“40 Mind-Boggling Cultural Quirks in Europe That Left Americans Scratching Their Heads!”
I went to a Cinema in London years ago with an old gf. and you picked your seat on a screen And you sat at THAT seat. like at a sporting venue, you didnt dare move even if the entire isle was empty *we might have been charged more per seat too, I dont recall*.
Two things.
First: Are there any serious “Holy Rollers” in Europe? In America we hear a lot about evangelicals (and they have a tendency to make everything just a little bit worse) but you almost never hear about them in Europe. Like do you guys have a Westboro Baptist Church type group?
Second: Having grown up in an extremely crime-ridden neighborhood in a major American city I always feel like even the most crime heavy area in Europe is Disneyland compared even the “eh, it’s not really *that* bad” parts of most cities over here. I guess that’s more of a statement than anything but do Europeans have a legitimate “if I go there it’s possible I could get k****d” fear when they think about high crime areas? Or is it more or less exaggerated? Or do you not have any fear of being k****d simply because you go to the wrong neighborhood? And yes, I understand that statistically speaking it’s pretty rare to get k****d as the victim of a crime in America but there’s a segment of the US population that has a story of say, going to the gas station only to find out it’s closed because some dude was shot and k****d while filling his tank. I’m part of that segment. So I’m unusually paranoid where crime is concerned. And I wonder if there’s people like that in Europe.
How you’re able to have so many awesome pieces of technology and in some cases, regulations. But America somehow feels like they’re 5 years behind.
I listen to a LOT of books. Whenever one is written by a British author, there’s always tea in the story – always.
I NEED to know what kind of tea this is. I mean, it’s not f*****g Lipton, I at least know that. But what kind of tea do you have in the mornings? Do you also like coffee? How much caffeine is in the tea you drink? Would it keep me alive?
See, I’d really like to try some morning tea, but it would need to be really super caffeinated. Or else I may die.
How many kind of morning teas do you have? Are they all caffeinated?
I’m a seasonal tea drinker – I like that Sleepy Time Tea during the winter. Got any other suggestions for me?
Basically, please explain your tea to me. Thanks.
The Balkans.
Then again from what I know even you guys don’t understand the Balkans.
I’ve heard it’s kind of like our “Florida Man” in that it’s best to just not ask questions and observe from a distance?
Why none of ya’ll will send me Jaffa Cakes.
Seriously. They’re so good. Our selection of candy is horrendous compared to yours.
How do you afford to provide health care for everyone? In America, we can’t seem to figure out how it’s possible to pay for it all.
Was on the Metro for first time.
Got a nasty look a few times.
I didn’t realize you are to push the door button !!! Our subway doors are automatic!
How small everything is. I’ve never been, but my family visited and they hated how small everything was. Showers, rooms, beds, everything was apparently super small.
Here in the states everything is big.
Why do you come off grouchy, I understand smiling is considered weird in most conditions but still most Europeans I’ve met are on par if not worse than New Yorkers I’ve met.
Why don’t you have drinkable tap water in some places?
Edit: For example, my girlfriend visited Florence and was told not to drink the tap water.
Once in Costa Rica I saw a French guy trying to buy beer in English with American $$. When I tried to help him he pretended not to know English… Why are the French like this?
Your suburban areas are really, really weird. Especially in Paris.
How supportive they seem to be (from an outsider’s perspective) of broad government surveillance. Also, the fact that carrying a personal firearm for self-defense purposes is frequently illegal. I think the Czech Republic is about the only major exception to that. There’s a lot about Europe that I like, and I get that it’s not completely homogeneous, but those things completely baffle me.
Why is everything so small? Cars, lifts, hotel rooms, refrigerators, grocery stores, etc.
Paying for public restrooms. Not talking to strangers. I grew up in Texas. We kinda always talk to people whenever we’re waiting around or something. I’ve heard this gets weird looks across the ocean. Why the hell did I encounter four different dialects while traveling for like 20 minutes? I have to drive to a new state or get on a plane to come across a new accent.
Why do you have to pay sometimes to use public restrooms?
Why is there such an emphasis on making cars fuel efficient by making the small and light, which is less safe, but not by making hybrids?
