Cultural differences between countries - Progressive Rock Music Forum

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silverpot

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Location: Sweden
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Posted: June 21 2016 at 09:44

Guldbamsen wrote:

Dean wrote:

Guldbamsen wrote:

We tend to meet inebriated Swedes all through the summer much due to the same reason. They absolutely adore our alcoholic ways.

Before my visit I asked if I should bring anything with me (meaning to do my job, such as specialist tools, back-up discs, instruction manuals etc.) - the reply I received was: "1 litre bottle of Johnny Walker Black Label". Big smile

Sounds about right.
I'm not sure the alcohol laws of Sweden work the way they're supposed to. Keeping people, who basically stem from the Vikings, away from the drink makes the occasional party even crazier. Man I've seen some absurd cases at the Roskilde Festival - folks who clearly have been waiting months to go absolutely berserk. They may just have saved what tiny bit of pride left - if they'd had the same opportunity in their home country. Oh well I really can't complain. Some of these instances were absolutely hilarious and something I'll never forget. 50% of any festival is watching other people anyway.

And now that we have Midsummers Eve coming up the advice is; don't go anywhere near a camping or marina, stay in town, it will be empty Beer

chopper

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Posted: June 21 2016 at 09:46

Dean wrote:

The taxi ride into the city was something you'd pay good money for at an amusement park.

We got a taxi to the hotel from Bangalore airport. It was still dark in the early morning and foggy. Our driver came across a refuse lorry in the outside lane and some other lorry in the inside lane and he couldn't get past either of them the normal way, so he just drove straight up the middle of them.

Dean

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Posted: June 21 2016 at 10:04

The T wrote:

Another US-specific (I think, please correct me if wrong) thing I don't really love as compared to where I come from: the tendency to immediately talk to somebody else using names. No "Mr X" or anything like that, no middle of the road between you and nothing (no formal second person like in Spanish where we have "usted"), Americans immediately jump to talk in first names and, again, and it may be my social awkwardness here, I feel people are trying to sell me something.

Am I wrong? Does it happen everywhere?

It depends. In the UK we tend to be suspicious of over-familiarity, especially when someone is trying to sell you something, just because someone is using my first name I'm not going to assume that I'm getting "mate's rates" from them or that the deal is in any way special. But since I have difficulty saying my surname because of my accent (so it tends to come out as the noise a duck would make if it had a beak full of marbles) I generally just give my first name and spend the rest of the conversation being referred to as Mr Dean... Or if it is Starbucks "Dian"

Edited by Dean - June 21 2016 at 10:06

What?

The T

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Posted: June 21 2016 at 10:26

Again, I'm certifiably socially awkward, but still think it's fake to start talking in first name basis with random strangers. I was always coached in my first job here in retail selling tvs and home theater products to always ask the name first and start using it over and over again to breed familiarity. I felt so damn fake when doing it. And then as I started to make one or two friends here and went out more in the regular world I see people exchanging names immediately and starting using them like that very moment. Sometimes it makes me feel all social interactions are buyer-customer ones.

I insist this is probably a little bit of my atypical brain talking Tongue

but I have never really seen this in all the countries I've gone to and, of course, in Ecuador.

HosiannaMantra View Drop Down

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Posted: June 21 2016 at 11:54

In Croatia, right wing politicians are never called Republicans. Except when someone's making comments on US politics.

And people here can be actually quite loud and willing to talk to strangers (especially when they're trying to get laid), perhaps unlike in some other parts of Europe, which is why Croats often call Scandinavians cold and reserved. On the contrary, I sometimes see them as refreshingly polite.

You can't avoid talks about gay rights and 90's Civil war here, our politicians constantly remind us not to forget arguing about those things.

Football (soccer for Americans, we don't recognize any other) can cure all the problems, but also make many new.

A glass of beer, wine or spirit during lunch or welcome is not drinking. And actual drinking is acceptable every day of the week. Everyone's drinking here.

Beware of drunken Croats who try to get laid with you. They'll most likely just follow you and talk about themselves for a while.

Also, we might offer you with tons of food and drinks. And refusing can be seen as an insult.

Money and salaries are not taboo themes in Croatia. Only taboo theme here are Civil war veterans. And religion in some smaller areas.

Edited by HosiannaMantra - June 21 2016 at 12:04