Questions you have about other nationalities!

[WatermelonWaveclub]

Just for fun. DD and I were just watching a video where Americans were asking questions about the UK. What are your questions (can be for any nationality from any nationality)? And please feel free to answer other people's questions!

I'll start with some questions for Americans:

Are your grocery bags really those ones without handles? They look really awkward to carry!

Why do you not have electric kettles?

In High school films the English teacher for example always gives them some homework to do by the next day and says 'see you tomorrow' - do you have the same classes every day? We just had English twice a week or something!

Sorry, quoted wrong person!!

Are you sure they’re Japanese - no racism intended, a valid question as my Japanese relative (through marriage) says Japanese are quiet Koreans are loud.

Great thread OP !

Ive a question about a Portuguese family I am house sitting for.
They have a new build house in the UK, pretty standard, maybe a bit small for them now they have a toddler.
Anyway, they have fitted every room in the house with storage of every size and function - every space has additional cupboards, hooks, ‘pouches’, shelves - it’s made all the rooms feel really small and a bit scruffy as so much is on show - is this a thing in Portugal ?

Also, they have robot vacuum cleaners for the tiniest floor space, and a robot lawnmower for a postage stamp of a lawn - are gadgets like these more of a status thing in Portugal ?

simple....."they" don't

PearTree, that did make me chuckle! You are talking about the likes of me :)

I make one every Sunday. Sometimes I moan about it being so time consuming; but the truth is, Sunday isn't Sunday to me without a proper roast.
For me, a Sunday roast dinner is tied up with all sorts of sentimental feelings...

It reminds me of so many happy memories -
of being a child at my Grandparents house with family all around, all crammed around the table (even sharing 2 seats between 3), my Nanny dishing up a lovely Sunday roast and me always saving my roast potatoes until last as they were my favourite bit. Chattering and laughing all the while ...
It reminds me of my wonderful Mum & Dad and growing up with my family. Every Sunday was a roast dinner day , whatever the weather. I remember my Dad making his own batter for the yorkshire pudding and shaking it so hard in the container to smooth out the lumps - no Aunt Bessie's back then! I remember all my Mum's effort as it was such hard work as no dishwashers either, so cleaning up afterwards took forever - but so much love went into these dinners and it was never just a dinner. It was the ultimate dinner and we left with full tummies and happy hearts.
And since having my own family, I continue this tradition which means so much to me. The preparation, the anticipation of all that deliciousness to eat ... it's all enjoyable in it's own way. My teenage son in particular says it's his favourite meal and he says 'Yuuuummmm' when he sits down to eat which always makes me smile.
I am vegetarian, so while I cook meat for the rest of the family I always have a veggie alternative; but it's my favourite meal, for all the above reasons. :) Every week, in between the multiple pots and pans and endless clearing up, I get to reminisce and that is what it's all about for me :)

PearTree, you've just brought my happy memories back, so thank you :)

I think it's more that funerals take a long time in England.

In Ireland three days is standard. Sometimes a small bit longer if there's a post mortem or the body needs to be transported home.

Funerals are also different. More people go to funerals (you just need to know a person who's related to the deceased, it's not necessary to know the deceased.) There's no need to be invited or asked. You hear someone's relative has died, check rip.ie for the details and go in whatever you are wearing, no need to dress up.

Generally you go to the funeral home or person's home (or wherever the deceased is laid out) and everyone files past the body and offers sympathy to the family. The family will be seated around the open coffin - you might attend the removal mass too. Otherwise you'd go to the funeral mass the next day, then possibly a reception after, depending.

It's normal in Ireland for an adult to go to multiple funerals a year - whereas in England it seems normal for an adult not to have attended many in their whole life. (Same as having seen a body in a cofffin is normal.)

Obviously it's different if it's your relative who's died. There's also less debate over whether you should take children to a funeral or not. (Family wise that is. I'd be unlikely to have taken my child to a work colleague's dad's funeral for example. I'd just head off from work then go back to work after, depending on the timing.)

I´m Spanish, I wore my make up in 43ºC the other day to work, and all through our heatwave (still at it) no problem. I wear a good foundation with 50 sunscreen protection, and take some matt powder with me to retouch and use eyeshadow primer (gamechanger) and then use make up setting spray.
I also tend to use waterproof mascara. It can sometimes be a bit trickier if you are by the sea as the climate is more humid and you sweat more. I am in Madrid (dry heat) so no problem really.
I don´t wear body sunscreen if not on beach or pool or out walking.

Do you go out for a British meal like we go out for an Indian or Chinese.

I'm irish, currently living in Spain, have also lived in the UK.
Siesta time here is 2- 4 or 4:30.
All shops and cafes in the local town close during that time, except Supermarkets.
Its usual for it to still be 28 C at midnight here in june/ july/ Aug so then you need to catch up on sleep. The rest of the year the shops still close but not many people have a siesta.

Please could someone tell me why most Muslim families have different surnames from each other, e.g. Husband Islam, wife Begum or Khanom, daughter Bibi and sister a different surname or father's surname or the whole family could be Miah or Ali including husband and wife. I think Begum is taken on marriage not as my colleague thought they were all related.

@prettyteapotsplease
Who decides what a 'proper use of cutlery is'?
Is the way you (and your culture) do it the world standard?
There are different cultures with different rules. I do it differently, too, but in a different way.

Caramel and carmel are both understood and accepted - I would hazard a guess that it started as a regional thing but got mixed up over time and with advertising, etc. Where I’m from most people would say the small chewy candy version with the two syllable car-mel pronunciation and the liquidy version three syllables car-a-mel, but if you called either by the other, it would still be understood.

I know being Muslim is not a nationally but I forgot to put mainly Bangladeshis as there is a large community where I work.

Nationality.

@prettyteapotsplease Most people don´t sleep siesta from Monday to Friday as we are at work! On the weekend and if my daughter allows it I can take a nap from 4 to 5, we would be having lunch (the main meal of the day) at 3. I would never call anyone at home between 2 and 5, it is quite disrespectful of other people´s rest and family time.

I'd like to know how the yellow school buses work in the US... Does everyone get picked up outside their own house? Does this not take forever? Also is it free as part of school or do you need to pay yearly?

**Sunday isn't Sunday to me without a proper roast.
For me, a Sunday roast dinner is tied up with all sorts of sentimental feelings...

It reminds me of so many happy memories -
of being a child at my Grandparents house with family all around, all crammed around the table (even sharing 2 seats between 3), my Nanny dishing up a lovely Sunday roast and me always saving my roast potatoes until last as they were my favourite bit. Chattering and laughing all the while ...
It reminds me of my wonderful Mum & Dad and growing up with my family. Every Sunday was a roast dinner day , whatever the weather. I remember my Dad making his own batter for the yorkshire pudding and shaking it so hard in the container to smooth out the lumps - no Aunt Bessie's back then! I remember all my Mum's effort as it was such hard work as no dishwashers either, so cleaning up afterwards took forever - but so much love went into these dinners and it was never just a dinner. It was the ultimate dinner and we left with full tummies and happy hearts.
And since having my own family, I continue this tradition which means so much to me. The preparation, the anticipation of all that deliciousness to eat ... it's all enjoyable in it's own way. My teenage son in particular says it's his favourite meal and he says 'Yuuuummmm' when he sits down to eat which always makes me smile.
I am vegetarian, so while I cook meat for the rest of the family I always have a veggie alternative; but it's my favourite meal, for all the above reasons. :) Every week, in between the multiple pots and pans and endless clearing up, I get to reminisce and that is what it's all about for me :)

PearTree, you've just brought my happy memories back, so thank you :)**

Sounds really lovely 😊💐

One for Americans, do people really cook those elaborate breakfasts, leaving the kitchen filthy when they then have to rush off to work only for kids to grab a piece of dry toast and run out to a yellow bus? I have wondered if this is accurate.
And also, in films you kick down someone´s front door just like that, easy, you would break a leg if you tried to do that at most people´s homes in Spain, we usually have security front doors. Is this also accurate? And do you just walk into people´s houses without ringing the bell and waiting outside to be invited in? OOps more than one. Sorry.

Makeup in a hot climate and sunscreen.
I wear a primer with SPF every day and always sunscreen my neck and upper chest even if I'm having a day at home as I'm very pale .
If I'm going out properly then I sunscreen all over.
I think the difference is that if you are on holiday in a hot country you chase the sun, if you're living there you chase the shade.

About siestas and make up / sunscreen in Spain.

Siesta is taken anytime between 2 and 5. Obviously not if you’re working.

I don’t wear sunscreen unless I’m going to the beach. On a day to day basis, you won’t be walking in the sun for more than 5/10 mins at a time, and will always move to the shady pavement. I don’t burn, even at midday, so it’s only if I’m at the beach / pool / on a walk for hours at a time, that I bother with sunscreen.

I don’t wear make up so can’t help with that, but yes, people wear it and it doesn’t melt off their faces. There are good products (primer, good powder etc) that keep it in place and people use those.

BrionotBiro, I live on the Isle of Wight and we call the mainland the 'North' island 😁

Oooh - that's a good one, so I'm bumping it to the top!
And do people have British takeaway?

Names are generally patronymic, similar to how Macdonald, Fitzpatrick etc originated in the UK.

In muslims there is often the addition of i on the end, so a man called Armen may have a child with the surname Armeni. Traditionally it will be the father of grandfathers first/given name as the childs surname, but it can be the first/given name of any elder male. Muslims don’t change their surname on marriage.

I'm in the UK. I'd like to know how popular Indian food is in the rest of the world? In the UK, we eat Indian food and curry regularly with a choice of Indian restaurants in every town. I know that several Americans have never had a curry; how about the rest of Europe and the world? I know we have a different historical connection to India and that would account for some of it.
I would really miss my weekly curry...

What do Americans do when you need a hot water bottle (for pain or heat etc)