America, 5 things.

[Voyager36]

It's never made the bucket list

Yeah, and a Westerner's trip to Egypt right now might end up coming back IN a bucket, so I'll pass on that as well for the near future.

[Voyager36]

Houses look like sheds. Construction methods here makes me wonder - probably houses are built from cardboard. May be it is ok in Florida but in Seattle winter temperatures are around zero, rains and snows. When you open the door, you find urself on couch in living room and all passer-bies can see what u are doing.

I meant not material only but planning decisions also. if americans wear shoes in apartments they need not place to take its off as well as place where to put coats and hats - couch in living room seems the proper place for it. 
Russian standards say that street and internal space should be separated by two (in some regions -three) doors, thats means vestibule be mandatory.

My wife was shocked to see houses where the front door opened up right into the living room...

The front door of most American houses opens to an entry hall with the living room to one side.   People on the street can not see the couch through the door but probably thorough a window.   The living room is considered public space and inviting for guests.   

Unfortunately it's getting more common to eliminate the hall to maximize floor space in new houses.

[ML]

My wife was shocked to see houses where the front door opened up right into the living room...Unfortunately it's getting more common to eliminate the hall to maximize floor space in new houses.

Well imagine the shock of a 'westerner' when first visiting and staying in FSU apartments where there is no hallway connecting the inner rooms of the home.

i.e. Everyone walks through the first 'room' (which is actually someone's bedroom at night) to get to a second room (which is also a bedroom at night).

So FSU folks like an entry hallway to leave shoes and coats; but don't mind (the absence of an inner hallway) walking through someone else's sleeping area (or have someone walk through their own sleeping area) to get to another sleeping area.

We are all pretty weird, if we are closed minded.

[GQBlues]

Well imagine the shock of a 'westerner' when first visiting and staying in FSU apartments where there is no hallway connecting the inner rooms of the home.

i.e. Everyone walks through the first 'room' (which is actually someone's bedroom at night) to get to a second room (which is also a bedroom at night).

So FSU folks like an entry hallway to leave shoes and coats; but don't mind (the absence of an inner hallway) walking through someone else's sleeping area (or have someone walk through their own sleeping area) to get to another sleeping area.

We are all pretty weird, if we are closed minded.

LOL.

There was a short discussion here not too long ago about the practice of changing your clothing worn outside upon returning home. The logic was that the outside worn clothing carried with it 'dirt', and thus it isn't sanitary to be worn inside the home.

But then, why hang these dirty clothes beside the 'clean' ones in the closets and not just directly toss them to a hamper to be washed? Pretty soon, everyone's closet will soon be thick with mud and dirt, and likely along with the 'inside only *clean* clothing, no?

[mendeleyev]

Mrs. Mendeleyeva's description of houses in the Western USA: A two-three car garage with an attached apartment behind the garage.

Her description of housing in the Midwest: A basement with a garage on the bottom floor and apartment above the garage.

Her description of Boston area housing: Why does every family need their own personal Dunkin' Donuts?

Her description of Florida houses: Nice boat dock. Where do they live?

Her idea of East Coast housing, outside NY city, in the country: Does every family have a barn?

Her impression of NY City apartments (also Chicago): Now that is a proper living space.

Her preference if not NYC or Chicago: West Coast.  A two-three car garage with an attached apartment behind the garage.

[Voyager36]

LOL.

There was a short discussion here not too long ago about the practice of changing your clothing worn outside upon returning home. The logic was that the outside worn clothing carried with it 'dirt', and thus it isn't sanitary to be worn inside the home.

Yes, the logic of the better half in this regard escapes me.
But resistance is futile. 

[Chicagoguy]

A friend of mine comes here every 2 years from Siberia and goes shopping for these "indoor" clothes. BUT, he insists on the ugliest pieces possible. When some chinos or decent shirts can be had at Marshalls or T.J. Maxx he will pay even more for schlock at the same stores.

[GQBlues]

Whynotme-

The salad you speak of is actually shrimp salad based on the picture you attached. I agree, it looks terrible. The lettuce, technically, isn't meant for consumption. If you look closer, you can see it's fairly wilted and even have brown spots in it already. They were meant to 'hold' the main delight and dress the plate.

My suspicion is, wherever that pic was taken, isn't a very good place to eat at. Those lodging eateries are just as bad as the comfort drive-bys sometimes.

[Faux Pas]

What?!? But the Taj Mahal did?   

Heh heh, yeah well, that's what happens when you override the bucket list

[whynotme]

Whynotme-

The salad you speak of is actually shrimp salad based on the picture you attached. I agree, it looks terrible. The lettuce, technically, isn't meant for consumption. If you look closer, you can see it's fairly wilted and even have brown spots in it already. They were meant to 'hold' the main delight and dress the plate.

My suspicion is, wherever that pic was taken, isn't a very good place to eat at. Those lodging eateries are just as bad as the comfort drive-bys sometimes.

Restraunt in Snowquamie area  Believe me, other places were even worth  I got used to no salt and just oil in salads so can't even look on favourite american fish and chips

[GQBlues]

LOL. Now you know which place not to go to again anytime soon, Whynotme. I promise you though, they're not all like that and they do get much, much better. I'm somewhat surprised to learn they'd actually serve that type of shrimp salad in a state that border the northern Pacific coastline.

Too bad one of Fogo de Chao's location is in the wrong 'Washington' cause had you been in one close by, know they have a fresh, to-die-for salad bar. Of course, the caveat there is that you don't really want to fill up with the salad as the meats they serve is the main dish/es.

It gets better Whynotme. I promise you...

[Jumper]

I have actually been to the Great Pyramids just west of Cairo, as well as to Great Sphinx, etc.

How many others here, have been there?

Glad I got my trip in when I did, rather than risk it now.

However, I did not make it down south to the Valley of the Kings and Queens.

Several times actually.

[Wayne]

We went by charter plane from Kyiv to Hurghada. Then made basicly a clockwise trip around Egypt. First by van with driver and guide to Luxor Temple. Then several days on a cruse up the Nile, stopping at many monuments.

We saw:  Karnak, Temple of Hatshepsut, Valley of the Kings, Abu Simbel, Sphinx and the three pyrimids at Giza.  We took the over night train from Aswan to Giza. We were not part of any tour group.

It is typical to see bus loads of tourists all together staying close to their guide. However, my wife already studied Egypt and actually knows more about the monuments than any of the guides we had, which was at least five difference people. The guide we liked the best was actually a Russian woman. Usually, we just told our guide to wait for us at the entrance to the monument, and we guided outself!

We did go into a few places that may have been off limits, but got away with it! I know we took photographs in some places where you were not supposed to.

The pyramids are empty inside, so if you want to see anything you need to spend a whole day at the museum in Cairo. Most of the other monuments are more interesting than the pyramids. You can buy a special ticket and go inside one of the pyramids, but find just an empty space inside. Other then that, you cannot get close up to the pyramids, and certainly not climb them!

The dam at Aswan, I believe, is the widest in the world. USSR and USA paid for most of the construction.

The two temples at Abu Simbel were moved to higher ground when they were forming the lake created by the dam. They cut them into pieces and moved them stone by stone.

The last few days of our trip were spent at a hotel complex on the Red Sea in Hurghada. There were a lot of fish very close to shore, even jelly fish, morey eels, and so on. We never saw a cloud in the sky.

On the Nile cruse, you go through some locks. At night, we saw an interesting display of lights! When we got close enough, we saw that it was a bridge, then we went under it.

[whynotme]

what is common between Egypt and USA except this?

[SANDRO43]

what is common between Egypt and USA except this?

Actually, that is a Freemasons' symbol or two , their lodges (meeting halls) include several Egyptian symbolic references - e.g. to Isis and Osiris -  in addition to Hebrew ones like the Temple of Solomon and its supposed Chief Architect Hiram.

[Chicagoguy]

Sandro comes through again !!!

[whynotme]

Actually, that is a Freemasons' symbol or two , their lodges (meeting halls) include several Egyptian symbolic references - e.g. to Isis and Osiris -  in addition to Hebrew ones like the Temple of Solomon and its supposed Chief Architect Hiram.

Actually, I know  ... Is Aloe visiting Egypt now?

[SANDRO43]

Is Aloe visiting Egypt now?

I don't think so, otherwise she might have started a thread on "Egypt, the 1,000 and 1 Things I Don't Like" .

Shahrazad telling a story to the Sultan