USC Clueless Families?

[Soancika+Brian 0]

I'd rather hear stupid questions about other countries than no curiousity at all. Most people don't ask any questions either because they don't care, afraid they'll look stupid or think you'll get indignant you don't anything about their country.

Definitely!

Hey guys,

I am from Lithuania. I had someone ask me if we had cars in our country... ...HELLO...in what century are we living?

So...do you?

I told him that we don't have cars and that we ride dinosaurs.

[Autumnchik 6]

When my husband first started work here, he was on a job site with a guy who truly believed that the United States was Central America and Canada was North America. He also insisted that Mexico and Guatemala were South America. Apparently, this guy had once looked at a globe and saw the words North America written solely on Canada, which led him to his conclusion. My poor hubby tried for quite awhile to explain which countries were considered North America, Central America and South America, but this guy refused to believe him and thought my hubby was the ignorant one.

[Shad and Dani 3]

everyone knows where brazil is.

Hard to miss Brazil on the map!

[bora bora 1]

everyone knows where brazil is.

Hard to miss Brazil on the map!

But I've had friends ask me if it was 11 pm at night (while I was in Brazil) when it was 11 am in New York

I also had a guy ask me if Bolivia was near the Ukraine and another person wondered if I'd be speaking Bolivian while I was there.

[faryan 4]

Well, some people have actually asked me if people here in Malaysia still live on trees. I am not sure if that was just a joke or what. Maybe I dont have much humor..

[Brad and Vika 129]

Belarus isn't exactly a well known country. I already knew a lot about it even before I met my wife because my mom's parents were born there. My wife is a Belarusian citizen, but was born in Russia. She is ethnic Russian. My grandparents were ethnic Belarusians. What is the difference? I can't really tell any major differences and have traveled in both countries. Belarusians have attempted to revive the Belarusian language, but most Belarusians speak Russian and don't even know the Belarusian language. Russians, Belarusians, and Ukrainians were the Slavic peoples within the USSR. I have found all three to be very similar to my American eyes.

When Americans ask my wife and stepdaughter where they are from they just tell them, Russia. It is a lot easier than trying to explain the geography, history, and peoples of the region.

I don't know about Russia, but I see lots of differences between the average group of Belarussians walking around Minsk, and the comparative in a place like Odessa. Ukraine has been a kind of cultural crossroads historically, so you see the influence of Slavic, Asian, Middle Eastern, and even African in different parts of the country. That cultural diversity is present in the people, mode of dress, body language, and even the architecture a little. I agree though that for most Americans, it is VERY tough to explain any of that.

[peejay 327]

Belarus isn't exactly a well known country. I already knew a lot about it even before I met my wife because my mom's parents were born there. My wife is a Belarusian citizen, but was born in Russia. She is ethnic Russian. My grandparents were ethnic Belarusians. What is the difference? I can't really tell any major differences and have traveled in both countries. Belarusians have attempted to revive the Belarusian language, but most Belarusians speak Russian and don't even know the Belarusian language. Russians, Belarusians, and Ukrainians were the Slavic peoples within the USSR. I have found all three to be very similar to my American eyes.

When Americans ask my wife and stepdaughter where they are from they just tell them, Russia. It is a lot easier than trying to explain the geography, history, and peoples of the region.

I don't know about Russia, but I see lots of differences between the average group of Belarussians walking around Minsk, and the comparative in a place like Odessa. Ukraine has been a kind of cultural crossroads historically, so you see the influence of Slavic, Asian, Middle Eastern, and even African in different parts of the country. That cultural diversity is present in the people, mode of dress, body language, and even the architecture a little. I agree though that for most Americans, it is VERY tough to explain any of that.

My cousin was going to take me from Belarus on a trip to Kiev several years ago, but I just didn't have the time and I was worried that I wouldn't be able to return to Belarus from Ukraine with the Belarusian visa I had. My departure flight to the USA was out of Minsk. I would like to visit Ukraine some day just to see it. Unlike Belarus and Russia, a visa is unnecessary unless a US citizen wants to stay more than 90 days (or so I heard).

My stepdaughter's boyfriend is a Ukrainian and lives here in Houston. He has been a US citizen for several years. I've met several other Ukrainians here in the Houston area. Some of my mom's relatives in Belarus have Ukrainian surnames, but are Belarusian citizens. Some of my other Belarusian relatives have Russian surnames too. My mom's parents both had Belarusian surnames. That is why I say that there are little discernable clues in appearance, because they all have that Slavic look.

I'll have to take your word on the cultural diversity of Ukraine. I don't know much about the Ukraine except from books. I've never been there.

From what I have seen of European Russia and Belarus it is mostly Slavic. In Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Minsk I saw only a few foreign students from Africa and China around the university areas. Occasionally I saw a few peoples from the Caucus' or the 'stans of the old USSR. My wife calls them "people from the south". Otherwise it was 99% Slavic from what I saw in Belarus and Russia.

Belarus is a crossroads too. It was occupied by Germany in WWI and WWII. Napolean ravaged his way through there on his failed conquest of Moscow. The Hordes from the East rampaged through there in earlier times. Not much African activity that I have ever read about though.

[Shad and Dani 3]

everyone knows where brazil is.

Hard to miss Brazil on the map!

But I've had friends ask me if it was 11 pm at night (while I was in Brazil) when it was 11 am in New York

I also had a guy ask me if Bolivia was near the Ukraine and another person wondered if I'd be speaking Bolivian while I was there.

LOL...Every time I call my family from Bulgaria they ask me about the time It's like a magic trick to them

[JSVP08 3]

I got a bit fed up explaining to Tom's friends the difference between Great Britain, United Kingdom and England. Now I just tell people to google it lol.

wow! i thought GB is a name for all of the three? ...... totally clueless

[JSVP08 3]

hey! i like this topic! am learning a lot ...and ohh well....gettin a lot more clue now. its nice to hear from places ive never known that exist .....

wow the World is vast and huge!!

Hey guys,

I am from Lithuania. I had someone ask me if we had cars in our country... ...HELLO...in what century are we living?

[JSVP08 3]

everyone knows where brazil is.

Hard to miss Brazil on the map!

Agree and i like brazil coz of the arizona river....err....is it?

[NickD 203]

everyone knows where brazil is.

Hard to miss Brazil on the map!

Agree and i like brazil coz of the arizona river....err....is it?

General impression is that South America like Africa was just one big country, where hot spice eating Hispanics come from with hot tempered women that love to throw pots and pans. Since Hispanics are from a Spanish decent, kind of leaves Brazil out as they are of a Portuguese decent. We love to pick on Brazil for converting rain forest, like it doesn't rain in Wisconsin to farm lands, but the same thing was done here. Once an heavily forested land converted into diary farms that are pumping in zillion of tons of methane into the air. But that's okay.

Have yet to meet a hot tempered women in South America, wife beating is far more common, knew my wife was special, but is taking the USA to get her to crawl out of her shell. And as for hot tempered women, they are here in the USA and can cream the hell of a guy in a divorce court. Ha, been there, and have been creamed. Ha, my neighbor thought my wife loved hot spicy food and made salsa for her, was a nice gesture, but she likes eating rice with chopsticks.

[tom&tata 2]

Well, some people have actually asked me if people here in Malaysia still live on trees. I am not sure if that was just a joke or what. Maybe I dont have much humor..

Too funny. My husband videotaped trip from the airport to my parents house the 1st time he went to Indonesia. They would not have believed that we have tall buildings & traffic jam if it were not for the video

But last Friday I was just asked if Indonesian is like Japanese? I said no, culturally we are different & physically we are not that similar either. Although when I added "Oh, we don't even speak the same language" - it seems to seal the deal.

[Heracles 417]

What the hell do they teach in schools here.. lol Oh I forgot, no time to learn about the rest of the world in a system skewed to how awesome the country is.

Then again, prior to this recent passport requirement for traveling to bordering countries, only 23% or so Americans had passports.

Edited February 2, 2009 by Aficionado

[Shad and Dani 3]

What the hell do they teach in schools here.. lol Oh I forgot, no time to learn about the rest of the world in a system skewed to how awesome the country is.

Then again, prior to this recent passport requirement for traveling to bordering countries, only 23% or so Americans had passports.

Exactly! Why should Americans learn about other countries if they already live in the greatest country in the world? Did you know "EVERYONE" wants to come here? At least that's the general opinion.