Where have you traveled to in America and the World?

[YWPMI]

I know what you mean, but this is where the phrase "Culture Shock" came from.
For example i couldn't understand at first why someone under 21 couldn't have a drink or even more shocking why it would be illegal for me as 19 year old to have a beer in the park.

pshaw... I let my kids sip beer when they were little! they either liked it or not. I never got drunk around them though.

 

[Eli1]

pshaw... I let my kids sip beer when they were little! they either liked it or not. I never got drunk around them though.

Yeah, that's why you when you engage the locals in more detail you will see a lot of differences in mindset.
A lot of things that are seen as "bad" in one country are seen as "normal" in another country and vice-versa.

Traveling can be a great experience not just in sights and food but in talking to locals and getting a different perspective too.

 

[hornetguy]

I know what you mean, but this is where the phrase "Culture Shock" came from.
For example i couldn't understand at first why someone under 21 couldn't have a drink or even more shocking why it would be illegal for me as 19 year old to have a beer in the park.

you mean, aside from the fact that you will go straight to Hell if you even THINK about drinking a beer?

I think that most police are more concerned with public drunkenness, someone blitzed out of their mind, causing an uproar.... an individual peacefully drinking a beer probably wouldn't garner too much attention..... unless there is a city ordinance against public drinking....

 

[Lynx]

I was asking this question because JaumeJ said that people are the same pretty much everywhere. While this is true to some extent, i think that people are very very different especially in Europe where if you travel 100 miles, you just crossed 3 countries, each with 10 different customs and traditions and accents.

Whereas in USA, it's pretty much smooth sailing in terms of language and tradition. Yes, the North and South differs from accents and food and even faith, but besides that it's Universally English and pretty much the same traditions and customs when you travel vast distances.

I know some people who travel as part of their job, and they would disagree with you. The whole attitude and mindset of people in one town can be completely different from that of people in another town.

I was listening to a comedian talk about that just today. He said he did a gig in this one town and he always has to work a lot harder to get the crowd to laugh in that town. He's been doing gigs there for ten years and it's always a big chore to get any response from the crowds.

He always assumed it was because they didn't have a real comedy club there. "Oh it's because we're doing this at a bar, we're doing it at a mexican restaurant." He assumed it was because the setting was off.

Then they got a real comedy club, and he did two gigs there, and... "Oh, no, it's the people!"

 

[Eli1]

I know some people who travel as part of their job, and they would disagree with you. The whole attitude and mindset of people in one town can be completely different from that of people in another town.

I was listening to a comedian talk about that just today. He said he did a gig in this one town and he always has to work a lot harder to get the crowd to laugh in that town. He's been doing gigs there for ten years and it's always a big chore to get any response from the crowds.

He always assumed it was because they didn't have a real comedy club there. "Oh it's because we're doing this at a bar, we're doing it at a mexican restaurant." He assumed it was because the setting was off.

Then they got a real comedy club, and he did two gigs there, and... "Oh, no, it's the people!"

Is this an American comedian?
Because if he did a tour from Iceland to Greece he would be very surprised.
In general the differences here are very minor compared to Europe.
But differences exist too. For example Massachusetts alone, the state I live in, has 3 interesting demographics as you travel from East into West.
East is more liberal, mid-west is Republican and West is a mix of party-town colleges, and very unique interests. These people are more independent but they swing more on the red than blue.
I'm at the border line between Republican and Blue Liberals.
But if we were in Europe, i wouldn't even understand your accent and cultural customs and language due to huge differences which come from history of the old countries.
The differences in towns in U.S. exist too, in terms of, this here is the unsafe zone, the poor zone or the rich zone, but all of them speak English despite certain language nuances. lol

So when i mean you can't understand somebody in Europe, i mean like that movie Snatch where Brad Pitt plays a "Pikey" and you can't understand a word he says in English.

 

[JaumeJ]

I know what you mean, but this is where the phrase "Culture Shock" came from.
For example i couldn't understand at first why someone under 21 couldn't have a drink or even more shocking why it would be illegal for me as 19 year old to have a beer in the park.

Another good one, I was in the USAF at 17 but drinking and voting were illegal for me at the time. I volunteered for service in Viet Nam but only as my job was in the USAF, a single sideband radio operator. So I was old enough to be killed but not to vote or to sip wine.

Weird, huh? Go figure.

 

[Pardizzle]

I am in Texas, but in the military I got to travel......I lived in Okinawa for two years, travelled to a handful of different countries in Asian Pacific. It was very cool!

 

[Susanna]

I am in Texas, but in the military I got to travel......I lived in Okinawa for two years, travelled to a handful of different countries in Asian Pacific. It was very cool!

Deployment does count as traveling?

Cool!

 

[Pardizzle]

Deployment does count as traveling?

Cool!

Yes it does!

 

[EszterBH]

Is this an American comedian?
Because if he did a tour from Iceland to Greece he would be very surprised.
In general the differences here are very minor compared to Europe.
But differences exist too. For example Massachusetts alone, the state I live in, has 3 interesting demographics as you travel from East into West.
East is more liberal, mid-west is Republican and West is a mix of party-town colleges, and very unique interests. These people are more independent but they swing more on the red than blue.
I'm at the border line between Republican and Blue Liberals.
But if we were in Europe, i wouldn't even understand your accent and cultural customs and language due to huge differences which come from history of the old countries.
The differences in towns in U.S. exist too, in terms of, this here is the unsafe zone, the poor zone or the rich zone, but all of them speak English despite certain language nuances. lol

So when i mean you can't understand somebody in Europe, i mean like that movie Snatch where Brad Pitt plays a "Pikey" and you can't understand a word he says in English.

Yes, as an European I can tell you we have strong differences even between regions of countries. Its very noticeable in Romania for example, coming from the extreme northwest Dobrudjans feel like Turks to me.

 

[Eli1]

Yes, as an European I can tell you we have strong differences even between regions of countries. Its very noticeable in Romania for example, coming from the extreme northwest Dobrudjans feel like Turks to me.

Indeed. Any European knows this.

 

[p_rehbein]

46 States, 19 Countries, 3 Continents

 

[Mission21]

28 states
5 continents ( Europe, Asia, Africa, America (North & South), Oceania/Australia)
26 countries

 

[Lynx]

This whole thread starting to remind me of Smalltown Poets and their song about 48 states.

 

[EszterBH]

Im from Romania, only visisted Hungary and Austria for now. Would like to visit France, Norway and Greece. America doesnt really attract me, sorry.

 

[hornetguy]

America doesnt really attract me, sorry.

can you clarify why the US doesn't attract you? Is it the people? Or, the landscape? Just curious...

 

[Susanna]

can you clarify why the US doesn't attract you? Is it the people? Or, the landscape? Just curious...

But she didn’t mention Texas.😊

 

[Susanna]

I don’t know how many states I’ve been to.

As for countries I’ve been to Canada, Mexico, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Greece, Israel, UAE, Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia, Croatia, Serbia, Lebanon, Philippines, Australia, Finland, Sweden, Norway and probably some countries I’ve forgotten lol.

 

[hornetguy]

But she didn’t mention Texas.😊

Well, yeah.... like they say, Texas is like a whole other country.....

For those that don't get it..... when you meet a man, don't ever ask if he's from Texas.... if he is, he'll let you know. If he's not, you'll just embarrass him....

 

[hornetguy]

I don’t know how many states I’ve been to.

As for countries I’ve been to Canada, Mexico, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Greece, Israel, UAE, Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia, Croatia, Serbia, Lebanon, Philippines, Australia, Finland, Sweden, Norway and probably some countries I’ve forgotten lol.

So.... like the insurance agency..... you know a thing or two, because you've seen a thing or two.... right?