American reacts to European Culture Shocks that Confuse Americans [part 2]

[@Asa...S]

In Europe we don't consider putting on a like pair of pants/trousers and a shirt, and a jacket, to dress up. It's not being fancy or formal, it's just normal. To us, not going out and about in our gym clothes, swimwear, pyama, is just getting dressed, not dressed up. Walking around in your nightgown in Europe would probably make most people think you've run away from a nursing home or something...

[@hellmalm]

This didn’t use to be the case in the US either, back in the 1980's in NewYork and Washington DC, people mostly dressed like we do in Europe. (Yes, I know I'm old as f-) But the US has seemingly de-evolved.

[@phoenix-xu9xj]

If I was in a supermarket and I saw a fellow Brit in pyjamas , I would really lose my temper and tell them to pull themselves together. Probably tell them they’re not American so grow up.

[@clementbouvard8457]

The clothes in the US are called a car because people are barely ever outside, same reason they keep shoes inside

[@phoenix-xu9xj]

@@clementbouvard8457 Ugh. Shoes in doors. Awful. Not to mention uncomfortable. All that dirt from outside, but then again, I don’t suppose they walk on pavements very much.

[@razvangheorghe9230]

It's like choosing to be a lesser version of yourself, why would your standards be "eh, who cares, I don't care"? Very ignorant type of thinking imo.

[@sharonmartin4036]

What would be considered 'rude' in 95% of other countries in the world would be for a server in a restaurant to bring you your bill before you ask for it. They will obviously keep an eye open for 'dine and dash' situations, but they will not actually bring you the bill till you are ready to pay and leave.

[@volkhardhenschel1863]

@Ryan 11:02 min rude are the americans rushing for the Bill and not waiting till end of dinner, drinking, conversation, relaxing ... In Europe we don't hurry while going to a restaurant. 😊

[@christinamoxon]

It's hard in America not to rush. They want you to eat and leave, so the next customers can come in. We just got back from the US and experienced this multiple times. They really expect you to eat fast and get out. Gives me indigestion. But it's a different culture 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@Paul-p1p6m]

In Europe, all countries, you ask for the bill.

[@marikothecheetah9342]

@@Paul-p1p6m the waiter/waitress will come and check on you but it's just to ask if you need anything or enjoy your meal.

[@hanes2]

basically in sweden.. burger at restaurant = fork and knife. burger at a fastfood = hands.

[@hellmalm]

100% true both burgers and pizza can be "fine dining" as well!

[@rbelu1]

Same in France :D

[@hellmalm]

@@rbelu1 Not at all surprising France being the KING of "fine dining".

[@morphilou]

@@hellmalm not in france my uncle refused to make a hamburger for the American president in his restaurant for example

[@rotmistrzjanm8776]

Same in Poland

[@TheSuperappelflap]

We dont have low water pressure. What this American experienced is a water-saving shower head. They are specifically designed to decrease the water flow rate to save water while still being able to clean yourself.

[@__TK___]

The only time when we have real low pressure is when a pipe has a leak or we have maintenance in a nearby water supply station.

[@Mikas60]

Unless you are in UK and you are unfortunate enough to have a built-in electric shower, which severely decreases the water pressure, as the water needs some extra time to heat up in that small box. I hate those showers, and now refuse to rent any house/flat that has one of them installed, even though I do understand that they help save on gas/heating.

[@TheSuperappelflap]

@@Mikas60 Ah yeah if its a flow-through system, but you can improve that by adding a big boiler vat. They are also useful for storing energy from solar panels. You can get like a 500L one and then heat it up during the day with free energy, then you have hot water round the clock and they can also be installed with a heat exchanger to heat your radiators. Saves a lot of money on heating.

[@Hiro_Trevelyan]

Americans when someone doesn't waste tons of resources for literally nothing : 🤯

[@BlackHoleSpain]

It depends where you are. As I have said lots of times, Europe is *HUGE* and has 50 countries with different customs. For example my 1967 building has a lot of problems for the water to reach my 14th floor 35m high, in order not to disturb the neighbour at 1st floor after midnight with pumps noise. But I have *NEVER* seen the water at such pressure like Hollywood movies, a 1/5th at best during daylight. Almost nothing after midnight.

[@Palmieres]

14:00 what really stands out to me is that this person was in Italy for what I assume were weeks or even months, and they didn't notice that Italian (and other European) cities have existed since long before cars were invented, the buildings and streets are old af, most people walked or rode a horse back then, and *there is no room for large cars in these cities because they weren't built with cars in mind* .

[@vickytaylor9155]

@@Palmieres that goes for British roads too. A lot of our roads are Roman roads.

[@rogeriopenna9014]

but they probably have been in some other very old european cities which DO have wide streets. What they don´t know is that those cities were often subject to MASSIVE urbanization plans specially in the 19th century and early 20th. Paris would probably be quite unrecognizable to a Parisian from the 17th century

[@stephenlee5929]

Many American cities were designed and built before the car. But its OK, they had and still have bulldozers, so flatten the bits that are in the way.

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

Another big thing is that we don't really need a huge car. Most things can be done just as well with a small car. And if you need space, you can always rent a large one. Some families also have two cars, a small one and a larger one. Which usually means what americans call a station wagon, but they are pretty much sedans with a straighter roof. And even the compact cars can pull a trailer as long as you stay under 3.5 ton total mass. With a few exceptions population density is also much higher, so things are much closer together. Which makes all kinds of public transport much more viable.

[@TheJpf79]

@@vickytaylor9155 The back roads are all old cart/foot tracks, Romans built wider straight where they could for legions to march along and then wagons to bring what ever back, Highlands of Scotland are all ancient cart and foot tracks. Tiny thin and wind up and down hills, not the most direct routes. They would stop at places along the way.

[@TheSuperappelflap]

Its considered rude to bother wait staff, because restaurants have less staff than in America, because wages are high for staff. So, instead of having one waiter per every couple customers, a restaurant that is full with 60 people on a friday evening might only have 3 or 4 people responsible for taking orders, bringing drinks and food and taking away empty plates. It is very busy work, they dont have time to stop specifically for you when they already have a backlog of 5 orders they need to deliver. So, if you want something, you can try to raise your hand or make eye contact, and then they will get to you when they have time. It may take a couple tries to get their attention. Its considered rude to start yelling at them and demanding attention. Youre not more important than the other customers, and everyone has to wait for their turn.

[@Mikas60]

As someone who worked as a waiter for 10+ years in UK, I can confirm that restaurants are always severely understaffed. Although 3-4 people for 60 seats is a bit generous from my experience. I've had it as much as me doing 34 seats by myself in a small cafe/restaurant, and I also did 50 seats in a restaurant + 20 seats in the lounge by myself (but had a dedicated bartender) until I had to curse at the manager to get a 2nd person in to help.

[@TheSuperappelflap]

@@Mikas60 I guess it depends on the type of place, Ive worked in a bar with 2-3 other people on the same shift and if it was full we didnt have any spare time to chat. But people where im from drink like their lives depend on it, we're the national champions of alcohol abuse in the Netherlands lol

[@christofersohlman5978]

@@Mikas60 yeah, I usually had 25+. I acually felt bad becuse I couldnt give good service a lot of times... but working alone with faulty equipment dosnt help :/

[@NuEM78]

European culture shock: Americans think Kenya is in Europe.

[@CakeboyRiP]

Yeah i went down to the comments for this one 😂😂

[@kristymac3236]

I noticed he didn’t query this

[@mif4731]

He didn't know too 😢

[@lnemeth4334]

Europeans think that Kanye is in USA.

[@Swedishpolymath]

To be fair a lot of British people summer in Kenya. UN Ambassador Watson likes Kenya I believe as did Queen Elisabeth and Sir Winston Churchill.

[@TheDaddyD10]

I feel like a lot of the water pressure compaints come from tourists not realising that the shower heads (at least in germany, no clue about other countries) are adjustable into different modes kinda. For example if you want a low pressure rain like shower you can twist the nozzle on the head, same with a strong concentrated "jet" setting.

[@nolaj114]

Electric kettles are not just for tea!

[@janolaful]

Thank you I came on to say the same 😊

[@sandraankenbrand]

They make no sense in the US with a lower voltage

[@RaduRadonys]

@@sandraankenbrand Yes they do, they just have to wait a bit longer for the water to boil. Proof is that there are indeed electric kettles being sold in the US, it's just that they are not common.

[@sandraankenbrand]

@@RaduRadonys i know… it just takes much longer, thats why they don’t use them… weird fact: when I was in school in England in the 80s everywhere was a kettle - nowhere in Germany, it only became a thing after 2000 on the continent

[@groenekever]

Ramen

[@Silveirias]

13:35 "How are you" and "what's up" are both literally questions, though, so of course people from elsewhere are going to take them as questions! If you don't want to actually know how I'm doing, then don't ask. Just say "hi".

[@AnneDowson-vp8lg]

Here in Yorkshire, England, people say 'What's up?' when you're looking upset, near to tears, angry or ill. 'How are you?' is said after saying 'Hello'. Some older or rural people say 'How do?' but a really Yorkshire greeting is 'Nah then,' (Now then?) with lad added if you're male or lass if you're female. Another greeting is 'Eh up?'

[@Silveirias]

@@AnneDowson-vp8lg Interesting! Here in Finland we do say "how are you", but it's always a sincere question and the answer is expected to be the person actually telling what's been going on in their life since they last saw you. Depending on who you're talking to this might include some fairly intimate details like anything related to health. You'd never ask if you don't want to know. A polite "hello" or "good morning" is enough. I've lived in England for a number of years, so I do get the difference and it's just a cultural difference, but it took some time getting used to. Even though I knew it's basically just same as saying "hello", it felt rude at first that people asked and but didn't stay to hear the reply beyond "good".

[@fredbonnet9712]

Don't ask if you're not interested in the answer.

[@ichl46]

Ah yes. Kenya, my favourite European country

[@alexanderkupke920]

Are they part of the Schengen area yet? I hate to get my passport out to get there on a trip tomorrow...

[@inigogarcia4336]

Kenya believe it?

[@marikacooper3133]

Dining out is meant to be enjoyable and relaxing, not a competition on who can be in and out the quickest

[@Bramfly]

For some US restaurants it seems to be precisely how they operate (turning tables as quickly as possible).

[@thomash3716]

@@Bramfly Instad of paying the waiter a proper salary...☹

[@MrDunkycraig]

@@Bramflyits how it remains cheap and pays the waiting staff paid with tips. Its a terrible model

[@Xnhl]

Yes. The times were totally exaggerated-if I don't get my food within the 1st hour, I'm leaving 😂 However, I also don't get presented with a bill unless I asked for it or the place *really* is about to close or I got so drunk and/or rude they want me out for everyone's sake.😂

[@theKiwii]

If refills are free, they're incentivized to get you out asap. When every drink is payed for, they're encouraged to get you to stay for another. Simple as that.

[@RomanVilgut]

In Europe: Restaurant->Fork&Knife for everything, also Burger and Pizza (you eat slower and can enjoy the meal). Only at Fast-Food-Joints it´s ok, to use hands.

[@phoenix-xu9xj]

I’m British, but I would never go to a restaurant for a pizza. I would probably make one myself . I can’t imagine a restaurant could make that much difference to a pizza and I just couldn’t bring myself to eat one with a knife and fork.

[@noefillon1749]

@@phoenix-xu9xj People definitely do it in France at least

[@phoenix-xu9xj]

@@noefillon1749 I did in the ‘70s but not after I spent a summer teaching English to Italian students. I feel so stupid when I saw them, cut it into slices and eat it.

[@Clemehl]

@@phoenix-xu9xj It depends on the "pizza". If it is a "fast-food" pizza, then it is sliced, expected to be picked instead of eaten inside the restaurant, and ate with your hand. A lot of time, those are not even restaurants, just a facade with barely any table/chairs (like fast-food chain) or just a guy in a traveling van. If it is a "traditional" pizza (like you taste the "bread"), then it isn't sliced, comes with a plate, has to be eaten in the restaurant, and have to be eaten with fork and knife. It is very likely they have a traditional pizza oven using fire than modern one using electricity. It is night and days between a fast-food pizza supposed to fill you (which can taste good, but more a guilty pleasure), and a traditional pizza that taste good. The main difference is the dough which you can taste the yeast like a fresh bread.

[@prodbysen]

naaah i would never eat pizza and burger with a fork and knife that would feel like trying waaaay to hard to be fancy even if it's an expensive restaurant

[@Jamie_D]

You don't have to be into tea to make good use of an electric kettle.

[@TheSuperappelflap]

Americans boil water in their microwave to make tea.

[@stannumowl]

​@@TheSuperappelflap they are perverts

[@Templarofsteel88]

It is also a good way to heat up water instead of just doing it on a stove.

[@jesusbauer8861]

Agreed. I use it often, when I make my cappucino.

[@missharry5727]

It's really good for heating up water to cook vegetables in. But not potatoes. Potatoes must always start in cold water. You want bpiling water quickly, use the kettle.

[@tckleemann2510]

Every time I hear an American boast about, how under-developed the rest of the world is (because they have no AC) I explain it this way: The northern part of Germany is at a higher lattitude (i.e. more north) than the southern tip of Alaska. Normaly this settles the argument...

[@MarcXL81]

compare sun hjours in america to europe, even the less sunniest parts of the US are more sunny then the sunnierst parts of europe. I dont know why they got so much sunshine but now I understand them usin AC.

[@gerardflynn7382]

​@MarcXL81 90% of the US is flat ground, hence the reason why they get tornadoes.

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

@@gerardflynn7382 they don't have any east to west mountain ranges that keep the hot wet air away from the cold air. We have the alps, all the water rains down in northern Italy. Oh, and a better example of latitude is the easy comparison of weather in Toronto and Monaco. Or that Rome is further north than New York. And Paris north of Seattle. And Florida is south of Cairo.

[@Cau_No]

Wait, a geographic explanation works with Americans? Or do they just evade the new topic...?

[@MrDunkycraig]

The uk is further north than the whole of the main 49 states we only get mild but wet weather due to the gulf stream

[@ivylasangrienta6093]

We DO eat pizza with knife and fork at restaurants, because they don't cut them. If we get pizza delivered to home they're usually sliced and then we eat with our hands.

[@Templarofsteel88]

Not here (at least around where I live in Sweden) but they would probably cut it if you ask them.

[@SuperHawk0413]

You're probably not Italian because in Italy they never cut it for you because it becomes more soggy in the carton box

[@veladarney]

Or you just, like, use a knife and fork or pizza wheel or whatever at home to slice the pizza and eat it with your hands. I'm not gonna get all fancy on a cheap frozen pizza from the supermarket ... (Also acceptable in restaurants, btw, to cut a slice off your pizza and then, pick it up and eat it with your hands.)

[@valentinaklein4454]

same here (Germany)

[@klarasee806]

It’s the other way around: They don’t cut pizza at restaurants because you are expected to use a fork and a knife there. Otherwise you could just cut it into slices at the restaurant and then eat it by hand. But you hopefully don’t. Because you are at a restaurant and know how to behave.

[@tde1964]

A few years back in Zurich, I was yelled at by an American couple (tourists) in a restaurant because I was eating my burger with fork and knife. They were really upset, it was crazy. I did my best to ignore them but after a while, the staff had to intervene.

[@dianapita3056]

I really want more details of the chosen words

[@rogerk6180]

A big difference is also how meals are cooked in restaurants in usa vs europe. In usa most restaurants people visit are chain organisations that get everything preportioned ready for heating. A bit like what you get at highway restaurants around europe. Restaurants in europe are mostly independent operating businesses that make everything from scratch in the kitchen. It is prepped in the morning but actually cooked as you order it.

[@Robbedem]

I think you're a bit too optimistic about European restaurants. Many of their ingredients are bought prepared from big retail stores like Hanos or Metro (Sligro).

[@stanislavbandur7355]

@@Robbedem depends. Some prepare various vegetables into trays at morning for chef to take from, other buy frozen (shock frozen) packages which is no a big deal and some have that audacity to buy industrial packaged meals, put them into oven and serve as their great work. None of them is illegal and every kind of restaurant will find their customers. And of course we have concept of daily menu here, one of my friends was cooking more than 300 portions daily and have tiny restaurant with 25seats + terrace. Such discount/bulk sellers as Metro can sell you anything, depends only on you what you will buy. You can buy "brick" of low grade cheese and you can buy "brick" of fancy high grade one too. They sell anything from dirt cheap up to a fancy expensive stuff. Friend of mine had his restaurant next to a butcher, he never bought meat at Metro, but his beer and soda on tap was from there. And again , they do not sell one brand, you can take barrel of urine samples dirt cheap or Pilsen urquell if you wish.

[@andreadee1567]

In Europe we don’t say Europe, we name our country, because e.g. service is seen differently in every country. In Italy the restaurant experience can be very different from Poland. To go to a restaurant in a tourist hot spot in Spain can be very annoying, because tourists can be very annoying and is very different from visiting a quite rural restaurant in Austria, Bavaria or Switzerland. Expect that sentences beginning with "In Europe..." fit more or less to no country. My experiences in USA are limited, but in Chicago, I had an experience that I felt rushed, but it was a Hotel near the airport and it was packed, because flights had been cancelled. In Hawaii, the restaurant staff convinced me, I was the sweetest person on earth. But it was Hawaii, and everybody was chilled out. 😎

[@karlbmiles]

Americans know which restaurants feature ambience and dining experience over fast service. On date-night we would never go to a fast-food franchise, road house, cafe, diner, or chain restaurant. We go to a real restaurant with a Matre-d', valet, server, and sommelier.

[@stanislavbandur7355]

We were chatting with friends on USA topic and found out that we are in fact talking about 3-4 cities there. Sometimes we need to stop arguing and try to think - you know "in Asia", "In Africa", "In Europe", "in USA" .... probably we cover millions and millions of people in one word (2 if "in" counts)

[@javiTests]

The A/C thing, it's not about being poor or not, although obviously it affects. But if you care about the environment, every kWh saved is less pollution to the atmosphere. And if you have it ON only for a few hours instead the whole day, it saves energy, although with the inverter ones is not as much as with the old ones.

[@cycaboose]

I'm not from a hot climate but I imagine the real thing to know here is what the thermostat is set to.. in that example in Madrid, perhaps the house is naturally cold from being built better to keep the cool in, and with shutters on the windows... In the US maybe not so much. What I thought was striking was Ryan said he has his AC on at 22C, I mean, to me that's hot but if you live in a hot climate I bet you can manage that ok, seems a bit of a luxury to be turning AC on for that... But yeh. Again in the Madrid example I wonder what temperature they consider turning AC on at. Also a thing to consider is electricity tends to be cheaper in the US also... But yeh as you also pointed out our mindset for not being wasteful

[@jmi5969]

In a sense, it is related to poverty. In my country AC is a distinctly unwanted and unnecessary nuisance - yet all businesses and all office buildings have AC on 24/7 "because we got to" despite complaints from patrons and employees. The result? Patrons leave asap or don't walk in at all, and employees suffer never-ending flu through the year. It's a cash loss for everyone involved, yet somehow the "habit" persists. I have AC in the car and AC in my apartment, and had never switched it on in two decades. Another unnecessary yet unavoidable expense.

[@javiTests]

@@cycaboose Yes, that's true as well, but in summer Madrid is not cold at all 😅. 35ºC is totally normal or even 40ºC days are not uncommon. In my case, I´m from the south of Spain and I personally don't turn the A/C ON until it's 27 or 28ºC inside and I set it normally to 26ºC or 27ºC. In winter, I set the heating at 19ºC or 20ºC (in the south we use the same A/C that has a heat pump, but in other places in Spain they normally have central heating),

[@javiTests]

@@jmi5969 Well, it's unnecessary for you in your climate. But for example, in Spain, when it's 40ºC outside, you better use it! But I've been living in the UK for a decade and I would have used it probably 10 days in total, maybe...

[@stannumowl]

​@@jmi5969 AC in car is actually a decent thing... For like 2 months/year when it is really hot outside and you don't have any option but to park at a sunny place

[@tripnick555]

UK here. The only time that asking when the baby is due is considered rude is when the woman isn't actually pregnant! Then it's a problem.

[@SuperHawk0413]

What if you THINK she's pregnant, but she's not, and you ask anyway?

[@tripnick555]

@@SuperHawk0413 That's exactly what I was saying.

[@SuperHawk0413]

@@tripnick555 I was half-joking. As in, there's a third option. You know she's not pregnant but ask anyway.

[@Mikas60]

It's only a problem if she can catch you :D

[@desperadox7565]

🤣

[@Jebu911]

Electric kettle is not just for tea either. Actually i never use it for that its just a device that makes all sorta food making faster but in europe it works faster because we have higher voltages.

[@gerardflynn7382]

It's also definitely not for holding Kool Aid.

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

With how much they talk about students surviving on instant ramen, that is the perfect example for a good use of a kettle.

[@GerdLPluu]

Not sure about the voltage thing. Sure, they use half the Voltage, but so what? Use a lower resistance heating coil, or use two of them in parallel and you have about the same power output. You can heat water just as quickly with 110V as you can with 230V. And as for the usefulness of those things: They are mainly good for tea, coffee and cup noodles, I guess. Tea is not that big a deal over there, and specialised coffee makers are pretty common, even here in europe. That really only leaves cup noodles, which probably isn't something everyone eats. They just don't need boiling water all that often, and for when they do: Microwave Ovens are pretty good at heating water.

[@astree214]

If you allow me, it's not a matter of voltage but of intensity (ampere). With 400 000 V and no intensity it wont heat, with 100 000 A it will heat even with a few millivolts

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

@@GerdLPluu 120V on 30A or 230V on 16A, your choice. You'll get about 3600W with either.

[@dyread]

If Canada has figured out that electric kettles are useful for more than tea, but Americans still haven't, then well done Canada. More intelligent than their neighbours.

[@slake9727]

We really are.

[@desperadox7565]

That's obvious I would think.

[@brigidsingleton1596]

I saw something last week which amused me... Q)_ Where does stupid reside? A)_ Between Canada and Mexico.

[@mrHello420__]

For what do you use it?

[@desperadox7565]

@@mrHello420__ Everything you need hot water for.

[@theRAV4000]

1:50 the thing is European houses don't get so hot as quickly as american ones because we have much thicker walls. When i was in the US it really suprised me how quickly it became hot in the house. So no wonder americans use the AC so much,

[@SatieSatie]

Ugh, I don't care, the lack of AC in Europe is SICKENING. It's not just the houses but also the public transport (where I spend up to 1½ hours or more on a work day), the office, almost everywhere, except the big supermarket chains. This summer was too much. I'm actually considering to buy one for the first time in my life, it's getting more and more unbearable each year. The truth is that slow-paced Europe isn't prepared at all for the rapid global warming, despite being the continent that is warming the fastest.

[@dimitarlinov2393]

​@@SatieSatieit really depends by country, or maybe latitude, at least in my country, we do have a lot of air conditioners, and sometimes keep them on all day on hot summer or cold winter days.

[@paulavitoria1798]

@@SatieSatie Well, I don't know where you are/have been, but in my country (which isn't among EU rich countries), buses and trains, as well as offices, banks, many governmental services actually have AC. In houses, you're right, not very common.

[@stanislavbandur7355]

it is funny, I have AC units in 2 of my 3 rooms and run them several months a year. And this summer I was hair far from turning it on for cooling. (I use them for heating)

[@michealrosen]

A lot of Italians eat pizza with a knife and a fork, if that's how they do it since they created pizza, then we cannot criticize people who use a knife and fork.

[@Marvin_R]

italian style pizzas can also be difficult to eat otherwise. it can take 3 hands just to hold a slice without the thin bottom collapsing under the weight of the rich toppings.

[@soozb15]

true. they'd only use their hands for slices of pizza as a takeaway quick bite (although eating in the street is not cool)

[@phoenix-xu9xj]

I’m really shocked about that. If pizza isn’t finger food, I don’t know what is . I was told to eat pizza with my hands by an Italian in the 1970s. So I was shocked when I found out last year Italians were eating them with a knife and fork.

[@Marvin_R]

@phoenix-xu9xj in europe you can get pretty much 4 types of pizza. american pizza: small and spongy, can be eaten with 2 fingers frozen pizza: mediun sized, very thin crusty, very rigid bottom, can be eaten with 1 hand. "restaurant at home" pizza: medium to large sized, covers high-end frozen pizza on the lower end(advertised as restaurant style), homemade pizza(kit), and take-away/delivery, wide crunchy crust with bubbles and somewhat rigid bottom, takes 2 hands to eat. restaurant pizza: large sized, only served in Italian style restaurants(and maybe traditional Italian households), wide crunchy crust with bubbles, very thin and soft bottom, very rich in ingredients. almost impossible to eat with hands, you're expected to eat these with knife and fork.

[@phoenix-xu9xj]

@@Marvin_R The last one you mention is pretty widespread in the UK, usually made with sourdough. Even the pizza van who comes to our village once a fortnight, cooks fresh sourdough, pizzas.

[@irreverend_]

Kettle isn't just for tea. Quickest way to get boiling water

[@luky19]

not in US since they use 110V electrical outlets, so you can't have high power kettles

[@stephenlee5929]

@@luky19 No, it's still the quickest way to boil water. UK we have 2-3KW kettles US average 1.2-1.5KW but can have 2KW. It also depends on the shape, and most importantly how much water is in the kettle. But it is still faster than most stove tops and even a microwave.

[@Dr_KAP]

@@stephenlee5929correct. Most people on here don’t understand how voltage works! But if you want to boil water in the U.S. in the same time as in the UK, you need to reduce the resistance of the kettle, as you’ve suggested. In doing so you now are doubling the current which probably makes the whole thing less efficient 😊

[@stanislavbandur7355]

@@Dr_KAP less efficient it is according Ohm's law, but that efficiency loss is mostly on line to your house, that cca 1m long cord from outlet to a kettle is not much a deal (for US-ers 1 yard aprox.). Inside a cattle you need 100% loss, because loss is heat you are using. If you will try to boil you water by standard light bulb about 20% will leave (transparent) kettle as light if it will be LED light bulb, it will be more than 80% of not used energy wasted for a light. But heating spiral turns 100% into heat (ok, there is tiny tiny portion of electromagnetic energy released, but if well designed, most of it is absorbed by heating body and turned into heat too, then it is more likely 99.999%) most loses are not related to electricity, but apply to any other way of boiling water, because heat would like to spread by physics itself, then pan is worst off all. The best would be well insulated boiler and if it will be on heat pump .... to much physics for one comment

[@glambertini4709]

In France, in the evening, there is nothing rude about staying in a restaurant for 2 hours or more, it is part of French culture to take your time. We are not just there to eat but to share a good time, take your time, take a break between dishes...The waiter leaves you alone but watches you from afar, if your plates are empty he comes to ask you if you want the next meal right away. We have the right to tell him that we will talk a little before moving forward.

[@seanmcmichael2551]

In Ireland, we eat fast food (Burger, Fries, Pizza, FishNchips) with our hands ... same as US. BUT ... restaurants and pub food are not gonna throw you a burger sitting very lonely by itself on a plate. There'll be salad at least. Plus it could multi-layer, way taller than a mouth can open 😮

[@kenbrown2808]

you haven't seen an American eating a deluxe burger, have you? we can unhinge our jaw like a snake.

[@i_am_m3384]

"Sweatpants are a sign of defeat. You lost control of your life so you bought some sweatpants." Karl Lagerfeld

[@chronic2023]

I agree 💯 % with KL. When I was at my lowest point I wore sweatpants. When I tried climbing out of my doldrums, my way up was to put on makeup, some jewelry and clothes that made me feel good.

[@MrDunkycraig]

I avoid sweatpants despite life being shit. Its a step to far mentally

[@SatieSatie]

I never wore sweatpants in my life, but we shouldn't care too much about what some old snobby German guy once said, huh?

[@i_am_m3384]

@@SatieSatie "Everything I say is a joke. I am a joke myself." Karl Lagerfeld 😇

[@SatieSatie]

@@i_am_m3384 Well, exactly. ^^ I do own a very nice bag from KL tho lol.

[@Benni1000games]

I preheat a little bit of water in a pot when making pasta and the majority of the water I put into my electric Kettle. with 240v it's a lot faster than heating all the water on my gas stove. Then you just pour it all into the preheated pot and you having boiling water in like a fraction of the time.

[@kenbrown2808]

in the US, particularly the large part with electric stoves, the electric kettle would have about half the available wattage as the stove. and most modern American model gas stoves, have one burner specifically made to heat water rapidly. so that's why most Americans won't have an electric kettle. (almost every home has at least one coffee maker, though)

[@stanislavbandur7355]

@@kenbrown2808 during high school it was standard exam question "calculate how much time is needed to boil 1L of water by XYZ Watt kettle" it was about a minute for 800W, no gass burner is able to do that (maybe that one which has metal cutting nozzle at end of hoses feeding oxygen in too) (highschool was specialized for electricians, have a 1.63kW kettle old one was 2.2kW - that time is rough guess, did not calculated it)

[@kenbrown2808]

@@stanislavbandur7355 yeah, we didn't have that question. but the large burner on my electric stove is 3KW at full thrutch. and keep in mind with our standard electrics, a 1.5KW electric kettle is going to be putting a strain on the system. and of course, most Americans use a coffee maker instead of a kettle,

[@XanagiHunag]

11:00 Here in France, the restaurant usually asks you what drink you want, brings it to your table, leave you time to pick your entrée (appetizer) and main course (what you call entree in the US apparently). They'll take your order, leave you some more time while the appetizer is prepared, bring it to you, leave you time to eat it as leasurely as you wish, then take your empty plates, before leaving you some more time while the main course are getting ready. Once you're done with the main course, they'll come back to ask if you want a dessert as they are taking the plates, leave you some time to decide, then get back to get your order, before bringing it to the kitchen. After a bit more time, they'll be back with it, and ask if you will want a coffee (if they didn't already ask you while taking your orders for dessert). They try to bring the food for the whole table at once (or in a few trips) so that everyone is eating at the same time, and they'll most likely apologize if there's an order that's taking longer than the rest. As the various elements of the meal are more spaced out, there is less of a rush. But in some places, they will be much more rushed to serve you as they get lots of clients and so on, mostly during tourist season or at lunch for places with lower prices (since their clients are workers)

[@bognagruba7653]

Ryan, are you trolling us? Electric kettles are not primarily used for preparing tea.

[@iannorton2253]

Mine is, numerous times a day.

[@stannumowl]

​@@iannorton2253 mine as well. But that's because I drink copious amounts of tea

[@barlin4972]

How should he know if 95% of households in the US (which is shocking to me) and he himself never uses them. We have to be fair here.

[@iannorton2253]

@@stannumowl Yes, tea is the elixir of life.

[@sharonmartin4036]

Americans typically do not use electric kettles at all, so yes, they would be thought to be primarily for making tea. And Ryan doesn't troll anyone.

[@Ekitchi0]

You need more water pressure when the shower head is fixed to the wall. Our home showers are always at the end of a hose so you can bring it close to every part of your body. The fixed to the wall shower heads are only found in swimming pools and some hotels where I live.

[@StevenQ74]

Dutchie here, I don't know anyone here in the Neterlands that does not own an electric kettle, but that's the thing: there are so many different countries and cultures in Europe, it's not like the US where you have small differences between states, the differences can be much larger. And pick up truks are not very common in Europe and when you see them they are usualy owned by someone who uses it for it's intended purpouse like a professional gardner or someone who works in construction, it's not used as a family car.

[@Marvin_R]

on occasion there's an imported RAM, being used to show off wealth.

[@javierabrilmartinez3218]

@@StevenQ74 Exactly, electric kettles are not usual at all in Spain. Maybe because we like coffee more than tea and we use what we call "cafetera italiana" because makes the coffee tastes much better 🙂

[@BlackHoleSpain]

Here in Spain, otherwise, I don't know anyone who onws a kettle, not even a traditional one to put on the stove. People who likes coffee use to have those italian aluminium Moka Express ones.

[@klarasee806]

@@BlackHoleSpainIn Germany almost everyone has a kettle and we use it for more than just making tea! In my household we do drink a lot of tea and do use the kettle for it, but I also use our kettle for preheating water before I cook, because it’s faster and saves energy compared to heating it on the stove. Also for other things. We use it several times a day, and when a kettle doesn’t work anymore I always notice how lost I am without one 😅

[@gerardflynn7382]

AC wastes a lot of electricity and in every country outside of the US it's bloody expensive.

[@patbrown8117]

Here in the UK our electricity is now the most expensive in the world. We go round turning things off, rather than on.

[@Hiro_Trevelyan]

Also we have this incredible hight-tech called "opening your windows" and sometimes "closing your shutters". Crazy, I know. Tech bros are completely mind-blown. And it's working even without electricity, it's so insane !

[@gregorygant4242]

@@patbrown8117 Yep , in general in Europe petrol and electricity are more expensive than in the US . It should be since the average American worker gets paid sh!t compared to say an average European worker , elites and billionaires are exceptions of course .

[@gerardflynn7382]

​@@gregorygant4242You have to remember that Americans are still using imperial measurements. 195 countries in the world and only 2 are still using imperial, the rest of the world uses Metric.

[@BlackHoleSpain]

@@gregorygant4242 Average european worker gets twice (2x) the salary of a spaniard worker 😭

[@lorenzodepaoli]

Americans that think Europeans are snobbish for their clothing choices have probably never had their mum threaten physical violence if they dared to go out in anything but the appropriate attire.

[@simonebaruzzi156]

" you want to go out dressed in this way ? we did not raise a gypsie or a thug-punk-hooligan" ( i am from Ravenna , Italy , i know it )

[@MrDunkycraig]

Oh god yes the guilt laid at your door if you didnt dress properly. Im 54 and mum trys that now still. That sounds sad i know but disabled divorcee

[@vanesag.9863]

😂😂 and Spanish mothers target especifically the underwear quality and cleaning of the garment. You don't know if somebody has to see it (aka doctor) 😮

[@DEATHKYOKU]

​@@vanesag.9863 Yeah, my grandma was always asking If my bra and panties matched in case I had an accident and my mom would threaten me If I didn't dress well and behaved politely the gypsies would take me and make chorizo with me.😂

[@kenbrown2808]

it's not that most of us think europeans are snobbish. we just recognize that the average european dresses better than the average American.

[@Danceofmasks]

Ryan, I grew up in Malaysia ... where people eat rice with their hands and burgers with cutlery.

[@suzielees5227]

Uk female here. I would never wear my crocs anywhere except in the garden or when camping, but that would only be to go to the loo during the night.

[@gio-oz8gf]

An American is fortunate enough to spend time in Italy, and he's using it to count and record the number of pickups on the roads.

[@anianii]

12:38 Worth pointing out we don't just use kettles for tea in Europe. We also use it for heating water to cook for example because it's more efficient/faster than using the stove to do that

[@klarasee806]

Pizza in a restaurant: Always with fork and knife! Pizza at home: Mainly with hands.

[@lucasvanwijngaarden670]

My family doesn't have AC in our home, as is usual in the Netherlands. There are maybe 2 months a year where it would save us a bit of a hassle, but it's far from a necessity. We make use of sunscreens and close the windows in the morning to keep out the heat and open them at night to let in fresh cool air. Just that is enough to keep the temperature down 5/10 degrees celsius.

[@mfvieira89]

Meds commercials are prohibited in Portugal

[@martinhuhn7813]

Your reply to the point about AC was funny and very american. I personally never owned any AC in my home (Germany). When it is hot, open the windows at night and keep them shut and lower the blinds during the day, then the high heat capacity of the stone walls will keep the home cool most of the time, if not, just deal with it. Some people I know do own an AC - a mobile unit which can be swiched on, when the high temperatures are considered to be an emergency. A friend of mine just installed one fixed wall unit of AC - but in order to use it as an air-air heat pump with the long therm idea to replace his oil powered central heating. We talked about his plans to also install solar cells with some storage. And in that context he concidered to also use the AC for cooling IF and WHEN the storage ist already full AND if it gets particularly hot. The idea to just set the AC on a thermostat and let it do its thing all summer is a very uncommon thought here.

[@thomasduerk583]

I was born in Germany, but in 2002, I moved to Las Vegas. Here you NEED A/C during summer, even in the night, because then it's still 42°C at midnight. 52°C during the day. There is no way to get cool air by opening a window. I miss the German brick houses... so much cooler

[@LythaWausW]

@@thomasduerk583 Germans don't understand how hot America can get. Like, deadly hot.

[@duncanliath]

seems perfectly logical to me that if wait-staff in the USA aren't paid a decent wage and have to rely on tips to up the pitiful wage their employer pays them, then the more tables they serve during their shift, the better. Whereas in Europe, where wait-staff are paid a decent wage no matter how many/or how few tables they serve during their shift, there is less incentive to turn over as many tables as possible during their shift. Result? Wait-staff have an 'easy' stress-free shift, and customers have a pleasant, relaxing dining experience!

[@Marvin_R]

and with european tipping culture, 1 table that enjoyed their time is more likely to tip than 10 rushed tables. tipping is still done, just not expected.

[@LythaWausW]

@@Marvin_R But if 1 table, unrushed, left without pressure, that waiter would still make more tips from the next customers who use that table before closing time.

[@karlbmiles]

Biggest myth out there and repeated ad nauseum by ignorant Europeans. American wait staff get paid more than Europeans as salary, then enjoy generous America tips too. A typical waiter in California will make twice what a European waiter makes!

[@Lisdodde]

Low water pressure is also an environmental, water and energy saving measure. Often we use water saving shower heads, because you get clean just fine without wasting tons of water. And even then: shorter showers are also promoted.

[@vickytaylor9155]

In Italy, pizza is eaten with a knife and fork unless it is the type that is supposed to be folded in half and eaten with the hands.

[@SuperHawk0413]

With knife and fork? Not at home though...

[@may51973]

I'm a Portuguese living in Luxembourg and you're right, pizzas are eaten with knife and fork most of the times

[@michlon6144]

In Italy people pay road tax according to the volume of their engines, that's why there are a lot of compact cars

[@dinger40]

Not just Italy

[@timogeerties3487]

7:53 getting seated asap, treated and immediately shushed out after paying seems to be pretty common in the US. Here in Germany, me and my colleagues were seated immediately, too but we sat there for three hours, even after paying and only left because they wanted to close up at 10 o'clock. We were the last guests and most of the staff were already having beers several tables over.

[@GrumpyOldGit-zk1kw]

I don't know how many times I've mentioned (or at least shouted at the screen) this on various American reaction channels, but it's 'knife and fork' not 'fork and knife' as the latter sounds like you're saying 'f***ing knife'.

[@markflint2629]

This

[@LythaWausW]

This is hilarious. Reminds me that so many accents don't pronounce the R in words: ) Also, did you know the F word isn't that bad outside of America?

[@stanislavbandur7355]

it reminds me cartoon "The Italian Man Who Went To Malta [FULL VERSION]" here on YT

[@sweetpea_8472]

About eating burgers and pizza with your hand: it depends on where you're eating. At restaurants (where I assume this took place as they talked about the chef, and you generally don't have those at a McDonalds), you generally always eat with a knife and fork, even burgers and pizza.

[@andrewobrien6671]

Did the American talking about Kenya think think it is in Europe

[@Darwidx]

13:10 In Poland, people that didn't seen eachother for a while start talking with "how you doing" and it's literal, your friend is genualy interested what you were doung when he was abscent and this questions could be hard, but it also always make me happy to answer. If some starnger would say something like "how you doing" I would thougth he is doing some report about Jobs or phisical health.

[@Schlachtenhase]

I'm german and it's pretty much the same thing. You never ask strangers how they're doing, you have to be at least acquainted to do so. Also, negative answers like "I have the worst headache today" or "I couldn't sleep last night, so i'm super tired" are super normal - if you're asking for it, you're gonna get the truth.

[@J8922-o4v]

@@Schlachtenhase So true. It's like that where I live in Sweden. Don't ask if you don't want to answer. If it was a stranger it might even be a vounter question; Why would you want to know how I am. I don't know you. But I would be angry, specially if I knew the person was from another country. We all have different uppbringings 😇

[@theshadow2617]

At places like McDonalds everybody eats with the hands, but at other places the Burger is so big that its easier to use fork and knife 2:49

[@Dukenukem]

The waiting staff in europe is more like "Chill out, we are payed by the hours, not how many ppl we serve". Specially annoying when you go for drinking evening and they let you wait with empty glass for more than 10 minutes. "Slow service" can absolutely be "bad service", depends on situation and place.

[@Zagy015]

Keep in mind these are all broad generalizations and may/will vary from village to village, town to town, city to city, region to region etc let alone country to country.

[@SphereOfNoForm]

Yes, we eat burgers with knife and fork here in Sweden. Pizza too. ^^

[@Darwidx]

I was going to say, don't put it on use Europeans, just people in Sweden do things like that, xd (There is a funny phenomen of "Pizza quality", the more far you are from Rome, the worse quality is Pizza and people have less care about it. In Baltics and Scandinavia Pizza culture is basicaly, put a Mayo and eat it with fork, when in most of Europe it's Ketchup/Garlic souce and hands, obviously Italy itself do it in another way and they dislike all of use for how we eat it, XD

[@christopherjensen3034]

Indeed. Even simple primates use tools. Very little food items are eaten with just our hands. Especially in a restaurant.

[@may51973]

Not only in Sweden. I've been to several European countries and I lived in 2 of them, it's common to eat pizza and burger with knife and fork.

[@alicetwain]

Hallo, Italy here. You know, the place where pizza was invented. In a pinch, if you are sitting at a table you eat with friggin' fork and knife. You don't eat with your hands while at the dining table, you monster! If you want a pizza to be eaten with hands you go out and get yourself a pizza a portafoglio (a smaller, softer pizza that gets folded in four, inserted in a piece of paper, and eaten with hands). As for going to restaurants, when we dine out we expect to have the table for at least a couple of hours, if not for the whole evening. If you sit at the table at 8 pm, you will be hardly leaving before 10,30. So if the waiter doesn't give you 10 minutes to read through the menu, decide what yiou want to eat, go wash your hands, before coming back to take the orders, that is considered extremely bad service. And usually the water asks first "Have you already decided what to eat or do you need a little longer?" Also, bringing the check if the table hasn't explicitly asked for it is extreme bad service. You never bring the check until the clients awsked for it, unless you are already past closing time. By the way Fiat cars aren't small. They make a few smaller cars, but most are quite roomy.

[@lyndapet1]

Americans do not consider the effect on the planet of running A/C all the time.Also walking in off the street and eating with your hands is gross.Maybe Americans should stay in USA and then their sensibilities won’t be disturbed by different habits.

[@Stefus87]

It depends on the burger and the pizza. I eat both with and without knife/fork. If the burger gets too big i use knife/fork, simply because it is easier. If a pizza has a lot of topping, especially deep pan, I will use knife/fork too. To be fair, I went to both Denny's in Cali and Gordon Ramsay burger in Las Vegas. Both places people used knife/fork to eat burgers too.

[@vaudevillian7]

Yep same here

[@livb6945]

Swede here. Water pressure in the shower differs throughout the country. Many people eat burgers with their hands here. One experience isn't enough to decide what a person, country or continent is like 😊

[@SchroomMetanoia]

in 2018 during a the world cup, there was a new Burger joint here that was officially "fully american". they advertised that you could reserve a table for a game, watch and enjoy some american food. well I went to try, I reserved a table for me and a friend, and it started out great, nice wings, a good burger. but then at half time, they litterally told us to leave because they had a reservation for the second half... I was like wtf I just wanted to order a second round of wings, but they said the tables are max 1 hour and after that you need to leave... I mean wtf. I was under the impression that if I go to watch a game, that I would have the table for the entire game.... The Burgers were 25 bucks too....yeah I never went back there.

[@LythaWausW]

In my town in Germany there is a really popular Asian restaurant that has strict rules. You can only make reservations for 5pm or 7pm and they close at 9. So you only get two hours max. That's fine I don't need more but I'm not watching a game like you were. Geez.

[@PDVism]

Kettles are pretty much everywhere as far as I know in Europe. I know for a fact that they are common in Belgium, The Netherlands, Britain, Germany, France.... And no, they aren't just used for making tea. There is lots of use for hot water that doesn't involve tea.

[@BlackHoleSpain]

Certainly not in Spain. Why would you need hot water for, if you don't drink tea or coffee?

[@noefillon1749]

Definitely not everywhere in France. I believe more than only 5% have one but not that many more. I don't have any, and have never had one.

[@klarasee806]

@@BlackHoleSpainYou cook in Spain, do you?

[@PDVism]

@@BlackHoleSpain So the only reason for hot water you can think of is tea or coffee? Not our problem that you have limited knowledge and understanding. 1/ Do you think that people in warm countries don't drink tea or coffee? Congrats you just demonstrated that you are uneducated. By the by I guess you never heard of the very Spanish café cortado or the Italian speciality cappuccino or the fact that both hot coffee and hot tea are common drinks in the near, middle and far East. 2/ Hot water that for instance is used in the kitchen to prepare certain things such as boiling some water without using the stove just because a recipe needs a liter or less of water? 3/How about when you want to make some instand noodles/ramen? Oh wait, that's right you don't think that people in hot countries eat or drink anything hot/warm. *facepalm*

[@PDVism]

@@noefillon1749 Your anecdotal evidence doesn''t mean you are correct it just shows you don't get around much. Google "bouilloire électrique france" and try to explain all the French sites offering all kinds of Electric kettles by all kinds of brands in all kinds of shapes and sizes.

[@BingoStarman]

I’m 70 years old and i have never seen someone eating a burger with a fork and knife here in Belgium...

[@adpop750]

1:40 That's just as stupid. What you're saying is in America we keep the house the same temp the whole time, day or night no difference. it's normal that the temp has a natural flow during 24 hours, at night it is cool, in the afternoon it is warm. So it makes a lot more sense to use it only at night to sleep or when it's 105 F. That way you still have that natural flow, you just take off the extremes. like a warm night or 105F afternoon.

[@klarasee806]

You can set a lower temperature for the night than for the day.

[@dre7767]

Jelly+ peanut butter American = Jam + peanut butter everywhere else

[@gerardflynn7382]

Yep, Americans are the only people that call jam a jelly.... Weirdos.

[@giajensen1689]

NO jam OR peanutbutter in Sweden!🇸🇪

[@dommguard]

Idk, I feel disgust even thinking about that and feel myself getting diabetes.

[@dre7767]

@@giajensen1689 its a thing in South Africa with children, I was never a fan I normally have peanut butter and honey

[@jiggyprawn]

@@dre7767 I do this, but on my toast in the morning (I'm a Brit).

[@mif4731]

In Poland, if you ask someone "what's up? ", they will literally tell you what was happening in their life yesterday for example, if you would respond with another "what's up?" It would be considered rude and that persone would think that you are mocking them.

[@IQEGO]

I have to say, as a European (Czech) I always try to eat my burger with hands, it's just the way is should be, right? Well, in some of our restaurants, they make the burger so stupidly high you literally can't even lift it off the plate without the burger disintegrating... I hate it, absolutely hate it. But you just have to use the cuttlery. Also, it's pretty rare to stay in a restaurant for more then 2 hours (except going to pub or celebrating something in like private lounge). Usually, you seat yourself (if there's free space), wait 1 to 10 minutes (depends on if the restaurant is full, if you wait 5 minutes in an empty restaurant it's just bad service) for a waitress to order your drink, then you start choosing your food and you order it when she comes back with your drinks (or you ask for one more minute to decide). So that's about 15 minutes of the visit. Then you wait 10 to 40 minutes for your food, eat it in 30 minutes, maybe get some coffee or another beer or dessert and then you leave. So it's really no more then 2 hours, that's maybe like in Italy of France or Spain, those guys are lazy af.

[@_alifeallmine_]

As an Australian, I always give a smile or acknowledgment when I walk past someone and make Eye contact, I would consider it rude not to.

[@arikesimpelaar7362]

As a Dutchie from a small village, I always smile, nod or make eye contact. It is normal here and perceived rude when you do not do this.

[@_alifeallmine_]

@@arikesimpelaar7362 Yes, I’ve been over there a couple of times, and I always felt I fitted in easily. I love the Netherlands, would live there in a heartbeat.

[@Mullewarp]

In germany this also normal in more rural areas, small towns or villages. But in the big cities nobody is doing it.

[@DreamlikeMoon]

I'm Italian. My mother tought me to wear presentable and with make up every time I go out, it is a form of respect to myself and to other people. Wearing pijiama in grocery stores is some kind of crime 😂

[@alonsoxoraique]

3:20 of course we eat pizza with knife and fork. Do you think we are barbarians?

[@uja11]

I'm from Latvia and I've seen peanut butter only two times in my 29 years on this earth. And both times at the same store on the same shelf that I visit maybe once a year.

[@Jebu911]

Probably the same jar too

[@TheSuperappelflap]

In Netherlands we eat a lot of peanut butter. In fact Im pretty sure we are the ones who brought it to America. But to put it on bread together with jam is disgusting. There are only 2 correct ways to use peanut butter. You put it on bread, without butter, because it already contains enough oil, and then you eat it with a glass of milk on the side. Or, you can make peanut sauce by putting the peanut butter and milk in a pan together with some chili peppers and soy sauce, and heating it until boiling temperature while stirring. Its great with bbq or asian food. Very simple to make. Cheap too.

[@SaraKvammen-tx7qc]

We eat a lot of peanuts/p.butter in Norway. I love it on toast, with ham or jelly.

[@Darwidx]

Are you in some smaller city or bigger one ? In Poland even in ~10 000 city you can found it most bigger shops.

[@uja11]

@@Jebu911 Both times it was just one jar on an empty shelf so not at all impossible that it was the same one

[@Thunderhawk51]

That last part about personal space... Being from Finland, we had difficult times during the pandemic because they told us to be 2 meters apart from each other... That was way closer than we normally were without the virus. They basically told us to get closer to each other with those limits. And if you go to a bus in Finland and every other seat is taken, the bus is considered full. In which case you can either stand on the isle or choose your unlucky victim and sit next to them and not say a word because you are sorry for invading their personal space AND making it harder for them to get off because now you are on their way.

[@Xiroi87]

That varies from country to country, the further north you go in Europe, the bigger the personal space is.

[@LythaWausW]

WOW I need to go to Finland. That's amazing about Covid rules. My next vacation destination.

[@katieb3059]

Those 2 meters were minimum

[@mistylee3692]

The same here in Sweden. We where so relieved when we no longer had be so close to each other.

[@user-bk1lh6ke7n]

That smile you made at the camera when you raised your eyebrows sent shivers down my spine. I grabbed a cushion to hide any indignity I wasn’t even showing…

[@giajensen1689]

3:08 yes we eat pizza with fork and knife because it’s not precut and it has a very thin bottom so you just can’t handle it any other way. Hamburgers - if it’s a facy resturant then I guess we try to be civilized and you fork and knife, especially since the fries is directly on the plate. But usally, no we eat it with hands and mouth and slobber away happily!😊😂🇸🇪

[@mennio100]

I've never seen somebody eating burgers with fork and knife in my life 😂 Cheers from Milano 🇮🇹

[@SuperHawk0413]

In Germany when at home pizza is often eaten with the hands, we cut it with a scissor or knife before, then eat with hands.

[@EVPaddy]

An electrik kettle is useful for hot water in general, much quicker than a stove, at least with 230V

[@majaisalepetrovic9621]

I'm from Eastern Europe (Serbia), and I have had my AC since 2007. It gets very hot in summer here (at least for the last 10-15 years). We also have window screens to keep the mosquitoes and flies away. And yes, we do get ice in our water and sodas. 😄

[@TheFeldhamster]

But you probably get a European amount of ice in your soda, like a lot of soda + some ice. Not like in the US where it's a glass full of ice and the soda only has space in the cracks between the ice, so it's almost no soda at all. Whenever I was in the US and requested my drink "without ice" they tried giving me that European amount of ice (because to them, that's "no ice") and I had to always explain that no, I really mean zero ice. At one restaurant where they'd serve lemonade in big jugs for the whole table I had to request an extra glass and a spoon to fish the ice out of my glass after pouring because they wouldn't prepara a jug with no ice (or even less ice).

[@majaisalepetrovic9621]

@@TheFeldhamsterYou're right, it's the medium amount of ice, like 5-6 cubes. However, when you order a soda here, say a Coke, Fanta or a Sprite, you get either a bottle or a can of soda and a glass, with or without ice per request (I usually tell them that in advance, if the bottles are kept in the fridge, I don't want any ice).

[@missharry5727]

When we were children and went shopping with our mum we always seemed to end up having a milk shake in a coffee shop. We assumed this was part of the process till we realised that in fact it meant that my mother was desperate for a cigarette but had been brought up to consider it unspeakably vulgar to smoke while walking around.

[@hellmalm]

"-I got an itch!" Is now going to be my standard reply to: "- How are you?" lamo! yes, as a European I think I can get away with it!

[@kayew5492]

That reminds me of how my ex gf and her mates used to troll each other, by calling across the street ''Has that rash gone yet?'' while gesturing vaguely downward...

[@BobKernow]

A pretty standard UK greeting, kind of equivalent to 'How are you' is 'Alright?', and the answer is 'Yeah, you alright?' .

[@infin8ee]

Australian is similar , "how are you going ?" or "g'day " in passing.

[@CROM-on1bz]

Here in France if you go to Mcdo you have no choice, you eat your burger with your fingers since they don't provide cutlery, on the other hand not being particularly suicidal, I avoid eating in this kind of "restaurant". On the other hand eating a pizza with your hands seems to me to be an obvious lack of hygiene (even if you washed your hands before eating, which should be the norm). In a big city, no people are not going to say hello or smile when they pass each other, on the other hand in the villages it is a basic politeness, even if they are strangers. As for baby shovers, it is something totally unknown, perhaps a background of old superstition, like how it could bring bad luck to the woman and the child?

[@sooskevington6144]

An electric kettle is used for many more reasons than just boiling water for tea. Any reason for needing boiling water - switching the kettle on is the quickest way to get your boiling water. Making any hot drink, filling a hot water bottle, filling a bucket for floor mopping, filling a saucepan to cook vegetables, boil eggs. The list goes on.

[@NineBerry]

European Restaurants generally make money from the drinks they sell, not from the actual food or tips. So they want you to stay as long as possible so that you order multiple rounds of drinks. (Remember, even water isn't free, but quite expensive)

[@Xiroi87]

Country? Tap water is free i Spain and restaurants DO make a profit from the food. Not from tips, which are for the waiters only.

[@NineBerry]

@@Xiroi87 Situation I describe I know mostly from Germany, Austria, Netherlands, etc

[@haraberu]

There are different styles of eating * Bento style (lunch box)- everyone brings their own lunchbox with a simple homemade sandwich. Usually eat with your hands, no tip (but sometimes you kiss the cook). * Mäcces style (McDonalds)- Fast food. Whether you leave your trash on the table or bring it to the trash can varies by country. Usually eat with your hands, no tip. * Mensa style (university cafeteria)- You pick up a tray and line up at the counter. You get your food on a normal reusable plate, which you return to a cart or a conveyor belt near the kitchen. Eat with your hands if it's pizza, no tip. * Fine dining - Sit down, a server takes your order, brings the food to your table, cleans up after you leave. Fork and knife even for pizza/burger, customary 10% tip if the service 'meets expectations' (more for exceptional service or if you made a mess; less or none if the service was bad or you're a butthole)

[@SiqueScarface]

18:00 It means that in Europe, you also wear more formal clothes at home. I own a pair of sweatpants, but that's exclusively for excercising.

[@LythaWausW]

I hope your jeans are stretch jeans.

[@SiqueScarface]

@@LythaWausW Most of them are, as you don't get no-stretch jeans anymore, but I don't like them very much.

[@katieb3059]

You really spoke for whole Europe? All 46 countries?

[@SiqueScarface]

@@katieb3059 No. I was talking about averages.

[@katieb3059]

@@SiqueScarface where'd you get your data from?

[@marionhansen3627]

I lived in the UK in the eighties and was inteoduced to peanutbutter and jam or peanutbutter and banana. They’ve been my total faves ever since. Tomato sandwich is so scrummy! We don’t use AC as much overhere in Denmark because the summer is so damn short! Why bother😂 And it’s to fu..in’ expencive! Our dads do push the stroller more than they used to. I guess it’s partly due to the great paternaty leave we have overhere. They actually get to experience time together with their child while it’s still an infant😊

[@laurentpaumier3103]

I'm french with posh education and i would eat a burger with fork and knife only in a very very fancy restaurant. Yes there is a difference between US and Europe. Yes it's big. But not as much as some people say. For the pizza, it's different, we eat it with fork and knife when in a restaurant. It's normal. Btw, the thing about water pressure is bs. This video is bs.

[@annyspb1]

Back in 69, several of my family (we're Corrnish, i.e. British) were in Belize, Central America, and my Yankee sister in law introduced me to peanut butter and banana sandwiches. Since then, I've had various variations on the theme, but now I have crunchy almond butter and banana sandwiches. Glad to have been introduced to them!

[@BrianMac2601]

Why do most Americans assume an electric kettle is only used for tea, I've heard that so many times. I don't know whether to laugh or pity them lol.

[@sharonmartin4036]

Because they don't use them for anything really.

[@BlackHoleSpain]

In Spain we don't use kettles, let alone electric appliances given its price (~14 cents/kWh) and our misery salaries. Many people spend 75+% of their income just to pay rent.

[@BrianMac2601]

@sharonmartin4036 but they think they're ONLY used to make tea, which is obviously stupid lol.

[@BrianMac2601]

@BlackHoleSpain so do you mostly use gas appliances instead, you've got to use something to cook.

[@karlbmiles]

Most Americans don't use a kettle at all. We use the microwave for instant or small portions of water.

[@Lornext]

I hate it so much when Americans use the "How are you", I get that a lot because I deal a lot with Americans and have American friends.

[@jmi5969]

Why would indoor temperature rise above 72F, at all? The maximum indoor temperature recorded in my summer country house (no AC!) is 23C, or 73F. That's on a nice warm day when daytime temperature hovered around 40C (100-105F) in the shade. And, conversely, winter indoor temperature (no heating!) stays at around +7C at floor level even when it's -30C outdoors. All this in a cheapest possible build (30cm thick Swedish slab, 60cm aerated concrete walls, no fancy insulation membranes).

[@TheSuperappelflap]

Well, depends on how your house is built. My place has a massive window facing south, so in winter if the sun is shining, I dont need to turn on the heating and its 20 degrees inside. But in summer if its 40 degrees and the sun is shining, it gets very hot. I dont have AC though, I just go enjoy the AC at work and then sleep on the floor in the living room at night where its slightly cooler than upstairs.

[@elmurcis1]

@@TheSuperappelflap For more northern climate having a bit wider "overedge" of roof (also helps with snow "slideoff") usually limits this issue - low winter Sun (it can be as low as ~10 degrees above horizon where I live) still gets in room while higher summer sun (peak is ~55 degrees in sky) is blocked by roof.

[@TheSuperappelflap]

@@elmurcis1 Yeah my house doesnt have that, its a flat roof without any overhang, but I can put a tarp up in the backyard to limit the sunshine in the summers, so that helps.

[@jmi5969]

@@TheSuperappelflap "If the sun is shining"... lucky. We, on average, have exactly one sunny day in January, and it's only 3-4 hours long at best.

[@TheSuperappelflap]

@@jmi5969 sure, if you live in the polar circle in canada or scandinavia you wont get any sun in winter. I live at around 52 degrees north, and the days are only 8 hours long in the heart of winter, but we do still get some clear days with some sunshine, and then having some big windows and good insulation really helps with heating.

[@Lancor84]

In Germany never seen anybody trying to eat a burger with fork and knive. A pizza only if you were at a high class restaurant. But some pizza shops don't precut your pizza (and they get bad rep because of this but don't care). Then you would obviously either use a pizza roller or a knive+fork combo to cut it before eating it with your hands.

[@giajensen1689]

13:32 In Sweden you are acculy wanting to know how the other person is. Otherwise we use Hej (hi) like you word hay, that’s how we pronaunce it! 🇸🇪

[@stannumowl]

Same in Poland, but instead of Hej it's often Cześć. Or "Dzień dobry" if you need to speak in official way

[@heindaddel2531]

If you approach an elderly person in the street in Germany with the German equivalent of „how are you?“, bring some time because the person may tell you about his/her illness record 😂

[@lillanlofgren7424]

I am from Sweden and I never eat burger with fork and knife . I have never seen somebody who does that . We also share the one year parenting time between the mother and the father

[@may51973]

Even in a restaurant? The only place where I eat burger with hands is in McDonald's kind of place which I normally don't go

[@TRW98]

Why would you eat a burger with your hands? Then they get all dirty.

[@enginerd80]

I live in Finland and here burgers are wrapped in paper. So I hold the burger _through the paper_ , not directly the burger with my fingers. (It's not just about the burger not messing my fingers but also my fingers not messing the burger, because there isn't always a chance to wash the hands before eating.) But I don't know how it's done where you live 🤷.

[@jiggyprawn]

Napkins are often provided for that.

[@TRW98]

@@jiggyprawn yes but napkins don't work optimale. Because it doesn't clean it totally. That needs to be done with water. And why cure something what you can prevent?

[@jiggyprawn]

@@TRW98 I couple mine with hand gel (which I always have in my bag), so no grease is left. I prefer to use a knife and fork, though. Edit: some fast food places I've ordered home delivery for provide those plastic wrapped wet wipes, which some people carry around for such an occasion.

[@larissahorne9991]

That family had been living in Australia for over a decade and still hadn't seen how Aussies eat fish and chips. Earlier in that day, those Austrian parents had been praising me for being such a lady. He knew what he was talking about, having lived in a mansion in Vienna as a child. He's from an old Austrian family. My grandmother immigrated from Finland as a child, along with her family. Everyone who knew her said that she was such a lovely lady. She led by example in my family. For example, my mum has been praised with similar words. That's why they were shocked when a group of us had fish and chips that evening. They couldn't believe their eyes when I started eating it with my hands. Their eldest son, who was a little boy when they immigrated, said that he wanted to try it. But his parents wouldn't let him. They asked one of my fellow Aussies if what was doing really was normal in Australia, and he said it was. Their son probably has eaten fish and chips with his hands since marrying his Aussie wife. One last comment.

[@BlackHoleSpain]

In my place nobody would be crazy enough to eat fries along with fish.

[@Xiroi87]

@BlackHoleSpain no idea where you live in Spain, but chips (fries is US English) are often served with fried fish, even if many will choose salad instead. Check next time fried fish is offered in a menú del día.

[@ronuss]

i eat both pizza and burgers witha knife and fork, its just less messy

[@abigailjohnson4270]

Ok. My mum wouldn’t leave the house without full make up on. Things became a tad more relaxed after Covid re wearing comfies as people literally lived in them as we were all indoors. But that clothing generally still stays for indoors - I have indoor stuff, and outdoor clothes and I get changed before I go out, & when I get home. I’ve seen videos of people in Walmart wearing erm, well next to nothing. Or clothing 5 sizes too small/utterly inappropriate 😮. But if you’re running out to grab a kid’s medicine or just some bread and milk… nope, we still change for that lol

[@SiqueScarface]

3:45 You could get a shower at the 60 psi the tap water has, but most shower heads in Europe have a pressure reduction valve. Just take off the shower head and replace it with the one from a watering pot.

[@The0Stroy]

In Poland, advertisements of prescription drugs are banned and over-the-counter drugs advertisements come with information to consult a doctor/pharmacist.