Different Perspectives

[luckytxn 2,263]

There are so many things we are different on and thoughts that I just chalk it up to that she is nuts and leave it at that.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

There are so many things we are different on and thoughts that I just chalk it up to that she is nuts and leave it at that.

[TBoneTX 43,373]

OK; I'll join in here, si man. Apparently, this is not unique to my Ecuatoriana: She (& her country(wo)men) will, for example, cook a pot of something, then leave it on the stove for days, usually unlidded. (The only foodstuff that I would leave out for days would be leftover pizza, si man, because mold is a vegetable, si man.) Also, there is an apparent cultural fascination with conducting odoriferous "science experiments" in the refrigerator, phew man.

Separately, she still doesn't seem to grasp that the cat is a member of the family, and not merely an animal, as they are in Ecuador. Sidebar: Shortly after her arrival, she happened upon a copy of "Cat Fancy" magazine, and exclaimed in true amazement "You mean that there's a magazine about cats?!" She spent considerable time thereafter telling her family (at international phone rates) all about this loco Americano publication, si man.

[Wyld Blu 35]

Here is something else, that is actually changing to my warped American way of doing things.

In Holland, there is no such thing as "doggie bags". If you can't finish your meal at a restaurant, you leave it there...there IS no taking the rest home as leftovers. In Holland, he swore he would NEVER ask for a doggie bag, or box for the leftover restaurant food once in the US because it would be too embarrassing! Well, that has changed...he has actually brought leftovers home twice now! LOL...don't think he ever got around to eating it...and it got tossed, but things, they are-a changin'...

-Blu-

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Yeah, I flop around too much for shared blankets to work.

Your avatar is awesome.

Your latest Avatar looks like A French guy, Stephen.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Here is something else, that is actually changing to my warped American way of doing things.

In Holland, there is no such thing as "doggie bags". If you can't finish your meal at a restaurant, you leave it there...there IS no taking the rest home as leftovers. In Holland, he swore he would NEVER ask for a doggie bag, or box for the leftover restaurant food once in the US because it would be too embarrassing! Well, that has changed...he has actually brought leftovers home twice now! LOL...don't think he ever got around to eating it...and it got tossed, but things, they are-a changin'...

-Blu-

I have been to Netherlands a few times, but not very much, admittedly and did not know this. It is certainly different than Ukraine and Russia and FSU where it is a sin to waste even a scrap of food. Alla would ask for a "doggie bag" in a restaraunt and if she didn't intend to eat it herself she would give it to "someone that had none" which such people, unfortunately, are all too easy to find. Simply isn't done to waste food or leave it un-attended (she wouldn't trust the restaraunt to give it to someone else, she would be afraid they would throw it out)

[Wyld Blu 35]

I have been to Netherlands a few times, but not very much, admittedly and did not know this. It is certainly different than Ukraine and Russia and FSU where it is a sin to waste even a scrap of food. Alla would ask for a "doggie bag" in a restaraunt and if she didn't intend to eat it herself she would give it to "someone that had none" which such people, unfortunately, are all too easy to find. Simply isn't done to waste food or leave it un-attended (she wouldn't trust the restaraunt to give it to someone else, she would be afraid they would throw it out)

The hard thing for me to understand about it is that it can be VERY expensive to eat out in Holland, even in a "less expensive" restaurant. For the prices we spent on dinners out...I HATED to just leave food to be tossed away. But then again, what we call dorm room fridges (the small box fridges) are kinda of the norm there. The double doored side by side I have in my house are just not used there.

-Blu-

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Your latest Avatar looks like A French guy, Stephen.

Good eye. It's a doodle I did of my son, who has some French from his mother's side. You have keen senses. I'll bet you could smell McDonald's french fries from miles away.

[Dave and Helena 0]

In Holland, there is no such thing as "doggie bags". If you can't finish your meal at a restaurant, you leave it there...there IS no taking the rest home as leftovers. In Holland, he swore he would NEVER ask for a doggie bag, or box for the leftover restaurant food once in the US because it would be too embarrassing!

Interesting. It's the same in Sweden. It is kinda crazy, especially if you go out to have a pizza since in Sweden you do not share a pizza, each person orders his/her own and then you can't take your leftovers with you which means you're stuck with the task of trying to eat a whole pizza on your own.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

The hard thing for me to understand about it is that it can be VERY expensive to eat out in Holland, even in a "less expensive" restaurant. For the prices we spent on dinners out...I HATED to just leave food to be tossed away. But then again, what we call dorm room fridges (the small box fridges) are kinda of the norm there. The double doored side by side I have in my house are just not used there.

-Blu-

That's because here we load up our van with groceries in the parking lot and drive them to the front door and pack them into a refrigerator and a freezer. In Ukraine (and probably Netherlands also) few people have cars so they walk and carry groceries from the market, usually an outdoor market where you bargain for each egg, loaf of bread and pice of cheese or meat. How much can YOU carry for 4 blocks and then up 5 flights of stairs (the elevator broke in 1953)??? The limitig factor seems to be the amount one can carry and the fact that Ukrainians prefer to eat fresh food. Alla had to get used to the idea of frozen things and still really has not. Her school keeps her so busy now that she has relented and accepted freezing some things, so she doesn't have to shop every day or every two days, but she still will not buy packaged food, "chemical bread", etc. Basically, with very few exceptions for natural juice and such, if it is in a bottle, can, or box, she won't buy it.

Good eye. It's a doodle I did of my son, who has some French from his mother's side. You have keen senses. I'll bet you could smell McDonald's french fries from miles away.

I'll bet your son knows which revolution came first, yes? Ask him.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I'll bet your son knows which revolution came first, yes? Ask him.

Who said anything about which one happened first...except you? Feel free to look up what I wrote and copy and paste it here if you wish to keep rehashing over your inability to comprehend, let alone walk away with dignity when you've been proven wrong.

[Wyld Blu 35]

So, true...I've never seen SO many people riding bicycles until I went to Holland. Even in the pouring rain, people out on their bikes going about their lives...here in California...if it starts to sprinkle, we run for cover! I think he gets a kick out of our constant "STORM WATCH" newscasts when it gets a little wet outside.

-Blu-

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Who said anything about which one happened first...except you? Feel free to look up what I wrote and copy and paste it here if you wish to keep rehashing over your inability to comprehend, let alone walk away with dignity when you've been proven wrong.

Stephen, geez, give it up, OK? You were wrong and admitted it, much more than I usually expect from a liberal but you gotta let it go, dude.

[BellaChele68 4]

We just had the strangest (to me) conversation about refridgerating foods. He made some pork chops a few nights ago (he's a great cook...). He accidently forgot to put it in the fridge, and I was unaware they were left out too, or else I would have put them away. Anyway, he could not understand why I decided the next afternoon to feed them to the dogs and not eat them as leftovers (he doesn't even do leftovers for the most part.) His reasoning was that if we could leave some leftover cake covered up on the kitchen counter, why not cooked meat. Not sure if the is a cultural thing or not, but he says in Holland, he would have eaten them the next day, refridgerated or not.

Also, he thinks rinsing the soap off the dishes we are handwashing, instead of just wiping it off with a dishtowel is the oddest thing, and a waste of water! Thank God for our dishwasher that RINSES off the soap first, THEN drys it. He told me his family was gonna get a big kick out of that when he tells them, for some reason. lol

-Blu-

I noticed that very little food was put in the fridge in Pakistan and it shocked me...do I need to brace myself for fridge issues LOL?

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

So, true...I've never seen SO many people riding bicycles until I went to Holland. Even in the pouring rain, people out on their bikes going about their lives...here in California...if it starts to sprinkle, we run for cover! I think he gets a kick out of our constant "STORM WATCH" newscasts when it gets a little wet outside.

-Blu-

Netherlands is FULL of bicycles, Ukraine is not. The roads in Ukraine are horrible, even to drive on, let alone ride a bike and the drivers are so fuggin' crazy it is decidely dangerous to ride a bike, the drivers even go onto the sidewalks if the streets are jammed for some reason or another.

The condition of the roads here is instantly noted and commented on by anyone from Ukraine, not to mention the "bike lanes" and drivers who actually do not drive on sidewalks...imagine that!