Trans Oceanic Knowledge Exchange

[Kaymyth]

The Shard membership consists of people from all over the globe.  On occasion, I see a bit of discussion that hinges around a misunderstanding and/or general confusion of how people "over there" do things.  So I decided that hey, maybe we need a thread just for this!  I've seen it done to excellent effect on other forums, so here we go.

To kick things off, here's an overlay map of the U.S. vs. Europe.  I can't tell you how many stories I've heard about people from other countries coming to visit New York City and thinking they can take a "day trip" to see the Grand Canyon.  Good luck with that.

 

(Fun fact, you can fit two entire United States AND two entire Europes into Africa, and still have room to rattle around a number of large islands.)

 

So, anyone have questions about weird things that other countries do?  Ask them here!

Edited August 13, 2016 by Kaymyth

[Mestiv]

I wonder why did the author of this image left out the whole eastern Europe from the comparison There is Poland, Finland, Estonia, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, the Balkan countries etc missing. So the difference in size is smaller than sugested here. 

Anyway, I wonder,  are cars with manual transmission really so rare in US?

[Zathoth]

Northern Europe is also mostly missing.

[Erunion]

2 hours ago, Mestiv said:

I wonder why did the author of this image left out the whole eastern Europe from the comparison There is Poland, Finland, Estonia, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, the Balkan countries etc missing. So the difference in size is smaller than sugested here. 

Anyway, I wonder,  are cars with manual transmission really so rare in US?

Canadian here - there are a few, but not that many. As automatic transmissions are more efficient now, most people find that the extra difficulty and decreased fuel economy aren't worth the 'feel'. 

For the record, my brother and my boss both have a vehicle that's manual transmission, and I HAVE learned how to drive it (but haven't practiced in years). But most of us have automatic. 

[Oversleep]

Windows. Let's talk about windows. I remember... I think @Mestiv posting something from 9gag and discussion ensuing about how windows can be opened in different countries.

[Renoux]

Well, a lot of shutters in America don't actually...shut. They're just for decoration. Which is kind of useless. I would rather have shutters that shut. Maybe that's just me. I'm pretty sure that in other countries, shutters shut. (I can't believe how redundant that sounds).

[TwiLyghtSansSparkles]

If you want to see how your country compares in actual area, check out thetruesize.com. (Warning: Not as big a time sink as TV Tropes, but it's still easy to lose track of time as you see how many islands you can fit inside Greenland.) 

So far as manual transmissions go, every car I've owned or driven has been automatic. I know manuals still exist—my dad has a classic Land Rover that's a manual transmission—but every car for everyday use I've driven, seen, or rode in has been automatic. While some people swear by manuals, most people prefer the ease of an automatic. 

With windows, most I can think of slide up or to the side. I…don't know if I've seen too many windows that open outward or inward. 

[Renoux]

1 minute ago, TwiLyghtSansSparkles said:

With windows, most I can think of slide up or to the side. I…don't know if I've seen too many windows that open outward or inward. 

Same here. Windows are pretty uniform where I am from.

[Mestiv]

14 minutes ago, Oversleep said:

Windows. Let's talk about windows. I remember... I think @Mestiv posting something from 9gag and discussion ensuing about how windows can be opened in different countries.

Here's a video demonstrating how awesome european windows are

Spoiler

 

 

[Dani]

3 minutes ago, Mestiv said:

Here's a video demonstrating how awesome european windows are

  Hide contents

 

 

That, is so cool. 

Are all European windows like that?

[Orlion Blight]

2 hours ago, Mestiv said:

Anyway, I wonder,  are cars with manual transmission really so rare in US?

I drive a manual, always have except when I was learning to drive.

You can get a hold of a manual fairly easily, though you may have to settle on not getting a specific car.

I know some people who drive manual, but a super majority drive automatics/don't know how to drive manuals.

I've heard said that the chances of my car being stolen are pretty low because the typical car thief does not know how to drive manual.

[Oversleep]

1 minute ago, Daniyah said:

That, is so cool. 

Are all European windows like that?

I guess so. Only very, very old windows don't tilt at angle. Most of very old to new windows are like in the video.

[Kaymyth]

19 hours ago, Mestiv said:

I wonder why did the author of this image left out the whole eastern Europe from the comparison There is Poland, Finland, Estonia, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, the Balkan countries etc missing. So the difference in size is smaller than sugested here. 

Anyway, I wonder,  are cars with manual transmission really so rare in US?

 

17 hours ago, Morzathoth said:

Northern Europe is also mostly missing.

Well, that's what 30 second on a Google search will get you.  There are probably better maps out there, but I was in a hurry.

 

16 hours ago, Orlion Determined said:

I drive a manual, always have except when I was learning to drive.

You can get a hold of a manual fairly easily, though you may have to settle on not getting a specific car.

I know some people who drive manual, but a super majority drive automatics/don't know how to drive manuals.

I've heard said that the chances of my car being stolen are pretty low because the typical car thief does not know how to drive manual.

I've never owned a car that wasn't an automatic transmission.  James, on the other hand, prefers a manual transmission and has thus far always managed to get one.  It's getting harder, though; most car companies assume that if you want a manual you either are poor and need a bare bones model or you want a sports car.  Just want a normal car with some actual features?  Nope, sorry, it's an automatic for you!  When James went car hunting a couple years ago, he found that Mazda was one of the few car companies left that offered manual on all trim levels, so he drives a Mazda3 now.

Re: windows - Around here, windows totally open, but not generally in the way that European windows do.  Ours just slide up and down, and we have screens over the outside to keep the bugs from flying in.  Likewise, most American houses have screen doors, so that you can open your door and let a breeze run through the house and keep the biting and stinging beasties at bay.

[Renoux]

It's kind of sad. In a building near where I live, there is a "Manual Transmission Repairs" building, but it's closed, and looks like it's been closed for a while.

[AliasSheep]

17 hours ago, TwiLyghtSansSparkles said:

 thetruesize.com.

The most fun I've had with that is dragging basically any country to the top of the page and watching as it gets projected to cover the entire top of the screen.

[TwiLyghtSansSparkles]

5 hours ago, AliasSheep said:

The most fun I've had with that is dragging basically any country to the top of the page and watching as it gets projected to cover the entire top of the screen.

This was also fun for me. And watching Antarctica shrink as I moved it north.  

[Sunbird]

Ok so people who have visited Germany have told me that Germans (and other Europeans, for that matter) don't eat nearly as much peanut butter as the average American. For those of you who live in Europe, what are your thoughts on peanut butter?

[Delightful]

Americans, do you really eat cheese out of a spray can?

[Sunbird]

1 minute ago, Delightful said:

Americans, do you really eat cheese out of a spray can?

It's true. I don't personally like the spray-can cheese, but lots of people go crazy for it. It's convenient to put on crackers, especially if you're on a road trip, but there are people who just spray it directly into their mouths. I think those people are weird, but then again, I've been known to eat peanut butter out of the jar with a spoon, so it's kind of a case of the pot calling the kettle black here... XD

[Delightful]

23 minutes ago, Sunbird said:

It's true. I don't personally like the spray-can cheese, but lots of people go crazy for it. It's convenient to put on crackers, especially if you're on a road trip, but there are people who just spray it directly into their mouths. I think those people are weird, but then again, I've been known to eat peanut butter out of the jar with a spoon, so it's kind of a case of the pot calling the kettle black here... XD

Is it actual cheese? What does it taste like? Don't you get it mixed up with ice cream or something?

[Sunbird]

9 minutes ago, Delightful said:

Is it actual cheese? What does it taste like? Don't you get it mixed up with ice cream or something?

I was suspicious of the authenticity of the cheese but not 100% sure of its fakeness, so I looked it up. Wikipedia calls it a "processed cheese product." So...not really real cheese, I guess. Which makes sense, since blocks of cheese from the supermarket have to be refrigerated and can-cheese doesn't.

Although I haven't eaten it in quite a while, I seem to remember that it tastes basically like cheddar cheese, but it has a little bit more of a pungent flavor that kind of makes it taste fake. Plus the consistency is closer to that of icing than regular cheese, because it has to be able to squirt out of the can's nozzle.

I don't know how you would get easy cheese mixed up with ice cream, since I've never seen ice cream in a spray can before. (You can, however, buy whipped cream in a spray can. Is that what you were thinking of?)

[Orlion Blight]

Yeah, cheese product means that it does not actually go through the (fermenting?) process cheese usually goes through. Other examples of cheese product include American and Velveeta cheese.

[Mestiv]

I'm not sure why, but I feel a bit sick when thinking about cheese in a can :/ I've never tried it and I don't want to. There's something wrong with making cheese in a spray...

As for peanut butter, I don't like it. I love Nutella however. I can eat Nutella straight from the jar.

[Delightful]

4 minutes ago, Mestiv said:

I'm not sure why, but I feel a bit sick when thinking about cheese in a can :/ I've never tried it and I don't want to. There's something wrong with making cheese in a spray...

Also, orange cheese. Cheese is supposed to yellow or white. Not orange. 

[Orlion Blight]

Or blue or green!