# Cultural Things



## Iron Horse (Apr 10, 2008)

I'm curious as to what expats looking to come to the US hear or read about in their home country about things they should do or should not do when coming to the US. As an example, I read about things in China where it is said not to give clocks as gifts because it symbolizes time ending and death therefore it's a bad gift. Because I'm an American I can't see some of the crazy things we might do or believe here, so I'm hoping others can point some things out for me.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

First time I was in Europe, I got into the habit of reading French and German travel guides to the US to see what they had to say. The big surprise to me was their warning about the currency. Not only are the bills all the same size and color, but the coins in the US have no numbers on them, which is terribly confusing for foreigners.

When checking the US coins I found it's even worse - the nickel and dime actually say "one nickel" and "one dime" and nothing about 5 or 10. I'd never noticed it before, but the coins in the US are really very unfriendly towards foreigners.
Cheers,
Bev


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## marcnotrust (Oct 2, 2010)

Bevdeforges said:


> First time I was in Europe, I got into the habit of reading French and German travel guides to the US to see what they had to say. The big surprise to me was their warning about the currency. Not only are the bills all the same size and color, but the coins in the US have no numbers on them, which is terribly confusing for foreigners.
> 
> When checking the US coins I found it's even worse - the nickel and dime actually say "one nickel" and "one dime" and nothing about 5 or 10. I'd never noticed it before, but the coins in the US are really very unfriendly towards foreigners.
> Cheers,
> Bev


Ive recently got back from the states and found my self staring at coins trying to figure out which one I had ha ha ha.


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## nat21 (Oct 10, 2010)

Bevdeforges said:


> First time I was in Europe, I got into the habit of reading French and German travel guides to the US to see what they had to say. The big surprise to me was their warning about the currency. Not only are the bills all the same size and color, but the coins in the US have no numbers on them, which is terribly confusing for foreigners.
> 
> When checking the US coins I found it's even worse - the nickel and dime actually say "one nickel" and "one dime" and nothing about 5 or 10. I'd never noticed it before, but the coins in the US are really very unfriendly towards foreigners.
> Cheers,
> Bev


My cousin from England was surprised and confused because the nickel was bigger than the dime.


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## Iron Horse (Apr 10, 2008)

I was in Germany for the holidays and my friend mentioned that same issue. Also asked them about seeing the number 1 in written form because we typically just make a straight line down, along with the "," and "." on price tags in stores.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

Iron Horse said:


> I was in Germany for the holidays and my friend mentioned that same issue. Also asked them about seeing the number 1 in written form because we typically just make a straight line down, along with the "," and "." on price tags in stores.


The form of the number 1 is a source of confusion, also the uncrossed 7 (which kind of looks like the European 1). 

There's also the way Americans write their dates: 1/10 is January 10th to Americans, but the 1st of October in Europe.

And the American "resistance" to metric measurements. I can freak out my American friends if I use my GPS when I'm over there, since it tells me to "turn left in 400 meters." 
Cheers,
Bev


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## Fatbrit (May 8, 2008)

in jurisdictions that have sales tax, the price you see is often not the price you pay since the tax is added on. Just to add to the confusion, gas (petrol) is a common exception to this rule.


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## Fatbrit (May 8, 2008)

Bevdeforges said:


> And the American "resistance" to metric measurements. I can freak out my American friends if I use my GPS when I'm over there, since it tells me to "turn left in 400 meters."


Unless you're on the I-19 south of Tucson....where the distances on the road signs are given in km!


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## nat21 (Oct 10, 2010)

Fatbrit said:


> in jurisdictions that have sales tax, the price you see is often not the price you pay since the tax is added on. Just to add to the confusion, gas (petrol) is a common exception to this rule.


The sales tax confuses me. First we have them in NYC then we didn't have them on clothing and shoes $110 and under. Then we had them on those items and then we didn't, now we do and it was increased in August.


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## Iron Horse (Apr 10, 2008)

More so than these items I'm hoping to understand things like why as American's we don't tempt fate by "knocking on wood" after saying something or athletes not stepping on the walk chalked line when they take the field/pitch for play. I know some of the Premier League players do the same thing, but with more sporting events going on here it seems like it happens more often.


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## theresoon (Apr 11, 2008)

I heard the notes and coins too. Another is the food/drink portions in restaurants.

One of the first I had heard when I had moved to the States a zillion years ago was not wearing white in winter!

That everyone in NYC knows of someone in the mafia.
That Newyorkers are co friendly and talk so much.


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## Newyorkaise (Nov 30, 2010)

Not just in winter, Theresoon: the rule is no white between Labor Day and Memorial Day...unless it's "winter white" which is a sort of cream color. And when I lived in San Francisco, the rule was expanded to "no white shoes EVER!"

And we New Yorkers are noted not only for talking a lot, but also for breaking into another person's sentence the second that person pauses to take a breath.


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## theresoon (Apr 11, 2008)

Newyorkaise said:


> Not just in winter, Theresoon: the rule is no white between Labor Day and Memorial Day...unless it's "winter white" which is a sort of cream color. And when I lived in San Francisco, the rule was expanded to "no white shoes EVER!"
> 
> And we New Yorkers are noted not only for talking a lot, but also for breaking into another person's sentence the second that person pauses to take a breath.



Well, we have a lot to say and a lot of people to say it to!


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## anneteoh (Mar 20, 2010)

This OP lingered on my mind as it is opening a culturally sensitive issue related to people's beliefs and suspicions or just a take-for-granted norm. 

Additionally, I am beginning to form a very good impression of this expat forum as the place for cool discussions; and of course, Bev springs to mind too; for all her wonderful helpful encouragements. It feels good to know that here, in this forum, expats have open minds and warm hearts and a genral parity at conversations. Moreover, there is a relieved absence of trolls. I would want to rate this forum, spearheaded by this thread, an above 5 stars rating.

Ironhorse, I'm SE Asian Chinese/British and I and many of the Chinese I know will not take any offence to having clocks as presents, though you have a point about some Chinese having a lot of associative superstitions e.g. using the word number 4 which is phonically the same as death. So I try to avoid using this number to friends on certain occasions. 

In the UK, we say 'touch wood' as a deterrent to bad things developing as different from the American 'knock on wood.' So wood as an element can be considered both as a protector against bad things and a conveyor of bad things! 

In general, I believe this subject of folk superstitions touch on all alike except the scientic-minded and pure sceptics. So I guess I can consider myself as one of this kind as I don't believe in any superstiton; yet, when writing or sending gifts, it's important to remember cultural difference and avoid sending the wrong impressions.

But on the whole, it's always nice to get any presents except a box of cockroaches ( as a friend had sent during our girlish school days ).


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## Sunset (Jan 24, 2011)

Newyorkaise said:


> And we New Yorkers are noted not only for talking a lot, but also for breaking into another person's sentence the second that person pauses to take a breath.


We also stab people in the front. We don't waste time turning them around.  Backstabbing just isn't our style!


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

Sunset said:


> We also stab people in the front. We don't waste time turning them around.  Backstabbing just isn't our style!


Just throw them in front of the bus:>)


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## theresoon (Apr 11, 2008)

twostep said:


> Just throw them in front of the bus:>)


or the subway


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## Sunset (Jan 24, 2011)

No, No, No!!! We would never disrupt public transportation!!!


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## Iron Horse (Apr 10, 2008)

Another one that I can think of, which might not be quite so pronounced, is that of finding a penny on the ground with it's head up............and all day long you'll have good luck. I would have to go back over thirty years to actually recall hearing the saying, but nonetheless.


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## anneteoh (Mar 20, 2010)

Or finding a four leaf clover which I thought I once did, but it could have come from a dream.


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

My husband "feeds" his clan symbol with corn meal.


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## theresoon (Apr 11, 2008)

Sunset said:


> No, No, No!!! We would never disrupt public transportation!!!


You must have never lived in NYC.


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## Sunset (Jan 24, 2011)

theresoon said:


> You must have never lived in NYC.


Humor failure?? 

Born and raised there.


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## theresoon (Apr 11, 2008)

Sunset said:


> Humor failure??
> 
> Born and raised there.


hmmm....Sorry I actually witnessed that happening, so it's something I will never get out of my mind.


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## theresoon (Apr 11, 2008)

Reversing this idea of culture shock, as I was driving around Nicosia today I was thinking that an American driving around the UK, Cyprus and maybe some other places will be shocked by this idea of a roundabout.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

theresoon said:


> Reversing this idea of culture shock, as I was driving around Nicosia today I was thinking that an American driving around the UK, Cyprus and maybe some other places will be shocked by this idea of a roundabout.


Not if you are from the Boston area. They're called "rotaries" but they are the same thing.

Have also seen a couple articles in US newspapers in the last few years talking about how roundabouts are springing up all over the US in the last several years. Apparently used for the same reason they do them here in France - to slow people down. (And here you thought they were to move traffic through an intersection.)
Cheers,
Bev


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## Sunset (Jan 24, 2011)

theresoon said:


> hmmm....Sorry I actually witnessed that happening, so it's something I will never get out of my mind.


My original comment was a twist on the saying "stabbed in the back", as in betrayal or getting over on someone ("I can't believe he stabbed me in the back). I didn't not mean it literally.

I heard the "frontal" statement made by a British guy living in New York City and he said that was one of the things he liked about New Yorkers. 

We are known to be very direct!


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