Posted on 11/18/2013 7:14:50 AM PST by A'elian' nation
Recently there was an interesting article about what foreigners thought of American culture - http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3090848/posts
Just thought I’d share my observations of times I lived in Europe. Here's a scattering of what I discovered.
All payments are electronic. Your salary, your bills, your insurance, your rent or mortgage, etc. You constantly have to check online to see where you are financially.
Hospitals are stark and bare. No beautification or art work. But hospital rooms have windows you can open and patients can buy beer in the cafeteria.
Electrical bills are paid in advance. You are billed for electrical usage that the electric company assumes you will be using for a half year at a time. If at the end of the six months you use less or more - compensation is then made.
Breakfast is not a big deal in Europe. McDonald’s doesn’t even open until 8 or 9 am.
Going to the bank is like going to the morgue. Deathly quiet. There is no friendly banter among clerks or clientele. Not like down here in the South anyways.
Shopping in stores is almost equally reserved. You are hardly ever approached with “Can I Help You” which I kind of liked.
Stores are only allowed to have SALES twice a year - usually late summer and then again after Christmas. All stores are required to have their sales on the same days so as not to give marketing advantages. Except for the middle Eastern tobacco shops and 7-11 type stores, the major merchants must close at the same hour.
Dogs and cats are allowed Everywhere - stores, banks, restaurants. Was always constantly amazed at how well behaved the dogs were even in the presence of other dogs.
A liter of gas costs almost what a gallon of gas costs here. Then again European cars get much better on gas mileage. I liked the Smart cars for city driving. It always amused me how many cars could parallel park on a street due to their small size. Polizei cars were also ridiculously small.
Oh man, the bread and the beer. Why can’t Americans make good bread or beer? I could just about live on Olijven brot ( olive bread ). And the delicate confections at the konditoreis ( bakeries ) make our typical donut shops pathetic. A konditorei shop window is a true work of art. Marzipan anyone?
The chocolate. Need I say more
Walmart type stores are only found in the burbs. In the city there just isn’t a store that has everything. You have to go to different stores to get things like paper clips and clothespins. Then again, all the small mom and pop food and craft shops were fascinating, and you could see the pride in their work. I loved the little Giuseppi-like toy store with hand crafted toys. Kids use their imaginations more; not so much emphasis on electronic toys.
Bakeries that open at 5am in the morning. You can get warm REAL bread. It was quaint to see the lines of people waiting to get into some of the better bakeries so early in the morning.
Eggs and milk are generally not refrigerated, although you can get them in the refrigerated section.
The farmers’ markets on weekends are awesome. This is where you to go to stock up on food for the week.
The doggie shops where you take your dog to do his doo doo business amused me. Unfortunately, not that many go there for that purpose.
The cobblestone streets. How cities do not get sued by little old ladies trying to navigate the uneven stones mystifies me.
The TV commercials and advertisements are so much more sophisticated than typical bludgeon hammer American commercials that insult your intelligence. Sexier too. Commercials are usually shown only at the beginning or end of a program.
The cafes. You can drink coffee and read your book all day. No free refills though. Restaurant prices are much more expensive than in America, but grocery items are considerably cheaper. Free wine samples in aisle 9 are often available.
* You won’t find items on grocery shelves with price tags in the better stores. All items are electronically priced and displayed.
They just don’t understand Americans. They see us as some alien wild west culture. They do not understand our distrust of government. They expect government to protect them. We expect to be protected from government.
Churches are more like museums than places of worship. Such beautiful cathedrals with magnificent sounding pipe organs, and so unattended. Churches get state support.
Transportation is never a problem. The trains are clean and efficient with cathedral-like train stations. Bikes are everywhere. Pedestrians beware.
Don’t try to take pictures of shops with a merchant or customer in the picture. It’s an invasion of privacy. I have some pictures where middle fingers are prominent.
The carnivals and fairs are a feast for the eyes and palate. The winter Christkindlemarkts are a delight of the senses. I miss the giant thinly rolled up pannenkoeken - pancakes.
The giant marionettes of Royal de Luxe. If you haven’t heard of them, head to You Tube right away. This Nantes based street theater company takes over whole towns and mesmerizes them for a week at a time.
Europe has Legoland and the Alps. Sigh.
Europe has roundabouts. That almost cancels the above Sigh.
Be prepared to recycle - paper, glass, plastic, etc. Even colored and clear glass.
Universities do not have team sports. Soccer is the international mania. The nationalistic fervor during the Weltmanschaft is stirring. You really get swept up in it. A nation’s loss is palpable. A win is utter frenzy.
The European Parliament in Brussels has to be the most undemocratic institution on earth. It is a Regulator’s Heaven.
Take a GPS to Europe. Road signs are few and far between. And no billboards - just giant bird killing windmills.
Holland’s favorite Christmas tradition is St. Nikolaus and the Zwarte Piet ( black elves). I’m sure that would go over real well here.
You just don’t see that many fat people in Europe - at least in northern Europe. They just eat smarter.
Question: Who do you think is truly happier on the whole, them or us?
That’s an easy one. Our freedom makes us happier. I don’t know how some people would think that I liked socialism. I love the history and charm of so many places in Europe. The castles, cathedrals, and craftmanship take you back to another time. Europeans do have a deeper sense of history than we do. And they have spilled more blood.
But I deplore the anti-democratic European Parliament, and its heavy handed regulations. Nor could I understand the restrictions on free enterprise in the name of fairness and equality which to them is more important than independence and competition.
I have a friend in Antwerp, and all he could do is complain about the heavy taxes; yet he says he could never live in the USA. He values his health care coverage there and feels our medical care is not available to all. I would say he is content but not happy. Half of his money goes to taxes and medical care leaving him little for personal purchases.
Simply put, we value freedom and the individual (as do I); they value cradle to grave security. And since our military protects Europe, they have the luxury of that social security blanket.
Cologne was great. Sure got bombed all to hell in the War.
Fortunately the Dom was spared. I was able to hear a concert in the Dom during All Saints Eve.
Cologne, Nurenberg, and Munich have the best Christkindlmarkts.
Yes their society is more liberal when it comes to sexuality. But prostitution is regulated, and the women are tested for STD’s regularly.
I was mostly referring to a lighter more sophisticated appeal in their commercials. If you ever watch the occasional program on commercials around the world you’d get the picture.
“hotel rooms have thermostats, but they never seem to work.”
I was also amazed that some cities like Rotterdam actually pipe hot water into homes and hotels.
“You like Europe? Stay there.”
Have you ever been to Europe? Have you ever tried to appreciate another culture? You are a good example of why they regard Americans as provincial.
I have no love for socialism. I just appreciate history, good food, and the people. My forbears came from Germany and Italy; most likely yours came from somewhere across the pond as well.
You sound like a fag.
Translation: as an ex-pat. It's great then.
You are also a fag, particularly in your use of “across the pond.”
Just because one happens to enjoy the enchantments of Europe does not make one a liberal. I am anything but, nor am I a dreamer. I fully realize that American might has allowed Europe to become a welfare state, but that doesn’t condemn its history or blind me to its art and charms.
By the way, Walt Disney got his inspiration for Disneyland from the Efteling theme park in the Netherlands. Mickey Mouse was stolen from there.
Thanks for your comments, and you are right on.
Nice to know you love and appreciate Europe and had a great time there. Where did you spend most of your time?
The Roman ruins were something else weren’t they?
And you obviously have a good eye for detail. “They have beauty in everything, every little doorknob, window latch, everything has a delightful element of design.”
I still miss getting up early to get fresh warm bread at the bakery.
Your post is catnip for all the proud philistines around here.
However, when it comes to beer and bread we’re catching up in some areas of the country anyway!
I like how Paris is pretty much shutdown on Sunday mornings. All the stores are closed.
“Germany sucks.”
Sorry you feel that way about Germany. I took my son over there when he was 10. He had a great time.
At the end of a day of touring we would come back and teach the boys in the neighborhood the game of baseball. My son even left them his bat, ball, and glove.
The boys asked us to visit their school. I got to talk to a class about our state of Hawaii.
Doesn’t suck as much if you get to know the people and try to have fun.
Stores are only allowed to have SALES twice a year - usually late summer and then again after Christmas. All stores are required to have their sales on the same days so as not to give marketing advantages. Except for the middle Eastern tobacco shops and 7-11 type stores, the major merchants must close at the same hour.
Ridiculous.
Kids have more imagination? And they still falling into the socialist toilet?
“No ice cubes”
You are so right there! I did a lot of camping, and I was desperate to find bags of ice. They just don’t sell ice.
I learned that I could get ice from the butcher who used the ice to pack meat and fish. They didn’t sell it to me on account that I must be just another crazy American. I gave them a nice tip though.
And water in restaurants only comes in bottles - plain or carbonated.
or food is too expensive because they have tons of little shops and no bigger efficient outlets
“Your post is catnip for all the proud philistines around here.”
So I’m learning. Also learned that I’m a fag. lol
Food in the grocery stores and farmers’ markets were cheaper than food in our grocery stores. Especially the basics like milk, eggs, cheese, bread, and vegetables.
I was amazed at so many varieties of potatoes. They have as many varieties of potatoes as we have of apples.
Restaurants though are way more expensive than ours as a rule.
“Europe would be a heck of a lot better without all of the Muslims.”
And I think a majority in every country would vote to draw a line; no more, etc.
And if asked if they wish their country had never let the first one in, I think a majority would say yes.
I do watch a lot of Asian TV shows online
Their commercials are not more “sophisticated”, and I doubt Europe’s are either. Maybe you mean something different than what I mean by that word.
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