Hi!
Thanks to all who have posted responses to last week's questions.
Since we've been talking about your experiences here in the U.S., I thought I'd continue the theme for one more week.
Whenever I go to another country, there are always things that I can't come to understand. In other words, there are cultural practices, traditions, and/or generally held beliefs that, even after months and months in a new country, I just never get used to.
What cultural practices, traditions, or general beliefs (held by Americans) here in the U.S. do you still have difficulty understanding? Why do you think it is so hard for you to come to understand this aspect of American culture?
When you answer this week's question, please be honest. The more honest you are, the more interesting our discussion will be!
I hope you have/had a good break!
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hi! i still cant understand why americans like to have a big window in their houses! that is, a nice view that symbolises hope for the future, optimism...for them! i think that the meaning is not bad, but its dangerous! someone can break your window on purpose, just for the fun! Also, it can be more serious when someone want to hurt you! Maybe here in Missoula, the rate of crime is not elevated; but i think that in NY for example you cant have this pleasur everywhere..! Moreover, i think that its kind of impersonal; that is, for me somebody dont have to see inside my house through the window...so this custom in US is strange for me! That's it.
ReplyDeleteHello.I have been U.S.A about 2 years,so I really don't have something hard to understand about U.S.A. However, this time I have to talk about at least one about hard to understand about U.S.A,so I took the time for thinking about this topic.What I want to say this topic's answer is about adoption in U.S.A because in my country "Japan" is not common adoption. Japanese people are really care about their blood relationship and worry about appearances.Therefore,there aren't many Japanese people want to adoption. On the other hand, American people don't care about those things. In addition, It is totally different think about adoption between Japan and America,but it's still interesting for me. Also, different countries have different thinking about something is good because we're all different nation.
ReplyDeleteThere is one thing that I never be familier. It is chewing gums during the class. I think, in U.S. many people chew gums after eating someting to refresh their mouth. And I think it is O.K. if they are not in the class, yet how about if you are in class? In Korea, students will never do that. It is sooooooooooo rude action usually in front of the elder, especially in front of the teacher or professor during the class. If someone do this in his class, professor will mad at him. Also, everyone in the class think him to rude person. Maybe professor can shout to him like this "get out of my room, rihgt now!" That's why students in Korea usually biring their toothbrush and toothpaste with them. To make refresh thier mouth, they prefer brushing their tooth to chewing gums.
ReplyDeleteHi!
ReplyDeleteI still understand many things in the US culture but just one come to my mind. Why Americans people like to have the same house and to live very close to each other? In France, all houses are different because most of the time it's the owner who did the plan of the house construstion. And he did his house as he wanted! The size of the house depends of the wealth and the number of occupants, but not on the house of his neighbour! Moreover, the place between two houses is essential in french culture. Most of people built a wall around their house to have some privacy. So, that is why, I can understand American houses. They have no privacy, I quite sure that they can watch their neighbour's TV in their own home...That's crazy! And finally, I think that is boring to always see the same type of construction, and houses don't reflect their owner's personality.
Hello. I know that this is already closed, however I would write just one thing. Why everybody like dancing? This is not only American people though, I used to hear or seen to dancing in a dance hall or pubs. Actually, dancing with many friends is fun. But I had never danced before come U.S. some time I do not want to follow their tensions. I rather ask why Japanese people do not dancing?
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteI have been America about 8 months, I saw many things of American culture that I couldn't understand, but I'm getting good at American cultual things since I came America. But I still can't understand and believe thing of America is that people stab fork into food like really a right angle, and also keep it. For example, when we were eating some food at dinner, one of the american stabbed her fork into a melon like right angle, and she was keepling fork like that. I really can't believe and also understand. Because in Japan, it's for funeral. So Japanese people will never do that kind of things. Also I felt not good when fork was stabbing into a food. So I still can't understand and believe american people and the other country's people do it even they don't know it's really impolite in Japan.
I could say I understand this culture alot, but there are some things I still don't know anything about them.first, they will change their religions so easy, why they prefer to live alone,and they can get divorce so easy.on the other hand, they are so frindly, polite,and helpful.honesty I learned how people in different place, kurlture,religions,and language can live togather.also what is the result of the vairety of the ideas.
ReplyDeletehi.. I really couldn't think about something that I don't understand or hard to understand for me, but there might be something for sure. For example, I don't know why most of guys like to call each other as a mother F... or any word that has the same meaning. If someone said it in my home, he would be hated from almost everyone, but it seems normal between some guys here. I don't know if this is hard to understand for some people or not. But for me, yes it is cuz I love my mom and I'll never let anybody insult her.
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ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteI agree with all of you guys. And I wonder the way of decoration american houses,especially on wall. I think that American houses have to much stuff on the wall; family pictures, beautiful pictures such as flowers tis is normal, however sometimes they have animals pictures or stuffed animals, which is very weird and scary for me. I couldn't understand it.In my culture We think that it's not good to have stuffed animals in the houses,it just bad. And also, i noticed that some americans have to much stuff in their houses and i think that they like to keep them. This is very strange for me......
Hello everybody,
ReplyDeleteReally interesting question
I share a lot of ideas with almost with every one who wrote before me and I have few more things that I can’t understand or accept such as:
1- I can’t understand why the daughter or the sun must go out from their family house when they reach age of 18 I really feel sorry for them because they have to face the world and the need alone and too early and may cause them to go in wrong ways without their family instructing them and take care of them and I think it really breaks the bonds between the family members.
2- Another thing that I couldn’t understand why Americans attached especially to dogs. Everywhere I see dogs. I heard that dogs fills the emotional needs in Americans, could that be right? I don’t know but if that is right aren’t there enough people to share your emotions with you can even have children or adapt.
3- Why drinking tell you pass out and dancing in crowded places which are ugly with bad smell and your body could touch anybody is consider fun? Where is the respect in that and where is the personal space
4- The houses here couldn’t make sense to me. They are made of wood which is bad in case of fire and also not safe at all. Any criminal could break your door with his foot. Also there is no sense of privacy at all I could see everything in your house while I am walking in the street and there is no architectural art in the outer design.
5- A lot of people here don’t care about how do they look and how do they represent themselves.