30 Things Europeans Do That Leave Americans Raising Their Eyebrows

A friend i hadn't seen for a long time moved to a town 100km away. In Australian terms, that's practically just around the corner.

There, bathroom. There, there...

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As an American you have no idea about left wing and right wing because, by European standards, both of your parties are right of centre.

I did this in Argentina. I loved being able to just get what I needed every day. Food is always fresh, cuts down a lot on waste, you get a little bit extra exercise, and you can make exactly what you're in the mood for that day.

Because since WW2 Americans are used to the taste of butyric acid. It used to be used to keep the milk from spoiling, now it's added because Americans actually prefer it that way.

So the picture shows non-tilt-and-turn windows... well done BP.

Long long ago, in a time forgotten.... Hot and cold water are kept separate to prevent contamination, cold water comes into the house directly from the mains supply and is safe to drink. Hot water was provided by an Immersion heater generally located in the loft of a house and as it sits there it is considered unsafe to drink. Water bylaws prevent hot and cold from being mixed - this still applies today, water is NOT allowed to mix until is exits the tap.

Haha, so I grew up in a town in southern France... the city center dates back a thousand (if not more) years ago, as in many places across Europe. That city is partnered with a big one in kentuky and they gifted a BIG police car to their french cousins. Nice! municipality police was so proud of their shiny BIG AMERICAN car. Butt of the joke : just try and picture that BIG AMERICAN police car manoeuvering in those medieval streets ; the result was hillarious and not efficient at all in cathing wrong doers.

You smoke to look cool the first time then the nicotine hits you, you'll never be really relaxed without it

This is mandatory as a safety measure: the switch must be placed out of reach of the shower or bath to avoid touching it when you are in the water.

This is usual when the whole building is brand new and you are BUYING the apartment. So you can decide what kind of kitchen do you like. I can imagine that sometimes this might happen with some long-term rent, like 10+ years. Otherwise no one will rent a flat without kitchen.

As a Brit living in Germany, I feel this in the feelies. Absolutely takes some getting used to. But now I like it!

And nary a ceiling fan.

Or maybe running the AC all the time, even if you are not home, is a waste of energy? Also, you get used to the heat a little bit, but only if you actually experience the heat.

Germans are very curious about other people. It takes a while to get used to the staring! (Speaking as a Brit who is now a Brit/German). It's nothing personal, they are just curious. I like to be considered interesting enough!

Restaurants will charge for bottled water. Tap water is free.

It's mostly because of tradition. Apart from that, they serve no real purpose, indeed.

What?

Totally agree on this. It's a real problem in parts of England. When I moved back from Japan, where nearly every convenience store has a clean well maintained toilet, it was a struggle for me.

Quick, cheap, easy to make. Add some cheese on top to be fancy!

less water, protect the sink, can be use somewhere else

because its a breakfast coffee

I'm sorry, what now???

Because tap water is so excellent that you would ask for cheaper tap water instead of bottled water if you wanted still water.

Haha!! My MIL is a little bit wild and indecisive. She's had a traumatic life, poor love, but she's done good with the cards she was dealt. When I visited, she was trying to choose a wallpaper for the front room - three very different styles, including one hot pink one with black velvet flocking, one with pink roses and another stripy one (I think). Next time I visited, she had simply put all three up in one rather small room because she couldn't decide. I felt a panic attack coming on when I stepped in there, there was so much to look at! :)

If you have German renter's rights, there is simply no reason to own a house, as long as you do not really, really need the additional space. It practically is "your" place. You can do as you want as long as you don't damage the building substance, the landlord can hardly make any demands, eviction is next to impossible without very compelling reasons. Also, even though having increased over the last years, rent is comparably cheap compared to the real estate prices. In most cases, it simply makes no sense to buy, regardless of your income. Also, far commuting (more than an hour of way to work) is rare here, so people want to stay flexible to move when changing jobs.

We do, but we're not massively wasteful like Americans. We'll use the dryer if it's pouring with rain in the middle of winter. We won't use it on a gloriously hot summer's day with a gentle breeze where clothes will dry outside in an hour.

When in Rome, take the sheet off the duvet if you just want a sheet.

My mum does the top sheet thing and I hate it! I just get tangled and stressed!

You can always take the duvet cover off and just use that.

A question for duvet users - how often are you washing the duvet cover?

I hate sheets

My problem with duvets is that they are always too short. Traveled over much of Europe and either my feet or my shoulders were uncovered. Is anyone over there more than 160 cm tall?

Remove the duvet and use only the cover if you get overheated.

I sleep on top of my bedspread. I hate the feeling of being constrained by blankets and sheets. If I feel cold I have a light fleece blanket and most nights I kick that off by morning.

In Japan, it is the same as in Europe. Top sheets are not used. A cover is used on a quilt (futon) and that is changed and cleaned. The quilts themselves can be hung outside on a sunny day to help sterilize them as well. Some can also be cleaned and dried in an industrial-sized washer/dryer if desired.

What's a top sheet? 🤔

Confusion is good for you. It will spice up your life considerably. And if your confusion does not extend beyond bedding, I predict a happy life for you.

either we use only sheet or stick or the trick is to keep one leg out :D:DDDD lol

I hate duvets/doonas. I love those Turkish/ Persian blankets with the mink feel and patterns, so warm in winter and cool in summer. Best transition I ever made for sleep

I sleep under a top sheet. So not having one is a no go.

I'm American and I grew up using a top sheet because that's just how my mom did it. I don't use them anymore, in fact, I don't buy whole sets of sheets anymore. I just look to purchase a single fitted sheet. There's just too much c**p on top of me and I always feel restricted with a top sheet. I'm also in Florida and it's just too much. I understand the argument about if you're a nude sleeper and all the sweat will transfer to your comforter but, I'm not a nude sleeper and I just don't worry about that.

No, it is NOT a "European Style".

I like a top sheet. Most of the year we have a top sheet and an empty duvet cover, and when it gets cold use either a blanket or a duvet. Hubs normally just uses the top sheet, whereas I need a little more weight/ warmth.

I always use top sheets (France)

Tap water is not free. The restaurant has to pay for it as well, even though it comes out of the faucet. Also, they earn their money mostly by selling drinks, so if you drink free water, you won't order any other drinks. So it does make a lot of sense.

As opposed to the American way of overperfuming?

What bugs? Not once found bugs flying in through windows to be an issue. No mozzies here, no poisonous winged thingies, no cockroaches or cicadas.

Money and status aren’t everything. Work to live and don’t waste your life chasing expensive stuff that adds nothing to your family, relationships, pastimes (I.e. what really matters). The people I know who define themselves by their job and perceived social status are very lonely people who don’t really know who they are. A classic case of knowing the price of everything and the value of nothing.

Draughts are public enemy number 1 in Germany! As a Brit, I just don't get it! It's just a bit of air moving around!

Automatics are for babies 😉