Re: The Culture Thread

by **spangopola** Sat 5 Feb 2011 - 2:01

Indeed. haha

by **The Dude** Sun 6 Feb 2011 - 15:25

Robert I have a little question, as you all know I live in America, and all the shows here are stereotypical about other nations. Well, one day I went to my uncle's house, and his kids where watching SpongeBob Squarepants. I sat down to watch (I mean I always used to love Spongebob so why not watch for old time's sake :lol:) well anyways SpongeBob said to Patrick that he was going 'Dutch' tonight, and came out wearing wooden shoes. :lol: Well ah what are the wooden shoes for? I heard that in other shows before, and it's a common stereotypical thought here, 'The Dutch wear wooden shoes', along 'The English have big teeth', 'Poles eat nothing but sausage' , 'The French eat snails', 'Russians drink vodka and are bears on unicycles' ,' Canada is endless nothingness', and others... :lol: Damn Americans are stereotypes. But seriously do the Dutch really wear wooden shoes? (like in festivals, I'm quite aware that the Dutch do not actually wear wooden shoes on a daily bases)

by **peugeot407** Mon 7 Feb 2011 - 2:54

Tradition-oriented people might wear 'klompen' (which is what you talk about) on special occasions, like Koninginnedag (Queen's Day). On a day to day basis, I don't think anybody wears them. Most often though, people who wear klompen wear them as part of special clothing, 'klederdracht'. It's basically 19th century farmer's clothing, and apparently it still has an appeal to some people...

peugeot407

by **The Dude** Mon 7 Feb 2011 - 4:27

Oh thank you, I was wondering what there for. In Poland people think we dress like

Spoiler:

When really that is the tradition of the Górale, or Polish highlanders. You would see me wear something more like this

Spoiler:

:lol:

by **peugeot407** Mon 7 Feb 2011 - 6:26

That flag in the background, what's it from?

peugeot407

by Nero Mon 7 Feb 2011 - 22:01

@Dude: :lol!: to funny to live :sucide:

by **The Dude** Tue 8 Feb 2011 - 9:23

@Robert That's a medieval Polish flag (one of them).

by **Hoop Thrower** Tue 15 Feb 2011 - 10:39

The Dude wrote:Robert I have a little question, as you all know I live in America, and all the shows here are stereotypical about other nations. Well, one day I went to my uncle's house, and his kids where watching SpongeBob Squarepants. I sat down to watch (I mean I always used to love Spongebob so why not watch for old time's sake :lol:) well anyways SpongeBob said to Patrick that he was going 'Dutch' tonight, and came out wearing wooden shoes. :lol: Well ah what are the wooden shoes for? I heard that in other shows before, and it's a common stereotypical thought here, 'The Dutch wear wooden shoes', along 'The English have big teeth', 'Poles eat nothing but sausage' , 'The French eat snails', 'Russians drink vodka and are bears on unicycles' ,' Canada is endless nothingness', and others... :lol: Damn Americans are stereotypes. But seriously do the Dutch really wear wooden shoes? (like in festivals, I'm quite aware that the Dutch do not actually wear wooden shoes on a daily bases)

Well, since Chile has been on the front of the news for a while, what's our stereotype then?

by **peugeot407** Tue 15 Feb 2011 - 10:44

Slightly fat people who cry upon singing their national anthem. No, seriously, I'm not so sure there is a real stereotype of Chileans. Not here in western Europe at least.

peugeot407

by **The Dude** Tue 15 Feb 2011 - 11:37

Ah! Here I found mah map made by Americans! :lol:

Spoiler:

by Nero Tue 15 Feb 2011 - 22:09

Hey Hoop Thrower is here, welcome mate Very Happy

by **The Dude** Thu 17 Feb 2011 - 12:57

Does everyone call their friends other mate in Australia? Razz

by **spangopola** Thu 17 Feb 2011 - 16:41

????? I dont understand what you;re trying to say

by Nero Thu 17 Feb 2011 - 20:20

actually, we say mate, to every guy we meet that we struck any sort of conversation with.

by **Hoop Thrower** Fri 18 Feb 2011 - 8:48

That's interesting to know I guess...

Anyway, since you're a polish know-everything guy, have you read the works of Andrzej Sapkowski Dude? I've had that book recomended to me.

by **The Dude** Fri 18 Feb 2011 - 9:15

I read The Wither series is alright, I have never read it myself though.

by **Hoop Thrower** Sun 24 Apr 2011 - 8:45

So I heard something interesting today:
According to my father, it's a dutch tradition that when you go out to a restaurant you've got to make sure you leave no food; since you paid for it, you absolutely have to eat it.
Is that true Robert?

by **peugeot407** Sun 24 Apr 2011 - 8:49

If that is so, than I'm not much of a traditionalist. No really, most people leave things they don't fancy. Really, if they eat everything it's probably more out of respect for the cook than because they paid for it.

Not that I think it would be a bad thought, I could well imagine it to be true, but as far as I know, it isn't.

peugeot407

by **Hoop Thrower** Sat 7 May 2011 - 11:38

An interesting cultural aspect that I've never quite understood is the hatred between peruvians & chileans (and against Bolivia), it goes to ridiculous lenghts, constantly being a theme in politics even on petty disputes. Like a time I remember various years ago of a president bathing in a beach on the north and bolivians taking it as an afront to them since they have no sea.
In the internet too it's clearly visible of peruvians and chileans always arguing over little thing. That the mapuche or incas wehre better, who's the most developed country, wich one is more civilized, who's the poorest. etc. No matter the context, it always starts.
It's just weird, I'm pretty sure the hatred goes backwards to the war of the Pacific, but it just sounds ridiculous on how we still have disputes over a war that ended more than 100 years ago.
This also made me remember, I've always wondered how are history classes in a country where your country is actually older than 200 years?

by **peugeot407** Sat 7 May 2011 - 18:29

Well, they also incorporate three things that I presume they didn't tell you:

- the Romans
- the Middle Ages
- the Age of Colonisation

Funnily enough the latter is a bit of a heavyweight in the Netherlands. If you have a normal school book for history lessons, it would be one chapter about the Romans, one about the Middle Ages, and nearly all the rest is about the bloody Gouden Eeuw. All that follows after that is a short note about Napoleon, absolutely nothing on the Golden Age of Britain, a tiny little bit about WW1 and WW2, ending with about half a page about Korea and two or three pages about Vietnam, which is very little.

peugeot407

by **spangopola** Sat 7 May 2011 - 18:33

Wanna know about Chinese history? Razz

by Nero Sat 7 May 2011 - 19:42

All about Mao Zedong I bet, Australian history is worse, nothing interesting at all till WW1 and ANZAC cove, it was a tragedy, a huge mistake that cost Australia and New Zealand many lives, besides that, nothing else. Worse history ever.

by **spangopola** Sat 7 May 2011 - 20:28

You forgot the many other dynasties. You know, China is not only with the disgusting PRC government = =

by **Hoop Thrower** Sun 8 May 2011 - 1:23

If I'm not mistaken chinese history is basically:
Hey, former dynasty fell! Let's reunite the country and erase as many traces of the former dynastie as possible! With a mongolian invasion now and then...

by **spangopola** Sun 8 May 2011 - 2:53

Except the stupid PRC, all other dynasties did NOT attempt to erase as many traces of the former dynasties. Mongolian...only once. There are other barbarians. In fact, this 2000 years of history is far more longer and complex than many of yours. Do not judge easily.

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