# Your stupid questions about other countries and cultures **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 23, 2013, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-stupid-questions-about-other-countries-and-cultures/651161 "2013-02-23T13:28:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-stupid-questions-about-other-countries-and-cultures/651161/141 "2013-02-27T16:57:51Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > Personally, I think it’s kind of icky that we have the toilet in the same room as the place we brush and shower, and i’ve lived in the States most of my life. In India, the only thing in the toilet is the toilet. The bath/shower is in another room. Makes more sense to me, more hygienic, etc. In Spain that’s called “French-style toilets”; I’ve seen them both in French hotels and homes. Not only is it more hygienic but it allows more privacy. In an all-included bathroom I wouldn’t want to be washing or taking a shower while someone else is trying to drop a reluctant log… it really doesn’t accompany bubble baths well. ---
**Author:** ![Norse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a9adbd/32.png) [@Norse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Norse)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-stupid-questions-about-other-countries-and-cultures/651161/142 "2013-02-27T17:14:31Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > In an all-included bathroom I wouldn’t want to be washing or taking a shower while someone else is trying to drop a reluctant log… it really doesn’t accompany bubble baths well. 😕 Although some houses here up North have separate toilet closets, our bathrooms are generally all-included. So, a house would have X bathrooms, all-included, with an optional toilet closet or two. Even then and WRT to the person I’m the most intimate with (my SO), I’d never dream of even taking a piss while she’s bathing, showering or washing. And vice versa. Some things are best done in solitary privacy, even if the facilities allow for combined use of the bathroom. Of course, sometimes one of us has to warn the other that “you’d better wait half an hour before using the bathroom”. Some meals can almost rip the wallpaper off the bathroom walls 😛 ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-stupid-questions-about-other-countries-and-cultures/651161/143 "2013-02-27T17:16:28Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > In McDonalds in Mexico, they have packets of jalapeño peppers as condiments! Just like relish, but jalapeño! > > I should have ordered a case. In McDonald’s in India, they have stuff like McAloo Tikki (the McDonald’s burger version of aloo tikki, fried spiced potato patties), McSpicy Paneer (breaded and deep fried paneer, somewhat resembling a McFish), and a Chicken Maharaja Mac (which was kind of like a BigMac made with chicken patties.) > [@Floater](#): > > The most beautiful thing in Tokyo is McDonald’s. > The most beautiful thing in Stockholm is McDonald’s. > The most beautiful thing in Florence is McDonald’s. > Peking and Moscow don’t have anything beautiful yet. > > Andy Warhol The most beautiful thing in Budapest is not McDonald’s, but the most beautiful McDonald’s [might just be in Budapest](http://m9.i.pbase.com/o6/30/52730/1/126793659.hyfjXLnu.budapest64.JPG)). > [@Norse](#): > > IME, you can find McDs and BKs in many urban/urban-ish places in Western Europe, but why would you want to? A good part of the fun of traveling is trying local food, isn’t it? I absolutely agree. BUT… after travelling for awhile and exploring all the local foods, sometimes you just want something familiar that reminds you of home, no matter how bad for you the food may be. Or you want free Wi-Fi and free bathrooms. Plus, it is kind of fun seeing the oddball menu items you get in other countries. I didn’t get a chance to visit the McDonald’s in India until the very end of our 3-week trip, and that was at the airport on the way out. I really wanted the McAloo Tikki burger, but they didn’t have that at that location, just the paneer and chicken options. (And I was a bit paneered out at this point.) So I tried the Chicken Maharaja just for fun. It wasn’t as spicy or spiced as I was expecting it to be. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-stupid-questions-about-other-countries-and-cultures/651161/144 "2013-02-27T17:27:30Z")
The hypermarkets mentioned are interesting. The first time I came across one was in the UK in 1996, when I lived there (off and on) for about 9 months. Then in Budapest from 1998-2003, hypermarkets started to get big: Auchaun, Tesco, Cora. The first time I saw a Tesco I was just floored by it. Even by my American standards, the thing seemed crazy huge to me. It was like a cross between a Target with a fully stocked supermarket. I guess you see them more in the US now with Super Target, Meijer, Walmart Supercenter–but none of those were around in Chicago in the mid-to-late 90s to my knowledge. ---
**Author:** ![AngelSoft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angelsoft/32/440_2.png) [@AngelSoft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelSoft)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-stupid-questions-about-other-countries-and-cultures/651161/145 "2013-02-27T17:47:37Z")
On the pizza topic. Every single ad I’ve ever seen online for pizza in Japan, has the thing slathered in mayonnaise. Is it really that popular over there? It sounds absolutely revolting to me and I’m curious as to how they ever got the idea to put it on a pizza in the first place! ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-stupid-questions-about-other-countries-and-cultures/651161/146 "2013-02-27T18:13:39Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > The most beautiful thing in Budapest is not McDonald’s, but the most beautiful McDonald’s [might just be in Budapest](http://m9.i.pbase.com/o6/30/52730/1/126793659.hyfjXLnu.budapest64.JPG)). Wow. Just … wow. Now that would definitely be added to the need to see for Budapest. Did they build it like that or was it plunked into an extant beautiful building? ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-stupid-questions-about-other-countries-and-cultures/651161/147 "2013-02-27T18:15:26Z")
> [@Norse](#): > > 😕 > > Although some houses here up North have separate toilet closets, our bathrooms are generally all-included. So, a house would have X bathrooms, all-included, with an optional toilet closet or two. > > Even then and WRT to the person I’m the most intimate with (my SO), I’d never dream of even taking a piss while she’s bathing, showering or washing. And vice versa. Some things are best done in solitary privacy, even if the facilities allow for combined use of the bathroom. > Of course, sometimes one of us has to warn the other that “you’d better wait half an hour before using the bathroom”. Some meals can almost rip the wallpaper off the bathroom walls 😛 It certainly isn’t normal to have people doing both at the same time in the same room in Spain, either, but… you know how one of the problems with old people is that they lose their inhibitions? I’ve got a 71yo mother and a 99yo grandmother, both of which have had to be reminded that the bathroom is supposed to be a private room. At Grandma’s place they’re two separate rooms, so the problem doesn’t present itself. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-stupid-questions-about-other-countries-and-cultures/651161/148 "2013-02-27T18:25:19Z")
One question I have: How often does someone have to bribe public officials in Central America/Eastern Europe/Asia/etc.? When my wife’s mother died in China, my wife had to bribe someone in order to get a copy of the coroner’s report. Outrageous! (Well, it was to me.) ---
**Author:** ![Incubus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c68b51/32.png) [@Incubus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incubus)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-stupid-questions-about-other-countries-and-cultures/651161/149 "2013-02-27T18:55:43Z")
Is it common for Australian college students to go on big vacations? My wife and I saved up for a year to go on an all-inclusive resort in Cancun, and there were a ton of Australian college students there. My wife and I, both nosy, were curious how they could afford it since it didnt sound like they had day jobs (wealthy parents maybe?) BTW, this was in January (their “summer”, right?). Most of the other patrons of this resort were about a decade older, mostly couples. Occasionally I’ll be in close proximity to an Indian woman, who while looking perfectly clean and groomed, would have the most overpowering smell- like body odor but somewhat ‘off’. I’ve noticed a few other groups have a variation of this smell: some middle eastern people, Vietnamese, and people from (unknown) parts of Africa. Is it their diet that I am noticing from this smell? People have speculated its curry but i’ve had many kinds of curry and it doesnt smell or taste like B.O. I’m sure if its diet based I probably reek in my own way to them 😛 But it does make me wonder, are some cultures less concerned with body odor? I know in my culture, smelling like rancid armpit/unwashed crotch makes people think the stinky person is unkempt, slovenly, or mentally off. But maybe in other cultures its a non-issue? ---
**Author:** ![MrSquishy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9e5f3/32.png) [@MrSquishy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrSquishy)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-stupid-questions-about-other-countries-and-cultures/651161/150 "2013-02-27T19:33:37Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > On a related note, I have heard that some Scandinavians countries, especially Iceland, take the concept of elves dead seriously. Most people know that they live in the hills and can cause all kinds of mischief. Is that belief really as widespread as I have heard? Yeah, or what about Zimbabwe? > **[Suspected goblins force clinic closure](https://www.newsday.co.zw/2013/01/17/suspected-goblins-force-clinic-closure)** > > Suspected goblins force clinic closure That’s from a real Zimbabwe news website, as far as I can tell. Am I missing something? Is somebody having a laugh, or do they really close businesses there due to goblin attack? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-stupid-questions-about-other-countries-and-cultures/651161/151 "2013-02-27T19:49:38Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > Wow. Just … wow. > > Now that would definitely be added to the need to see for Budapest. Did they build it like that or was it plunked into an extant beautiful building? It next door to Nyugati Pályaudvar (Western Railway Station) which was built by the Eiffel company. As far as I know, it’s in the space that used to be some kind of dining hall. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-stupid-questions-about-other-countries-and-cultures/651161/152 "2013-02-27T19:59:24Z")
> [@MrSquishy](#): > > Yeah, or what about Zimbabwe? > > [http://www.newsday.co.zw/2013/01/17/suspected-goblins-force-clinic-closure/](http://www.newsday.co.zw/2013/01/17/suspected-goblins-force-clinic-closure/) > > That’s from a real Zimbabwe news website, as far as I can tell. Am I missing something? Is somebody having a laugh, or do they really close businesses there due to goblin attack? I can believe that about Zimbabwe and I assume that it is real. A family member went to Nigeria a few years ago to study Mandrills. One of the monkeys in the study got thrown in the local jail because the police claimed that it was a wanted criminal who used the well-known art of [Juju](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juju) to turn himself into a large monkey but they weren’t falling for it. The researchers had to go to the police jail and bail out the monkey. It seems a little more strange when you are talking about Iceland or some other 1st world countries to me at least. ---
**Author:** ![HubZilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ccd318/32.png) [@HubZilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HubZilla)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-stupid-questions-about-other-countries-and-cultures/651161/153 "2013-02-27T20:03:46Z")
I’ve been told if you go to many large European cities (London, Paris, Oslo, Amsterdam), you won’t find your “stereotypical Europeans” walking the downtown streets. You’ll see a surprising amount of Arabs, Indians, or Africans in the central areas. Is this true? Non-American dopers: on the same vein, do you think of Americans as predominantly white people? I’d imagine most tourists and backpackers are white, while our pop culture, like TV and movies, show more diversity. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Wiggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/red_wiggler/32/13190_2.png) [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-stupid-questions-about-other-countries-and-cultures/651161/154 "2013-02-27T20:36:38Z")
> [@HubZilla](#): > > I’ve been told if you go to many large European cities (London, Paris, Oslo, Amsterdam), you won’t find your “stereotypical Europeans” walking the downtown streets. You’ll see a surprising amount of Arabs, Indians, or Africans in the central areas. Is this true? > > Non-American dopers: on the same vein, do you think of Americans as predominantly white people? I’d imagine most tourists and backpackers are white, while our pop culture, like TV and movies, show more diversity. And a follow-up question for them: if so, then what do you think when you see one of our basketball games on tv? ---
**Author:** ![Charley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/97f17d/32.png) [@Charley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charley)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-stupid-questions-about-other-countries-and-cultures/651161/155 "2013-02-27T21:09:38Z")
> [@HubZilla](#): > > I’ve been told if you go to many large European cities (London, Paris, Oslo, Amsterdam), you won’t find your “stereotypical Europeans” walking the downtown streets. You’ll see a surprising amount of Arabs, Indians, or Africans in the central areas. Is this true? > > Non-American dopers: on the same vein, do you think of Americans as predominantly white people? I’d imagine most tourists and backpackers are white, while our pop culture, like TV and movies, show more diversity. Nope and nope. Or at least I don’t recognise either of these points. On the second particularly, never underestimate the ubiquity of US culture - I’d bet good money that most of the rest of us get our primary impressions from pop culture rather than from tourists and backpackers anyway. And **Red Wiggler** I have never seen a game of basketball in my life and I wouldn’t know where to find one on the TV if I wanted to. Although now I’m curious to look! ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-stupid-questions-about-other-countries-and-cultures/651161/156 "2013-02-27T21:09:40Z")
> [@HubZilla](#): > > I’ve been told if you go to many large European cities (London, Paris, Oslo, Amsterdam), you won’t find your “stereotypical Europeans” walking the downtown streets. You’ll see a surprising amount of Arabs, Indians, or Africans in the central areas. Is this true? The cities you mention (Oslo seems a bit of an odd one out) are global cities. Of course you’ll see all races and nationalities on the streets. But of course there are “stereotypical Europeans”, whatever they are. Walking around London day to day I think probably well over half the people I see look “white European” at a glance, not that I really take much notice. I do think that Americans in general seem a lot more focused on race and ethnicity than Europeans are, but then I suppose there are historical reasons for that. ---
**Author:** ![BetsQ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/fbc32d/32.png) [@BetsQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BetsQ)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-stupid-questions-about-other-countries-and-cultures/651161/157 "2013-02-27T21:31:37Z")
> [@HubZilla](#): > > Non-American dopers: on the same vein, do you think of Americans as predominantly white people? I’d imagine most tourists and backpackers are white, while our pop culture, like TV and movies, show more diversity. For the record, Americans are predominantly white people. [72.4%](http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs/c2010br-02.pdf) of Americans identified as white in the last Census. Also, someone mentioned playdates earlier. They can certainly be structured events, but my (white, upper-middle class) kids use the term to refer to any time they play with other kids. And I absolutely tell my kids to just go out and find someone to play with. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-stupid-questions-about-other-countries-and-cultures/651161/158 "2013-02-27T21:49:15Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > The cities you mention (Oslo seems a bit of an odd one out) are global cities. Of course you’ll see all races and nationalities on the streets. But of course there are “stereotypical Europeans”, whatever they are. Walking around London day to day I think probably well over half the people I see look “white European” at a glance, not that I really take much notice. I do think that Americans in general seem a lot more focused on race and ethnicity than Europeans are, but then I suppose there are historical reasons for that. At the height of the Celtic Tiger about 5 or 6 years ago I was in a restaurant in Dublin City Centre and met these Dutch lads and got chatting to them. They said I was the only Dubliner they’d met on their weekend here. It’s true or was true then that most people working in catering, hospitality, bars etc. in a lot of tourist hotspots aren’t Irish. There was a vaguely xenophobic worry that having foreign staff in tourist places might put off visitors. ---
**Author:** ![Battle\_Pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Battle\_Pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Battle_Pope)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-stupid-questions-about-other-countries-and-cultures/651161/159 "2013-02-27T23:31:32Z")
> [@Incubus](#): > > Is it common for Australian college students to go on big vacations? My wife and I saved up for a year to go on an all-inclusive resort in Cancun, and there were a ton of Australian college students there. My wife and I, both nosy, were curious how they could afford it since it didnt sound like they had day jobs (wealthy parents maybe?) BTW, this was in January (their “summer”, right?). Most of the other patrons of this resort were about a decade older, mostly couples. It’s become pretty common in the last 15 years for Uni students to do this. Most of them work part-time during the year while studying. A lot of university places are supported by [government schemes](http://studyassist.gov.au/sites/studyassist/helppayingmyfees/csps/pages/commonwealth-supported-places) that are repaid after getting jobs with a yearly wage over a specified amount. If they are in a resort there is a good chance they are on a working holiday or have otherwise been doing the ‘backpacker’ circuit and splitting accomodation/food/transport cost with a group of friends. There are several [businesses](http://www.studentflights.com.au/) that cater just to that market. ---
**Author:** ![Sleel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/73ab20/32.png) [@Sleel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleel)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-stupid-questions-about-other-countries-and-cultures/651161/160 "2013-02-27T23:38:27Z")
> [@digs](#): > > A number of times, she was told _“We are not a public people like China. There you could look anyone up in a directory. We are a more private people. You need to ‘get fortunate’ and find the correct neighborhood post office. they will know where your relatives are.”_ > > A co-worker of a friend of her son “got fortunate” and found them after trying some little post offices in Tokyo (and calling anyone with the surname-- turns out her brother had only moved a mile away from the address where the family had grown up, but that was far enough to be anonymous), and we had a big reunion! But it took over nine years. This doesn’t square with my experience living in Japan for over a decade. Japan has for centuries had a family registry called _koseki_ (戸籍) that is publicly accessible. In fact, up until 2007 it was possible for **anyone** to get a copy of someone’s _koseki_, which made all kinds of harassment and discrimination possible. Under laws passed in 2008, the list of people with access has been reduced to those on the family registry and those who can demonstrate a need to access it (debt collectors, lawyers, will executors, etc.) The registry keeps track of births, deaths, marriages, divorces, and all kinds of residence status changes. Japan strikes me as more than a bit of a police state at times. As a foreigner, I wasn’t surprised that I had to register changes of address promptly (within 10 days of moving) but I was surprised that Japanese citizens are also required to report to their local bureau when they move. If she knew her family name and the ward where even one of her surviving relatives lived at any time in the past, she should have been able to track them down in a matter of weeks, if not days. The problem might have been trying to access this information from overseas. Japanese are sticklers for proper procedure, carrying it to absurd lengths at times. (I was once unable to renew a permit before the old one had expired, because there were no procedures in place for doing so. I had to take a day off work and travel over an hour to get to the office. The permit had three days remaining on it, and the next time I was able to schedule a day off was over 4 months away. “Sorry, no can do. Next!” I was also unable to report a change of address ahead of time, though I was moving in two days, even with a signed and dated rental agreement in my hot little hands. “Come back when you’ve actually moved. Next!”) I would bet a large chunk of cash that if you’d had an agent in Japan, you would have had someone’s address in a couple of weeks at the most. The stonewalling you report, if accurate, was probably official bullshit. Legally and procedurally, you should be able to track down someone who wasn’t actually trying to hide in maybe a couple of trips down to the city office (市役所). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-stupid-questions-about-other-countries-and-cultures/651161.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-stupid-questions-about-other-countries-and-cultures/651161.md?page=9)