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Thread: Cultural differences

  1. #21
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    Default Re: Cultural differences

    Quote Originally Posted by ethernautrix View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by adhoc View Post
    Yup, it’s considered very rude to not greet back here. It’s “dober dan” (and yours is dan dobri; dzien dobry), and nasvidenje (dosvidanya in russian or however you spell it). Dovidzenja is in serbocroatian, though (like your do widzenia), meaning “until we meet again”. Are you an immigrant to Poland, by the way? Or why did you find it weird? I definitely get strange looks when I say hello and goodbye in an elevator when foreigners are with me
    I'm an American in the Land of Po (Polska!), so the general greeting was foreign to me.

    I do notice when not-Americans say to me, "Have a nice day!" *smiling*
    What brought you to Poland, if I may ask?

    Quote Originally Posted by jbb View Post
    In this red part of a blue state USA my one neighbor grows pot while another still hasn't taken down his Trump/Pence sign. Everyone (except us) is armed. I smile and give the one-armed wave to my neighbors as a drive down the one-lane road and try to keep my opinions to myself.
    What is it like being around armed people? Over here, nobody can carry a firearm, only police and military. And even with police, I sometimes think to myself...if this guy snaps right now, he could shoot everyone dead right here and right now. Isn't it kind of unpleasant, or do you just get used to it and trust people? I don't think I could ever trust the general populace to this extent, lol.

  2. #22
    Senior Member countrydirt's Avatar
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    Default Re: Cultural differences

    Quote Originally Posted by adhoc View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by ethernautrix View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by adhoc View Post
    Yup, it’s considered very rude to not greet back here. It’s “dober dan” (and yours is dan dobri; dzien dobry), and nasvidenje (dosvidanya in russian or however you spell it). Dovidzenja is in serbocroatian, though (like your do widzenia), meaning “until we meet again”. Are you an immigrant to Poland, by the way? Or why did you find it weird? I definitely get strange looks when I say hello and goodbye in an elevator when foreigners are with me
    I'm an American in the Land of Po (Polska!), so the general greeting was foreign to me.

    I do notice when not-Americans say to me, "Have a nice day!" *smiling*
    What brought you to Poland, if I may ask?

    Quote Originally Posted by jbb View Post
    In this red part of a blue state USA my one neighbor grows pot while another still hasn't taken down his Trump/Pence sign. Everyone (except us) is armed. I smile and give the one-armed wave to my neighbors as a drive down the one-lane road and try to keep my opinions to myself.
    What is it like being around armed people? Over here, nobody can carry a firearm, only police and military. And even with police, I sometimes think to myself...if this guy snaps right now, he could shoot everyone dead right here and right now. Isn't it kind of unpleasant, or do you just get used to it and trust people? I don't think I could ever trust the general populace to this extent, lol.
    From my perspective, I don't even think about it much. My family has always had firearms so it is just a part of life. However, from a school teacher perspective, we seem to think about it more than we ought to have to. I'm realizing that some people can't handle the responsibilities associated with freedoms.

  3. #23
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    Default Re: Cultural differences

    Oh yeah, it's definitely a people problem. I'm not against firearms, I'm actually thinking of signing up to a shooting range here to try it out and see what all the fuss is about. I've never held a firearm before.
    Touching on the school teacher subject...man, that's sad. Really, really sad. Our crime rates are so low (among the lowest in the world, actually) that I've never had to defend myself before and the idea that I'd need a weapon for self defense is such an alien one to me.

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    Default Re: Cultural differences

    I'm currently residing in South Korea. I bet I'm one of the handful people who visits this forum from Korea(including the Northern one).
    I used to live in Auckland, New Zealand merely 4 months ago- Lived for 4yrs then came back to Korea. I even have NZ driver's license as well as a permanent residency. So I can confidently give you information and insights on both of the countries. Speaking of the rights for firearm possession, there is virtually no firearms to be found in Korea except those(The 6 bullet revolvers) used by police and the rifles used by military due to very strict regulations. NO guns can be brought IN or OUT of Korea.
    In New zealand, my friend who used to live at the South side of Auckland called Mangere used to joke about hearing gunshots at night, and I do trust him on that since even drug trading is frequent at that side of Auckland.(I lived at "North" shore)
    So I'd say posession of firearm is quite illegal there except for the south Auckland that is "dangerous". Even so there is something called firearm license, and one of my friends even had a locked cabinet with a shotgun and these old ass guns made out of wood that his family use to hunt once in a while. I indeed was jealous of that. Although posession of firearms is illegal in both countries that i lived in, I have quite positive views on firearms since firearms are very effective when it comes to self defence.- You can actually "shoot back".
    In worst case scenario, you could very well be unarmed and your aggressor may be armed. In that case, you will be robbed or shot, or very likely both.
    If firearms are legal, you can at least shoot before he pulls the trigger. But because of these "fked up in the head" people who shoots up schools and concerts, I don't think gun control will ever be removed in countries that has them right now.

    I've visited a firing range when I visited Viet nam/HCM a few years ago and tried a magazine of M16. It was well, just as anyone would've anticipated, loud. But the recoil was something new, as I couldn't steady my aim because of it and it was defo more than just a "crosshair going up" in games. To put it easily, think of Newton's third law. The bullet has a massive momentum, and that sheer momentum comes back to the stock and into your shoulder. If you weren't fit or had bad posture uncorrected by the supervisor I could see how it can dislocate your shoulder. So according to my experience, firing guns is ehh... Not that fun, to say the least. It's not like my dream is to be a sharpshooter in military. People should keep in mind that firing a gun aiming at people can very well take their lives, and use the guns only when they are the ones that are in the danger. Only if less people use guns to take innocent lives then guns MIGHT be legal in more countries.
    Last edited by Mikekwon; May 18th, 2019 at 11:21 AM.

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    Default Re: Cultural differences

    I hope this doesn't descend into a for and against firearms thread. That's what the rest of the Internet is for.

    I think the thing about greeting people in the street is interesting. It's mosty a city vs small town thing, I think. Where I lived before, in a fishing village, you greeted everyone even if you didn't actually know them. Unless they were tourists, of course. They were recognisable because they were (a) better dressed and (b) looked in shop windows.
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    Default Re: Cultural differences

    We've had an ongoing speculation that things like frequency of talking to strangers on the train or in public is inversely proportional to the amount of personal space you have - on the Tube at rush hour you're desperately pretending you don't have your face in someone's armpit... And in London in general there are so many people that you ignore everyone unless you have a really good reason not to.

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    Default Re: Cultural differences

    Quote Originally Posted by Voiren View Post
    We've had an ongoing speculation that things like frequency of talking to strangers on the train or in public is inversely proportional to the amount of personal space you have - on the Tube at rush hour you're desperately pretending you don't have your face in someone's armpit... And in London in general there are so many people that you ignore everyone unless you have a really good reason not to.
    Honestly, that sounds a bit like hell and extremely alienating. But I get it. I've been to Tokyo, and there's no way there's any room for humanity at such crowds.

    Quote Originally Posted by Deb View Post
    I hope this doesn't descend into a for and against firearms thread. That's what the rest of the Internet is for.
    Agreed. It would be a waste of what seems like a very good thread in the making

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    Senior Member azkid's Avatar
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    Default Re: Cultural differences

    Voiren: spot on about personal space versus friendliness.

    While on crowded light rail public transportation in Denver, someone talking to random people makes others want to exit at the next stop. But if going to a sporting event? Different story.

    Hi on the sidewalk downtown? Yeah, no. It's kind of weird to greet strangers. In suburbia where I live, often people do greet each other. We are neighbors after all.

    On remote dirt roads and jeep trails waving is basically expected. Fortunately the opposite—flipping each other off—is rare in heavy highway traffic. Of which we have a lot.

    Most of the time eye contact means a smile. I have heard it said Americans smile a lot in public greeting. Based on limited international travels I believe it.

    I grew up in the desert southwest and the contrast to Denver is interesting. Service industry workers often seem apathetic to your presence in southern Arizona in start contrast to the friendly, helpful attitude up here.

    Also my general impression is that many people are crabbier and less happy down there. Maybe it's the brutal heat. Up here people seem much less irritable and more universally friendly.

    Drivers in southern Arizona are notably more aggressive than they are up here. I always have to readjust when I visit.

    Speaking of brutal heat, you just don't know how it affects everything if you've never lived in it. It sometimes reaches 117°F (47°C) out, which is common in Jun-Aug and always above 100°F (38°C) after May.

    It gets so hot that tar used in crack repair in parking lots gets soft and will stick to your shoes. You can hurt your fingers on old school chrome car door handles. Or on metal seat belt buckles.

    You have to let the car air out for a few minutes before getting in because it is like when you stick your face in front of the oven and open the door to check on your baking.

    Often we jump in, turn the car on with AC and then jump out for a minute or two. Opening both front doors or rolling down the windows helps speed the process.

    They say it is a dry heat—easily 10% humidity or less, except in monsoon season in August—but above 105° nobody feels reassured by that. And, yes, you can feel 5° differences above that.

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    Default Re: Cultural differences

    In Portugal people may start talking to eachother without problem. It is quite common. In France people tend to look at you strangely if you do it. They are not used to such practices. Lol

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    Default Re: Cultural differences

    Quote Originally Posted by azkid View Post
    Voiren: spot on about personal space versus friendliness.

    While on crowded light rail public transportation in Denver, someone talking to random people makes others want to exit at the next stop. But if going to a sporting event? Different story.

    Hi on the sidewalk downtown? Yeah, no. It's kind of weird to greet strangers. In suburbia where I live, often people do greet each other. We are neighbors after all.

    On remote dirt roads and jeep trails waving is basically expected. Fortunately the opposite—flipping each other off—is rare in heavy highway traffic. Of which we have a lot.

    Most of the time eye contact means a smile. I have heard it said Americans smile a lot in public greeting. Based on limited international travels I believe it.

    I grew up in the desert southwest and the contrast to Denver is interesting. Service industry workers often seem apathetic to your presence in southern Arizona in start contrast to the friendly, helpful attitude up here.

    Also my general impression is that many people are crabbier and less happy down there. Maybe it's the brutal heat. Up here people seem much less irritable and more universally friendly.

    Drivers in southern Arizona are notably more aggressive than they are up here. I always have to readjust when I visit.

    Speaking of brutal heat, you just don't know how it affects everything if you've never lived in it. It sometimes reaches 117°F (47°C) out, which is common in Jun-Aug and always above 100°F (38°C) after May.

    It gets so hot that tar used in crack repair in parking lots gets soft and will stick to your shoes. You can hurt your fingers on old school chrome car door handles. Or on metal seat belt buckles.

    You have to let the car air out for a few minutes before getting in because it is like when you stick your face in front of the oven and open the door to check on your baking.

    Often we jump in, turn the car on with AC and then jump out for a minute or two. Opening both front doors or rolling down the windows helps speed the process.

    They say it is a dry heat—easily 10% humidity or less, except in monsoon season in August—but above 105° nobody feels reassured by that. And, yes, you can feel 5° differences above that.
    I lived with that brutal heat with high humidity for many years and I'm glad that I live in Scotland now with more equable temperatures. There are other reasons why I'm glad to live here; my beloved is the main one

    I think here people would also greet each other going to a sporting event. They would recognise each other's colours. There are other signals that one's dress and appearance transmit: my husband comes of farming stock and dresses as farmers of his age do - flat cap and tweed jacket. At close quarters they speak and often get into conversation. Across the road they will nod to each other.
    Regards,
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    Default Re: Cultural differences

    Where did you live or where are you from Deb?

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    Default Re: Cultural differences

    Bucks County Pennsylvania.
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    Default Re: Cultural differences

    What was the weirdest cultural shift for you?

    Sorry if I’m noisy or if it’s too personal, you can just ignore me. It’s just that last year I was deciding for my vacations between Scotland or Japan and Japan won, so Scotland was supposed to happen this year, but I’m expecting a child so Scotland will have to wait for a couple of more years, so I’m dreaming of Scotland a little
    Last edited by adhoc; May 19th, 2019 at 02:58 PM.

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    Default Re: Cultural differences

    I had no cultural frame of reference. I didn't know who the TV news anchors were, I didn't know actors or popular music. It took a long while for all that to fall into place. We lived in a tiny fishing village where most things closed by ten and there was NO FAST FOOD!

    Edit to add: Congratulations on your coming happy event! Scotland will still be here.
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    Default Re: Cultural differences

    Thank you yes, the planned rent-a-car drive all around Scotland for 3 weeks is postponed by several years now, but I’m perfectly fine with it if the trade off is me becoming a dad.

    Sounds a lot like Slovenia. Things die off every day around eight already except in major metro areas (read: about a few city blocks in terms of US metro areas, lol) and fast food is not everywhere. But I don’t mind, I don’t like fast food anyway, hah!

    How do you find the accent? I sometimes have a hard time understanding them, but then again I’m not a native English speaker. I once had an idea of learning Gaelic, just because it pains me that the language is dying off but then I decided that picking up a 5th language would be time spent that could be better spent elsewhere.

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    Senior Member Deb's Avatar
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    Default Re: Cultural differences

    There are many accents in Scotland. A new one every few miles. I don't find the Highland accents difficult but, coming here, our plane landed in Glasgow and we stayed there overnight. I couldn't understand a word...

    Gaelic is hanging on.
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    Default Re: Cultural differences

    Quote Originally Posted by Deb View Post
    Bucks County Pennsylvania.
    I spent a few years of my childhood in New Britain when my dad was stationed at Willow Grove. I came to this lovely area with a very heavy Boston accent, and spent a few years in speech therapy to get a Philly accent

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    Default Re: Cultural differences

    Hm, Scottish accents. The Scots have to be translated into English for the French, even when they actually *are* speaking English.

    But then the inhabitants of Newcastle sometimes have to be translated into English for the English :-)

    Scotland is *beautiful* though. I have hiked up a few of the easier Munros and the views are spectacular, when it's not raining. And Scottish brewers provide some excellent ales for celebrating those ascents.

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    Default Re: Cultural differences

    I have lived in the most crowded cities on earth, where people turn in on themselves to shut out the noise of others. I lived in a cities of up to 20,000,000, where people have to all walk the same direction and ignore the jostling of each other all around. I think the experience turned me in on myself so much that I became quite introverted and eventually moved to a relatively unpopulated place, where I have lived ever since. I felt that the crowding was sucking the humanity and consideration out of people. Here, people wave when they drive by. Oh and another thing that is really different is that I can drive to a nearby city and legally purchase cannabis products over the counter at properly constituted store. Or, if I was so motivated, could grow plants in my back garden. I have lived in places where death penalties are involved in these activities.

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    Default Re: Cultural differences

    In Shanghai, in the main areas, the crowds are enormous and everyone is pursuing their own errands. Our apartment is situated in the suburbs, in an area that the Chinese designate as a 新村 (Xīncūn), which is kind of like a small township in the city, but really refers to a community zone (of which there are many). There the people are far more engaging as we go about our daily chores. There's a kind of ebb and flow of community engagement across big cities, I find. Areas of ceaseless movement punctuated by oases of calm. Sometimes pockets of older culture hidden among the thrusting new order. Something for everyone I guess.

    Personally I prefer small cities. My home town (UK) is about 270,000 souls, and my other home town (NZ) is around 130,000. Shanghai's 26 million (the latest figure) takes some getting used to, but it has it's advantages too.

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