What things about USA/Europe makes your RW laugh?

[BillyB]

They didnt 'lose' her! - She merely relocated! We are only 7 hours away by plane door to door (by comparison if she moved to Moscow and took a train it takes 18 hours from her old town) Plus she calls them more now than she did when she lived across town! 

Well, that's all the Kazakh traders wanted to do with Russian money is to safely relocate it in nearby Kazakhstan only a few hours away.

My best flights were with United airlines, British airways, and Aeroflot going to international destinations. My worst was with Canadian Airlines international and most domestic American filghts. The Canadian airline flight was bad because I was in an older model plane with less features and I didn't like the music selected for the flight. I get a kick out of the clapping when landing on flights withing the FSU. Thanks for the ride.


http://www.metacafe.com/watch/223365/flight_landing/

http://www.break.com/index/planelands.html

[55North]

Wow!

[LatinSwede]

With all the things going on in the world that could upset people.  Getting upset over such a small thing makes me think you could use a swift furious spanish slap yourself. 

I've recieved more than my share of Spanish slaps myself during my younger days. In Junior high, a Puerto Rican girl punched me in my rib cage.  A Korean girl hit me with a shoe.  Though I must admit, I was behaving in a manner less than a gentleman.

I don't think I'm too bent out of shape over fake smiles.  Just responding with a blank expression does the trick.

I still laugh when I recall the times I've gone to the local neighborhood stores in Ukraine.  Instead of service with a smile, the lady behind the counter gives me the "What the hell do you want?!" look.  If only I could take a picture.  I've also noticed how everything, and I mean everything is behind the counter, or in a glass display case.  It's like everybody is a suspected shoplifter.

[PeeWee]

I've recieved more than my share of Spanish slaps myself during my younger days. In Junior high, a Puerto Rican girl punched me in my rib cage.  A Korean girl hit me with a shoe.  Though I must admit, I was behaving in a manner less than a gentleman.

I don't think I'm too bent out of shape over fake smiles.  Just responding with a blank expression does the trick.

I still laugh when I recall the times I've gone to the local neighborhood stores in Ukraine.  Instead of service with a smile, the lady behind the counter gives me the "What the hell do you want?!" look.  If only I could take a picture.  I've also noticed how everything, and I mean everything is behind the counter, or in a glass display case.  It's like everybody is a suspected shoplifter.

Reminds me of a joke. Two guys are passing time before a flight by chatting and drinking coffee at an airport coffeeshop. One guys says to the other, "I can usually tell the airline by the flight attendants uniform.  What this." 

He spots an FA wearing a red uniform, approaches her and says, "Your free to move about the county." He smiles, "Southwest. Right?" 

She smiles, "Yep! And have a nice day, sir!"

His friend says, "Not bad," then points to a fellow dressed in a dark blue uniform. "What about that guy?"

The expert approaches the guy, "Fly the friendly skys. United. Right?"

The FA smiles, "Yep. And you have a very nice day, sir."

Finally an attractive women enters the shop, sits down, and begins to read a book. "Now that one is a tough one. I'm at a loss as to which airline." So he approaches the lady. "Excuse me, Miss."

She looks up, glares at him and says, "What in fuk you want?"

He returns to his friend and says, "Aeroflot."

Peevee

[docetae]

Canadian exists no more ...and since Air Canada is out of Chapter 11 (not exactly but the canadian equivalent) , the quality is going down again, they are cutting on all costs.

Best experience was with BA and Air France, worst was with Egypt Air and Ukrainian airline ... With Ukrainian Airlines, the temperature was freezing in the plane, cabin crew was rude, they do not have blankets on board ... The good thing is that was a good way to start a talk with the nice blond seated near me. We exchanged contacts after the flight but she was too old for me (probably 35)

[PeeWee]

Canadian exists no more ...and since Air Canada is out of Chapter 11 (not exactly but the canadian equivalent) , the quality is going down again, they are cutting on all costs.

Best experience was with BA and Air France, worst was with Egypt Air and Ukrainian airline ... With Ukrainian Airlines, the temperature was freezing in the plane, cabin crew was rude, they do not have blankets on board ... The good thing is that was a good way to start a talk with the nice blond seated near me. We exchanged contacts after the flight but she was too old for me (probably 35)

The worst service that I have ever heard of was last summer. An Aeroflot flight from somewhere in Russia to somewhere else. One of the passengers becomes drunk, causes a stir, and several of the cabin crew beat  him up. Now that is the ultimate is customer service.

Peevee

[Wild Orchid*]

I’m quite sure that every Russian is annoyed by How are you … First of all when we ask the same back home similar question, it addressed to people who we really know and interested in. Here… OK it is just a greeting, the same like Wasup, brother? and all you have to say is to thank a person for asking and ask him/her the same question. It is ridicules at work places, it is too long and pointless and you have to repeat it to everyone. But my boss is more strange than anyone else. I’m OK about greeting each other when we come to work in the morning. Few hours later he announces that he goes to the meeting, fine, it is not that I am really interested where he goes. 30 min -1 hour later he comes back, stops me from doing what ever I am doing and says “Hi, Svetlana! How are you today?“ The same I was 1 hour ago, what did you expect?

[PeeWee]

I’m quite sure that every Russian is annoyed by How are you … First of all when we ask the same back home similar question, it addressed to people who we really know and interested in. Here… OK it is just a greeting, the same like Wasup, brother? and all you have to say is to thank a person for asking and ask him/her the same question. It is ridicules at work places, it is too long and pointless and you have to repeat it to everyone. But my boss is more strange than anyone else. I’m OK about greeting each other when we come to work in the morning. Few hours later he announces that he goes to the meeting, fine, it is not that I am really interested where he goes. 30 min -1 hour later he comes back, stops me from doing what ever I am doing and says “Hi, Svetlana! How are you today?“ The same I was 1 hour ago, what did you expect?

I like the logic of the Russian thought process. I agree with you WO, it does get to the point of absurd sometimes. We Americans are the most insincerly polite society on the planet I am affraid.

Peevee

[Wild Orchid*]

My boss is Australian but if we are talking about American politeness I’ll tell you another story. We went to Urulu, you know,,, the rock in the middle of Australia, and there we had a dinner in the middle of the desert (I hope I spell it correctly), something like 100 people were attending, tourists of all sorts. It was in the middle of thee winter and when the sun finally came down, it became very cold. So sometime later we all got up and tried to warm ourselves around fire places mixing with whoever. Of course people picked my accent very quickly and asked were I was from. Russia, I say. Face of one middle aged woman changes, her eyes are bright. She says to me You know, we, Americans, have very low opinion of you, Russians. Not only me but everyone else is in the state of shock 


I think I told this story before, sorry if you had to read it again.

[LatinSwede]

My boss is Australian but if we are talking about American politeness I’ll tell you another story. We went to Urulu, you know,,, the rock in the middle of Australia, and there we had a dinner in the middle of the desert (I hope I spell it correctly), something like 100 people were attending, tourists of all sorts. It was in the middle of thee winter and when the sun finally came down, it became very cold. So sometime later we all got up and tried to warm ourselves around fire places mixing with whoever. Of course people picked my accent very quickly and asked were I was from. Russia, I say. Face of one middle aged woman changes, her eyes are bright. She says to me You know, we, Americans, have very low opinion of you, Russians. Not only me but everyone else is in the state of shock 


I think I told this story before, sorry if you had to read it again.

Somebody should have told that woman that thecold war is long over.  At a family dinner, one of my aunts naively asked me, if my fiance has to stand in long lines for bread and cabbage.  She also asked if she's in the communist party.  I felt very embarrased.   

I'm not exactly the ideal apple pie baseball American myself.  Yesterday at a job interview the HR lady asked me "how long have you been in America?  You speak English so well!".  I was born and raised a US citizen and some silly fool talks to me like I just got off the boat.  It's not the first time I've encountered dumbness like this.

[catzenmouse]

WO,

 I have often been disappointed in how little many (maybe most) Americans in general know nothing about other cultures, other countries, and the world in general. When I first moved back from living in Nova Scotia, Canada I was asked what state in the U.S Nova Scotia was in. Very sad to see such a vast array of otherwise decent people who cannot or will not get out of the tiny bubble they live in. The less exposure someone has to other cultures the more set in their beliefs they are regardless of whether those beliefs simply come from political rhetoric, family prejudices, television, etc. or if they have any basis in fact at all.

 Of course there are many who are exactly the opposite of this so the above is a generalization of my experiences, and in forums such as RWD we get a bit spoiled by having a great variety of those adventuresome souls who have made a point of getting to know other people and cultures. Apart from the bit of infighting we have here from time to time this is a good bunch of people.

Enough rambling now...
 Ken

[SANDRO43]

I have often been disappointed in how little many (maybe most) Americans in general know nothing about other cultures, other countries, and the world in general.

Ken, blame that on increasingly-simplified school curricula, a tendency that has spilled over to Europe as well, unfortunately.

Just to give you an idea, when I was in elementary school in the previous century (it does seem another age ),  we were made to memorise the name and location of the 20+ tributaries of our major river Po, and were tested with a blank physical map like the one below, where we were supposed to fill in the missing names. Now this may seem pointlesss (and I thought so at the time), but I do remember my geography.   

[PeeWee]

I had a meeting last week with one of my customers. An African/American fellow. I was telling him about my recent trip to Egypt. He then showed me a book that he had purchased for his son. The book was published to teach African geography to African/American childern. The cover of the book had a picture of the Sphinx (not Michael) and the pyramids. So I asked him why did the African geography book have that picture? "That is just the point," he said. Our young do not even realize that Egypt is as much a part of Africa as any other part of Africa.

Peevee

[SANDRO43]

Our young do not even realize that Egypt is as much a part of Africa as any other part of Africa.

Geographically speaking, that is correct. But just tell any Egyptian he/she's an African, and you'll get a rather loud reaction (most of that in an Arabic which you will not be able to understand, fortunately ).

[55North]

Like, is Turkey Europe?

[Manny]

Lets hope it never becomes EU! 

[55North]

Agree, Manchester.  For once.

[Wild Orchid*]

The cover of the book had a picture of the Sphinx (not Michael) and the pyramids. So I asked him why did the African geography book have that picture? "That is just the point," he said. Our young do not even realize that Egypt is as much a part of Africa as any other part of Africa.

Peevee

You’ve lost me here… Does majority think otherwise? 

[PeeWee]

Geographically speaking, that is correct. But just tell any Egyptian he/she's an African, and you'll get a rather loud reaction (most of that in an Arabic which you will not be able to understand, fortunately ).

What? I just spent 10 days in Egypt with my RW and my friend Aymen who is an Arab. He seemed to understand that he was an African as we had that discussion. My driver for the week hailed from upper Egypt. He was as dark as any other African that i have seen. He seemed to understand that he was both an Arab and and African. Neither yelled anything at me. Perhaps they were just being kind but the fact remains that they are African by nature of their geographical location.

Peewee

[SANDRO43]

Perhaps they were just being kind

Probably so. Many Egyptians I met and talked to (in English and my broken Arabic) while vacationing there these past 4 years also went so far as to state, proudly, that they are NOT Arabs (though they speak the same language and worship the same God), but EGYPTIANS. You may have noticed while in Cairo that many have faces that do not look Arabic at all. Skin colour becomes darker as you move south into Nubia, and looks gradually more African in Sudan. Which is where, an Egyptian told me a bit contemptuously, Africa really starts. To Arabs, Africa was for centuries the area where they could get dark-skinned non-believers (kafir in Arabic, which curiously made its way into South African English) as slaves. So North Africans do not much like that type of association (probably like the citizens of Ekaterinburg, who would object to being called Asiatics, though geographically correct).

There are many subtle differences in the African/Arabic world : my father was in the RIAF during WW2 and spent most of it flying cargo planes from Sicily to North Africa (Lybia first, then Tunisia). While resting in a remote oasis deep in the desert where he had ferried some troops, he had a chat (in French) with some Maghreb Touaregs whose caravan was also taking a break there. They told him of yet another distinction : only a Moroccan is a Man, the Tunisian is a female, and the Tripolitanian just a dog.

[PeeWee]

An Egyptian African Arab.

Peewee

[LatinSwede]

Like, is Turkey Europe?

Only a small part of Turkey is physically part of Europe.  Once you cross the Bosphorus River, the rest of the country is in Asia.  I believe it was also called Asia minor back in the ancient days, then much later Byzantium.  After the Islamic Conquest, it became what is now Turkey.

The last time I was getting tickets (via Orbitz) to Odessa, I really wanted to avoid going through Istanbul, Turkey.  Not that I don't care to see it, but if I took that option, I'd be sitting in Turkey for 5+ hours before going to Odessa.  An overnight would have been nice, to get a good whirlind tour of this archeoloigcally rich part of the world.

[2tallbill]

I was hoping to read things that cracked up your Russian ladies.

There are a quite a number of things that make my Ukrainian girl friend laugh and she seems to laugh very often.

My horrible Russian language skills combined with my ability to mix up words causes never ending sources of humor for my Ukrainian girl friend. When I confused pushka (cannon) and babushka (grandmother or old lady) she laughed like I created the first joke.

When a particularly stinky Russian (they are not very rare) man walks by I can make her laugh uncontrollably by holding my breath and crossing my eyes.

Anything a child does can make her laugh.

She thinks it is extraordinarily funny to lean in to me and push me into the path of someone else. (I am not supposed to do this however)

If anyone had a few anecdotes like these to share I would enjoy reading about them.

[SANDRO43]

Only a small part of Turkey is physically part of Europe.  Once you cross the Bosphorus River, the rest of the country is in Asia.  I believe it was also called Asia minor back in the ancient days, then much later Byzantium.  After the Islamic Conquest, it became what is now Turkey.

Aah, Geography, you poor, mistreated Muse !

The Bosphorus is an isthmus, or strait, NOT a river:
The Bosphorus or Bosporus, also known as Istanbul Strait, (Turkish: Boğaziçi, İstanbul Boğazı or just Boğaz) (Greek: Βόσπορος) (English also: Bosphorus) is a strait that forms the boundary between the European part (Rumeli) of Turkey and its Asian part (Anadolu, Anatolia).

Byzantium, previously Constantinople, afterwards Istanbul, is in the small European part of Turkey.

[Wayne]

I spent a few days in Istanbul a few years ago.  The historic area is very interesting and everything is in walking distance.  Five hours would pushing it, but you could see a lot if you had 8 or 10 hours in the day time.  You should see the Blue Moske in the morning, as services are held in the afternoon.  Be very careful, because you cannot take photographs of some of the displays.  The guard will take your camera.  If you take a taxi from the historic area, they will charge tripple.