Biggest cultural shock you have come across?

As an explanation (rather than defence), to American ears I'm guessing that the "er" part might be a sticking point too. If you're middle class or from London or have an estuary accent, the er is not sounded as strongly as Americans are used to (bad impressions of Americans involving over-speaking the r's). So it it may sound like "watah" to them.

No, I failed to order water in Boston even when speaking slowly with my Dorset accent which tends to sound sound the R on the -er. After about the 5th attempt, I asked for a Coke.

well fightingirish yuo might enjoy this - justice for stupid english muppets

Moving to the uk as an Irish person, first time ever to know what racism felt like, it's only a small minority's of people but makes me really wanna go home 😥

Agree with you Lizzie.

Lalegue, that seems a bit of a leap to say "what does it say about a culture/race of people" with regard to how they treat animals.

Firstly, China is a big place (obvs). People there hold a wide variety of opinions on a wide variety of things. I've had quite a few Chinese students as a teacher and as a host family, and some of them have been vegetarian (they try to match veggie w veggie host where possible). So it's not like it's all animal abuse across the large landscape/population 24/7.

Secondly, as a vegetarian I find it appalling that people eat animals at all. I remind myself it's a cultural norm, but it hasn't been my norm for over 30 years and the longer I'm not eating meat the more agog I am at the practice. In North America it seems like there's constant reports of abusive practices in slaughterhouses and dairies. Most of those places are not abusive (beyond the meat is murder thing), but enough are.

Thirdly, it's been said before and people mostly have highlighted the treatment rather than the species, but for those of you who are bothered about eating cats and dogs - this is an artificial distinction in our culture. Pigs are smarter than dogs, for example, and make very loving pets. Cows have strong, loving family ties and all mammals feel pain and fear. This is one of the reasons I stopped eating meat - I thought "well, I wouldn't eat my cat ... ohhhhhh".

I think, to me, it's a matter of degrees of not seeing animals as having rights.

Fifthkey, good point about narrowing it down. I'm amazed at how insular people can be with regard to not being able to decide accents.

As an explanation (rather than defence), to American ears I'm guessing that the "er" part might be a sticking point too. If you're middle class or from London or have an estuary accent, the er is not sounded as strongly as Americans are used to (bad impressions of Americans involving over-speaking the r's). So it it may sound like "watah" to them.

But I still have no idea why they don't make the leap. I taught Japanese students English and many of them had been taught by Japanese speakers, who would Japonify a lot of words. They would teach them to say "kamingu" for camping, for example. So if I said "camping" they could not jump the chasm from "kampingu" that they'd been taught, to "camping". I found that really odd, but I live in a very multicultural society so I'm very used to accents of all sorts.
Maybe some of these Americans had never heard a non-American? I know they're amazed by our Canadian accents on the rare occasion we've ventured south.

No Puzzle, it isn't

I've heard they treat a dolphin very well in Dingle, Ireland. Maybe I'll stick with holidaying there!

So that's Vietnam and China ruled out for me!

I'm afraid so ... also Thailand, Myanmar, Korea, Laos and most other countries in the far east in all likelihood

Moving further across, the whole of the Indian subcontinent will probably be out too, as will Turkey, the middle eastern nations, much of Greece and even our neighbour France

It's not looking very good is it ...

I've had the water/"wadder" thing which is really fucking annoying when you're saying it how it's spelled and we don't have any problem understanding "wadder". So I don't get why that word is such a problem. How many things are you even going to be asking for in a restaurant? It begins with W and ends with "er"- narrow it down!

So that's Vietnam and China ruled out for me!

Yes I believe you are correct about it being restricted to certain places/festivals Cantsee but even the fact that it is allowed to go ahead at all turns my stomach and makes me have so little respect for the country and the culture, that they would turn a blind eye to such utter barbarity. If they are not prepared to outlaw it then there is something wrong.

It isn't just the Yulin dogs, there are other things I hear/read about China that just leave me feeling sickened. I really don't have any desire to go there at all.

Luke Nguyen If you watch this guy's street food programmes you will see sights in Vietnam that will make your hair curl. A cooked dog's head on a street stall, snakes etc.

Good lord! I'm afraid I am a complete snowflake with this kind of stuff, I bawl by eyes out if I step on my cat's tail (accidentally of course), and just wouldn't cope with seeing it/being near it. I do support animal charities and donate to the Yulin rescues but I'm just not strong enough to actually see it up close. I think I might kill the people involved.

BBC is Laos relatively animal friendly then?

Ive mean to China probably 20 times and never seen or been presented with cat or dog to eat. My understanding is that it's restricted to certain places and certain festivals so easily avoided.

I did visit a factory farm in the US, it's how I formed my opinion

I see what you mean - in that case my point about the Delaware farms is perhaps a bit redundant

My DD then asked "If someone in the USA is called Katie and someone else is called Kaydee, how can you tell which is which, do you have to ask them if their name is spelt with a T or a D?" I had to hold my face, and supressed a snort. She wasn't being rude, she was genuinely curious.

That's hilarious and your DD has a very good point!

Puzzled' erm, why? I did visit a factory farm in the US, it's how I formed my opinion.

Shout I agree and I know that factory farming in all countries could do with vastly improving, but I'm sorry I don't think it's on a par with the sort of thing I described.

In that case, ShoutOut, can I suggest that you never visit one of Delaware's chicken farms

oldtiogafarm.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/images.jpeg

But LaLegue, the conditions in which animals are farmed and killed for food in the US, for example, is often stomach-turningly cruel. After seeing it for the first time I truly understood the implications of 'factory farming', which I honestly believe is one of the cruellest and unnatural things that humans do.

I get your point about what such cruelty says about people, but it's common to humankind as a whole, not specific countries or races. Some places are just more upfront about it IMO.

Not so much in Vietnam, no. Much more widespread in China.

It's not just they will kill and eat dogs and cats for food, it's the utterly inhumane, sick, sadistic and barbaric way in which they do it that I have an issue with

I totally agree - even as a committed carnivore I see absolutely no need to torture a living creature when it's perfectly possible to organise a humane death for them

If I can offer another small point, when asking about the infamous dog eating in Vietnam I was told that, actually, it isn't all that widespread. Apparently, at least in restaurants, it's very expensive and seen as a treat reserved for special occasions

Yes! If you want to eat cats/dogs, by all means go for it

But don't steal someone's pet (has been known) and don't torture the poor animal before killing it.

At least let it die a humane death

(*psychological. Spychological is the science of spying, obvs )

I see what you mean, Gillit.

I loved it in Laos when the animals were just sort of wandering round the village. Connection with what you're eating, I guess. Seeing a cow butchered (didn't see the kill) though.... fuck that was staring mortality in the face.

It's not just they will kill and eat dogs and cats for food, it's the utterly inhumane, sick, sadistic and barbaric way in which they do it that I have an issue with. The animal welfare standards in general are pretty appalling, but beating and torturing dogs and then boiling them alive because they believe that the adrenalin released through pain and fear immediately before death improves the flavour of the meat.

I mean seriously, what the actual fuck? What does that say about a culture/race of people, apart from a whole load of things I can't even write here because some snowflake will get it deleted?