Odd things your spouse does.

[GnBnL 50]

This is sorta off topic, but I have a friend who's brother always leaves a little bit of each food on his plate. When I asked her why he does this, she said that HE says its "for the fairies." haha! He is a grown man, but still does this. I found it adorable. Her family it english so I'd be curious to see if anyone else from England has ever heard of this or if its unique to him?

Other than paranoid OCD things, I can't think of anything I do as a Canadian....

[Brian121957 43]

I wanted to share some of the odd things my wife does. Share some of your stories.

8. Rarely likes to put food in the icebox after she cooks.

Most of the time the left overs are left in the pan and covered. Only after cooling for hours does she consider putting them in the refrigerator for over night.

[Susita 175]

My hubs doesn't do a whole lot of cleaning, but he also used to sweep the carpet We have this really awesome mop I bought, but he insisted on mopping the floor with a stick and a rag. He also wouldn't flush toilet paper down the toilet for a while. In Peru no one flushes toilet paper.

He wouldn't drink cold drinks with a meal. Iced coffee and iced tea were a total no/no. We had to have rice with everything, even BBQ, hamburgers and hot dogs. A sandwich "wasn't a meal." Oh reeeally???

Things have changed. I've Americanized him. He has embraced modern technology and eats a meatball hero and a cold soda like it's nobody's business. And who's the first one to stop at Dunkin' Donuts and pick us up some iced coffee? Yep, this guy.

... but you can't change everybody. Rice is still a big thing in this house. It's a good thing I can cook Peruvian food!

Edited December 30, 2011 by Susita

[Sayha or bust. 71]

Most of the time the left overs are left in the pan and covered. Only after cooling for hours does she consider putting them in the refrigerator for over night.

Iv"e found food in the cupboards where we keep our glasses or I find it sitting in a bowl in the microwave. I'm trying to break her of that habit. In her kitchen back home they had a small hutch where I'd see most of the food was kept out of reach of the bugs or rats. Sometimes dried fish and shrimp would hang from the rafters in the kitchen.

[jojolicious 38]

Most of the time the left overs are left in the pan and covered. Only after cooling for hours does she consider putting them in the refrigerator for over night.

Yes that's normal. You're not supposed to put hot food in the fridge for some reason.

[Golden Gate 530]

My hubs doesn't do a whole lot of cleaning, but he also used to sweep the carpet We have this really awesome mop I bought, but he insisted on mopping the floor with a stick and a rag. He also wouldn't flush toilet paper down the toilet for a while. In Peru no one flushes toilet paper.

He wouldn't drink cold drinks with a meal. Iced coffee and iced tea were a total no/no. We had to have rice with everything, even BBQ, hamburgers and hot dogs. A sandwich "wasn't a meal." Oh reeeally???

Things have changed. I've Americanized him. He has embraced modern technology and eats a meatball hero and a cold soda like it's nobody's business. And who's the first one to stop at Dunkin' Donuts and pick us up some iced coffee? Yep, this guy.

... but you can't change everybody. Rice is still a big thing in this house. It's a good thing I can cook Peruvian food!

Two things I really like: Papa Rellena and Chicha Morada

[Susita 175]

Two things I really like: Papa Rellena and Chicha Morada

Yes, they're delicious!

Yes that's normal. You're not supposed to put hot food in the fridge for some reason.

Hubbs used to say that, then we saw an episode of Good Morning America and I proved to him that you should not let your food sit out due to bacteria growth. As long as he sees it on TV, he believes it (something else I find crazy, but whateva).

[jojolicious 38]

Yes, they're delicious!

Hubbs used to say that, then we saw an episode of Good Morning America and I proved to him that you should not let your food sit out due to bacteria growth. As long as he sees it on TV, he believes it (something else I find crazy, but whateva).

Oh darn. I didn't know that let me go put our dinner in the fridge right now then...

[Amy_and_Victor 159]

It's very common RUB (Russia/Ukraine/Belorussia) superstition from older times. If you're going back to house to grab something you forgot, you should look at yourself in the mirror, or something bad will happen today with you. So many people from RUB will do it. One more related superstition - if somebody at home and person from RUB coming back asking to give something - never give it if you both at the different sides of doorstep, you should be at the one side from door to take/give anything.

RUB people "germofobic" in eyes of a lot of US people. I also can't imagine myself walking from the hall to the living room or in the bedroom in the shoes I wore outside, because then I'll be worried that it's dirty around and I'll need to wash floors to feel myself ok. I also prefer to take off street clothes in the hall because of street dust. It's just RUB cultural thing, and for us very hard to understand point of view "I have immunity to take care about these germs" just because we all grew up listening from the first days - "clothes and shoes which you wore outside never should go beyond the hall, because it's unhygienic". I know in US it's different point of view on this problem though. But I personally, as most of RUB people, would be highly offended if somebody would walk to my living room or bedroom (where I'm walking in home shoes) in the street shoes.

I have no idea about other items.

Hi Baby! ^^ (It's now Amy writing). I actually quite like the practice of taking off shoes at the door and leaving them, not walking with dirty shoes all over the floor of your house, and I tend to change into pajamas anyway when I get home from work. These are habits from Victor's culture I really appreciate! Also, he washes his hands after we get home from being out, as well as changing from street clothes and taking off his shoes. I've also adopted this habit.

There are some food and drink consumption habits I have that Victor wonders about, like my ability to drink so much milk, and not only that, to drink milk within a short period of time of consuming fish or seafood and not have any stomach upset as a result.

Edited December 31, 2011 by Amy_and_Victor

[meno-is-mine 37]

The squatting thing would freak me out. Middle Eastern men have their own special "quirks". First of all, my husband will be late for his own funeral if I'm not there to hurry it along. He is ALWAYS running late which drives a type "A" like me insane. He whispers prayers under his breath before entering the bathroom as he believes the bathroom is the devil's home. For someone who thinks the devil lives in the bathroom, he sure spends lots of time in there! He thinks you shouldn't drink or eat cold things if you are sick. He thinks ceiling fans make you ill. There are too many to mention!

Being a USC (born and bred) but also being of Egyptian background, I find this hilarious!!! And so true!!! In Egypt, there's no such thing as being on time... LOL.. Not drinking very cold drinks is so typical of an Egyptian... its funny cuz I can only drink an ice-cold drink if its not coffee or tea...

Ha Betsy! So true about the bathroom! We even have prayers taped to the mirror in the master bathroom!

Also, wears his shiff shiffs (flip flops) into the shower, even though it's probably the cleanest floor in the whole house!

Always spits into the trash can. (ewww!!!!)

Refuses to go barefoot anywhere. Even on the carpet.

Always wear his clothes more than once before it goes into the laundry basket BUT will not wear the same thing 2 days in a row.

I can always tell when he is talking to another Egyptian because he yells when he is on the phone to them, whether it's in english or Arabic.

Has more hair products and "good" smelling lotions/colognes/body sprays than a woman

So funny here as well... Not shiff shiffs, they're shib shibs...LOL... I find Egyptians to yell while on the phone too... is the shower slippery? that's a new one I've never heard of... This whole thread was so entertaining... I was literally laughing out loud

[missicy 87]

I measure pants by neck because your neck width around is the SAME as your HIPS! IF you do not want to try on the pants wrap the waist around your neck and it will fit you. It ALWAYS works. I have never had a pair of pants that do not fit me when measuring them this way.

I'm from Canada too not a far off country or anything.

I have a pair of pants that fitted me perfectly a couple years ago before I gained some weight and they still fit perfectly around my neck but not my waist and hips anymore lol. I guess all the weight I gained went to my hips. So this method doesn't work for me and I have to try on every pair of pants before I buy them.

[KittyPollitt 284]

The squatting thing would freak me out. Middle Eastern men have their own special "quirks". First of all, my husband will be late for his own funeral if I'm not there to hurry it along. He is ALWAYS running late which drives a type "A" like me insane. He whispers prayers under his breath before entering the bathroom as he believes the bathroom is the devil's home. For someone who thinks the devil lives in the bathroom, he sure spends lots of time in there! He thinks you shouldn't drink or eat cold things if you are sick. He thinks ceiling fans make you ill. There are too many to mention!

I've often said that if every timepiece on the entire continent of Africa stopped working, no one would know the difference. When hubby first got here, the concept of "being on time" was totally lost on him. Still to this day, if I call him and tell him to be ready to leave when I get home from work, I know I'm going to wait a good 30 minutes AFTER I pull up for him to come out to the car.

The whole bathroom thing is why he won't shower after dark. He says that jinn sleep in the drains at night after haunting the world by day, and running water over them after evening prayer will cause you to be cursed. When I lived in Morocco and would shower after dark, his family would meet me on the stairs and pray over me.

[Damian&Kelly 16]

This is sorta off topic, but I have a friend who's brother always leaves a little bit of each food on his plate. When I asked her why he does this, she said that HE says its "for the fairies." haha! He is a grown man, but still does this. I found it adorable. Her family it english so I'd be curious to see if anyone else from England has ever heard of this or if its unique to him?

Other than paranoid OCD things, I can't think of anything I do as a Canadian....

I never heard of "for the fairies" but my husband, an Englishman, always leaves at least 1 baked bean or pea behind on his plate or on the table. He also likes to have baked beans with every meal, none of these 'American' Baked beans with brown sugar, just baked beans in tomato sauce. He's a vegetarian but doesn't like very many veggies. He uses a fork and knife to eat every meal. Also won't use the dish washer and would prefer not to use the clothes dryer as well. He reuses towels after his showers, and wears his cloths more than once before washing them.

[Mayarz 4]

I've often said that if every timepiece on the entire continent of Africa stopped working, no one would know the difference. When hubby first got here, the concept of "being on time" was totally lost on him. Still to this day, if I call him and tell him to be ready to leave when I get home from work, I know I'm going to wait a good 30 minutes AFTER I pull up for him to come out to the car.

The whole bathroom thing is why he won't shower after dark. He says that jinn sleep in the drains at night after haunting the world by day, and running water over them after evening prayer will cause you to be cursed. When I lived in Morocco and would shower after dark, his family would meet me on the stairs and pray over me.

Yes we Believe in that...I got my visa but I didnt travel yet...When I told my husband that once I get there, I should pour milk in the drains so to make peace with the Jinns..and Cant shower at night ( Its culture thing) He made fun of me and he said NOWAY !!! But Im still doing it anyway !!

Brushing teeth before eating is a habit for us too, Not before every meal but only before breakfast Because I just think its nasty and gross...(My husband already adopted that...Now before he eats anything in the morning, I give him the stinky eye and He knows why Im starying at him, so He goes brush his teeth immediatly..)

Also changing our Clothes once we get Home to pijamas,He used to wake up and wear his outside clothes and his running shoes and sit..I was like what the hell?? Your gonna mess your outside clothes..So he adopted the new habit too( Changing his clothes once his home)

I enjoy reading those differences as I know my husband will be writting in this forum few months from now to make fun of me as well..Wether to tell you that I adopted his habits or He did !!! LOL

Edited December 31, 2011 by Mayarz

[VanessaTony 3,567]

Yes that's normal. You're not supposed to put hot food in the fridge for some reason.

You should let the food cool and then put it in the fridge. The reason is the heat from the food heats up the inside of your fridge. It's not a drastic enough but it makes your fridge work harder but worst is if it gets too warm in there you are negating the purpose of refrigeration. You should also ALWAYS put a cover on food (but again wait till the food is cooled before putting in the fridge.. sometimes the condensation is so high on the lid the top of your food has a little pond which is gross). Meat should always go on the bottom (so it doesn't drip on other food). Here's a little thing on safe food handling: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/fact_sheets/safe_food_handling_fact_sheets/ More available online obviously

I never heard of "for the fairies" but my husband, an Englishman, always leaves at least 1 baked bean or pea behind on his plate or on the table. He also likes to have baked beans with every meal, none of these 'American' Baked beans with brown sugar, just baked beans in tomato sauce. He's a vegetarian but doesn't like very many veggies. He uses a fork and knife to eat every meal. Also won't use the dish washer and would prefer not to use the clothes dryer as well. He reuses towels after his showers, and wears his cloths more than once before washing them.

I miss regular baked beans from Australia. Bakes beans in tomato sauce. They don't taste the same here. I missed tinned spaghetti too. It's not bad here but I still prefer Aussie (of course )

Hubbs used to say that, then we saw an episode of Good Morning America and I proved to him that you should not let your food sit out due to bacteria growth. As long as he sees it on TV, he believes it (something else I find crazy, but whateva).

Yes HOT food shouldn't be put in the fridge but once it's cooled it should be.

Edited January 1, 2012 by Vanessa&Tony