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Meet Helene Sula, an American lifestyle blogger who not just loves traveling but has made it her full-time job, moving to live in different states, countries, and even continents! As you can imagine, Helene has gathered a bunch of intercultural experiences and having lived in Europe for years, knows the subtleties of life here pretty well. And saying it’s really different from life in the States would be an understatement!

In fact, she has dedicated her whole TikTok video series to explaining common American things that Europeans think are weird. From prom nights and portion sizes to distances between things and hours spent driving, there are many things that simply bamboozle Europeans. With a whopping 8.4M likes in total, Helene’s videos have gone viral, showing how fascinated we really are by these cultural and societal differences.

More info: Heleneinbetween.com | Smart.bio

Image credits: heleneinbetween

@heleneinbetween American things Europeans think are weird! #tiktoktravel #expat #travel #usa #europe #america #fyp #foryou #americacheck ♬ original sound - Helene Sula
#1

“America vs. Europe”: 27 Things Common In America That Europeans Find Very Weird Maternity leave. In the USA there is no standard paid maternity leave, but you can get 12 weeks of unpaid leave. Whereas in Europe, there is at least 14 weeks of maternity leave, with many countries offering much more. For example, in Germany, Norway, Lithuania, Sweden and Hungary, they offer a full year or more of paid maternity leave. In Germany, you can actually take up to three years off, and it's not just for the moms. There's paternal leave too.

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YinzerGhost
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Take your newborn to work and get them used to the dimly-lit offices. Stop being such an unproductive member of society, newborns.

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Bored Panda reached out to the author of these viral TikTok videos, Helene Sula, who has been a full-time travel blogger for 8 years. Helene runs a wonderful blog “Helene In Between” and shares some great videos about travel, cultures, and everything in between on her TikTok channel. She was happy to share some insights into her adventures around the world with Bored Panda.

“TikTok is such a great platform for sharing travel, life abroad, and connecting and learning with others,” she said. Helene started her blog after falling 25 feet rock climbing and breaking her ankle and leg. “I was out of work so I started a blog, writing about my travels. This snowballed into social media and now it's my husband's and my full-time job,” she recounted.

#2

“America vs. Europe”: 27 Things Common In America That Europeans Find Very Weird Money. In the US, cash is all the same shape, size and color, which is green, while in Europe it comes in all different colors and sizes, which also helps people immediately understand the difference. Also some countries like Romania and the UK have plastic bills.

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Nolgoth
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Newer US dollars are starting to come out as different colors. We dont mess with the shape/size because various vending machines and whatnot are only set up for one size.

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#3

“America vs. Europe”: 27 Things Common In America That Europeans Find Very Weird Tipping. In America, it's standard to tip 15 to 20%. In Europe, tipping isn't mandatory, but in some countries it's a few euros or maybe 10%. Europeans are generally paid a salary to wait tables, while Americans make more money through tips.

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MaddaPanda
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A wage that doesn’t depend on the amount of clients and their willingness to tip, is by European standard just an obvious thing. Should be standard in any developed country.

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#4

“America vs. Europe”: 27 Things Common In America That Europeans Find Very Weird Paying at restaurants. Most of the time at restaurants in the US, your server will hand you a bill, take your credit card and walk to the back to charge it. In Europe, your server will charge your credit card right at the table. Also, most Nordic countries are almost all cashless, while some places like in Germany and Italy they still heavily rely on cash.

Also at American restaurants, they bring the check when they think you're finished eating, while in Europe, that's often considered rude and they won't bring you the check until you ask for it.

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Marianne
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I was shocked when a waiter took my credit card away for the first time. Here, we learn to never give it away because of fraud.

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Having lived and traveled to so many places both in Europe and America, Helene argues that she loves that there are so many differences between cultures, countries, and continents. “It's what makes each place so wonderful and interesting to travel to. I think Europeans and Americans have different outlooks on living day to day, especially with regards to work,” she said.

Europeans have more time off than Americans, which means they spend time traveling more, Helene argues. “Because Americans don't, we often seem ‘busy,’ cramming in and doing as much as possible.” When Helene moved to Europe, she thought she'd slow down when it came to travel, but the opposite happened. “The more I travel, the more I realize I'm just scratching the surface.”

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#5

“America vs. Europe”: 27 Things Common In America That Europeans Find Very Weird Driving. In America we drive nearly everywhere, even really short distances and sometimes even across the street. However, we also drive if it's super far away. Also, Europeans tend to say a location is blank kilometers away. Well in America, we say it in hours. For example, we are 10 hours away from the beach.

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Twodogsandapicnictable
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah. I'm definitely more concerned with how long it takes to get somewhere than how far away it is.

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#6

“America vs. Europe”: 27 Things Common In America That Europeans Find Very Weird Americans wear their shoes in the house - yes the same ones we walked around in all day. Many Europeans and other countries take their shoes off at home and in Germany they have special house shoes that they wear just around the house.

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Jo Choto
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Lots of Europeans wear their shoes in the house. Lots of Americans take their shoes off in the house. This is a very poor example.

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#7

“America vs. Europe”: 27 Things Common In America That Europeans Find Very Weird The way we write the dates. We write the dates, Month-Day-Year. Almost everywhere else including Europe, it's Day-Month-Year. There's no real reason why we do it.

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Tuna Fish
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We write them how we say them. If someone asks what day it is we say March 25th. So we write it the same way.

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When asked what’s very American that she really misses (or missed) while in Europe, Helene said it’s the “convenience.” She explained: “Stores stay open later. I remember being in Germany and there would be gas stations that you had to pay in store. Stores would be closed so you couldn't pump gas late at night! Or, in Germany, stores closing on Sundays always blew my mind. Just a different way of life. And, of course, Tex Mex! You can't beat it and you really cannot find good Mexican food in Europe.”

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#8

“America vs. Europe”: 27 Things Common In America That Europeans Find Very Weird Christmas lights in the USA. We go crazy for Christmas lights and over the top Christmas decorations. Even though the movies might make it look over the top, it's totally accurate. We like to cover every square inch of our house in twinkling lights. In Europe, the city centers are often decorated and beautiful, but homes don't usually have such over the top decorations.

One of our favorite traditions in the USA is to go Christmas light looking. We grab hot chocolate and drive around listening to Christmas music while looking at lights

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John Smith
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Some people do go light wild in the UK, unfortunately there are a huge amount of assholes that see your lights and go "That's nice. I will have it" and you come home to your lights gone, HD video footage of the whole thing and police saying "we don't have enough evidence". Its easier to put the lights inside the house.

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#9

“America vs. Europe”: 27 Things Common In America That Europeans Find Very Weird Eggs are refrigerated in the USA but not Europe. In the United States, egg producers are required by law to wash the eggs in chlorinated water. This kills any bacteria that might be clinging to the shells. This also washes off the eggs natural protection so that they might spoil more quickly if they're not refrigerated. In Europe, egg producers do not wash this off and so they are safe to store unrefrigerated until used.

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Scarlett Fox
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2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They also vaccinate chickens against salmonella in Europe, but it's not mandatory in North America.

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#10

“America vs. Europe”: 27 Things Common In America That Europeans Find Very Weird Americans like a lot of ice in their drinks, and the rest of the world really doesn't do this. In Europe, you have to ask for ice most of the time, and usually it's just a couple of cubes. We like our drinks cold and we'd like to refill, please.

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Jo Choto
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Americans like to take a perfectly good fizzy drink and put so much ice in it that it becomes diluted and flat.

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One of the most common misunderstandings about the American way of living that Europeans believe in, Helene argues, is that we only eat fast food. “I can absolutely admit that Europeans have higher quality of food overall. But the USA has its fair share of delicious cuisine from all over the world. Because the USA is a melting pot, there really is a vast array of good, healthy food.”

On the other hand, a very common European thing that Americans would find very weird is the drinking age, Helene says. “I think the European system of drinking younger is better. We drive cars and then drink and I think this leads to binge drinking. Also, that houses in Germany don't come with kitchens, or light fixtures! That blew me away!”

#11

“America vs. Europe”: 27 Things Common In America That Europeans Find Very Weird The drinking age in the US is 21, which is the highest in the world. While in most European countries it's 18, and in some countries it's even as low as 16, if it's enforced at all. Also beer and wine is cheaper in Europe and maybe a little better.

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Evil Little Thing
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We have a high drinking age because the driving age is 16 and there are very few places in the US where you can go anywhere without a car. About 50 years ago they studied drunk driving accidents and found most of them were kids under 21, so they changed the drinking age to 21 and drunk driving accidents fell dramatically.

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#12

“America vs. Europe”: 27 Things Common In America That Europeans Find Very Weird In the US, we work a lot. On average, we only get about two weeks paid vacation. I personally had only five days off on my first job, which in Europe it varies but many countries get a month off. In the United Kingdom, France, Spain and Germany they take the lead for the most days off.

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Nolgoth
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I do miss the 2.5 days earned vacation per month i got in the navy. Everyone got the same rate of earned days from day 1, no waiting 90 days nor having different tiers depending on seniority/time in service. You could save it all up the whole time you are in. Whatever you have left when you separate or retire you can sell off (or what i did was get home early by 2 weeks while separating). I think this should be the standard. plus a mandatory holiday period of vacation time (like what many european countries have)

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#13

Americans are super loud, especially on our phones and in public areas like restaurants. We tend to air out our dirty laundry by speaking super loudly. When I first moved to Germany I remember I felt like I was whispering at the dinner table.

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Caro Caro
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oh BS ! Some Americans can be loud yes, but I've met people from all over the world and some of them were loud too. Not just an American thing ffs.

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The professional traveler and content creator believes that looking at cultural differences is a great way to learn. “I often get very angry commenters that want me to know that ‘Europe is not a country.’ I do know that, I've been lucky to visit 40 different European countries and spend a good deal of time in each. I think each country, of course, has its own set of customs and cultural differences, but comparing the USA and Europe doesn't mean I'm denying that,” Helene said and added that “I just think it's interesting for many Americans to see the differences.”

#14

“America vs. Europe”: 27 Things Common In America That Europeans Find Very Weird Powerlines. Driving around the USA you'll notice power or telephone lines nearly everywhere you look. While in many places in Europe they bury the lines underground. Buried power lines are protected from the wind, ice and trees, but buried lines are more vulnerable to flooding and can still fail. Also burying them is more expensive, but it looks so much nicer.

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GirlFriday
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The US is vast and the land is not the same in all areas. I am from an area close to the Mississippi River. We can't put electricity under the ground in a flood plain. With the rate at which most areas are expanding, it much more cost efficient to have the line above ground because they may be moved later.

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#15

“America vs. Europe”: 27 Things Common In America That Europeans Find Very Weird Americans love small talk. Perfect strangers might ask you how you're doing or comment on the weather. Typically the further south you get in the US the more small talk, darlin'.

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Nilsen
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And in Scandinavia if you get an answer at all, it will be an honest one. I worry about work and taxes and the government, my back is bothering me, my mother's healt is failing and maybe the children aren't doing well in school. Are you ready for that waiting for the buss in rain and sleet at half past seven in the morning? That's why we are silent.

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#16

“America vs. Europe”: 27 Things Common In America That Europeans Find Very Weird Bathrooms, and by bathrooms we mean toilets - American bathrooms are what we call them. What's weird is the bathrooms in the US often have wide gaps - why? Well, no one knows.

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Nunya Business
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We don't know why there are gaps, but we know we don't like them!

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#17

“America vs. Europe”: 27 Things Common In America That Europeans Find Very Weird Americans are not direct at all. Europeans are super blunt, and they tend to tell you like it is. Whereas in America, we tend to give a compliment sandwich. So we stick a criticism in between two compliments, whereas Europeans will just tell you what they think. And they'll tell you they don't like something or if they do, whereas in America in the USA, we tend to not always be as direct.

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Marcellus the Third
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think the American poster here has mis-read a lot of say the British then... When an Englishman replies to a statement with "interesting", he means "that was pure stupidity, now let's change the subject". So, "direct" if you know what was meant, not direct if you take it at face value.

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#18

Windows. In the USA, windows are typically much cheaper. Many windows have a crank to open and close them, or a lever to push them up. European windows are better resistant to condensation. For example, in Germany windows just open with a push in turn, making them easier to open and close and more resistant to breaking. While most North American windows use double pane windows, European Windows usually have triple pane or even quadruple pane. I think the reason for this is that Europeans build things to last, while in the USA we tear down and build new.

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Nilsen
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

....and in the UK you still get single panes with cut-out ventilation that doesn't really close.....

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PandaGoPanda
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I lived in a house like that! Right next to the main London to Brighton line - draughty, noisy, and let in brown soot from the railway.

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Ashley Roush
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What person in the US just tears out windows for new ones?! I agree that we're pretty bad about just buying new stuff but I promise you tearing out your windows for new ones is an extremely rare practice.

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Huddo's sister
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I thought they meant the buildings in general are not built to last. I know in Australia, 40+ years ago houses were built to last 50+ years, now they are expected to last only 10+ years because it's cheaper.

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GirlFriday
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What in the heck is this? Has this person even been to a house in the US?

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Steve
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What house in the US has a crank to open and close windows?

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John Smith
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Usually have triple or quadruple? Not here in the UK double glazing tends to be the standard with Triple ply as an option. I have never seen a house with quad ply windows, or a company even offering it, and I bought new windows about 6 months ago.

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Dan Padgett
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I hear quad glazing, I think someone has a grow house or wants to stop a bullet. Double glazing is plenty.

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Nubis Knight
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And than there are the nice Windows in like Germany that not open just normally but you can also just tilt them a bit to get a nice and steady breeze. |/

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Animalsrgreat
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Hahaha! You can purchase whatever kind of windows you want! Single hung, double hung, casement, double/ triple pane. It's all about cost!

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Got Myself 4 Pandas
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I got new windows in my ancient house not too long ago, I didn't notice how much better they were until I opened them one day and realised how noisy it was outside. All my windows open in two different ways and can turn them 90 degrees so they're easier to clean - think they're just double glazed though

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Nadine Bamberger
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When you build a new house you're required by law to make it energy efficient so decent windows are a must.

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backatya
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

no in the USA it's about making more money so they make things cheap. It use to not be this way

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lara
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No the reason there are "triple pane and quadruple panes" is to protect against heat loss in the winter. We have triple pane windows because of heat in the summer.

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More!
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Or because it’s so cold in Europe during winter, you need those three panes of glass to prevent hypothermia. I wish I could afford triple glazing, it would do wonders for the traffic noise. Even double glazing would do. But it’s very, very expensive in Australia.

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Keith Mitchem
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have triple pane windows in home and I live in the U.S.it has nothing to do location. It has to do with window technology.

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Vicki Stokes
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have never owned a home in the US that had condensation problem. So, double pane definitely is appropriate. I have also have never lived anywhere that had extreme weather that would require triple pane windows. My house has windows that you can push up and some that have a crank in the bedrooms. It's relatively newer home even by European standards, built in 2003. I also grew up in a house in the Southern part of US that was built in 1921. Same different kinds of windows that had crank and push up to open.

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Gail Welde
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Absolutely depends upon the age of the structure on both continents.

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Myriam Ickx
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In Europe houses are built to last, they are insulated against loss of heat, and that's also why we always use double or triple panes on the windows - saving heat and energy. American houses, by comparison, seem to be built out of matchsticks and cardboard. And overheated in winter, over-cooled in summer. Cheap energy leads to waste.

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Blondieybat
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

USA has a LOT of different climates. Do NOT judge what s home is like in any one area and assume that is the way it is all over the

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moose man
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

when i read the first word i immediately thought of the os

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GramDB
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In the USA the "tear down and build new" 24/7 way … keeps people WORKING! That's how a proud and prosperous economy takes care of its own needs.

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Essex Eagle
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Nope. Most windows in the UK are twin paned. That's why its called double glazing...

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#19

“America vs. Europe”: 27 Things Common In America That Europeans Find Very Weird Whenever you meet an American,usually the first question you're asked is: "What do you do for a living?" This doesn't happen the same way in Europe. In the US, people are obsessed with their jobs, and usually think of this as their identity. Don't be obsessed with your job, be obsessed with your life.

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GaeFrog
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't think "what do you do for a living" is the first thing you ask here in America. Most people actually consider it rude

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#20

“America vs. Europe”: 27 Things Common In America That Europeans Find Very Weird In the US, the portion sizes are huge. You might be surprised how big the portion you'll receive when you order a meal is. It's also acceptable to take your leftovers home. while in some places in Europe that's not typical. Also if you haven't noticed, we fry everything.

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Liam F.
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

ooooooooooh okay now I want funnel cake, damn I haven't had them in sooo long

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#21

“America vs. Europe”: 27 Things Common In America That Europeans Find Very Weird The movies are true. We really do have a lot of high school dances, although they aren't choreographed like this. We have homecoming. And fun fact. My first date with my to be husband was homecoming. We also have Prom, and Prom King and Queen.

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Jo Choto
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And the USA does a rocking business in dresses for these events, because the wealthier girls will only wear a dress to one event and then they need a new one. So there are about 4 or so prom-like events per year through four years of high school, with dresses costing easily $200-300.

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#22

In the USA we go all out decorating our homes for the holidays and Halloween is our time to show off our spooky decorations. I rarely see Halloween decor and European homes, but it also seems like Halloween is a much bigger tradition in the USA.

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#23

Grocery shopping. Most Americans do their grocery shopping once a week, typically buying larger quantities of items to stock up. While in Europe, shopping is typically done every day or every other day. Also, grocery stores in the USA tend to be bigger and have larger aisles. Since many US cities are suburban, there is room to create much larger grocery stores with even larger parking lots. While Europeans might bring home their groceries on public transit or bikes, meaning they don't need to carry quite as much.

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Alain Terrieur
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's because in Europe shops and homes are in the same block or street. In USA blocks are typical only commercial, residential or industrial. So the distance between living and shopping is bigger, thus the need for cars, etc.

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#24

“America vs. Europe”: 27 Things Common In America That Europeans Find Very Weird In America, we drive huge vehicles. Europeans tend to drive smaller compact cars. Since European cities are more dense, the cars reflect that. While in the USA, we tend to think bigger is better and often prefer trucks and SUVs. Also, in the USA gas is typically much cheaper, but overall Europeans tend to be safer drivers than Americans.

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Wistiti
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Unfortunately, consumerism propaganda is very strong and Europe is following US's example. SUVs are in the rise even though they need so much more fuel. Such a waste.

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#25

“America vs. Europe”: 27 Things Common In America That Europeans Find Very Weird The term America. If you grew up in the US, you may think of America and the United States interchangeable. Most of the time we call the United States America and we call ourselves American. Even though there's also the whole rest of North America and all of South America. Many people can't understand why we refer to the US as America, and people from other countries often refer to our country as the US or the states.

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S. Mi
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As a result of this tendency to refer to the United States as 'America', many Canadians will correct you if you refer to them as 'American' or even 'North American'.

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#26

Fashion. In the USA, we tend to dress casually all the time. Sweatpants, leggings and sweatshirts are normal to wear on a daily basis. While in Europe they tend to be more fashionable and dress up more often. Also, Americans tend to go with what's trendy, while in Europe they prefer a more classic look.

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Susie Elle
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'd disagree as fashion styles and preferences vary incredibly between countries.

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#27

“America vs. Europe”: 27 Things Common In America That Europeans Find Very Weird Houses in America and Europe are pretty different. American homes tend to have more space between them, while in Europe, they're more closely stacked together. Most American homes have a yard while many European homes don't. And while many American homes are larger than the European homes, in Europe the outdoor communal spaces are very beautiful and super pedestrian friendly.

heleneinbetween , Sigmund Report

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Caro Caro
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is utter nonsense. It depends where you live, rural or city and which part of the country. I have a whopping garden here in France and no neighbours stuck to my house. She should get out more ...

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