Good point. I think absolutely nothing of speaking to complete strangers in Manchester, but in London? Sod that!!Conversely, whenever we speak to Londoners who are visiting these parts one thing they always comment on without fail is the fact that some random stranger talked to them on public transport. They always seem really surprised by it it's quite sweet, really.
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A question for Europeans and Asians
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Conversely, whenever we speak to Londoners who are visiting these parts one thing they always comment on – without fail – is the fact that some random stranger talked to them on public transport. They always seem really surprised by it – it's quite sweet, really.
Try that in Leeds. I dare you
I must hasten to add that I generally don't go talking to random people on buses. There are some very disturbed people on our local buses, I can tell you.Try that in Leeds. I dare you
But that's for the Nutters Who Hang Around Your Town Thread.
Were I am from its considered rude not to at least nod at everyone you pass. If you make eye contact, they will think something is wrong if you don't say Hello. The only place this is not done all the time is the mall or fair.
I say hello to strangers all the time. Everyone seems so afraid of each other in big cities.
I say hello to strangers all the time. Everyone seems so afraid of each other in big cities.
BV and I went to Oxford and both of us remarked how odd it was to have people look up and smile. It was clean and quiet. It was like an alien land.
It's right to be afraid, you never know who is going to be either annoying as hell, violent, stupid or who is completely insane (or all of the above).
My husband was walking through liverpool street station (this area is the financial district of london, mostly suits) Some guy walked over to his reflection in glass and dumped rice with orange sauce on his head. He began to massage it into his scalp. He looked otherwise normal. THIS is reason 278473287438724 why we avoid contact each other.
That sounds like hell to me. London is a perfect place for an antisocial cynic like myself.
It's right to be afraid, you never know who is going to be either annoying as hell, violent, stupid or who is completely insane (or all of the above).
My husband was walking through liverpool street station (this area is the financial district of london, mostly suits) Some guy walked over to his reflection in glass and dumped rice with orange sauce on his head. He began to massage it into his scalp. He looked otherwise normal. THIS is reason 278473287438724 why we avoid contact each other.
Something really weird happened to me on the Tube last week. The man standing next to me started waving his arms about and making really weird noises. This carried on for about 5 minutes. Then he suddenly threw his arms up in the air and collapsed onto me. After that he just laid on the floor making more weird noises while dribbling from his nose. Luckily there was a doctor on the train, anyway, he was almost back to normal after about 20 minutes.
After that he just laid on the floor making more weird noises while dribbling from his nose. Luckily there was a doctor on the train, anyway, he was almost back to normal after about 20 minutes.
OK, I'll walk eyes wide open into the trap
Tapered black jeans are feminine? (As if the 'European guy' exists). Anyhoo, those purses are the worst invention since sliced bread. Why you ask? Well, the owner of such a purse tends to stuff everything in it that usually is in his pockets: keys, car keys, phone, wallet, drivers licence, etc. That's what it's made for of course. So if you forget it, loose it or you get robbed guess what? Right...... 
Man, remarks like that WILL drive me to the bottle!
I went last weekend briefly but left mid afternoon when it started getting packed, esp. in the tents. I'm waiting until mutual friends have reserved tables or somthing, hopefully next week.
Right now it's going to rain and rain in Munich so I'm already planning on leaving for the weekend. Plus dodging puke piles on the way to work is not fun.
Re: talking to strangers, I say hello to strangers on the street all the time if you make eye contact. It was much more prevalent where I lived 2 years ago though. Munich's too big I guess.
Something really weird happened to me on the Tube last week. The man standing next to me started waving his arms about and making really weird noises. This carried on for about 5 minutes. Then he suddenly threw his arms up in the air and collapsed onto me.
Thats called a seizure, you should have sat him down and called for help. Another reason not to live in a big city.
Drawing a conclusion about big cities because a worried and confused seventeen year old didn't know that the guy was having a seizure is a little harsh. The good thing about big cities is that there's usually someone around who does know how to help.
Unless there's a long delay with a stupid excuse from the driver at which point it's OK to make brief eye contact and roll your eyes. No speaking though.
Strange. I went out running on Saturday near Mum's house in Scotland. I had my iPod on but I said 'Good morning' to each dogwalker and jogger than I met and waved at the couple on the canal barge. In London, I run in my local park each week and no-one ever makes eye contact when your paths cross. Despite being here 10 years, I still find it a little odd.
I don't think it's so much about being afraid in a city. More that it's a crowded place where there's very little personal space around you - so since people can't protect themselves with physical space, they create a mental buffer instead.
I'm reminded of the time a homeless guy had a seizure near Trafalgar Square. I asked my boyfriend to stick something under his head to stop him cracking it off the pavement and called for a ambulance. By the time I got through to the ambulance service, the guy had recovered and wandered off
I would like to know how many of these Europeans that are stereotyping us Americans have actually been here
Anways, In New York its very easy to pick out the tourists. Not just cameras, but to not look like a tourist you have to look like you know where you are going and not look around at everything to see.
It was interesting when I went to Ireland. I was the only person wearing flip flops, my clothes were obviously different, I always looked the wrong way before crossing the street (hahaha), and in restaurants they wanted you to order ASAP (which I loved).
There was also this weird problem where no one could understand anyone in my family. We have no specific american accent- boston, ny, southern, etc. Some random guy came up to us in galway and gave me candy (sketchy) and told us all about ireland and thought we were from Minnesota (?). Maybe its just the New Englandisms- Mountain has no "t" sound, etc.
Anways, In New York its very easy to pick out the tourists. Not just cameras, but to not look like a tourist you have to look like you know where you are going and not look around at everything to see.
It was interesting when I went to Ireland. I was the only person wearing flip flops, my clothes were obviously different, I always looked the wrong way before crossing the street (hahaha), and in restaurants they wanted you to order ASAP (which I loved).
There was also this weird problem where no one could understand anyone in my family. We have no specific american accent- boston, ny, southern, etc. Some random guy came up to us in galway and gave me candy (sketchy) and told us all about ireland and thought we were from Minnesota (?). Maybe its just the New Englandisms- Mountain has no "t" sound, etc.
How is that a reason not to live in a big city?
FYI, calling for help is not as instantaneous as you may think as there usually isn't mobile phone service when you are underground on the tube.
Anyway, I'm sure once it's clear something is wrong no one would be ignored.
Interesting tube rules. I would tell you the rules of the Train (it's the Light Rail in Denver), but there isn't really a need for more public transportation in Denver because traffic isn't bad at all, so I don't usually ride the Train.
I haven't read all the posts, but as an American who lived in the US for 22 years, and has been in Scandinavia for 20 now, I have some opinions.
This is often true, and for a reason that's often overlooked - - many families simply do not have the money to travel. When you're in Europe, even way up where I am, it's possible to get away for a weekend trip to somewhere else in Europe - and it's financially feasible, as well. People living in Europe simply have an easier time getting around. I love being able to zip over to London, down to Praha, just for a weekend. Couldn't do that when I lived in the States.
I think this is pretty universal. I've travelled with Europeans who make a beeline for the nearest fast food place where ever they are.
I'm going to branch off a bit from this, because it seems to me that although it IS often quite easy to see where people are from, I think clothes play less and less of a role. I see the same sorts of clothes being sold everywhere. Clothing still can play a role of course - I can often tell a foreigner by his/her clothing, but I think globalisation is changing that to a certain extent.
One thing that's struck me about American tourists here in Norway is how truly interested they are in everything around them. Sure, a lot of the questions can sound weird (like building a castle under a flight path, as has been mentioned), but they ASK questions. They have a sort of child-like enthusiasm, which I've come to respect. And some of those questions that sound so awful on first hearing are actually a matter of the locals not having a good enough grasp of English, and especially the way it's used in different places. "When do the fjords close?" is one they like to point out here to make fun of Americans. They don't realise that what is really being said, is "At what time of day is it no longer possible to get on a boat and take an organised trip on the fjord?" The American is just using a kind of short hand that everyone at home would understand.
Now, I don't mean to imply that everyone else in the world should be experts in English. On the contrary, everyone should learn languages. But I know from personal experience that it's often hard to try to use a language you're learning in its country of origin; soon as you open your mouth, the locals can hear you're American, and they are either quite rude to you (France) because they choose you as a target for everything they don't like about your country's politics, or decide that you've come all that way and spent all that money just so they can practise their English with you (most other places). Only place I've really been encouraged by the locals to use their language was Shanghai.
This is a long post, sorry, but I've 20 years to think about this. In general, I say viva la difference.
Ooo, flametrap threads. Cool.
I find it hard to tell who's American because they rarely venture out of their own country...
This is often true, and for a reason that's often overlooked - - many families simply do not have the money to travel. When you're in Europe, even way up where I am, it's possible to get away for a weekend trip to somewhere else in Europe - and it's financially feasible, as well. People living in Europe simply have an easier time getting around. I love being able to zip over to London, down to Praha, just for a weekend.
Couldn't do that when I lived in the States.I think this is pretty universal. I've travelled with Europeans who make a beeline for the nearest fast food place where ever they are.
I'm going to branch off a bit from this, because it seems to me that although it IS often quite easy to see where people are from, I think clothes play less and less of a role. I see the same sorts of clothes being sold everywhere. Clothing still can play a role of course - I can often tell a foreigner by his/her clothing, but I think globalisation is changing that to a certain extent.
One thing that's struck me about American tourists here in Norway is how truly interested they are in everything around them. Sure, a lot of the questions can sound weird (like building a castle under a flight path, as has been mentioned
), but they ASK questions. They have a sort of child-like enthusiasm, which I've come to respect. And some of those questions that sound so awful on first hearing are actually a matter of the locals not having a good enough grasp of English, and especially the way it's used in different places. "When do the fjords close?" is one they like to point out here to make fun of Americans. They don't realise that what is really being said, is "At what time of day is it no longer possible to get on a boat and take an organised trip on the fjord?" The American is just using a kind of short hand that everyone at home would understand.Now, I don't mean to imply that everyone else in the world should be experts in English. On the contrary, everyone should learn languages. But I know from personal experience that it's often hard to try to use a language you're learning in its country of origin; soon as you open your mouth, the locals can hear you're American, and they are either quite rude to you (France) because they choose you as a target for everything they don't like about your country's politics, or decide that you've come all that way and spent all that money just so they can practise their English with you (most other places).
Only place I've really been encouraged by the locals to use their language was Shanghai.This is a long post, sorry, but I've 20 years to think about this. In general, I say viva la difference.
^^^^
Excellent points.
How I wish Ryanair was in America! While the economy has a lot to do with it, the space does, too. Europe's population density is 32/sq. mile whereas North America is 132. A flight from London to Paris probably takes far less than an hour whereas a flight from LA to Chicago takes close to 4 hours.
The use of the language, even if the same language, is also rather differentiating. There's the accent and articulation and all, but there's also the phraseology and manipulation of words.
Well said.
Excellent points.
How I wish Ryanair was in America! While the economy has a lot to do with it, the space does, too. Europe's population density is 32/sq. mile whereas North America is 132. A flight from London to Paris probably takes far less than an hour whereas a flight from LA to Chicago takes close to 4 hours.
The use of the language, even if the same language, is also rather differentiating. There's the accent and articulation and all, but there's also the phraseology and manipulation of words.
Well said.
That's because they are futher apart.
What about a flight from LA to SF, how long does that take?
an hour, roughly. actual flying time might be less. but overall, just about an hour.
That's my point.
There's really no other easily accessible and cheap flight routes from Denver. I suppose I could go to Salt Lake for $49 on Frontier or Southwest, but nobody wants to go to Salt Lake (even the people in Salt Lake don't want to be in Salt Lake), and $49 doesn't beat Ryanair or EasyJet.
That's why we drive up to Winter Park and ski for the day.
But. You could pick Dublin and Bratislava and it'd take longer than an hour and cost more.
Excellent reply! I recognize the McDonalds dash very well! Picture yourself in a strange city, with little or no knowledge of the language and in dire need of something to eat. The Golden Arches will provide for the first, all be it sometimes questionable, meal of the day. But now we try to avoid this and just take the plunge and visit the local restaurants.
Your remark about travel has hit the mark too. Yes, we have traveled quite a bit and are no where wealthy. Weve been to London, Paris, Antwerp, Duesseldorf, Barcelona, Lisbon, Kleve, Venice, New York, Yogjakarta, Malang, Brugge and many smaller cities as well. Even the New York trips werent overly expensive. And if you travel from New York to LA, youre still in the US!
Very funny moment...
We went to Windsor Castle for a day out, an American tourist we happened to over hear while standing over the long since dried out moat asked where the alligators were. I s*** you not.
We went to Windsor Castle for a day out, an American tourist we happened to over hear while standing over the long since dried out moat asked where the alligators were. I s*** you not.
I'm proud to say that that when I've travelled outside the US, I've never eaten at an American fastfood "restaurant".
Mostly I travel to Iceland and when I want a quick bite, I usually know where to go for some good non-American fastfood. Especially in Reykajavik, its quite easy and I enjoy supporting local chains and little food joints
Mostly I travel to Iceland and when I want a quick bite, I usually know where to go for some good non-American fastfood. Especially in Reykajavik, its quite easy and I enjoy supporting local chains and little food joints
In the church another (or maybe the same) group of americans loudly stated "Now THIS is how you pray, y'all."Wonderful. Someone ought to suggest it to the Queen.
Bless!