# Wierdest thing about the Non-USA **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 11, 2003, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wierdest-thing-about-the-non-usa/194423 "2003-08-11T16:58:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Daowajan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@Daowajan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daowajan)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wierdest-thing-about-the-non-usa/194423/41 "2003-08-12T06:26:58Z")
weird stuff: About that cold soda in the UK - My family and I once stopped in a convenience store in a tiny town in Ireland and asked for directions to the local cemetery. After my mom mentioned that we had ancestors buried there, the guy at the counter proceeded to sell us two ICE-COLD, liquid-nitrogen-style cans of soda he had in a cooler. So I’m convinced that yes, there is cold soda in the UK, but they don’t bust it out for just _anybody._ 😃 Pudding. “Wow! These people eat pudding for breakfast! That’s pretty cool! I wonder if it’s like oatmeal, or if they just give you a little cup on the side… What’s this dried-up black thing she just put on my plate? Is this, like, a pellet of instant pudding you have to mix with milk? Maybe I’ll try a bite… No. Repeat, this is NOT PUDDING.” British kids traveling throughout other countries by themselves for a year or more. I met a ton of these kids when I was in New Zealand and it just blew my mind. Teenagers in other countries, I find, have much less of a short leash than teenagers in the U.S. do. Vegemite. OY. Although I think if it were some color other than oil slick black, it might not be as bad. …yeah, right. :dubious: Full-service ice cream bars in just about every gas station and dairy in New Zealand. We’re talking eight flavors of ice cream in tubs in a cooler and/or a big cooler on the floor with loads of ice cream bars in it. It struck me as very weird. Nutrition information on food labels containing a quantity of “energy” measured in kilojoules. I wonder why all the stuff that struck me as weird only concerned food. ---
**Author:** ![colour\_wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/edb3f5/32.png) [@colour\_wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colour_wolf)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wierdest-thing-about-the-non-usa/194423/42 "2003-08-12T07:15:52Z")
**Taiwan** - Betel nut booths/beauties - People honking their horns to indicate that they are going to drive through a red light - Hordes of motor-scooters - Paying cash for EVERYTHING Too many more to mention. ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wierdest-thing-about-the-non-usa/194423/43 "2003-08-12T08:06:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Daowajan \* > \*\*About that cold soda in the UK - My family and I once stopped in a convenience store in a tiny town in Ireland and asked for directions to the local cemetery. After my mom mentioned that we had ancestors buried there, the guy at the counter proceeded to sell us two ICE-COLD, liquid-nitrogen-style cans of soda he had in a cooler. > > So I’m convinced that yes, there is cold soda in the UK \*\* I’m sure there is, but you said this happened in _Ireland_. ---
**Author:** ![hazel-rah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/73ab20/32.png) [@hazel-rah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hazel-rah)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wierdest-thing-about-the-non-usa/194423/44 "2003-08-12T08:23:52Z")
> [@](#): > > Canada: Absolutely, positively no decent pizza. Er, what? Ever been to Montreal? I ate pizza there every day. And it was outstanding. ---
**Author:** ![parlo\_americano](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b19c9b/32.png) [@parlo\_americano](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/parlo_americano)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wierdest-thing-about-the-non-usa/194423/45 "2003-08-12T08:24:50Z")
Talking about soda over here in europe… Germany- anyone had the pleasure of a Spezi? yeah that would be orange fanta mixed with cola. France in Allsace (borders germany) my german friend asked for a spezi (handwritten on the menu) and got half orange juive with pulp & half cola. back to germany- everything can be mixed to dilute the stronger flavor e.g., Schorle add carbonated water to any juice. Granted most juices here border on syrup Beer if you don’t want a refreshing drink but afraid about the alcoholic content go ahead and ask for a Radler (lemon soda \_&beer) or a Cola Bier. Or of course a Bananenweizen (Hefeweizen with Banana juice) I love the Italian idea of an outing. Hmm let’s pack up the family+picnic table, chairs and food and take a drive on the highway. hmm hmm nice drive… let’s eat. Okay. The driver pulls over to the side of the road, parks, gets out, and sets up the picnic. The family enjoys the beautiful scenery and watches the cars go by ON THE SIDE OF A HIGHWAY. (this was up in the mountains so it really was beautiful there just very different way of thinking about space) ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wierdest-thing-about-the-non-usa/194423/46 "2003-08-12T10:00:55Z")
Given that ‘not-America’ is about 95% of the world’s population, and 98% of its surface area, you’ve got quite a lot of weirdness to choose from… ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wierdest-thing-about-the-non-usa/194423/47 "2003-08-12T10:22:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by masonite \* > \*\*But the strangest thing was hotel room service; I ordered cold cereal (Frosted Flakes) for breakfast, and it came with a little jug of hot milk. Weird. \*\* Definitely weird. And definitely not normal in the UK either. ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wierdest-thing-about-the-non-usa/194423/48 "2003-08-12T10:58:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by elmwood \* > \*\ ***Canada** > > … > > Stores like Kmart and Wal-Mart located in indoor shopping malls. > > … > > \*\* I’ve run across K-Marts in indoor malls in the US more than once here in the Northeast. Also Targets. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wierdest-thing-about-the-non-usa/194423/49 "2003-08-12T11:36:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zoe \* > In Denmark, what Americans call a “Danish pastry” is called “Vienna bread.” So called (or rather wienerbrød) because the thing was invented by a Copenhagen baker called _Wiener_, according to a friend of mine. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wierdest-thing-about-the-non-usa/194423/50 "2003-08-12T12:06:26Z")
> [@](#): > > -The Euro note, it has no faces on it at all. Very odd. This is one of the very bad things about the EU. They used crappy fake architecture drawings (not one of those buildings is real!) because all of their famous figures are famous for killing a lot of people from another country. Makes for some ugly currency. ---
**Author:** ![auRa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c4cdca/32.png) [@auRa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/auRa)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wierdest-thing-about-the-non-usa/194423/51 "2003-08-12T12:31:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sunspace \* > \*\*Street numbering in Helsinki. > > I’m still not quite sure how it works. A written address might look something like “Mannerheimintie 12 B 15” (a made-up number), with the number after the street name. The 12 is the building number, B might be a apartment block number or something if there was more than one building at the address, and 15 might be the apartment number. I say “might” because I’m not sure. \*\* I think that the first number actually indicates the plot of land that the building is on. (I’m basing this on the fact that some large apartment complexes have addresses with multiple numbers, i.e. Kivalterintie 17-19.) Apartment buildings often have more than one stairway, and these are lettered A, B, C etc. Mannerheimintie 12 B 15 means that the address is Mannerheimintie 12, and the actual apartment is #15, which is in stairway B. If there is more than one building at a specific address, there are two options. Either the stairways are lettered so that in one building, you’ll have A, B and C, in the next one D, E, and F, etc., or you’ll have a lower-case letter after the first number to indicate which building’s A, B, or C stairway you mean. e.g. Kivalterintie 17-19 **b** C 32. > [@](#): > > \*\* > When actually walking down the street, I noticed that the building number seemed to be placed on a standardized square light that was mounted on the building. It was oddly difficult to pick out for someone who is used to looking for a sign or painted indication on the face of the building or in a window near, preferably on or over, the door. I don’t know whether the square lights were just a style used in downtown Helsinki or what. \*\* No, those are pretty common all over Finland. I don’t know the official reason why they are required, but it does make it easier to pick out building numbers when it gets dark at night. > [@](#): > > While on the topic, European address in general took a bit of getting used to: > > Street address CC\*-postal code City? > (as in “Mannerheimintie 12 B 15 FI-2300 Helsinki”) > > [sub]\* CC = Country-code abbreviation[/sub] > \*\* Usually, we don’t write the country code abbreviation unless we are sending mail from abroad and want to make sure it gets to the right country. 🙂 I have no idea how the system works in other European countries, so I’ll use Finland as an example. We use a 5-digit postal code. The different areas of Helsinki all have postal codes that start with 00 (00100 Helsinki is the city center, 00640 Helsinki is Oulunkylä, in the northern part of Helsinki, etc.). The farther away you get from Helsinki, the higher the number of your postal code. For example, Savukoski, which is in Lapland, has the postal code 98800. Mannerheimintie 12 B 15 00100 Helsinki would be the correct address in this case. ---
**Author:** ![AngelicGemma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/439d5e/32.png) [@AngelicGemma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelicGemma)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wierdest-thing-about-the-non-usa/194423/52 "2003-08-12T13:12:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Daowajan \* > \*\* So I’m convinced that yes, there is cold soda in the UK, but they don’t bust it out for just _anybody._ 😃 \*\* My soda is always ice cold. We must just give the warm stuff to you foreigners. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wierdest-thing-about-the-non-usa/194423/53 "2003-08-12T14:13:32Z")
Odd things about Spain: – Keeping leftovers in the oven instead of the refrigerator. (After four months of this, I learned that it’s really really _hard_ to get food poisoning, and stopped worrying about it.) – Complete and cheerful disregard for personal safety, to the point of letting toddlers run around with fireworks at festivals. – Bathroom doors that are closed all the time, making it impossible to tell whether anybody is using the bathroom without knocking (which I was reluctant to do, since in America one never knocks on a closed bathroom door except in cases of dire emergency). An odd thing about the Netherlands: – Chocolate sprinkles on the breakfast table. (I had no idea what they were _for_, until I watched the Belgian guy at the next table sprinkle them on a slice of white bread and roll it into a tube. Uh, OK.) ---
**Author:** ![sirtonyh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ad7895/32.png) [@sirtonyh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sirtonyh)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wierdest-thing-about-the-non-usa/194423/54 "2003-08-12T14:34:18Z")
A few more food things from Europe. Sandwiches in Holland - I like to have a choice of bread, mayo, mustard, lettuce, different types of meat (pastrami, salami etc.), salt, cracked black pepper, tomatoes, onions, pickles and so on. All I found in Holland was large slices of a cow in a roll, optionally with cheese. I believe the dutch word for these sandwiches is a “boot” (quite probably wrong there and if I’m right I’m certain I’ve spelt it incorrectly). When I lived in the US I had a friend visit from Holland. After about 2 day she refused to go to a deli because they asked her too many questions. She thought she was being interrogated. Deep Fried Mars Bars (Snickers) in Scotland - I’m not even going to attempt getting my head around that one Forming a queue in the UK - 1 person at bus stop will form a queue. If you just hang around in the general vicinity of the bus stop rather than standing, bolt upright, in the same spot for 20 minutes, everyone will think you are wierd. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wierdest-thing-about-the-non-usa/194423/55 "2003-08-12T14:42:44Z")
Donuts! OMG, I forgot how much I miss donuts! I am convinced you cannot get good ones anywhere east of Portland, Maine. I guess I am about ready to take two weeks back in the States. ---
**Author:** ![ShadiRoxan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@ShadiRoxan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadiRoxan)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wierdest-thing-about-the-non-usa/194423/56 "2003-08-12T14:58:12Z")
The location of traffic lights. Rather than being across the intersection there are two lights. One above where you stop and one right beside the first car. Also when the light turns green it doesn’t go from red straight to green. It goes red, red and yellow together then green. Driving on the same roads as trains also freaked me out a little bit. When you ask for water in Germany they don’t give you plain water. You get mineral water instead. If you want plain water you have to specifically ask for it. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wierdest-thing-about-the-non-usa/194423/57 "2003-08-12T15:01:39Z")
I can’t believe nobody’s mentioned the toilet paper. Us 'merkins like ours fluffy and soft, not like recycled newspaper stock. ---
**Author:** ![Mehitabel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Mehitabel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mehitabel)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wierdest-thing-about-the-non-usa/194423/58 "2003-08-12T15:38:28Z")
Canada, the Maritimes: Little ice cream stands run by college students in the summers, with huge wooden signs of a pink ice cream cone on top if the big signs saying ICE CREAM confuse you Hot summers yet few electric fans and almost no air-conditioning Money with cute nicknames and a frumpy furriner woman on one side, critters on the other Everybody has “somebody down working in the States” even though the quality of life is much better than it was when my grandma left Cape Breton in the 30’s More bald eagles than I ever saw in the States, downright unpatriotic Seeing a speed limit of “100” everywhere Milk in bags, zillion different kinds of tea (I can find that in NY, but we’re talking small towns) Seeing “Royal this and that” attached to things British monuments and forts left intact, not pulled down by outraged Revolutionary mobs or whatever; Tory-related history in general Tiny little maple leaves on all the labels of the obviously American-origin brands In fact, anybody who thinks Americans are jingoistic with the flags might want to attend a festival in a Canadian city. Streamers, flags, bunting, signs, all covered with more maple leaves than there are in the Botanical Gardens. Dudes, we’re in Halifax, we’re hundreds of miles from Maine, and we did notice it took us hours to fly here and we’re not in America anymore! Chill! ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wierdest-thing-about-the-non-usa/194423/59 "2003-08-12T16:15:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by An Arky \* > \*\*I can’t believe nobody’s mentioned the toilet paper. Us 'merkins like ours fluffy and soft, not like recycled newspaper stock. \*\* Oh man … reminds me of the time back in college, when I received a letter from a buddy who was in England for the semester. The letter was handwritten with a thin felt-top marker on toilet paper. The ink didn’t bleed. **Mehitabel** noticed a few things about Canada that I’ve mentioned. The other observations are spot-on, especially the flags and bunting. I mentioned in an old post that the level of Canadian display patriotism in Southern Ontario, at least what I’ve seen, is a couple of orders of magnitude greater than what would be encountered in the States, even immediately after 9-11. Foreigners who think Americans are obsessed with national symbols should really look at Canada for some perspective. On top of the “Royal this and that,” it seems like every Canadian city has a Queen Street, King Street, Prince Street, Princess Street, Coronation Street, a bunch of streets named after British royalty prime ministers, and so on. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wierdest-thing-about-the-non-usa/194423/60 "2003-08-12T16:17:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by An Arky \* > \*\*I can’t believe nobody’s mentioned the toilet paper. Us 'merkins like ours fluffy and soft, not like recycled newspaper stock. \*\* Oh man … reminds me of the time back in college, when I received a letter from a buddy who was in England for the semester. The letter was handwritten with a thin felt-top marker on toilet paper. The ink didn’t bleed. **Mehitabel** noticed a few things about Canada that I’ve mentioned. The other observations are spot-on, especially the flags and bunting. I mentioned in an old post that the level of Canadian display patriotism in Southern Ontario, at least what I’ve seen, is a couple of orders of magnitude greater than what would be encountered in the States, even immediately after 9-11. Foreigners who think Americans are obsessed with national symbols should really look at Canada for some perspective. On top of the “Royal this and that,” it seems like every Canadian city has a Queen Street, King Street, Prince Street, Princess Street, Coronation Street, a bunch of streets named after British royalty and prime ministers, and so on. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wierdest-thing-about-the-non-usa/194423.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wierdest-thing-about-the-non-usa/194423.md?page=4)