#Microblog Monday 221: Other Places
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While we’re on the topic of other places (at least, we were yesterday), I was cracking up over this Business Insider post of 24 things that are normal in the US but weird to the rest of the world.
There are some that I find weird, too. Why is our money all one colour? But a chunk of the other ones didn’t seem (1) unique to the US or (2) something widespread in the US.
We’ve tipped in every country we’ve ever visited. Not as Americans acting American, but because there was a note on the receipt about leaving a tip. That’s what bathroom stalls have looked like in many public places around the world. And enormous portions have been the norm every place I’ve traveled — from hole-in-the-wall restaurants in small towns in the Middle East to restaurants in European capital cities. On the other hand, while I’ve certainly seen Solo cups used at parties, it’s more plastic cups in general. People are happy to use blue ones or clear ones or red ones. I’m not sure where they only use red Solo cups in the US.
But the ice thing. Yeah, we love our ice.
What do you think of the list?
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12 comments
Interesting. I haven’t traveled in Europe in about 6 years now, but having grown up with a French father, I can say that the ice-in-drinks thing is pretty truthful. I still have to think about it when we have guests to offer them ice because I didn’t grow up with it so I don’t do it. Also the date thing – I do write mine USA style (beginning with the month) but I know my dad and his siblings almost always write theirs beginning with the date.
I chuckled at the imperial measurement system one – I work in health care, so I use metric for almost everything there.
I’m sad to realize just how little global traveling I’ve done. It’s limited enough to take the list at face value. Clearly I need to get out – way out – more!
Ok the ice thing drives me nuts.
Also I grew up with it but I still find the ads for prescription drugs weird. Why divert money from research and innovation into marketing?
Some of the others seem more regional. Chatting with strangers? I spent most of my adulthood in NYC – chatting with strangers is weird. Portion sizes – I mostly find them enormous when I leave the cities. But I do love the leftovers.
Canada and the U.S. are very similar in many ways and very different in others. A couple of things I’ve noticed from the list: Because so much of our TV comes from the States, we see the prescription drug ads all the time — and they drive me nuts. Like the person in the article, I figure my dr will know better than some ad what prescription would be best for me. 😉 Likewise, I’m always struck by the ads for St. Jude’s and other children’s hospitals that promise no patient will ever get a bill for treatment. (I’ve only ever had one bill from a hospital; it was $150 for a private room when I delivered Katie, and it was an error that my dr had reversed.)
I noticed the abundance of American flags from the time I was a kid visiting my grandparents, and the huge portion sizes. (I remember eating chicken fingers and fries at a cafe in Minnesota once… the portions were HUGE — and not only was there a huge pile of fries, it came with garlic toast, and a package of melba toast on the side too. Carb overload!!)
Omg I so badly wanted a cold drink in Europe. Lukewarm drinks are gross. I got really sick there earlier this year and we saw a place that had smoothies and I was excited about a nice refreshing ice cold smoothie and instead got a glass of lukewarm fruit purée. 🤢
I agree, Mel, some of those aren’t exactly accurate. And Counting Pink Lines practically read my mind about the chatting with strangers thing. It’s going to happen a lot more here on the west coast than in the Northeast, for example.
I don’t recall commercial breaks being much different in other countries – EXCEPT Bolivia. I was sick while we were there and spent a day watching tv and drinking tea at the hotel. They had at least as many breaks in shows as we do but fewer actual ads for products. Instead there were tons of messages from the government, like pro-Evo Morales spots and PSAs about things like rabies. Sometimes several in a row. It was bizarre.
As a non-American, I have to agree with the article, as I find all those things weird, EXCEPT wearing swimsuits to the beach. Here in NZ, we definitely wear swimsuits. I once joked about swimming in Italy – I was not the oldest, I was not the fattest, but I was the only one in a one-piece. Even the drug advertisements – we are one of the only other countries in the world that allows them, but they not that common, and are very low key.
Also – a tip (excuse the pun, though it was intended) – restaurants will put tip spaces on receipts here in NZ, and unless you got exceptional service (ie something completely out of the ordinary) we just don’t tip. Don’t do it!
I’ve been planning to write a post on “Things Americans don’t understand” about life elsewhere. This is going to prompt me to do it.
This is so fascinating! My stepfather lived in England and he still requests water and drinks with no ice. He thinks the cold is weird. I agree with the money, I’m often jealous of how pretty other countries’ money is. The red Solo cups was weird…I associate those with frat parties, and that’s about it. I wonder about the tipping… Do servers make more money per hour in other places? I do think tipping is out of control in terms of things like ice cream places, coffee, and to-go counters. All of a sudden it just exploded. But I always do it… Interesting the differences! (I will always wear a bathing suit… I great highly uncomfortable burns if nothing else.)
Grey complained about the lack of ice!! I’m not as attached to it (maybe because I was surrounded by it growing up), but the first thing Grey requested when he returned was ice.
I noticed the money thing. Now I have to go look that one up.
Being from the Netherlands and having travelled in the US. I found the list seriously accurate. And on the tipping. We do that here. If the service was good. It is a token of apreciation but in no way neccesary to make a living so I won’t do it quite often. The weirdest thing I missed is getting plastic cups and plates at hotelbreakfasts. It feels so terrible cheap and wastefull…
I’m from Australia and I can say that there are a few things on that list that Australia has followed the US in, e.g. baby showers, drug stores with a million other things in them. Tipping however, is a weirdly uncomfortable thing for me and I get super anxious about tipping the right amount when we are in a tipping country. I don’t really use cash at home so I don’t even get how tipping works and particularly things like— the guy who shows you to your room in a hotel – is that tipable? hair dresser? nail salon? I have no idea! We don’t do it here really at all (maybe at a very fancy restaurant).
Not a fan of all the ice. I order my water without it. And I’d prefer my mojitos to be, well, more mojito-y.
What about the beaches, Mel? 😉