Cultural enlightenment

[PriamNevhausten]

This is one of those things that nobody ever wants to ask, but everybody (or at least everybody who calls themselves Priam) wants to know. And that is what other countries are like.

This is an especially bothersome question when there is someone from another country in your near presence! Shout-outs to Shan, Jak, and Kelne, most notably. I have ever wanted to ask you folks, whilst you were here in Ohiotown, what your countries are really like and where American television and other popular media have got it totally bass-ackwards.

So I stumbled today upon this thing, which is informative, if eight years old. And I think it's great and useful and boy howdy do I wish I'd seen it sooner.

If there's enough interest, we can turn this into a running thread, folks exchanging queries on others' countries, which I think could be pretty interesting. Whatever. Also, I'd like to hear from the resident Brits, specifically, on the relative accuracy of the information contained within the aforementioned link.

[Besyanteo]

Still reading over it. So far I like the whole thing, though. And while I didn't learn very much, there were a few things here and there that I didn't know. Woot.

[BrainWalker]

Having been to England, there wasn't a whole lot that I learned from reading that, although there were a couple things that made me go "Oh, yea, that's right." Even if you know that those iconic red phone boxes are relics, it doesn't necessarily occur to you right away if you are asked to picture London in your head.

Keeping abreast of current trends and cultural traditions in foreign lands is no easy task, but it is certainly an interesting one.

[Justice Augustus]

I still say 'I say!' on occasion, but I'm eccentric.

One thing I cannot overstate is the amount of swearing that Britons of our generation do. It's a lot. A whole lot. If I was talking to you out loud, rather than typing, I would have sworn at least twice by now, and I try to swear as little as possible.

Some other things that Americans believe about good ol' Britannia:

Food: Why do you always hear that British food is rubbish? What is British food anyway? Cause if you're thinking about things like Steak and Kidney pie, nobody really eats that stuff that much anyway. British people would probably name just normal home cooking as British food (such as sausage and mashed potatoes or cheese on toast), and it usually well cooked, lightly flavoured, and good for you in terms of protein and carbs.

Weather: Ok, it rains 51% of the time in England, but due to our position at the end of the Gulf Stream our temperature is a lot higher than the rest of the world that's on our latitude (compare Newfoundland for an example). Britain is actually quite pleasant a place to live in, once you buy a good quality umbrella, despite reports to the contrary.

Teeth: We have dentists. We have orthodontists. Mike Myers lies.

Beer: Room temperature is not "warm". But then again why do places in America serve beer so cold that ice forms on it? That way you ruin the flavour of the beer by making it too watery. Personally I like mine to be about 10 degrees centigrade.

Transportation: Not one that's usually noticed, but in England it is much more common to take public transport or walk places than it is in America (especially compared to Texas). Probably because most cities were built before the car was invented.

[KingOfDoma]

A thing I must confirm: I once spoke about the whole teeth thing with an actual crooked-toothed Brit, and he told me that the reason that whole bad teeth thing started is that British dentists only get paid for basic cleanings and such, and they would rarely do anything past that as it wasn't worth their while.

I now remember he was regularly full of bullshit. Any truth to that tale?

[Jak Snide]

Basic toothcare (fillings and such like) go on the NHS (national health service). If you want any sort of special treatment, though (such as non-silver fillings or braces that don't take up half your face) you have to pay for them yourself.