages of the countries around them. Will just knowing English could you get around a non-English speaking country pretty well?


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## Cosmin (Mar 16, 2007)

So, what you're saying... when I talk to brits, I can use the damn metric system without them looking at me like a weirdo? :roll

I'm fine using either one, with Google conversion being two steps away, but just for the record. Still, the only convesations I had with brits so far that needed any conversion were about the Euro and the Pound.


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## Cosmin (Mar 16, 2007)

Cedilla said:


> Ok I have a question for non-English speaking countries. It appears to me, from watching T.V and surfing the web, that their are a lot of English speaking people in traditionally non-English speaking countries. Do alot of people learn English as a second language, opposed something else.


Let me offer my priceless input on this one. 
Over here we learn English from 2nd grade. It's either that, or French mostly, but there are a few more available. From 6th grade we get an additional one and we go with both (along with Romanian, of course). 
The 2nd foreign language I "learned" in school was French, but can't remember a thing since I never used it. As for English, I got the basics in school, but the TV/movies/Interwebz/etc played a big part in it.



Cedilla said:


> Do people in Europe learn the languages of the countries around them. Will just knowing English could you get around a non-English speaking country pretty well?


I live near Moldova and Ukraine, literally 10miles, but I can't speak any of the languages spoken there, but they speak Romanian. English should be just fine, but I wouldn't assume everyone knows it. If I remember correctly, a few years ago, a Chinese guy was asking me for directions and I tried my best... in Chinese; poor fella. :roll


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## Cedilla (Dec 25, 2009)

lol, in the US most people don't know a second language, and they are pretty intolerant to people being here that don't speak English. I think it would be very hard to get around without speaking English, although some people do it. Usually Mexican immigrants that only speak Spanish.

In the US most students are required to take some kind of foreign language class in high school, or college. I had to take a year of Spanish class in high school, but I can't speak Spanish at all. I suspect that is how most people here are as well.


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## Banzai (Jun 4, 2009)

Cosmin said:


> So, what you're saying... when I talk to brits, I can use the damn metric system without them looking at me like a weirdo? :roll


Yup :b


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## GermanHermit (Sep 6, 2008)

Cedilla said:


> (...)Ok I have a question for non-English speaking countries. It appears to me, from watching T.V and surfing the web, that their are a lot of English speaking people in traditionally non-English speaking countries. Do alot of people learn English as a second language, opposed something else. Do people in Europe learn the languages of the countries around them. Will just knowing English could you get around a non-English speaking country pretty well?


English will get you around non-English-speaking countries pretty well, esp in larger cities. In rural areas it might become difficult.


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## Banzai (Jun 4, 2009)

Cedilla said:


> lol, in the US most people don't know a second language, and they are pretty intolerant to people being here that don't speak English.


You know, what's the general American view on immigrants then? I notice over there that they call immigrants "illegal aliens" - whilst it may be politically correct, it's a very harsh term in my opinion.


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## Cedilla (Dec 25, 2009)

Banzai said:


> You know, what's the general American view on immigrants then? I notice over there that they call immigrants "illegal aliens" - whilst it may be politically correct, it's a very harsh term in my opinion.


I can't speak for the rest of the country, but here in the southern US people don't generally like immigrants. Among lower class people there seems to be a lot of racism toward immigrants. People seem to be of the mindset that "Thay tooook errrrrrrrrr jooobbbbbsssss"(southpark reference)

Personally I feel people are being irrational, but I don't really like the culture, and attitude of people here for the most part. A lot of people around here don't seem to like anyone thats not a white, bible thumping, republican.
(keep in mind, im not talking about the whole country, just the South Eastern part of it, and Alabama in particular.)


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## Monroee (Aug 26, 2009)

Banzai said:


> You know, what's the general American view on immigrants then? I notice over there that they call immigrants "illegal aliens" - whilst it may be politically correct, it's a very harsh term in my opinion.


We don't refer to immigrants as illegal aliens, we refer to 'illegal immigrants' as illegal aliens.


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## mrbojangles (Oct 8, 2009)

what do british people eat? i know fish and chips are popular over there, but what are some of the popular foods over there?


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## Cedilla (Dec 25, 2009)

Homersxchild said:


> We don't refer to immigrants as illegal aliens, we refer to 'illegal immigrants' as illegal aliens.


Yep although, an alien is any person in the country who is not a citizen. 
We have resident aliens, nonresident aliens, and illegal aliens. Immigrants would be resident aliens, and tourist, and other visitors would be nonresident aliens. People who skip through the borders, and are here with no documentation that they are supposed to be here are illegal aliens.


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## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

Illegal immigrants even for naturalized citizens are frowned upon. My father was an immigrant, had a green card in the 1950s when he came here, and became a citizen in 1975. He always told me how he didn't like them being here taking jobs from us and getting out of things they should be doing. Granted, he did say they were hard workers but hated the fact that they would not pursue the legal method of citizenship. It costs money to send them back, too.

When naturalized citizens are saying they don't like immigrants coming here illegally, that is saying something.


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## Perfectionist (Mar 19, 2004)

max4225 said:


> Do the people up north really like ketchup potato chips? They sound delicious. And is curling as fun as it looks? I've been itching to try that thing where you scrape the ice.


YES. They are hugely popular and SO GOOD. I honestly thought they were a universal flavour until I was about 14. I was so sad when I realized it wasn't. And to calm myself down, I ate more ketchup chips, with a side of poutine.

At least where I live, curling isn't huge, but it's fun. You gotta have a rink and a team and it's just hard to coordinate. There used to be high school curling clubs but that was before my time.


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## SilentWitness (Dec 27, 2009)

For Americans -

Is the other word for Donkey - a55 considered a swear word?

I was doing the word association thread and put a55 for the other word donkey and all that came up was ***. :lol


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## odd_one_out (Aug 22, 2006)

mrbojangles said:


> what do british people eat? i know fish and chips are popular over there, but what are some of the popular foods over there?


Things like:

curry
shepherd's pie
beans on toast
rolls
scrambled egg
egg and soldiers
crisps
sausages, peas, chips, beans
steak and ale pie (so I've been told)
stir fry
pizza
pasta dishes
casseroles
chili con carne
burgers and fries
roast dinners
cereals
toast
sandwiches


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## Banzai (Jun 4, 2009)

Cedilla said:


> Yep although, an alien is any person in the country who is not a citizen.
> We have resident aliens, nonresident aliens, and illegal aliens. Immigrants would be resident aliens, and tourist, and other visitors would be nonresident aliens. People who skip through the borders, and are here with no documentation that they are supposed to be here are illegal aliens.


Wow really - so in the news and everyday life people, do they actually call non citizens and tourists in America "resident aliens"? Aren't people offended by that? Or is it a technical term that technically applies to them but not alot of people use it?



millenniumman75 said:


> Illegal immigrants even for naturalized citizens are frowned upon. My father was an immigrant, had a green card in the 1950s when he came here, and became a citizen in 1975. He always told me how he didn't like them being here taking jobs from us and getting out of things they should be doing. Granted, he did say they were hard workers but hated the fact that they would not pursue the legal method of citizenship. It costs money to send them back, too.
> 
> When naturalized citizens are saying they don't like immigrants coming here illegally, that is saying something.


My parents are like that as well - both my parents are immigrants turned citizens and where I live (bckstreets of London basically), there's alot of dodgy people here (most likely illegal immigrants) and my parents are constantly saying x, y and z negative things about them. That said - my parents do sometimes sympathise with them - Illegal immigrants have their own hardships in life.

Does alot of segregation exist in America? E.g do you get areas where it's mostly all white and then areas where it's mostly ethnic minority? Here, whilst only 10% of the population is of ethnic minority, where I live it's like 60/70% ethnic minority and you get alot of areas (mostly non city) where there's hardly any.


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## fern (Nov 16, 2008)

Banzai said:


> Wow really - so in the news and everyday life people, do they actually call non citizens and tourists in America "resident aliens"? Aren't people offended by that? Or is it a technical term that technically applies to them but not alot of people use it?


Nobody says "resident alien". If you're a tourist we call you a tourist, if you're an immigrant we call you an immigrant, if you're here illegally we call you an illegal alien.

I think that because of all the illegal immigration hoopla that is going on here that people in other countries have this perception that Americans hate all immigrants, and thats not true. If you're here legally people will treat you quite nicely. We even have special ceremonies for people when the officially become American citizens.


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## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

D11 said:


> For Americans -
> 
> Is the other word for Donkey - a55 considered a swear word?
> 
> I was doing the word association thread and put a55 for the other word donkey and all that came up was ***. :lol


Yes, @$$ is acceptable when referring to the donkey. When used otherwise, it means the "rear end". You know, you sit on it on a chair. :lol

I ran into trouble with another word for backside (or tush/derriere) without knowing what it meant, so I won't use it, even though it is perfectly fine to use in the states. :lol


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## slw2 (Dec 29, 2009)

i think most american's are most tolerant of european/african immigrants and least tolerant of hispanic immigrants who are the biggest percentage of illegals.

the reason would be that you see very few of the former and whole communities of the latter and it's threatening to some people.

in my area, we're a destination for mexican illegals. they have people refered to as coyotes who drive down to mexico, load up as many as they can, bring them back up, already have jobs lined up for them, and put 20 or 30 of them in a house or apartment designed for one family.

then, the business that employs them pays them under the table, they don't pay taxes on the money, and either send it all back to mexico -- or use it to bring their families up. if they bring their families up, they have more people that instruct them on how to go to the welfare office and say they don't have any support or anything.

it's also a big problem for our healthcare system. they go to the hospital, run up big bills, and then don't pay. those bills are part of why insurance premiums are high for the uninsured -- and if you pay on your own, it's even more expensive.

before anyone says i'm completely wrong, my aunt married into this stuff and i've heard it explained first hand -- i know quite a few illegals on a friendly basis.

then here, the illegals have the nerve to get on tv and demand their rights as if they aren't doing illegal things. what other criminal would do that?

now -- to be fair -- i don't think it's all they're fault. if american business owners would only hire people that are here legally and pay them what they are required to pay, those people wouldn't be flooding in. 

if you are here illegally, and you want to get all your papers and become legal, it involves going back to your home country and re-entering the country. that keeps a lot of them from even trying.

in everyday conversation, no one really refers to anyone's immigration status unless they are hispanic & thought to be illegal. unless you're looking for a job, government aid, getting a driver's license, wanting to go to school, things like that -- no one even checks. it's considered profiling -- and profiling isn't politically correct.

ok -- off my soapbox now.

the racial mix question. most neighborhoods are somewhat mixed although you always seem to have more of one race or the other. i know my son's high school was like a united nations. where you do get neighborhoods that are pretty much all the same race is when one race of immigrants moves in and then their family starts buying up every house that goes up for sale. that happens a lot with indian immigrants for some reason, not so much with orientals. it also happens a lot with the hispanics because they are looking for housing as cheap as they can get it. a lot of our slummy neighborhoods that mostly just poor people -- mostly white, black, oriental -- have over the last year or two become almost all hispanic.

there is no legal segregation here -- it is against the law for you to deny housing to someone based on their race and a real estate agent can lose their license for stearing someone to one neighborhood or another based on that. 

in my neighborhood, it's mostly white, but we have all colors and races pretty much. i haven't taken a census, but i know there are black families, spanish families, indian families, and at least one oriental family. i think neighborhoods are probably more divided based on how much money you have than anything else.

donkey -- jackass (wonder if that will be edited) -- no one refers to them as an a55 that i've ever heard. burro is kind of a specialized small donkey. most people would say donkey -- we have tons more horses than donkeys though. i believe a mule is a cross between a donkey & a horse?


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## Cosmin (Mar 16, 2007)

I have one: When you go to someone's home, do you take your shoes off?
And I ask this because that's how it's done here, and it annoys me because this give some people an excuse to continue their babbling without doing any actual leaving since it takes them like forever to put their shoes on. :roll

In movies and such I don't remember ever seeing something like this taking place, in fact they sometimes even go to bed with their shoes on, which is kinda messed up. :sus


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## slw2 (Dec 29, 2009)

in the US, some people i know make people take their shoes off -- it's not a culteral thing, they're trying to keep their floors nice & clean

i wish i could do that at my house, but it just ain't happening.

personally, i go barefoot as much as possible


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## Banzai (Jun 4, 2009)

.


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## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

We have a lot of the foods you do, we just eat too much of them.


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## Banzai (Jun 4, 2009)

millenniumman75 said:


> We have a lot of the foods you do, we just eat too much of them.


:lol . That's an interesting way of putting it :b


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## TATA (Sep 18, 2008)

Most American eat fast food, for one thing, because it's a lot cheaper than buying a ready healthy meal, second because there is simply not enough time in 24 hours to cook healthy meals for a family everyday.
Another thing is if you compare a food portion in a restaurant in a European countires with US, the portions in US are double or even triple the size of European.


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## TheSilent (Sep 23, 2009)

"Mama is ruzie aan het maken." - 

Are you Dutch or Belgian? The accent and little snippet of French, it seems like Belgian? I can be totally wrong too, of course. :um


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## polardude18 (Oct 13, 2009)

I have a few questions for people in Australia.

1. In America, there is a popular brand of hair care products called 'Aussie' their solgan is 'Add some roo to your do' yet I was wondering if they had this brand of hair care in Australia?

2. In Australia are there regional dialects. In America you can often tell the different between someone from Tennessee and someone from New york based on how they talk, is Australia like this as well? 

Also I have a question for anyone who can answer it.

1. Why is it that singers (Such as Amy Winehouse or Leona Lewis) from other countries seem to lose their accent when they sing? They speak with an accent different to those in America, but then when they sing they sound as if they have lived in America all their life, this has always confused me.


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## SilentWitness (Dec 27, 2009)

polardude18 said:


> I have a few questions for people in Australia.
> 
> *1. In America, there is a popular brand of hair care products called 'Aussie' their solgan is 'Add some roo to your do' yet I was wondering if they had this brand of hair care in Australia?*
> 
> ...


Yes that's true. We do it in Australia too. Secretly, I think everyone wants to be American or maybe its made for the American market really.

I'm sorry to say but Aussies never feel they've made it unless they do in the U.S. 
Even if they are big in Australia, the U.K and the rest of Europe.

America is the golden prize. :um

You know the saying- If you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere. (that being true for America in general )


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## izzy (Dec 18, 2009)

You're required to take a foreign language class here in the schools, but not nearly enough to become fluent. :/ In middle school, I took two years of Spanish (which is really helpful where I live). I took German every year in high school, so that's four years. But you're only required to take two years of a foreign language.
When I worked as a cashier, we would have at least two out of about fifteen employees who could speak Spanish, which is really helpful when customers can only speak Spanish.


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## supersoshychick (Jun 4, 2009)

Question(s) for the europeans/british:

Why do you guy's think American's are "stupid"?

Is it true you guys don't flush the toilet after you pee? Like you only flush when you poop?

Why the hell do you guys call it "the loo"?

are all "chavs" dangerous? and wth is a "chav" exactly?

Why are the british so scared of weapons?

Why isn't your country religious?



that's it i guess


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## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

I'd slip and fall on that curling thing. That sport has become a bit of a fascination here in the States.
Don't worry everybody, you get your fix next month with the Vancouver Winter Olympics!!!! :lol


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## Neptunus (Oct 29, 2007)

odd_one_out said:


> Things like:
> 
> curry
> shepherd's pie
> ...


Hmmm, with exception of the curry, and steak and ale pie, that's what I grew up on. And I live in New England. Scrambled eggs, beans on toast, shepard's pie... mmmmmmm! I have a lot of British blood though, so maybe it's a more of a family tradition, rather than what people eat over here. I know shepard's pie and baked beans are popular. Boston is, after all, nicknamed "Bean Town" for that reason.


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## Peter Attis (Aug 31, 2009)

Is SA common in Australia? :um


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## SilentWitness (Dec 27, 2009)

Peter Attis said:


> Is SA common in Australia? :um


I'm not sure and I haven't a clue where you'd find out.


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## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

It seems to be more addressed there as a disorder than it is here in the States.


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## GermanHermit (Sep 6, 2008)

supersoshychick said:


> Question(s) for the europeans/british:
> 
> Why do you guy's think American's are "stupid"?
> 
> ...


Who says we think Americans are stupid?


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## fern (Nov 16, 2008)

Cosmin said:


> In movies and such I don't remember ever seeing something like this taking place, in fact they sometimes even go to bed with their shoes on, which is kinda messed up. :sus


In my family we always take our shoes off when we come into the house. And I've never heard of anybody going to bed with their shoes on.

I'd like to know why people in other countries think that everything they see in Hollywood movies is an accurate portrayal of America/Americans? You seem to treat every movie that comes out of Hollywood like it's a documentary, they're not. They're fictional, and outrageously exaggerated.


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## Banzai (Jun 4, 2009)

supersoshychick said:


> Question(s) for the europeans/british:
> 
> Why do you guy's think American's are "stupid"?
> *Good question - I think maybe it's something to do with obesity in America...it doesn't really create an "intelligent" image of them if you catch my drift...*
> ...


Do Americans use the term "lavatory"?

Whats the smallest size in terms of clothing for adults in America? Is there such thing as size "-2"?



EremitaGermanus said:


> Where did you get that from that we don't flush after #1?
> Of course we do, and we *even* use toilet paper and we are *supposed* to wash our hands afterwards!!!
> lol)


Wow, really? Most people don't do that here in the UK. Alot of people just pee behind bushes and get leaves to clean themselves up or something since people here tend to be very environmentally friendly so doing that saves a hell of a lot of water and using leaves means we are recycling nature! There's even a rhyme to encourage people to not flush for number 1s:_ "If it's yellow, let it mellow. If it's brown flush it down!"

_


polardude18 said:


> Also I have a question for anyone who can answer it.
> 
> 1. Why is it that singers (Such as Amy Winehouse or Leona Lewis) from other countries seem to lose their accent when they sing? They speak with an accent different to those in America, but then when they sing they sound as if they have lived in America all their life, this has always confused me.


I think it's because of the way the American accent sounds like - it's a very "long" accent if you know what I mean. E.g Uk - "mum". USA - "mom" sounds like "maarrmmm". Also, in America, they do not stress their syllables as much. correct me if I'm wrong but you don't say the "t" in Americanlish for the word "water". And so, when singing, people tend to a) elongate their words and b) unstress their syllables to make the lyrics sound more "fluent" and rhyme more and what not which is why it sounds so American.


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## Cedilla (Dec 25, 2009)

Banzai said:


> Do Americans use the term "lavatory"?
> *No, we use the term rest room, or bathroom when refering to the toilet(which is just the thing you sit on in American english.)*
> 
> Whats the smallest size in terms of clothing for adults in America? Is there such thing as size "-2"?
> ...


*I don't think I agree with that. In American English, Mom might have a long A sound, but not like marrmmm, lol. We do stress our syllables, water would be pronounced as wah-ter. I figured it was quite the opposite, on who did not stress their syllables.*

My take on it is that unless the accent difference is extreme, then it's harder to hear the accent difference for most singing styles.

My question, this is to anyone outside the US. There seems to be a lot of talk about american obesity in this thread. Where you live, how often would you say most people eat fast food. I eat fast food almost every single day, sometimes for multiple meals, I don't think thats very extreme for this country, how about yours.


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## GermanHermit (Sep 6, 2008)

Of course obesity has also become a problem over here esp among kids! It's not an American problem, it's a problem of all western societies!


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## Cedilla (Dec 25, 2009)

Where I live, the uneducated poor, often put mountain dew in baby bottles, and overeating is seen as healthy,which goes back to many years ago when people performed manual labor in our society.

I'm not so sure what the cause of obesity is. I know somebody who is 400lbs, who eats less than I do, and is more active, but I weigh 150lbs soaking wet.


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## epril (Mar 24, 2009)

Amocholes said:


> I*n America do you have to pay road tax? In the UK we must pay road tax and display a paper disc on the windscreen of the vehicle.
> *
> In a way. We have to register all of our vehicles every year. The amount depends on what type of vehicle it is. It varies from state to state.
> 
> ...


I hear a lot of teens and young adults say 'dude'. 'Awesome' is still said but mostly went out after the 80's.


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## epril (Mar 24, 2009)

Banzai said:


> Ask the questions that you've always wanted to know about the various different cultures on here and hopefully, someone will answer them!
> 
> Here's mine:
> 
> ...


When I hear 'detached', I think mostly of whether or not a house has a garage detached from the house.

If you're too poor for insurance, you can get free or low cost insurance. You have to be very poor though. If you're middle class you won't qualify and will have to buy your own. Many people can't afford this, and so you only go to the doc or hospital in an emergency. Emergency rooms will see you and bill you later, at which time many people still can't afford to pay, even just the monthly payment the health care system thinks you can afford. So, you either go bankrupt, die, pay, or live with horrible credit that follows you the rest of your life.

The only Americans who use the word oriental are ignorant because that is a derogatory term now.


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## izzy (Dec 18, 2009)

People who are uneducated tend to be among those who are obese. Because they've had little education, they'll typically have a lower income. Some may have to work more than one job. This gives little time to devote to making home cooked meals. Also, the cheaper food here is the worst food, even at the grocery store.
"What is America doing to curb obesity?"
I know a lot of schools have gotten rid of sodas in their cafeteria. Sometimes there's ads and commercials encouraging kids to be active and eat right.
I think the main contributor to America's obesity, though, is the fast-paced society.


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## izzy (Dec 18, 2009)

Why isn't your country religious?
*I guess...people can't be assed to go to church anymore? Or maybe it's because Charles Darwin was english? :con
Isn't America turning secular as well? I know they have a "religious belt" near [the south?] or something like that but elsewhere...

*America is _supposed_ to be secular, but it really isn't. There are many people here that strictly oppose secularism. I find it really annoying.


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## Banzai (Jun 4, 2009)

.


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## polardude18 (Oct 13, 2009)

*Isn't America turning secular as well? I know they have a "religious belt" near [the south?] or something like that but elsewhere...*

Yes the south (states such as Oklahoma, Texas, The Carolinas, etc.) is generally considered to be the 'Bible Belt' and in this belt it is rare to find people who are not Christians, and while America for the most part is becoming secular. The bible belt is an exception. Christianity is very much part of the way of life for people here, so secularism is not practiced.


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## coeur_brise (Oct 7, 2004)

I've always wondered if the French consider their own language "romantic" as Americans do, or what language they consider to be romantic-sounding... And whether French Canadians feel at odds or friendly with those in France. Oh yeah, and whether everyone in Canada knows fluent French (excluding Montreal of course).


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## JFmtl (Dec 23, 2008)

sanria22 said:


> I've always wondered if the French consider their own language "romantic" as Americans do, or what language they consider to be romantic-sounding... And whether French Canadians feel at odds or friendly with those in France. Oh yeah, and whether everyone in Canada knows fluent French (excluding Montreal of course).


I don't think we consider as romantic or special as american do, since for us French doesn't have that spicy foreign sexy language feeling, it's our everyday language.

There is a big accent difference between french from canada and french from France. a little like between US and UK english. I don't know if i'm right, but I think that France and Québec are a little like brothers. And between brothers, there are always some rivalry and competition, sometimes we are at odds with them but other times we are more friendly lol.

In the province of Québec (which include Montréal) French is the most common language, and most people knows it. There is also some french minorities in other provinces, especially New-Brunswick and Ontario. But the big majority of people outside Québec can't speak fluent french except maybe some remnant of their school education. 
To give you an picture of the situation, on the provincial governments level, Québec as only French as the official language, New-Brunswick and both English and French as official languages, and the 8 other provinces only have English as their official language.


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## Neptunus (Oct 29, 2007)

Banzai said:


> Really? So what do they say now? Here, I think the new trend is to say "sick" - last time I checked anyway. I think it used to be "nang" but that went out of fasion as well.


You get regional sayings too. Like in New_England, in particular northern New England, people still say "wicked." For examples of its usage...

(warning - use of some strong language)

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=wicked

(I love this dictionary, btw. :lol)


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## Banzai (Jun 4, 2009)

Neptunus said:


> You get regional sayings too. Like in New_England, in particular northern New England, people still say "wicked." For examples of it's usage...
> 
> (warning - use of some strong language)
> 
> ...


Do they have slang words like "sick", "bait", "butters" etc in America?


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## slw2 (Dec 29, 2009)

speaking of slang -- what exactly does bollocks (bullocks?) mean?


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## Banzai (Jun 4, 2009)

*Bollocks* is a word of Anglo-Saxon origin, meaning "testicles". The word is often used figuratively in British English slang, as a noun to mean "nonsense", an expletive following a minor accident or misfortune, or an adjective to mean "poor quality" or "useless". Similarly, the common phrases "_Bollocks_ to this!" or "That's a load of old _bollocks_" generally indicate contempt for a certain task, subject or opinion. Conversely, the word also figures in idiomatic phrases such as "the dog's _bollocks_" and "top _bollock(s)_", which usually refer to something which is admired, approved of or well-respected.

It basically means, aload of crap, nonsense, **** etc. You get the drift 

That said, I have never heard/didn't know that it can be used in a positive way as it suggests in the last point...

So...what slang do they have in America? (Any modern, nont-very-well-known, new ones - as in, not like "wicked" etc)



epril said:


> The only Americans who use the word oriental are ignorant because that is a derogatory term now.


Wow, really? (!) That's big news to me since I use that term all the time and so do alot of people here as well. Is there any particular reason as to why it's derogatory?

What do people from South Asia like to call themselves to distinguish themselves from "Asian" (since in America, "asian" means east asian/oriental people)? Do they just call themselves "South asians"?


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## slw2 (Dec 29, 2009)

i think i'm too old to know the latest slang

but -- i remember wicked from when i was a teenager, i don't think that one is so new -- i believe it's older than saying something is "da bomb" which is really dated too

i don't think oriental is derogatory -- people are too touchy


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## epril (Mar 24, 2009)

Banzai said:


> Really? So what do they say now? Here, I think the new trend is to say "sick" - last time I checked anyway. I think it used to be "nang" but that went out of fasion as well.


well, ya know, I'm OLD, but, my kids say dude, uber, jacked up, zing, I'll try to listen and think of more!


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## epril (Mar 24, 2009)

izzy said:


> Why isn't your country religious?
> *I guess...people can't be assed to go to church anymore? Or maybe it's because Charles Darwin was english? :con
> Isn't America turning secular as well? I know they have a "religious belt" near [the south?] or something like that but elsewhere...
> 
> *America is _supposed_ to be secular, but it really isn't. There are many people here that strictly oppose secularism. I find it really annoying.


Our country is mostly Christian. I think it's sad that more people aren't religious. I hope at least they believe in God. Supposedly being Christian is boring or goody goody or close minded. That mentality bothers me because Christianity is real and good and a great way to have a moral compass and enjoy life. '
The religious belt is mostly Baptist, which I know little about. They are supposedly very strict, which I'm not. I'm more liberal.


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## epril (Mar 24, 2009)

slw2 said:


> i think i'm too old to know the latest slang
> 
> but -- i remember wicked from when i was a teenager, i don't think that one is so new -- i believe it's older than saying something is "da bomb" which is really dated too
> 
> i don't think oriental is derogatory -- people are too touchy


Ask an Asian person!


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## slw2 (Dec 29, 2009)

epril said:


> Ask an Asian person!


i think i will -- are you asian? or anyone else here?

i'm not sure if i know anyone now outside of people working in stores & restaurants. i used to know quite a few vietnamese people when i was in high school -- and my best friend was half japenese.

i truely never thought oriental was a bad term -- like someone else asked, why is that so bad?

i'm white/native american (pc for indian) -- you can call me white, white-bread, caucasian, eropean-american, cracker, haole (pronounced howlie -- white person in hawaiian), ******, round eye, whatever -- or whatever they refer to indian's as now -- i could care less


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## epril (Mar 24, 2009)

slw2 said:


> i think i will -- are you asian? or anyone else here?
> 
> i'm not sure if i know anyone now outside of people working in stores & restaurants. i used to know quite a few vietnamese people when i was in high school -- and my best friend was half japenese.
> 
> ...


With the anti-war movement in the '60s and early '70s, many Asian Americans identified the term 'Oriental' with a Western process of racializing Asians as forever opposite.


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## SOME (Jul 13, 2009)

Banzai said:


> Really? So what do they say now? Here, I think the new trend is to say "sick" - last time I checked anyway. I think it used to be "nang" but that went out of fasion as well.


I hear alot of people say firme and dope, they bouth mean the same thing cool, nice, smooth. I still say the word "Sick".

I got a question *how do people introduce themselves?*

Here. :lol this has been with me since childhood. We would go up to a person and say "Sup foo or Dawg" and do our handshake :hs. I need to break this habbit I can't Imagine going up to my boss and telling him "Sup foo", he be like :wtf I don't if this question applies to just young people or adults because I still see adults useing that method to introduce themselves.


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## epril (Mar 24, 2009)

whiteWhale said:


> You do not need a permit to buy a gun in the majority of the states. Although there is always a background check like you said. New Jersey is the only state that I know of that requires a permit to purchase and that is only for handguns.
> 
> What you do need a permit for is if you want to carry a gun concealed on your person. In some states it is legal to "open carry" a loaded gun. Such as on your belt out in the open.


In Arizona you are allowed to carry a gun. Even into a bar. Insane.


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## Perfectionist (Mar 19, 2004)

JFmtl said:


> There is a big accent difference between french from canada and french from France. a little like between US and UK english. I don't know if i'm right, but I think that France and Québec are a little like brothers. And between brothers, there are always some rivalry and competition, sometimes we are at odds with them but other times we are more friendly lol.


Haha I laughed at this, I thought it was an excellent description. I'm Canadian and baaasically fluent in French, and I still struggle when listening to someone from Quebec. The accent is just way too thick for me and I've never spent any time in the region.

I don't know many people around BC that speak French. I think almost everyone takes French until about grade 11, but most people stop after that. French Immersion is big here though, which is taking all your elementary and high school in French. There are the odd neighbourhoods here which are primarily French, but outside them hardly anyone speaks it. I wish the whole country was most bilingual, not just Quebec.


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## EagerMinnow84 (Sep 1, 2007)

I am lazy to see if this question has been asked yet... 

For the Brits:

How come you call jelly jam and jello jelly? 
How come peanut butter isn't a staple there like it is in the US?


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## gaTess (Dec 2, 2009)

Banzai said:


> So...what slang do they have in America? (Any modern, nont-very-well-known, new ones - as in, not like "wicked" etc)


There is a surprising amount of slang used by the youth over here. Most of which is meant to be insulting.


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## izzy (Dec 18, 2009)

epril said:


> Our country is mostly Christian. I think it's sad that more people aren't religious. I hope at least they believe in God. Supposedly being Christian is boring or goody goody or close minded. That mentality bothers me because Christianity is real and good and a great way to have a moral compass and enjoy life. '
> The religious belt is mostly Baptist, which I know little about. They are supposedly very strict, which I'm not. I'm more liberal.


Last I heard, America is 85% Christian.
If being religious makes you happy, then that's great. But please don't pity me because I don't believe in God. I'm happy the way I am in that aspect. Secularism works in favour for all religions.

Yes, people in the religious belt are typically Baptist, which is one of the more strict Protestant denominations. As far as I know, they usually don't celebrate Halloween but rather the Harvest.

About the "oriental" thing... I used to say it, because I wanted to be more specific when talking about Asia/Asians. I stopped using it after someone told me that it's only used to refer to objects, not people. It's slightly derogatory, but it's not horrible... I've only heard the Asians we're referring to call each other "Asians."


----------



## Banzai (Jun 4, 2009)

Cedilla said:


> We do stress our syllables, water would be pronounced as wah-ter.
> *Doesn't it sound more like "war-der"? I heard an American say it once and there was only a very faint "t" in it. Maybe it is because I am comparing it to the London way of saying your t's? :con*
> 
> My question, this is to anyone outside the US. There seems to be a lot of talk about american obesity in this thread. Where you live, how often would you say most people eat fast food. I eat fast food almost every single day, sometimes for multiple meals, I don't think thats very extreme for this country, how about yours.
> *Fast food is gettin pretty big here as well - namely chicken and chip shops. I don't think it's as big here as over in America though - you do get some people who eat it everyday but more often people who eat it occasionally. That's for school kids anyway. I don't think adults eat it as much.*





epril said:


> Many people can't afford this, and so you only go to the doc or hospital in an emergency. Emergency rooms will see you and bill you later, at which time many people still can't afford to pay, even just the monthly payment the health care system thinks you can afford. So, you either go bankrupt, die, pay, or live with horrible credit that follows you the rest of your life.
> 
> *So what happens if you're in a coma and have no other relatives/no one to contact?*





SOME said:


> I got a question how do people introduce themselves?
> 
> Here. :lol this has been with me since childhood. We would go up to a person and say "Sup foo or Dawg" and do our handshake :hs. I need to break this habbit I can't Imagine going up to my boss and telling him "Sup foo", he be like :wtf I don't if this question applies to just young people or adults because I still see adults useing that method to introduce themselves.


*Haha, the modern, "Hip"/"Gangsta" way to introduce yourself is pretty weird here. It's mostly, a quick jerk up of the head and you say "cool" or "wag1" (pronounced "wargwun"). Where this word derives from/how it means "what's up" is beyond me. What's "foo" meant to mean/stand for?* 


EagerMinnow84 said:


> For the Brits:
> 
> How come you call jelly jam and jello jelly?
> How come peanut butter isn't a staple there like it is in the US?


Er..."jam" as in, the thing you spread on bread and "jelly" as in, the wobbly stuff? Oh, you guys call it something different? :eek - What do you guys call it then? :con

Maybe...alot of people here are allergic to nuts? :con
I don't eat peanut butter myself, mostly due to this and probably wouldn't anyway. I normally just use plain ol' butter and some chicken/cheese. Isn't peanut butter fatty as well/high in calorie intake? - I'm guessing this must be one of the reasons why? :con

In America, do they have brands like "weight watchers" (brands which are meant to be for people who want to lose weight)?

Anyone know a more definitive answer to my "smallest size clothing" question? I think here, the UK size 8 is equivilant to an American size 0. We have a size 6 here (which is quite rare to find it shops) so I'm guessing...America musthave a size -2 right?


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## epril (Mar 24, 2009)

izzy said:


> Last I heard, America is 85% Christian.
> If being religious makes you happy, then that's great. But please don't pity me because I don't believe in God. I'm happy the way I am in that aspect. Secularism works in favour for all religions.
> 
> Yes, people in the religious belt are typically Baptist, which is one of the more strict Protestant denominations. As far as I know, they usually don't celebrate Halloween but rather the Harvest.
> ...


I don't pity YOU. I pity America as a country and humankind for not embracing something so beautiful.


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## izzy (Dec 18, 2009)

Banzai said:


> In America, do they have brands like "weight watchers" (brands which are meant to be for people who want to lose weight)?
> 
> Anyone know a more definitive answer to my "smallest size clothing" question? I think here, the UK size 8 is equivilant to an American size 0. We have a size 6 here (which is quite rare to find it shops) so I'm guessing...America musthave a size -2 right?


Brands of food? Yes, I think there's frozen meals called "Weight Watchers," and some others called "Healthy Choice" and "Lean Cuisine," etc.

As for the clothing size, as far as I know, we don't have any negative sizes. I think the American equivalent is a 00.


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## slw2 (Dec 29, 2009)

are big 4-wheel drive trucks popular anywhere but the US?


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## VeggieGirl (Dec 11, 2009)

slw2 said:


> are big 4-wheel drive trucks popular anywhere but the US?


I live in London, England and no they are not popular here.
Petrol and insurance costs wayyyyy more here, so we have much smaller cars and use cars alot less and trains/taxis/buses alot more!


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## Banzai (Jun 4, 2009)

^what she said. I don't even think I've ever seen a big 4 wheel truck in London before for that matter. Why would you need a big 4 wheel truck in America for? Wouldn't it take you longer to get to your destination, especially since America is so big? :con


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## slw2 (Dec 29, 2009)

Banzai said:


> ^what she said. I don't even think I've ever seen a big 4 wheel truck in London before for that matter. Why would you need a big 4 wheel truck in America for? Wouldn't it take you longer to get to your destination, especially since America is so big? :con


we have areas where you need 4WD to get through -- and it's not like they are slower than a car or anything -- if anything, they have bigger engines & more pickup

we have 47 acres of timberland with just dirt logging roads through it. there are areas you wouldn't want to be without 4WD.

i will grant the fact that lots of people have them here because they're cool & fun -- and never take them off-road or anything.

they are nice in the snow, i've driven on the road in situations where i really needed it -- where i couldn't have gotten through without it


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## Banzai (Jun 4, 2009)

slw2 said:


> we have areas where you need 4WD to get through -- and it's not like they are slower than a car or anything -- if anything, they have bigger engines & more pickup
> 
> we have 47 acres of timberland with just dirt logging roads through it. there are areas you wouldn't want to be without 4WD.
> 
> ...


I have no idea why but I was thinking of a tractor :sus

There are probably a couple in London but it's very rare - Probably only people who are rich enough to afford one to take it off roading or something. We don't get alot of snow/rough terrain around here so it doesn't have much use in that sense.

Plus, the government here is trying to hunt down "energy guzzling" vehicles by making them pay alot more - big 4 wheels included.


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## slw2 (Dec 29, 2009)

Banzai said:


> I have no idea why but I was thinking of a tractor :sus
> 
> YES, there are probably a couple in London. It's not very common though and only people who are rich enough to afford one to take it off roading or something. We don't get alot of snow/rough terrain around here so it doesn't have much use in that sense.
> 
> Plus, the government here is trying to hunt down "energy guzzling" vehicles - big 4 wheels included.


you don't have to be rich to afford them here -- our trailer parks are full of them

however, there is a trend where people are downsizing they're cars because of gas prices

how about Harley's? i wonder if American's are the only one's crazy about those?


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## Banzai (Jun 4, 2009)

slw2 said:


> you don't have to be rich to afford them here -- our trailer parks are full of them
> 
> however, there is a trend where people are downsizing they're cars because of gas prices
> 
> how about Harley's? i wonder if American's are the only one's crazy about those?


Seems like it


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## slw2 (Dec 29, 2009)

anyone outside the US drink iced tea?


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## gaz (Jun 27, 2008)

EagerMinnow84 said:


> I am lazy to see if this question has been asked yet...
> 
> For the Brits:
> 
> ...


Because we speak proper English:b


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## Banzai (Jun 4, 2009)

^:lol

Wow, you guys call "jelly", "jello" there? That's the first time I have ever heard that word before 



slw2 said:


> anyone outside the US drink iced tea?


Yeah. Not sure how popular it is over there though. Not really that popular here (or at least, I do't know anyone with a particular liking towards it) but most shops do sell it.

Another question: So when it snows in the US, what does the government do to prepare for it? Here, when it snows, complete hell breaks out. We pretty much always run out of grit, trains/flights are always down/delayed and what not. I was listening to the news earlier and this American sounding person was complaining about how [plane] run ways get cleared quickly in the US but "there's like, only two ploughs here". Does snow disrupt the everyday running of life in America like it does here?


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## slw2 (Dec 29, 2009)

Banzai said:


> ^:lol
> Another question: So when it snows in the US, what does the government do to prepare for it? Here, when it snows, complete hell breaks out. We pretty much always run out of grit, trains/flights are always down/delayed and what not. I was listening to the news earlier and this American sounding person was complaining about how [plane] run ways get cleared quickly in the US but "there's like, only two ploughs here". Does snow disrupt the everyday running of life in America like it does here?


It depends on what part of the country you're in.

up north, where they're used to it, i think they deal with it better

here, they usually pre-treat the main roads & bridges with sand & chemicals, then they'll run the snow plows all day & night until all the roads are clear -- i'm kind of midway down the east coast

of course, if it comes down faster than anyone can prepare for, not much anyone can do

we do often have airport delays no matter what

our last big snowstorm a few weeks ago, it went from normal pavement to sheets of ice within a few hours. i had to go out at midnight to pick up my cousin who got in a little trouble -- it was pick him up or he would go to jail for the night. it took me about an hour to make a 20 minute trip in my big 4WD pickup -- and the police were closing down roads because people were still trying to drive around in regular cars & couldn't make it up the hills.


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## Banzai (Jun 4, 2009)

Why would he go to jail? Is there a curfew where you live?

Another question: What happens if you're in a sudden accident, you're having emergency surgery and you die from it - who pays the bill then? (and because you're unconscious, they can't contact any relatives)


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## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

Banzai said:


> Why would he go to jail? Is there a curfew where you live?
> 
> Another question: What happens if you're in a sudden accident, you're having emergency surgery and you die from it - who pays the bill then? (and because you're unconscious, they can't contact any relatives)


We have three levels of snow emergency. Level 1 is keep your cars off the streets as much as possible so road crews can sweep/salt the roads. Cars left out can be ticketed. Level 2 is cars can be towed (I think, I may be wrong on this). Emergency vehicles are usually the only ones out.

Level 3 is where the really heavy snowstorms happen and people can be ticketed/fine (possibly arrested, but I think that is not the norm) for being caught driving. The roads are so bad at this point, people stay home.

That arrested thing? The only time I have ever heard that happen was in the Cincinnati riots of 2001. Curfew was 8pm due to the violence in the city. Anyone caught outside was arrested.

It's normally a safety issue that prompts these emergencies.

The bill payment? Trust me, they do contact next of kin. It is rather easy to look up. My father was taken to the hospital (January 22, 2007) from work where he had had a heart attack. They could not revive him. I got the ambulance bill!


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## slw2 (Dec 29, 2009)

ok -- i'll finish the story -- he was trying to get home -- firemen were finishing up a house fire before he came down the road. the firetrucks were to the side of the road, no one directing traffic or anything. they had the firehose stretched out down the road so they could roll it up. he went around the firetruck, couldn't see the snow covered hose, & ran over it.

the firemen got really pissed & called the police. the police came and gave him a reckless driving ticket -- and were mad he was driving a car in the snow. then, they found out he had a suspended license. he didn't know it was suspended. the police saw that it wasn't criminal, but he hadn't paid something -- i think it was because he had an inoperational vehicle that he left tags on but didn't pay insurance for.

soooo -- he wasn't allowed to drive the car anywhere. someone had to come get him -- or the police would take him to jail until someone picked him up -- not like arrest him & lock him up, they just wouldn't leave him on the side of the road in the weather conditions.


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## GermanHermit (Sep 6, 2008)

It seems that Americans have problems with ironic and sarcastic remarks. Is my perception right?


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## Cedilla (Dec 25, 2009)

EremitaGermanus said:


> It seems that Americans are often easily offended by ironic and sarcastic remarks. And I guess, they simply often don't understand it as such.
> 
> Is my perception right?


It's my understanding that as a general rule Americans love to get offended for somebody else, even if they don't get offended for themselves.:roll


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## moxosis (Aug 26, 2009)

slw2 said:


> are big 4-wheel drive trucks popular anywhere but the US?


Here in Iceland, people that live outside Reykjavík got to have one.


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## izzy (Dec 18, 2009)

In high school, my German teacher said America is better about helping handicapped people. Here, public restrooms almost always have a wheelchair accessible stall; there are parking spots reserved at public places for those who are handicapped; a lot of public places have ramps for people in wheelchairs, etc. Do other countries have this?

About the snow question... We rarely have snow or iced over roads here, so people get really excited and/or freak out about it. We'd most likely close the schools and stay home from work in weather that Northerners would have no problem with and laugh at us for.


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## Genelle (Aug 19, 2009)

izzy said:


> In high school, my German teacher said America is better about helping handicapped people. Here, public restrooms almost always have a wheelchair accessible stall; there are parking spots reserved at public places for those who are handicapped; a lot of public places have ramps for people in wheelchairs, etc. Do other countries have this?
> 
> About the snow question... We rarely have snow or iced over roads here, so people get really excited and/or freak out about it. We'd most likely close the schools and stay home from work in weather that Northerners would have no problem with and laugh at us for.


Yeah in Australia, everywhere there's public toilets, there is ALWAYS a disabled toilet.. aswell as ramps etc, and most major shopping centers etc have the disabled parking too.

And well snow.. We've had snow where I live ONCE. And it wasn't a lot, it melted when it hit the ground, and everyone was so excited lol


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## lyricalillusions (Nov 29, 2008)

What is the difference between English & British & is there a difference at all? I've always wondered, but it seems like something everyone else knows, so I've always felt stupid asking.


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## bezoomny (Feb 10, 2007)

lyricalillusions said:


> What is the difference between English & British & is there a difference at all? I've always wondered, but it seems like something everyone else knows, so I've always felt stupid asking.


I'm American, but I'm pretty sure that Britain refers to England, Wales and Scotland as a region.


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## AussiePea (Mar 27, 2007)

Great Britain is the name given to the kingdoms of England and Scotland and the principality of Wales. And the UK incorporates northern Island on top of those other three.

I think.....


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## PHD in Ebonics (Jan 5, 2010)

Are Canadians really that much nicer? I'd definitely consider moving there if so.


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## Banzai (Jun 4, 2009)

lyricalillusions said:


> What is the difference between English & British & is there a difference at all? I've always wondered, but it seems like something everyone else knows, so I've always felt stupid asking.


An "English" person just means someone who is from England, in the same way that a Scottish person is from Scotland.

A "British" person is someone who is English, Scottish or Welsh but not Irish. So basically, a "British" person includes an "English" person.

You can read about it here.


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## epril (Mar 24, 2009)

Non-Americans:
What things come to mind when you think of us?


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## Banzai (Jun 4, 2009)

Fat. McDonalds. Fast food. Guns. Capitalism. George Bush. Dude. High School. Movies. Trash can. Obama. "Sup". "Y'all". Bill Gates. "Baseball". "Superbowl". New York. Er...that's all I can think of.

Non-Brits: What's things come to mind when you think of us?


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## pita (Jan 17, 2004)

Psychedelic Breakfast said:


> Are Canadians really that much nicer? I'd definitely consider moving there if so.


I don't think we are.


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## pita (Jan 17, 2004)

Banzai said:


> Fat. McDonalds. Fast food. Guns. Capitalism. George Bush. Dude. High School. Movies. Trash can. Obama. "Sup". "Y'all". Bill Gates. "Baseball". "Superbowl". New York. Er...that's all I can think of.
> 
> Non-Brits: What's things come to mind when you think of us?


I think of people sitting in pubs drinking beer and watching football.

Also:

cheese
marmite
fancy train stations
the queen


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## lyricalillusions (Nov 29, 2008)

Banzai said:


> An "English" person just means someone who is from England, in the same way that a Scottish person is from Scotland.
> 
> A "British" person is someone who is English, Scottish or Welsh but not Irish. So basically, a "British" person includes an "English" person.
> 
> You can read about it here.


Oh cool, Thanks!! I've always wondered about that!  :clap


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## lyricalillusions (Nov 29, 2008)

Banzai said:


> Non-Brits: What's things come to mind when you think of us?


Cool accents, & the fact that you have a Queen & Princes & to me, coming from America, that's the stuff of fairy tales & is kind-of awesome for that reason. :yes


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## izzy (Dec 18, 2009)

Banzai said:


> Non-Brits: What's things come to mind when you think of us?


Accent, the pound, monarchy/the queen, "bollocks," London, British flag, Big Ben, bagpipes


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## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

Banzai said:


> :lol
> 
> Are Americans a big fan of drinking [alcohol]?


Not exactly to the extreme of some European sports - you know, where a riot breaks out.
Unfortunately, there is some drinking prior to the games even starting - tailgate parties. Some are wild then, others during the game. They get a citation from the police! :lol


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## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

Banzai said:


> Fat. McDonalds. Fast food. Guns. Capitalism. George Bush. Dude. High School. Movies. Trash can. Obama. "Sup". "Y'all". Bill Gates. "Baseball". "Superbowl". New York. Er...that's all I can think of.


:hide


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## coldmorning (Jul 4, 2007)

Banzai said:


> Non-Brits: What's things come to mind when you think of us?


Funny, clever, witty remarks, snappy responses, monty-pythonesque humor, good music. The Brits I've known all seem to have a good sense of humor.


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## Neptunus (Oct 29, 2007)

Banzai said:


> Fat. McDonalds. Fast food. Guns. Capitalism. George Bush. Dude. High School. Movies. Trash can. Obama. "Sup". "Y'all". Bill Gates. "Baseball". "Superbowl". New York. Er...that's all I can think of.


Trash can? Nice. :|


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## Genelle (Aug 19, 2009)

epril said:


> Non-Americans:
> What things come to mind when you think of us?


Fast food, guns, accents, snow, fame, dr pepper, nfl, lucky charms, sweatpants lol, hooters..
Random.


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## Genelle (Aug 19, 2009)

Banzai said:


> Non-Brits: What's things come to mind when you think of us?


Double decker buses, Skins, Queen, Buckingham palace, Union Jack, Cold, Bollocks, Posh, tea & biscuits haha


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## whiterabbit (Jan 20, 2006)

I like how people think of bollocks when they think of Britain.


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## VeggieGirl (Dec 11, 2009)

I love how people think all English people have a posh accent.
The "posh" accent is the southern accent, however we have loads of different accents here and trust me most do not sound posh at all!


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## epril (Mar 24, 2009)

Banzai said:


> Fat. McDonalds. Fast food. Guns. Capitalism. George Bush. Dude. High School. Movies. Trash can. Obama. "Sup". "Y'all". Bill Gates. "Baseball". "Superbowl". New York. Er...that's all I can think of.
> 
> Non-Brits: What's things come to mind when you think of us?


going to the loo or water closet
Strict, dry humor, Monty Python, sheep, grass, Buckingham Palace, rain, cold, history, small country, scones, tea, wanna be Americans, Beatles, soccer, royals, Shakespeare, Stonehenge, still think about those redcoats losing the war, Boston Tea Party, pigeons in the park, plowman sandwiches, catholic girls with uniforms, Madonna's home, friends, dark and gray, wonderful accents, suits, stuffy people, ooh, enough for now.


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## Banzai (Jun 4, 2009)

Hm, seems like us Brits get alot of stick for being posh - What does a _posh_ American sound like? (or rather, is there a difference between how, say, a middle/upper class American speaks to how a working class American speaks?)


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## coldmorning (Jul 4, 2007)

Banzai said:


> Hm, seems like us Brits get alot of stick for being posh - What does a _posh_ American sound like? (or rather, is there a difference between how, say, a middle/upper class American speaks to how a working class American speaks?)


We have regional accents in the US, but not really by class. Rich people in say, New York, don't speak differently from poor people in the same area.


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## My911GT2993 (May 14, 2009)

epril said:


> Non-Americans:
> What things come to mind when you think of us?


East coast, West coast, dirty south, ********, New Yorkers (there a name for them?), Californians, "Awesome", Obama! Obama! Obama!, Weapons of Mass Destruction, Capitalism, Money, Prosperity, south American immigrants, Racism, Ego, OTT, Democracy, poor black communities, Gangsta, Guns, Rides, Jell-o, Hamburgers, Steak, fast food generally, I think i gone too far.... oh and Snoop Dogg n Dre.

Question Russian; Does communism, and the over-controlling of citizens still exist in your country under the name "democracy"???


----------



## insight girl (Jan 15, 2006)

For Canadians...

With your national healthcare, do you have to wait do see a doctor? (Some people in the U.S. claim you have to wait quite awhile in Canada) 

And

How do you get to pick your doctor? 

Thanks!


----------



## bezoomny (Feb 10, 2007)

Banzai said:


> Fat. McDonalds. Fast food. Guns. Capitalism. George Bush. Dude. High School. Movies. Trash can. Obama. "Sup". "Y'all". Bill Gates. "Baseball". "Superbowl". New York. Er...that's all I can think of.
> 
> Non-Brits: What's things come to mind when you think of us?


Buttons, tea, Victoria, pies with meat in them, Hadrian's Wall, marmalade, the brown goo sauce that looks like bottled death, cider, gin lane, moors, Wuthering Heights, Laurence Olivier, question time, Jack the Ripper, Peter O'Toole, BBC, shortbread, paintings of landscapes and boats.


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## bezoomny (Feb 10, 2007)

Banzai said:


> What does a "high school diploma" include? What subjects do you learn in high school?


Literature (world, British, American and contemporary), history (world history and American), science, math, P.E./health, US government/Constitution, art of some kind or any elective, economics, and a secondary language.

I think that's all. You can also take AP courses which give you college credit.


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## Neptunus (Oct 29, 2007)

> Non-Brits: What's things come to mind when you think of us?


King Arthur, soccer (football), fish and chips, tea, Big Ben, The Queen, Princess Diana, London bridge, rain, sheep, knights, double-decker buses, pubs, stonehenge, castles, Buckingham Palace, Jack the Ripper, and formality.


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## bezoomny (Feb 10, 2007)

Banzai said:


> What's this? :con BBQ sauce?l


Nah, it's something this guy from Essex I knew kept in his pantry. He called it "brown sauce." I forget its actual name.


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## My911GT2993 (May 14, 2009)

bezoomny said:


> Nah, it's something this guy from Essex I knew kept in his pantry. He called it "brown sauce." I forget its actual name.


Yeah, HP sauce, not a fan, ketchup=win

Americans; What's the time difference between east/west coast and has in ever caused complications before?


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## coldmorning (Jul 4, 2007)

My911GT2993 said:


> Americans; What's the time difference between east/west coast and has in ever caused complications before?


+3 hours difference east vs west. Hawaii is -6 hours from East coast. No real problems except I get annoyed as national events always get published by their East coast time. Also the stock markets go by east coast time so if you're into that thing, it opens at 6 am cali time (9 am east coast). No wonder the east coast has always dominated in finance- who wants to get up at 6 am.


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## Banzai (Jun 4, 2009)

Americans, do you call "Connectives" (and, because etc) "conjunctions"? If no, what is it then??


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## JimmyDeansRetartedCousin (Nov 28, 2009)

What comes to mind when you think of Ireland?


----------



## Robot the Human (Aug 20, 2010)

LaRibbon said:


> I have a question. Why does American bread have so much sugar in it? It's gross.


Sugar is like a subliminal ingredient, mainly in fast food breads. They add sugar to get people to like it more. This is actually what I have heard but not sure on the actual proof. I'm sure it plays a role as a preservative too. I hate white bread, and lots of bread that we get now exclude high fructose corn syrup that you buy at a grocery store. People are starting to buy more wheat bread here in our area, than the white bread.


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## Banzai (Jun 4, 2009)

JimmyDeansRetartedCousin said:


> What comes to mind when you think of Ireland?


Hm, that's a good question. Not much is my answer ;D Maybe..leprechauns? Their accent perhaps? I very rarely see/meet any Irish folk to "think" anything.:sus


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## Banzai (Jun 4, 2009)

I was wondering...are there any English people who put their toilet seat down when they're not using it? I used to live in a flat and there was a family that did that. Occasionally I see this when I [rarely] use a public toilet as well. If yes, why do you do it? I asked an English friend of mine (there aren't that many round where I live to ask loads!) if she did it and she said no...and can't think of a reason why people would do it even:sus


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## markx (Dec 22, 2007)

Banzai said:


> I was wondering...are there any English people who put their toilet seat down when they're not using it? I used to live in a flat and there was a family that did that. Occasionally I see this when I [rarely] use a public toilet as well. If yes, why do you do it? I asked an English friend of mine (there aren't that many round where I live to ask loads!) if she did it and she said no...and can't think of a reason why people would do it even:sus


Apparently that's considered to be *normal* behaviour and not just in the UK. Generally speaking, women consider that to be the correct position and although most men would prefer to leave it permanently up, some are so well house trained by the women in their lives that they put it down again when they've finished. But... too much information alert.... they might not put it up in the first place so it's bound to get splashed. Do you really want to be sitting on that? I grew up in a house which was mostly male so the seat was (and is) always left in the upright position.

My question: In the southern hemisphere, do the sun, moon and stars move in an anti-clockwise direction?


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## kingfoxy (Oct 18, 2009)

Do the french still regularly eat and enjoy snails and frogs legs:eyes


----------



## Banzai (Jun 4, 2009)

markx said:


> Apparently that's considered to be *normal* behaviour and not just in the UK. Generally speaking, women consider that to be the correct position and although most men would prefer to leave it permanently up, some are so well house trained by the women in their lives that they put it down again when they've finished. But... too much information alert.... they might not put it up in the first place so it's bound to get splashed. Do you really want to be sitting on that? I grew up in a house which was mostly male so the seat was (and is) always left in the upright position.
> 
> My question: In the southern hemisphere, do the sun, moon and stars move in an anti-clockwise direction?


Oooh sorry. I meant the toilet lid. Why do some people put the toilet lid down (indeed, what is the purpose of it?) Now that I think about it, sometimes, I see the toilet lid up as well in public toilets.


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## Eevee (Nov 10, 2010)

For America - was there any *logical* reason why you changed the way of writing dates?


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## markx (Dec 22, 2007)

Banzai said:


> Oooh sorry. I meant the toilet lid. Why do some people put the toilet lid down (indeed, what is the purpose of it?) Now that I think about it, sometimes, I see the toilet lid up as well in public toilets.


My guess would be that it's a similar reason to the seat - some people close it because it's what they were taught to do. Apparently flushing generates a fine spray/mist which will spread germs up to a couple of feet away from the toilet, so it's more hygienic if you close the lid before you flush. Oh, and putting the lid down gives you somewhere to sit, it deadens the dreaded double flush sound and it stops the dog drinking out of the bowl. :b


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## Banzai (Jun 4, 2009)

markx said:


> Oh, and putting the lid down gives you somewhere to* sit*, it deadens the dreaded double flush sound and it stops the dog drinking out of the bowl. :b


Eh, I knew this much :b



Eevee said:


> For America - was there any *logical* reason why you changed the way of writing dates?


I find this strange as well. How comes you want to look at the month before the date? :sus

Another question - are most "White Americans" actually European? I notice they have "European-sounding names"...:sus


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## Robot the Human (Aug 20, 2010)

Eevee said:


> For America - was there any *logical* reason why you changed the way of writing dates?


Nobody really seems to know. I've read that one reason was during the creation of the Declaration of Independence, it was symbolic gesture to rebel against the British. The answer to your question would be no, for this one. :b

The only logical answer I could think of would be, we like to say November 10th (I don't know if the rest of the world casually says 10th of November or not) so it's 11-10 for us.


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## kiirby (Oct 8, 2010)

Poor white trash, generally. Not necessarily gangster or hard, just.. well... poor and stupid. A lot of the hate is unfounded, people just LOVED using the word so much.


Do american girls REALLY find english accents that attractive? Or has Tony Hayward ruined that for us?


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## Robot the Human (Aug 20, 2010)

^Yes, they are attractive.


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## Perfectionist (Mar 19, 2004)

insight girl said:


> For Canadians...
> 
> With your national healthcare, do you have to wait do see a doctor? (Some people in the U.S. claim you have to wait quite awhile in Canada)
> 
> ...


Depends on what doctor and how bad you are. Family doctors and clinics you can usually get in the same day, with usually 30min-hour wait. In the hospital, I was admitted immediately and skipped the line when I was in serious broken kneecap agony, and waited 7 hours to see a doctor for 5 minutes when I sprained an ankle. For specialists, you're booking weeks-months in advance. I tried to get an eye doctor appointment yesterday and the first available slot was Jan 17th 2010. My dad has waited 8 months to see a back specialist before.

I haven't picked a doctor myself yet, so I'm not too sure. But if I remember correctly, we made appointments with a couple family doctors that had availability, and met with the doc and chatted a bit, and then picked the one we liked the best.

Yes, you might wait a while when you're not near death in the Canadian health care system. Yes, it has it's flaws. But 99% of us prefer it to the privatization alternative.


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## Rosedubh (Jul 11, 2009)

leonardess said:


> My question:
> 
> About France: Is it true that in jobs they have really long lunch breaks, like two hours? And I heard they get a lot of time off in their jobs, how much?
> 
> In America, everything is very business oriented. We get short lunch breaks and very little days off because business owners are too greedy to see they are overworking their employees. But I heard its different in France.


I don't know about France in particular, but I believe that in Europe, time off is MUCH better. Working in the UK, I get 20 days paid holiday a year, and you get that starting in any job. There may be one or two exceptions that I don't know of, but I doubt it. Other countries tend to get a bit more, I think. I'd say that generally speaking, working conditions such as time off are much better outside the US. In Spain, they actually do have a siesta in the afternoon which is something like two hours, possibly more? but there was talk of doing away with that recently. I think that would be horrible. It's a cultural thing, and I hate to see cultural differences gradually hacked away, my worst nightmare is a homogenized globe.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, in France its considered normal to have a long lunch break because food is take really seriously here. In school i used to get 2 hours to eat and now i get 1 and half hours. At work, i think you can get up to 5 weeks paid vacation and still have the long lunch breaks  I'm pretty lucky eh


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## Rosedubh (Jul 11, 2009)

JimmyDeansRetartedCousin said:


> What comes to mind when you think of Ireland?


Home!


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## Rosedubh (Jul 11, 2009)

sanria22 said:


> I've always wondered if the French consider their own language "romantic" as Americans do, or what language they consider to be romantic-sounding... And whether French Canadians feel at odds or friendly with those in France. Oh yeah, and whether everyone in Canada knows fluent French (excluding Montreal of course).


We frenchies dont necessarily consider it as romantic, but very eloquent and try to be as smooth and fluid as possible, however it is considered a very poetic and beautiful language if used correctly and basically no matter what you say,even insults, it sounds good


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## Steve123 (Sep 13, 2009)

People from tropical places that are warm year round: Don't you get sick of living in a warm tropical place? Do you ever wish you had the variety of actual seasons?


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## AussiePea (Mar 27, 2007)

Steve123 said:


> People from tropical places that are warm year round: Don't you get sick of living in a warm tropical place? Do you ever wish you had the variety of actual seasons?


I guess where I live kind of falls into this (coldest it gets here is maybe 12C during the day in Winter). And it would be cool to experience snow, but having seen what a pain in the *** it is and all the crap going on with bad snow falls etc I am quite happy having boring seasons lol, the weather is pretty much no burden to day to day life no matter what the time of year it is here, I like that.


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## Steve123 (Sep 13, 2009)

People in the any time zone where its currently past midnight: How is 2011 so far? 

People from NZ: What do you think of Australians?

People from Australia: What do you think of Kiwis?


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## Banzai (Jun 4, 2009)

Steve123 said:


> People in the any time zone where its currently past midnight: How is 2011 so far?


Very loud - lots of fireworks going off. Or it was around midnight anyway. :b


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## Lasair (Jan 25, 2010)

Steve123 said:


> People in the any time zone where its currently past midnight: How is 2011 so far?


Like any other day really

Oh my Question: Why are most American's crazy about Ireland? I really don't get it and do American high schools really have all the clicks (i think that is what they are called)


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## Banzai (Jun 4, 2009)

jhanniffy said:


> Like any other day really
> 
> Oh my Question: Why are most American's crazy about Ireland? I really don't get it and do American high schools really have all the clicks (i think that is what they are called)


Cliques? :b

Um, I'm not from there but I'd imagine all high schools to have cliques. Or are some high schools in certain countries much more open/friendly than in other countries? :sus


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## Lasair (Jan 25, 2010)

epril said:


> Non-Americans:
> What things come to mind when you think of us?


A group of older american people visiting Ireland, going to Clare drive up Cork Screw Hill on their way to the Burren. They stop the car park in the middle of the road, get out and take photos.


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## Lasair (Jan 25, 2010)

Banzai said:


> Cliques? :b
> 
> Um, I'm not from there but I'd imagine all high schools to have cliques. Or are some high schools in certain countries much more open/friendly than in other countries? :sus


Not so much here in Ireland...or maybe it was just my small school


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## rawrguy (Mar 29, 2008)

North Korea why you droppin' bombs?
United States why you droppin' bombs?

That's all i can think of right now.


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## Post_Punk_Proclivity (Oct 12, 2008)

This is kind of irrelevant to the actual thread but:

Why is every other country apart from my own seem so much more interesting? I mean, people say I have one of the nicest countries on the earth but I highly disagree, I just wouldn't mind getting away from Australia for a bit.


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## Lasair (Jan 25, 2010)

Jaiyyson said:


> This is kind of irrelevant to the actual thread but:
> 
> Why is every other country apart from my own seem so much more interesting? I mean, people say I have one of the nicest countries on the earth but I highly disagree, I just wouldn't mind getting away from Australia for a bit.


It's like a lot of people say they'd love to come to Ireland, but I do not see the big attraction - I really want to so Australia myself as it is different from where I am right now!


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## rawrguy (Mar 29, 2008)

Why are you a separate country from another when you exist on the same planet and are created and maintained by the same type of animal: humans.


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