Cultures

[amon666]

ok, here we go, im going to compare between the countries that i lived (Dubai.UAE, and Jordan) in to north amrica.

Food:

first of all, we usually eat with our hands, not all types of food tho, only the ones that includes rice and meat usualy.
so i know indians eat with there hands to, but if u noticed they use only finger, meanwhile, we use our full hand (more barbarian if u can say).
most of u guys will find that werid, dont know y, its the best feeling to be sitting on the ground eating with friends from one huge ass plate filled with rice and meat (could be chiken to). i say, the best spoon that an arab can get is his hand \m/ enough said
what i have noticed in north america is that, they find it weird and disgusting to do that. and i actually lived with north amrican family, and sorry guys but the way u guys eat, is just stupid (no offence). when i sat down in the tabel, first of all i havent seen any huge ass plates, which made me think, how the hell do they get full, then all i can hear is the word "pass", i shit u not guys for 25 mins and im passing plates, everytime i try to put somthin in my mouth, i hear a word pass and a plate in my face, and they take lil of everything. and the family that i lived with, they used to sing before eating as if its praying. while me staring at the food woundring if it will be enough for me.

now for fastfood, in dubai we got those cheap ass resturants (cafteria) that helps a lot wen ur broke. in jordan u got those cheap ass traditional food like falafel or shawermah (i think few of u guys know it). however in canada, the fast food is fuckin expensive, now i use to get XL cheese pizza for 10$ which was a really good deal, but still its 10$, in my county i can feed a fuckin army with falafel in those 10$.

Bathrooms (restrooms):

i know its stupid to mention it, but i just wanted to point out somthin.
north america, USE THE FUCKIN WATER TO WIPE UR ASS
like fuck, in jordan and dubai we actually have a short pipe, that reachs ur ass, and take away the shit, or whatever. but in north america, all they use is the fuckin tissues, how fuckin disgusting is that.

Greetings:

first of all, north america, whats wrong with guys kissing other guys on the checks?????
its not weird/gay or whatever its a normal thing. like fuck, once when i was in canada, i was sitting with my canadaian friends, and one middel eastren dude came to say hi, we kissed on the checks and all that, but when hes gone, everyone started to look at me in a weird way. like wtf? thats how we kiss and greet, it doesnt mean we are gay. once i accidently tried to greet a canadaian dude in our way, i almost got labeled as gay. what would u do if i told u that in dubai they touch each others nosies while shacking hands as greetings, what would i be labeled by then? noise fitish? or in india they touch each others feet, does that make them foot fetish??
plus i noticed anther thing, after i relized that im suppose to shake hands only, i noticed that, if u see the same person over and over again everyday, u wont shake anymore :S:S?? that got me confused, once after seeing a guy for a week, i raised my hand, and i stood there for almost a min for him to noticed that im trying to shake hands.



thats all i can think of now, i said all that, cuz when i moved to canada, i got fuck up at first, since i dont know the culture and all that,, so share urs, so i could know how do u guys think, u never know when will i move to ur country.

and point out more points if u got \m/ cheers

 

[PaganBlood]

well some funny shit in there man. But yeah you can't really have a go at someone elses culture as each to there own man. But there is one thing in there I do not agree with. Those fucking bathroom things who the hell wants water splashing up in there arse to get rid of the shit??? Man toilet paper all the way!!!


CHUCK NORRIS'S TOILET PAPER

 

[amon666]

wtf dude? water is way better, the fuckin toilet paper, keep scartching my ass, and it hurts

 

[Beave]

first of all, we usually eat with our hands, not all types of food tho, only the ones that includes rice and meat usualy.
so i know indians eat with there hands to, but if u noticed they use only finger, meanwhile, we use our full hand (more barbarian if u can say).
most of u guys will find that werid, dont know y, its the best feeling to be sitting on the ground eating with friends from one huge ass plate filled with rice and meat (could be chiken to). i say, the best spoon that an arab can get is his hand m/ enough said

Haha..I here ya. I've always been embarassed by our custom of using tables & chairs & silverware. I also think we should be able to dine using our feet...

what i have noticed in north america is that, they find it weird and disgusting to do that. and i actually lived with north amrican family, and sorry guys but the way u guys eat, is just stupid (no offence). when i sat down in the tabel, first of all i havent seen any huge ass plates, which made me think, how the hell do they get full, then all i can hear is the word "pass", i shit u not guys for 25 mins and im passing plates, everytime i try to put somthin in my mouth, i hear a word pass and a plate in my face, and they take lil of everything. and the family that i lived with, they used to sing before eating as if its praying. while me staring at the food woundring if it will be enough for me.

That's just how we roll dawg. How we "break bread." Actually, most families don't sing before meals though, making it a way less coloress event. Also, most people only go through those formalities during Thanksgiving and xmas dinners or on other special occassions. They can be a bit stiff, but many families use alcohol to break the ice. Truth be told, if i didn't have a good plate-passing session every once in a while, i'd probably miss 'em.

i know its stupid to mention it, but i just wanted to point out somthin.
north america, USE THE FUCKIN WATER TO WIPE UR ASS
like fuck, in jordan and dubai we actually have a short pipe, that reachs ur ass, and take away the shit, or whatever. but in north america, all they use is the fuckin tissues, how fuckin disgusting is that.

Hmm..you raise some interesting points. I think the cleansing device you speak of is called a "bidet". Originated in France i believe..

first of all, north america, whats wrong with guys kissing other guys on the checks?????
its not weird/gay or whatever its a normal thing. like fuck, once when i was in canada, i was sitting with my canadaian friends, and one middel eastren dude came to say hi, we kissed on the checks and all that, but when hes gone, everyone started to look at me in a weird way. like wtf? thats how we kiss and greet, it doesnt mean we are gay. once i accidently tried to greet a canadaian dude in our way, i almost got labeled as gay. what would u do if i told u that in dubai they touch each others nosies while shacking hands as greetings, what would i be labeled by then? noise fitish? or in india they touch each others feet, does that make them foot fetish??

We're just not so touchy-feely. But hey, live and let live i say.

plus i noticed anther thing, after i relized that im suppose to shake hands only, i noticed that, if u see the same person over and over again everyday, u wont shake anymore :S:S?? that got me confused, once after seeing a guy for a week, i raised my hand, and i stood there for almost a min for him to noticed that im trying to shake hands.

The handshake tradition goes back to the early days of hand-to-hand warfare as a gesture of goodwill to show that the hand holds no weapon. It just got passed through the generations..

thats all i can think of now, i said all that, cuz when i moved to canada, i got fuck up at first, since i dont know the culture and all that,, so share urs, so i could know how do u guys think, u never know when will i move to ur country.

If you're thinking of relocating, i'd highly recommend France. It's home of the bidet. Gotta wash that thang.

wtf dude? water is way better, the fuckin toilet paper, keep scartching my ass, and it hurts

Maybe you just need to add more fiber to your diet?

 

[Beave]

CHUCK NORRIS'S TOILET PAPER

Hey, that' the brand i use!

 

[Vogan]

when i sat down in the tabel, first of all i havent seen any huge ass plates, which made me think, how the hell do they get full

Are you serious? Serving sizes are fucking ridiculous here in the US. 32% of the population is obese and 67% is overweight. One of the biggest reasons is because the serving size is so huge and people are encouraged to eat everything on their plate and go back for seconds, thirds, etc...

north america, USE THE FUCKIN WATER TO WIPE UR ASS

I would prefer this as well but it hasn't seemed to catch on with the mainstream. Hell, it's the least we could do when we flush 3 gallons (over 11 liters) of perfectly drinkable water down the hole each time we flush.

first of all, north america, whats wrong with guys kissing other guys on the checks?????

This country is incredibly homophobic. You've got politicians in bed with religious leaders calling homosexuality a sin worse than murder. Gender roles are still set in stone from the old days, especially in rural areas, and men are expected to act incredibly macho and masculine and kissing a guy on the cheek is seen as unmanly but at the same time you've got sports athletes slapping eachother on the ass after they score a goal and it's perfectly acceptable. Go figure.

 

[False Joe]

You don't realise how different peoples cultures are until you see the other side.

I had no idea Arabs used water instead of toilet paper, kissed on the cheek (i thought that was the french) and all that stuff.

 

[Beave]

This country is incredibly homophobic. You've got politicians in bed with religious leaders calling homosexuality a sin worse than murder. Gender roles are still set in stone from the old days, especially in rural areas, and men are expected to act incredibly macho and masculine and kissing a guy on the cheek is seen as unmanly but at the same time you've got sports athletes slapping eachother on the ass after they score a goal and it's perfectly acceptable. Go figure.

Well, i loathe the theocratic right in America, so you'll get no argument from me there. However i'm set in my ways as far as some things go.

So, for the record, my name is Beave. i'm 32 years old, enjoy eating with forks and spoons at tables, i don't hate toilet paper, and have absolutely no desire to start kissing other men or rubbing noses with them. The only faces i'm comfortable having touch mine are furry animals or the delightfully soft face of a woman blush. I can't help how i was raised. Does that make me a bad person?

However, i realize that other cultures are different and if man-kissing is their thing, than so be it. I don't give a crap.

And if younger American "metrosexual" dudes wanna start kissing when they meet up, by all means, knock yerselves out. The human world is becoming less of a concern for me with each passing day..


Also remember, there are few places in the world where gays have it better than in America. That's a fact.

 

[Beave]

i'm totally open to the idea of bidets, however

kissed on the cheek (i thought that was the french) and all that stuff.

Yet another reason why France may be the place for you, Amon666.

 

[Babydollcybergoth]

My aunt got one of those Japanese toilet seats that uses water to clean your ass. I have to say that it's weird as hell. I'm sure that if I HAD to use it, I'll probably get used to it but at the present moment, I say no.

I'm not a big fan of eating the "western" way. I come from a Chinese background and we put all our food in the centre of the table, we each have our own small bowl of rice and we take what we want when we want it. Leftovers are easier to pack away. Not to mention when you head out to the restaurant with people, you can have a little bit of everything and possibly try something you've never had before.

One of the practices we have in North America that I applaud is the doggie bag. Now that I'm living in Sweden, it's really not something that people do. My boyfriend used to feel a bit embarrassed asking for a box but even now he's realized the benefits to it. If you think about it, it's perfectly good food that the restaurant will throw away (unless they're a recycling kind of restaurant). I don't have strict eating habits like some people who eats just breakfast, lunch and dinner. I eat when I'm hungry and stop when I'm full. So the doggie bag is perfect when I get hungry later on.

I think you just need to find the right places in Canada for cheap fast food. If you're eating at McDonalds, you're going to the wrong place. Depending on where in Canada you are living, you can find some good cheap eats. I used to get lunch in Chinatown in Toronto for less than $4. A big bowl of wonton noodles or char sui (bbq pork) with rice. There used to be a bar in Kensington Market called Planet Kensington that had $2.75 tacos and they were huge and made from scratch. If you live out in suburbia, then you're really out of luck finding cheap fast food that isn't made from chicken ass and lips. Although there's a really awesome shawarma chain out in Mississauga and Oakville.

I used to wish that the other white kids in school had some special traditions or the way their family acts. Being Chinese, we have Chinese New Years, our parents speak a different language that other kids don't understand, we had to go to Chinese school on Saturdays and we call friends of our parents "Auntie" or "Uncle" just to name a few things.

Have you been living in Canada for long?
The longer you live in Canada the more you'll learn to have a mix of your own culture along with the Canadian culture.

 

[gnoff]

I've seen and/or experienced cheek kissing between man/man, woman/woman, man/woman in at least

Spain
Netherlands
Belgium
Mexico

Fairly sure the French and the Russians do it as well (though never been to those two countries).

Never thought of it as gay, in fact thinking that is gay probably just shows the person thinking it to be an idiot that knows nothing but his own country and traditions and don't seem to care about learning or accepting any other traditions than his own.


Sure we've got a Swedish saying translating into something like "adopt to the customs used where you are".
Think there's an English expressions something like "when in Rome"
I still don't think that means leaving every part of what makes _you_ behind once you visit another country, I take it more of a way as to accept the ways they do things in the place you visit.

I'm ranting here...



However, making a complete ass out of yourself when moving to a new country is the biggest privilege you got, after a few months you can't excuse yourself with "sorry I'm new" every time you mess up


For the stuff below "we" means a generalization that I don't see myself as a part of, though I do recognize it.
A lot of people that visit Sweden seem to be horrified of the fact that we tend not to drink at any days of the week except Friday and Saturday, and when we drink then it's mainly just to get shitfaced. forget who we are, fight, puke, get locked up by the cops. Just to do the same next weekend.

Cultural?
I guess

 

[False Joe]

we tend not to drink at any days of the week except Friday and Saturday, and when we drink then it's mainly just to get shitfaced. forget who we are, fight, puke, get locked up by the cops. Just to do the same next weekend.

You and I could get along.

 

[gnoff]

You and I could get along.

Oh I try not to be a "typical Swede" any longer

These days (older I guess) I tend to go out and have a beer when I feel like it, not because it's a speacial day.

Also I try not to get as drunk as to have black outs any longer, don't see the fun in that anymore.

 

[Beave]

I still don't think that means leaving every part of what makes _you_ behind once you visit another country, I take it more of a way as to accept the ways they do things in the place you visit.

EXACTLY. My Dad recently went to China and was offered a meal consisting of dog meat. He declined, naturally, since eating dogs ranks up there with cannibalism in terms of Western dietary taboos. I don't think it should be considered a sign of disrespect.

 

[False Joe]

For shame

I'm 17, so essentially everytime I get the chance I drink to wankered.
I'll probably get more controlled with age and experience.

 

[Babydollcybergoth]

Sure we've got a Swedish saying translating into something like "adopt to the customs used where you are".
Think there's an English expressions something like "when in Rome"
I still don't think that means leaving every part of what makes _you_ behind once you visit another country, I take it more of a way as to accept the ways they do things in the place you visit.

I second that.

Sometimes I give people the evil eye when they don't turn the barcodes to face the scanner at the supermarket.
I've never seen it anywhere other than in Sweden. Lining things up perfectly and turning the barcode out to face the scanner.

 

[gnoff]

I second that.

Sometimes I give people the evil eye when they don't turn the barcodes to face the scanner at the supermarket.
I've never seen it anywhere other than in Sweden. Lining things up perfectly and turning the barcode out to face the scanner.

First time at the grocery store in Germany I was like at how they placed and handled their groceries

My first thought was "how the hell will they fit all the stuff on that little plate at the end?

But the "conveyor belt" (can't think of a better word for it) before the cash register is sometimes miles long

 

[Erzebeth.Rouge]

Lol those posts made me lauf alot and i think its a nice thread!
I am from Quebec, Canada, as its said under my avatar. In Quebec, the main french province of north-america, we have a few cultures mixed up. French, English, US, and all other immigrants that comes years after years (probably from all over the world, but mainly from Asia and Middle-East). There is actually alot of controversy as to "what to accept and not to accept from the newcoming cultures"... i dont know how to translate it from french 'accomodements raisonnables". Anyway.
The food passing, as much as i know, really is about Thanksgiving tradition, as Beave said. We dont have that in Quebec, we dont celebrate Thanksgiving but we do enjoy the holiday! Its at Xmas we cook a big turkey with atokas (dont ask) and cramberries sauce, etc, etc. (we dont really do it in my familly, but we do make up a more complicated meal with several courses, and my mother bake her traditional choux à la crème). Every other days, we put the food in the middle of the table in different plates and bowls and we will pass on the plates if we have it in our hand when someone askes for it. Simple as that. Silverwaves+table+chairs+multiples bowls and plates. We eat in plates but I do enjoy eating in bowls, but ill usually do it only when i cook for myself. It has to do with religion as well: Quebec redeemed itself from the too big control church had over everything, and so the usages to pray before every meals and stuff faded. I wouldnt be surprised if its still done in the rest of Canada. The religion factor also explain our swears : they are mainly church objects, concepts, usages. For example, Tabarnak, Osti (or Sti), Câlisse, Ciboire, Criss, etc ( tent, ostia, chalice, ciborium, christ) are the most comon ones. older ones will go with folklore.

Even with the bidet, i mean.. no.. i dont think id enjoy walking with my ass wet after that... so id still need paper lol

Gays and Lesbians, in Montreal, are well accepted, they even have a parade through the city once a year, its quite colorful! they have a village as well, by sainte-catherine east- thats one of the most interresting street of montreal, ste-cath west+east.
Depending on the situation. If its friends meeting friends, the kissing on cheeks is ok, as much as shaking hands. If its work relations and the like, ppl shake hands, of course., women that meets for the first time will kiss each other on the cheeks and redo it when they see each other the next times, men+women same. men will usually shake hands between them. I dont recall seeing 2 men kissing eachother on the cheeks, but i wouldnt be offuscated, like many here i think. Most of ppl here are quite open minded, doesnt apply to everyone, of course. Usually its 2 kiss, but in my familly we go up to 3 or 4 sometimes, we say its our french roots lol

Grocery, all the food are placed chaoticly, not to damage anything of course, but we dont take care of the codebar, the cashiers usually knows where the codes are. Its not disrespect, not anything, its well accepted, no one complains about it. Actually i was surprised to read that groceries are places orderly like that in Sweden, its really usefull to know! since i plan on going over there aswell.

I cant think of anything else...

 

[amon666]

ok first of all, its proven that water is way better than toilet papers, it cleans everything, everywhere, but the toilet paper, u have to litrary scratch ur ass to get the shit out, and when u think of it, ur hands has to go in differnet position, which makes me sick,

and in jordan when we kiss, we first shack hands then kiss once in the right, then 3-4 on the left, althou lebanon they kiss right-left-right, intresting eh?

 

[Bates]

While the bidets still freak me out... a wise man once said to me, "When you get shit on your hands, you don't just rub it off with dry paper, do you?"