If Brits are obsessed with class and Americans are obsessed with race, what about everyone else?

[NutellaEllaElla]

What about other countries? What are the French, Italians, Germans, South Africans, Chinese etc obsessed with? I'm guessing for Indians it's Caste?

I'm just curious!

I'm Irish and I think we are obsessed with the weather, it's seems to be the start every conversation. I would also agree with who has died, even if we know someone and their relative has died we will either go to the removal or funeral to pay our respects. Even if we never met the deceased.

Apparently Icelanders are obsessed with elves. Which is nicely random.

sweetmayday yes the weather is the main obsession in Ireland, death and funerals are really more of a hobby.

True about food and football, but my Italian world is primarily female. DH & DS excepted. And my observation tells me that they are obsessed about

1 - air (the sort that moves, naturally or electric powered, and attacks your neck)

2 - water (mostly the cold stuff, which causes instant heart attacks. particularly is you so much as dip a toe in a body of the stuff after a cold glass of liquid) and bloody ironing.

3 - ironing - All my mates have these massive ironing systems and clothes drying racks from Foppapedretti that cost more than our car did.

In contrast I am their crumpled mate who will always guarantee a win for them when in direct competition with me in the Ironing Olympics. Which has appeared to make me quite popular 🤣.

They were lovely when MIL died. The first thing they thought of was coming over to take away the clothes she was to buried in and uncrumple them for iron-free me. We had a nice “console the DIL” thing going on, with them waving magic hot air blowing things at the outfit and then micro ironing it to perfection.

Was useful and comforting to have them flock over, take the “women’s work” load off me ( I had no idea what I was supposed to do as the lone female in the family for an Italian funeral) and be around me with busy competence plus real warmth. Way better than any expensive couriered flowers and vague offers of being there if I needed somebody. Long live the ironing olympics ( she says as she limps in last).

Italians- food, the "correct" way to do things, only eating in season, and getting specialised food products officially "recognised".
Dressing according to the calendar, not the temperature. Teaching pre schoolers to tuck vests into underpants.
Using vapour machines at home to treat everything

[quote Obelisk]@EV117 I have German family too, including a relative who had a loo with a special ledge in it, designed so that you could have a good look at your poo before you flushed it and so gain a better understanding of your health [/quote]
OMG! DH and I discovered this when we accompanied a school trip in 1971. The German teachers explained the purpose of the ledge 🤣

No, the British used to be obsessed with their digestion, with the Germans it is more their circulation, Kreislauf.

I thought is was the liver with the french?

Yes, Germans talk a lot about Kreislauf. I could never understand what the problem actually was.

And every German I know is obsessed with bread. Their bread. Ours is inedible.

South Africa is race (unsurprisingly). If you’re a white Saffa age 20-70 you’re ready to go big on how/if you marched against Apartheid/only vote for the DA because the candidate is your neighbour’s auntie, pay your cleaner and “garden boy” 2x the minimum wage / put their kids through private school / shop for them at Woolies and how your close friend or work bestie is black. (I expect black South Africans have none of this, given how it’s borne of historical guilt around Apartheid.)

From my POV in England it’s property.

@elQuintoConyo

Spanish are obsessed with everything being brand new and not second hand. And spending long holidays in the grandparents' village. Trying to meet up with anyone at Easter or during the summer - they've all pissed off to the village of 6 houses and a horse!

They're also very concerned with their differences, eg Catalan independence, Basque independence, Madrid Vs Barcelona, how Valencian is a language not a dialect of Catalan, how Aranese is pure Catalan and not your modern rubbish to be scoffed at.

A language is a dialect with its own army and navy.

Algerians are obsessed with bread too. My BIL’s whole family in particular.

The Swiss are obsessed with shoes and hair. Seriously, every other shop in Switzerland is either a shoe shop or a hairdressers.

**"As well as class I'd say English people are also obsessed with:

immigration
property
taxes
coming across as 'nice' (even when they're not)
the royal family, especially Meghan Markle
being exceptional
The British Empire"**

^"Immigration, British Empire and Meghan Markle is because they are obsessed with racism."^

coming across as 'nice' (even when they're not) because racist english people do not like to be thought of or called racist whereas our far-right french neighbours seem quite proud of it.

Being called a racist in the UK is actually WORSE than actually BEING racist because its really important to be thought of a nice (even when they're not)

@MrsTerryPratchett

You forgot drafts! And the awful, terrible health consequences that could befall you should you be hit by a draft

How could I forget this?!?!?! The Italians and their weird air issues. Night air, drafts, cold air. Bloody air.

Yes this is very true!

I hate draughts, especially on my neck.

And I'm from a country, so yeah.

Brits are obsessed with roads - which route to take, any delays etc etc

Greeks - food. What will the next 10 meals be, we must plan now!

New Zealander's - sport, sport, sport. Who from the netball world has married who from the rugby world.

@TheSpottedZebra @MrsTerryPratchett

You forgot drafts! And the awful, terrible health consequences that could befall you should you be hit by a draft

How could I forget this?!?!?! The Italians and their weird air issues. Night air, drafts, cold air. Bloody air.

100%!! They even have an invented illness of 'colpo d'aria'/ being hit by air.

MIL does not like me taking the DC out in a slight breeze.

So funny!

I was in hospital in Italy and the nuns kept closing the window at night, lest I drop dead. The room was a bloody oven and I was far more at risk from dehydration or heat exhaustion.

@MrsTerryPratchett

So funny!

I was in hospital in Italy and the nuns kept closing the window at night, lest I drop dead. The room was a bloody oven and I was far more at risk from dehydration or heat exhaustion.

And never ever ever must you ever go out with wet hair!

@PierresPotato

Bavarians and Austrians ime like to tell you where you are going wrong.

So true They are also obsessed with “telling you the truth”. It’s ok to say anything as long as it’s factual

@Ishouldreallybeonanisland

Brits are obsessed with roads - which route to take, any delays etc etc

Greeks - food. What will the next 10 meals be, we must plan now!

New Zealander's - sport, sport, sport. Who from the netball world has married who from the rugby world.

Oh my christ, roads! We drive 5 hours to see my in laws and literally at least the first 30 minutes when we arrive, is spent discussing the route. Oh God, the boredom!

@Friedappletart

Are American's obsessed with race? (to be fair I live under a rock) I heard on Radio 4 the other day (therefore it must be true ) that by 2030 America will tip into being a majority black nation. I wonder how they will feel about that?

I do know that Hispanic/Latino people are currently the largest minority but they are classed as an "ethnic" group and not a race.
Many Hispanic/Latinos are classed as "white" unless they are "Afro-Latinos" and mixed. I suppose that's why the person on Radio 4 said what they did but it's still incorrect because it's still not a large enough group to be a "majority Black nation". It's more like the non-Hispanic whites will have less of a majority and decrease in the US in 2030.

www.brookings.edu/blog/the-avenue/2018/03/14/the-us-will-become-minority-white-in-2045-census-projects/

Chinese are obsessed with grades and doing well academically. My brother wanted to know his daughters boyfriends grades :)

These are immigrant Chinese like my family. The results in UK schools show this is most definitely a thing as Chinese children top results tables.

There is also losing face, link to a website that does an ok job of explaining it www.tripsavvy.com/saving-face-and-losing-face-1458303

I'm now trying to think what the Welsh are obsessed with. Perhaps the Welsh language and preserving and using it equally with English. Rugby of course too.