Woman Who Moved From A Small Norwegian Town To LA Lists 16 American Things She Finds Weird
Usually, when we talk about “cultural shocks” when moving to another country, we mean countries that are completely different in terms of economic and social development. As a rule, in such pairs, for comparison, the United States or Canada are at one extreme, and some not very wealthy developing countries are at the other. But what if the countries are approximately the same in terms of wealth?
For example, Norway, which is ahead of the United States in many economic indicators – say, in terms of gross domestic product per capita. In general, Norway is one of the richest countries in the world, with its long traditions and customs. What will happen if a person from Norway comes to live in America?
The answer to this question is given, for example, by TikToker @eirunneba, a Norwegian who lives in Los Angeles. She recently made a video that went viral with nearly 1M views and almost 2.5K different comments. The video is about those features of America that look strange from the point of view of a European.
More info: TikTok (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)
The Original poster is a Norwegian living in Los Angeles
Image credits: eirunneba
We note right away that, in the Original Poster’s own words, there are also quite a few very strange things in Norway that could confuse not only Americans, but also Norwegians themselves. But specifically in this list, Eirunn decided to list what surprised her (pleasantly and not very much) in America.
@eirunneba Just a virgo with a list!!! In a mood today so let me rant ok🥺 #studyabroad #studyabroadusa #europeanculture #greenscreen ♬ original sound – Eirunn
Among the things which surprised the OP, was the absence of a duvet inside the duvet cover
Image credits: Salim Virji (not the actual photo)
First of all, what surprised the OP was the absence of a duvet cover for the duvet. The OP had seen this in movies before, but thought it was just fiction. Now she had to face it herself.
Image credits: eirunneba
Image credits: eirunneba
The students can choose their classes at the university level and this confuses the OP as well
Image credits: Oregon State University (not the actual photo)
Furthermore, the OP was surprised that at universities, when studying for a bachelor’s degree, you can choose classes yourself. Eirunn said this could mean that when HR hires a candidate, they won’t be sure they’ve taken the proper classes at university for the business.
Image credits: eirunneba
Image credits: Eli Duke (not the actual photo)
Image credits: eirunneba
The OP also states that it is surprising that drivers constantly honk, and in stores they start preparing for the holidays too early. For example, for Christmas as soon as October, and in January – for St. Valentine’s Day.
Image credits: Phillip Pessar (not the actual photo)
Image credits: eirunneba
The OP also finds banking checks and accounts a bit “vintage” and “old school”
Image credits: Keith Cooper (not the actual photo)
Eirunn was also surprised that bank checks are still used in the United States – in Europe, according to her, they are almost out of circulation. In general, it is mandatory to open a bank account in order to receive money – this, as the OP supposes, looks vintage and old school.
Image credits: eirunneba
Image credits: eirunneba
Image credits: eirunneba
Image credits: eirunneba
Americans like to use the letters Æ, Ø and Å in naming just for fun, while in Norway they are simply letters of the alphabet
Another “claim” is purely Norwegian. The fact is that the letters Æ, Ø and Å, which are often used by Americans just for fun in naming (for example, for bands), for are just the last three letters of the Norwegian alphabet. Nothing special, just grammar.
Image credits: Tim Samoff (not the actual photo)
Image credits: eirunneba
Image credits: Eliazar Parra Cardenas (not the actual photo)
Image credits: eirunneba
Image credits: Cost of Living (not the actual photo)
Image credits: eirunneba
Image credits: Joe Wolf (not the actual photo)
The OP really enjoys that there are special employees in grocery stores who put your purchases in bags
In grocery stores, the OP is surprised that there are special employees at the checkouts who put your purchases in bags. There is no such thing in Norway, but Eirunn definitely liked this tradition. And what the woman did not like was the concept of credit score, which determines a lot in the USA. And, of course, continuing on the subject of money, it’s very strange to the OP that there’s an entire industry of experts who fill out your own tax returns for you.
Image credits: eirunneba
Image credits: eirunneba
Image credits: eirunneba
Image credits: eirunneba
Image credits: olle svensson (not the actual photo)
The OP thinks that walking at home in street shoes is really weird
The OP attended college and university in America, and among the strange things for her were, in particular, the detention and school dress code, although she admits that she had seen this before on the Disney Channel. Also in films and TV shows, she saw that people often wear their street shoes at home, but she did not even imagine to what extent this is true.
Image credits: eirunneba
Image credits: Michael Coghlan (not the actual photo)
Image credits: eirunneba
Image credits: Mussi Katz (not the actual photo)
The Norwegian also admits the confusion with the “Push” and “Pull” signs
From what else surprises and sometimes annoys the Norwegian in America, the OP mentioned her confusion with “Push” and “Pull” signs, tap water and tampons with applicators. And finally, the woman admitted that at first she was afraid of whether it is safe when a waiter takes your credit card in a restaurant to pay. However, the OP is sure that any American will also find a lot of strange things in Norway.
Image credits: eirunneba
Image credits: Philip Cohen (not the actual photo)
Image credits: eirunneba
Probably, many of you have also lived in other countries for a long time, so it will be interesting for us to know what customs and traditions looked strange to you. And you can also read this post of ours, where people born in developing countries tell what impressed them the most after moving to prosperous nations like the UK, US or Canada.
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I'm actually getting a bit tired of these " the US is weird" posts.... I'm not exactly a fan of the USA but I think this US vs Europe thing is getting a bit tired.... Get over it! ( I'm Australian so I don't really care cause the world already thinks we're all weirdos down here!) I
I agree. I'm from within the EU and I still think it's too much. If nothing else it's at the very least repetitive. The tax thing and the shoes and the red cups, we get it, it's very American. There would be waaay more variety in reading about an American experiencing Russia, or someone from the equator experiencing, I dunno, Svalbard.
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I couldn't even finish reading them lol she was just complaining about such random things
Especially when she's complaining about push and pull! "Do I push towards me" lol I'm cracking up
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There's a difference between a comforter and a duvet. But I've heard Europeans call comforters duvets by default. It gets to be a confusing thing.
Twenty five years ago, a duvet WAS the comforter cover. That's how the covers were labeled in the stores. Somewhere along the line people started referring to comforters as duvets, I guess to make them sound fancier.
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This just seems like a little bit of language misunderstanding.
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I'm American and if anyone walked in my house with their shoes on you better bet they'll never do it again
I'm American and we take our shoes off at the door in my house. It's not universal, but almost everyone I know does it. I wouldn't feel comfortable correcting someone that came into my house and didn't, but most folks see the bench and the shoes by the door and take the hint that we're shoes-off people. It's not something my older relatives did. It wasn't common with my friends and neighbors growing up unless they were Asian. (I'm white, as is most of my family.) It makes sense from a cleanliness and health perspective, so it's something I've done as an adult.
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Most of these made my eyes roll so hard that I could see inside my head for a few seconds. Honking? Checking accounts? For frak's sake... But the best one for me was, "Oh, it's so annoying! I can't tell the difference between Push & Pull!!" 🤦♀️
Like if pushing it doesn’t work, pull it! It’s not that hard.
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At least she caught on to the “like” fashion. I’m like…she’s like….that’s like….
If it hadn't been said she was from Norway, I would have sworn she was from California. "Like" and "You know" are the most "Um" (there that 3rd one) annoying things to hear over and over. Beginning sentences with "So I..." takes 4th place. Don't get me started on people who use multiple exclamation marks. One is enough. Two or more just shows that one is ignorant of its usage and only says, "I don't know any better so don't take me seriously."
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USA here - you know what I don't like about Norwegians? That they slaughter innocent friendly walruses because people are too effin stupid to stay away from them. That and the use of the word "like" in every sentence they write.
She sounds like she’d get ‚culture shock’ pretty much anywhere she went that wasn’t Norway.
I'm not from the USA, but find so annoying those posts from people from other countries telling how the tourists from USA are so entitled because things in the country they're visiting is not the way they expected and later there's another post with "Hey I move to the USA and you guys do all these things wrong"
Yeah normally you say: oh this is so nice and that is so lovely. Why go if you only have comments and want it to be like your own country? That's like a Dutch woman who went to Ibiza ages ago and complained about all those foreigners there. Can't they talk Dutch?
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"That I could pick my own classes for my degree"... Ma'am, there is a curriculum you must follow, then you can take some other courses that aren't directly related to your degree. There are sometimes options within a degree. That should have been explained to you.
This. Also, not every college student is an 18 year old from a wealthy family living in the dorms or frat houses with zero responsibilities besides (barely) passing their classes. So many are working adults returning to school later in life, and 18 year olds who aren’t from wealthy families and have to work and go to school. That means they have to figure out a class schedule that works around their work schedule. That’s something that can’t be chosen for them. I was one of those adult (aka “non-traditional”) students, and because my work schedule would periodically change, even though my bosses were pro-education and worked with me because I was in school full time, I ended up taking classes at all times of day; anywhere from starting at 8am to night classes starting about 6pm. Some classes were online or hybrid, and yet others were accelerated classes (8 or 10 weeks as opposed to the usual 14 weeks in a normal semester), starting at about 6pm and ending at almost 11pm, once a week. There were some elective classes I wanted to take but couldn’t because they weren’t offered when I could attend them, so I always had alternate choices picked. Whatever worked around my work schedule was what I took. Scheduling was a complicated b***h for me sometimes, so would’ve been a huge headache for someone else to have to keep track of and work out for me, but I got my Associates, Bachelors (where I changed majors and kept my original choice as a minor), and Masters Degrees, going to school full time (12 hours per semester), and working full time, in 7 years.
Load More Replies... Dumbest post in a while. No real issues here. Just the same old random gripes you get from people who live here. No duvet under the duvet cover, geesh honey get over yourself.
The most horrifying thing is taxes for me personally. I can't understand why you don't have a system for people to just log in and file taxes. It takes me every year 5minutes to do it, and 5-10days to receive either refund or notification that I owe money. If I owe then that will be removed following year over four year period. So if I owe them 400 euros then after a year it is split over four years so extra 100 euros a year to payback. But usually it will balance out by the end of year. Sales tax is annoying too, like the shop knows the price, we also have each shop pricing their own produce so they print their own ticket with taxes included. And after payment I get a receipt that breaks down how much tax was in each product and whole tax paid for the transaction. If tax is 25% and product price 1 euro. Then the price tag says 1.25eur... but each to their own. It's a huge revenue providing industry so maybe people actually enjoy the daily brain training
It takes you 5 minutes to do taxes? I am an accountant in Sweden. When we does my wifes taxes, it takes seconds. Litterarly. My own taxes, on the other hand... my taxes are complicated for lots of reasons. Usually takes me a zoom meeting and several hours.
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the push pull thing makes her sound stupid. who does not under stand the two are opposites of each other?
No, it just makes it seem like she doesn't understand those particular words from a foreign language too well.
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I don't understand her comment about checks. She pays with a card. So she already has an bank account. Thats what her card is attached to. Why does she think she needs to open a new bank account in order to deposit a check?
She might have her own bank card, or any of the n26, revolut cards. I personally don't understand checks at all. I haven't used them so in US it definitely caused some issues. Especially being there temporarily and not needing a local bank account. Even now living in Ireland and being from Estonia I do not have any local national bank accounts. Everything is online, all payments online, bills direct debit. And the only time I had to hand over my card and person walked away was in USA in 2016 and I was shocked as well, in Europe this is illegal and no establishment can walk away from you while taking a payment. They will bring the machine to you or you go up to the till.
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Push and pull are literally the easiest thing to understand..Not calling her dumb. Just kind of odd for that to be an issue.
Yeah another what I found weird about moving to another country post. Do these people really expect for things to not be different in other countries? I would be disappointed to visit another country and feel like I was still in the US, what would be the point? Maybe these people should educate themselves on the country they are traveling to so they wont be so surprised. I swear these same post on BP pop up every week.
No they don't, but as someone who lived in a few different countries, every country has some things that stick out. It's just something you notice and usually reminds you that you're somewhere new. Usually you expect the big things to be different but then there are these small cultural differences that really sticks out.
Load More Replies... This person needs to calm down about some of these. First of all, a duvet without a cover is definitely gross and I've never seen anyone do this. Second: yes, you can pick your classes for your degree BUT there are CERTAIN CLASSES (or kinds of classes) that you need to take in order to actually get your degree. Third, who the hell cares about using "Norwegian letters" in English words? Does it really upset you that badly? Also - there are plenty of applicator tampons that don't use plastic... you just have to know where to find them. AND no one wears shoes in my house, ever!
The shoes thing. So many people cite TV shows as the example of "all Americans wear shoes inside the house all the time". Almost everyone I know does not wear shoes inside the house. I may keep my shoes on if I have packages of groceries to take to the kitchen from the front door or maybe if I have to use the toilet very urgently after getting home, but they come off right afterwards.
I have slippers next to the door to change into. Otherwise, the shoes only stay on as long as it take me to change out of my work clothes and put my shoes back in my closet, which happens as soon after I get home as possible—-and I usually change into my pajamas, tbh. If I’m home, I want to be comfortable.
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I'm from the US, and I have a duvet in the cover? What are you on about? Also, no one walks into my house with their shoes on. It's disgusting. I hate these kinds of posts.
Okay, not trying to be smart or anything, but I'm seriously now very confused and curious: how does the rest of the world do tampons if not with an applicator???
I don't understand her complaint about tampons. Yes, there are brands of tampons that have plastic applicators. I also feel that is too much waste so I've never used them. I'm in my 50s. I've gone all the way through my menstruating years (about 40 of them) and managed to avoid using them because I don't live under a rock and I'm able to look around and see what my options are. I was able to figure that out as a pre-teen. There are brands with cardboard applicators, and no applicators at all that have been around for DECADES. They're not hard to find. They're on the same shelf at the drugstore. Even more green options came around in my 20s, like menstrual cups, cloth pads, and period panties. My 20s were the 1990s.
I mean, like, whatever, like. Open up your horizons and understand that different countries - different customs. Like, for realzies. And if a tampon confuses you, maybe, like, use a pad.
I'm just wondering if you're not comfortable with the way things are happening here in the USA why are you here? Just go home.
Last time I used a check was something like 1991. Going to an actual bank? I did it one time last year for work. Other then that, maybe once a decade.
Only if someone gives me cash or a check, which is rare these days, and even then I just use the ATM instead of going in. I only ever go inside a bank if I’m opening an account there.
Load More Replies... Luckily Ian Fraser Killmister didn't take an german "Umlaut" and call his Band "Motörhead" so I - as a german - didn't need to be offended by his rude use of - from his position - foreign lettering.
Yep, came here to comment on that. Metal umlaut has been around for decades, nothing new. ☺ Edit: I think Blue Öyster Cult did it first?
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I don't wear shoes in my house, just house slippers. But as a child my mom would yell at me for not wearing shoes. Why? Because she had bad feet. The podiatrist told her it's better to wear shoes, so she would nag me to wear shoes all the time or I'd get "fallen arches" or something ridiculous. We lived near the beach! I. Hate. Wearing. Shoes. XD
Sounds like she just wants to b***h about the most unimportant things. Honking? So if someone sits at a red light scrolling thru their phone, I can't honk my horn? And how do you not have a bank account if you pay with a card? There isn't an endless supply of money somewhere, that card has to be tied to something. The only one I agree with is the holiday one. Yes, please give me a break, there doesn't always have to be a holiday. Like as soon as Valentine's day is done, Let's get the St. Patrick day s tuff, out once that is over, Easter,...just give a break form the holidays. sometime!
Half of the things she's complaining about is pretty much the same in the most european countries, at least here in germany.
Ummm...I don't know.. I feel like she really wants to sound "'american", the kind we see at tv shows and stuff... and she enjoys it too. The way she talks is super annoying.So why bother making a video of s**t you "'don't like"' about America? C'mon girl.. it's so obvious
One good thing I have seen here is having the disabled symbol on the car registration plate. I was following a car today that had it. Not sure if that is country wide or just here in Florida. That is a really good idea. Also the top loader washing machines work so well. Everything comes out perfect.
The duvet cover thing gets me - we wash the whole thing, not just the cover, because not only does the cover get VISIBLY dirty, the duvet itself gets filled with INVISIBLE dust mites and their excrement - which we do not want to sleep in and breathe in (especially those of us allergic to it).
Girl - we have tampons like that here. Don’t speak for entire Scandinavia. Besides Æ Ø Å are Danish letters. Not Norwegian.
This link, by a Norwegian news site, explains how credit scores work in Norway. It seems the whole point of this and many of these types of articles are just to bash the US, whether the info is true or false. We're just people like everyone else in the world. We are not our government's policies or laws. Just people like you, trying to live our lives, just like you. https://www.lifeinnorway.net/credit-rating/
"i have to get a bank account now?" you're actively living in the US to study, should've gotten one from the start, dafuq? Also, honking, almost everyone honks for various reasons, not "just for emergencies" I've never even heard of that before, school uniforms are a thing pretty much all over the world, it depends on the school, and stores setting up for a holiday way too early? E V E R Y W H E R E, a dude in Belgium got an article in Belgium for opening a Christmas store in august, it's not just the US, just stop
Her voice and attitude sound so entitled. Cringe. You use metric and we use imperial. We get more gas per dollar for a gallon than you do with your punny litres. If America is so awful, please feel free to go to another country that aligns with your sensibilities. It's not like you came here for a better education. Everyone knows our schools are overpriced propaganda traps. I hear Russia has great schools that actually teach the subjects instead of critical race theory. Why are you wasting your money in our backward country?
Another post looking way too hard to find America weird/wrong/bad/stupid. It's called a different culture. We get razzed all the time about not respecting/ being open to other cultures when we visit (apparently everyone hates us to visit, but somehow we're supposed to be well-traveled without actually traveling), yet bashing American culture is OK? Come on BP, get over the hating America/Americans, and find someone legitimately curious about a culture instead of people whose only personality trait is hating America. And just to put this out there, most of the "weird" "irritating" things people claim are utter BS. Example; We use your "cute" letters and that's offensive?.. I didn't realize that's a thing as I can't ever recall seeing this phenomenon. Empty duvet covers... for starters they aren't duvet covers, they're called comforters, and they are a single bulky "blanket". .. we wash them in that old-fashioned backward way.. via "washing machine". 🙄🙄🙄
Seriously? Then get the hell out of the country if you don't like being here.
rly? tampons with aplicator? You can buy it in every shop in EU...
Normal culture shock stuff. Except I haven't seen the weird use of øæå or åäö addressed before. Bands like Motörhead actually pronounce the ö as ö not an o, but what weirded me out was the series Stargate that spelled it's name as Stargåte, because that would be pronounced something like stargootté. That's what many of my friends called it actually. Great series, weird name
American here, and most of her gripes are mine too or aren't really found much if at all in the US. Checks, for example, haven't gotten one or used one in years. Most of this seems like a weird LA thing, not a US thing.
This is not a weird LA thing, most people dont even write checks for rent anymore because its all done online. This is just another talk c**p on America thing. If she expected everything to be the same she should of stayed home.
Load More Replies... I’m currently on holiday in Florida. It takes 15 mins to boil the kettle not get hot water. That’s on the most powerful induction ring. The first night we were here I used a different ring and it took an hour. Seemingly cars can overtake you on either side and really don’t like you changing lane. Finally PUT THE PRICE INCLUDING TAX ON THE PRICE TAGS YOU LUNATICS. I have no idea how much things actually cost until they are rung up. Today at Disney I bought my son a toy. The ticket l price is $9.99. So I take it to the till with a $10 note. The price was actually something like $10.64. I did however go to the Olive Garden the other night for the first time ever. It’s great. The seafood pasta dish was glorious as is the shrimp and pepper starter.
The stove issue isn't normal, they must have a problem with that stove. I grew up with an electric stove and it never took long to boil water. Car thing, legit. Same in some other countries. Many Americans agree with you in the price tags, I HATE never knowing exactly how much until I check out. It isn't hard to add the sales tax before printing the tag. Olive Garden is very tasty if 0% authentic Italian
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The country has its issues, but it is by no means a third world country. Trust me, I was born in a third world country and you don't have an idea of how blessed you are if you were born in the US.
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I'm actually getting a bit tired of these " the US is weird" posts.... I'm not exactly a fan of the USA but I think this US vs Europe thing is getting a bit tired.... Get over it! ( I'm Australian so I don't really care cause the world already thinks we're all weirdos down here!) I
I agree. I'm from within the EU and I still think it's too much. If nothing else it's at the very least repetitive. The tax thing and the shoes and the red cups, we get it, it's very American. There would be waaay more variety in reading about an American experiencing Russia, or someone from the equator experiencing, I dunno, Svalbard.
Load More Replies... I couldn't even finish reading them lol she was just complaining about such random things
Especially when she's complaining about push and pull! "Do I push towards me" lol I'm cracking up
Load More Replies... There's a difference between a comforter and a duvet. But I've heard Europeans call comforters duvets by default. It gets to be a confusing thing.
Twenty five years ago, a duvet WAS the comforter cover. That's how the covers were labeled in the stores. Somewhere along the line people started referring to comforters as duvets, I guess to make them sound fancier.
Load More Replies... This just seems like a little bit of language misunderstanding.
Load More Replies... I'm American and if anyone walked in my house with their shoes on you better bet they'll never do it again
I'm American and we take our shoes off at the door in my house. It's not universal, but almost everyone I know does it. I wouldn't feel comfortable correcting someone that came into my house and didn't, but most folks see the bench and the shoes by the door and take the hint that we're shoes-off people. It's not something my older relatives did. It wasn't common with my friends and neighbors growing up unless they were Asian. (I'm white, as is most of my family.) It makes sense from a cleanliness and health perspective, so it's something I've done as an adult.
Load More Replies... Most of these made my eyes roll so hard that I could see inside my head for a few seconds. Honking? Checking accounts? For frak's sake... But the best one for me was, "Oh, it's so annoying! I can't tell the difference between Push & Pull!!" 🤦♀️
Like if pushing it doesn’t work, pull it! It’s not that hard.
Load More Replies... At least she caught on to the “like” fashion. I’m like…she’s like….that’s like….
If it hadn't been said she was from Norway, I would have sworn she was from California. "Like" and "You know" are the most "Um" (there that 3rd one) annoying things to hear over and over. Beginning sentences with "So I..." takes 4th place. Don't get me started on people who use multiple exclamation marks. One is enough. Two or more just shows that one is ignorant of its usage and only says, "I don't know any better so don't take me seriously."
Load More Replies... USA here - you know what I don't like about Norwegians? That they slaughter innocent friendly walruses because people are too effin stupid to stay away from them. That and the use of the word "like" in every sentence they write.
She sounds like she’d get ‚culture shock’ pretty much anywhere she went that wasn’t Norway.
I'm not from the USA, but find so annoying those posts from people from other countries telling how the tourists from USA are so entitled because things in the country they're visiting is not the way they expected and later there's another post with "Hey I move to the USA and you guys do all these things wrong"
Yeah normally you say: oh this is so nice and that is so lovely. Why go if you only have comments and want it to be like your own country? That's like a Dutch woman who went to Ibiza ages ago and complained about all those foreigners there. Can't they talk Dutch?
Load More Replies... "That I could pick my own classes for my degree"... Ma'am, there is a curriculum you must follow, then you can take some other courses that aren't directly related to your degree. There are sometimes options within a degree. That should have been explained to you.
This. Also, not every college student is an 18 year old from a wealthy family living in the dorms or frat houses with zero responsibilities besides (barely) passing their classes. So many are working adults returning to school later in life, and 18 year olds who aren’t from wealthy families and have to work and go to school. That means they have to figure out a class schedule that works around their work schedule. That’s something that can’t be chosen for them. I was one of those adult (aka “non-traditional”) students, and because my work schedule would periodically change, even though my bosses were pro-education and worked with me because I was in school full time, I ended up taking classes at all times of day; anywhere from starting at 8am to night classes starting about 6pm. Some classes were online or hybrid, and yet others were accelerated classes (8 or 10 weeks as opposed to the usual 14 weeks in a normal semester), starting at about 6pm and ending at almost 11pm, once a week. There were some elective classes I wanted to take but couldn’t because they weren’t offered when I could attend them, so I always had alternate choices picked. Whatever worked around my work schedule was what I took. Scheduling was a complicated b***h for me sometimes, so would’ve been a huge headache for someone else to have to keep track of and work out for me, but I got my Associates, Bachelors (where I changed majors and kept my original choice as a minor), and Masters Degrees, going to school full time (12 hours per semester), and working full time, in 7 years.
Load More Replies... Dumbest post in a while. No real issues here. Just the same old random gripes you get from people who live here. No duvet under the duvet cover, geesh honey get over yourself.
The most horrifying thing is taxes for me personally. I can't understand why you don't have a system for people to just log in and file taxes. It takes me every year 5minutes to do it, and 5-10days to receive either refund or notification that I owe money. If I owe then that will be removed following year over four year period. So if I owe them 400 euros then after a year it is split over four years so extra 100 euros a year to payback. But usually it will balance out by the end of year. Sales tax is annoying too, like the shop knows the price, we also have each shop pricing their own produce so they print their own ticket with taxes included. And after payment I get a receipt that breaks down how much tax was in each product and whole tax paid for the transaction. If tax is 25% and product price 1 euro. Then the price tag says 1.25eur... but each to their own. It's a huge revenue providing industry so maybe people actually enjoy the daily brain training
It takes you 5 minutes to do taxes? I am an accountant in Sweden. When we does my wifes taxes, it takes seconds. Litterarly. My own taxes, on the other hand... my taxes are complicated for lots of reasons. Usually takes me a zoom meeting and several hours.
Load More Replies... the push pull thing makes her sound stupid. who does not under stand the two are opposites of each other?
No, it just makes it seem like she doesn't understand those particular words from a foreign language too well.
Load More Replies... I don't understand her comment about checks. She pays with a card. So she already has an bank account. Thats what her card is attached to. Why does she think she needs to open a new bank account in order to deposit a check?
She might have her own bank card, or any of the n26, revolut cards. I personally don't understand checks at all. I haven't used them so in US it definitely caused some issues. Especially being there temporarily and not needing a local bank account. Even now living in Ireland and being from Estonia I do not have any local national bank accounts. Everything is online, all payments online, bills direct debit. And the only time I had to hand over my card and person walked away was in USA in 2016 and I was shocked as well, in Europe this is illegal and no establishment can walk away from you while taking a payment. They will bring the machine to you or you go up to the till.
Load More Replies... Push and pull are literally the easiest thing to understand..Not calling her dumb. Just kind of odd for that to be an issue.
Yeah another what I found weird about moving to another country post. Do these people really expect for things to not be different in other countries? I would be disappointed to visit another country and feel like I was still in the US, what would be the point? Maybe these people should educate themselves on the country they are traveling to so they wont be so surprised. I swear these same post on BP pop up every week.
No they don't, but as someone who lived in a few different countries, every country has some things that stick out. It's just something you notice and usually reminds you that you're somewhere new. Usually you expect the big things to be different but then there are these small cultural differences that really sticks out.
Load More Replies... This person needs to calm down about some of these. First of all, a duvet without a cover is definitely gross and I've never seen anyone do this. Second: yes, you can pick your classes for your degree BUT there are CERTAIN CLASSES (or kinds of classes) that you need to take in order to actually get your degree. Third, who the hell cares about using "Norwegian letters" in English words? Does it really upset you that badly? Also - there are plenty of applicator tampons that don't use plastic... you just have to know where to find them. AND no one wears shoes in my house, ever!
The shoes thing. So many people cite TV shows as the example of "all Americans wear shoes inside the house all the time". Almost everyone I know does not wear shoes inside the house. I may keep my shoes on if I have packages of groceries to take to the kitchen from the front door or maybe if I have to use the toilet very urgently after getting home, but they come off right afterwards.
I have slippers next to the door to change into. Otherwise, the shoes only stay on as long as it take me to change out of my work clothes and put my shoes back in my closet, which happens as soon after I get home as possible—-and I usually change into my pajamas, tbh. If I’m home, I want to be comfortable.
Load More Replies... I'm from the US, and I have a duvet in the cover? What are you on about? Also, no one walks into my house with their shoes on. It's disgusting. I hate these kinds of posts.
Okay, not trying to be smart or anything, but I'm seriously now very confused and curious: how does the rest of the world do tampons if not with an applicator???
I don't understand her complaint about tampons. Yes, there are brands of tampons that have plastic applicators. I also feel that is too much waste so I've never used them. I'm in my 50s. I've gone all the way through my menstruating years (about 40 of them) and managed to avoid using them because I don't live under a rock and I'm able to look around and see what my options are. I was able to figure that out as a pre-teen. There are brands with cardboard applicators, and no applicators at all that have been around for DECADES. They're not hard to find. They're on the same shelf at the drugstore. Even more green options came around in my 20s, like menstrual cups, cloth pads, and period panties. My 20s were the 1990s.
I mean, like, whatever, like. Open up your horizons and understand that different countries - different customs. Like, for realzies. And if a tampon confuses you, maybe, like, use a pad.
I'm just wondering if you're not comfortable with the way things are happening here in the USA why are you here? Just go home.
Last time I used a check was something like 1991. Going to an actual bank? I did it one time last year for work. Other then that, maybe once a decade.
Only if someone gives me cash or a check, which is rare these days, and even then I just use the ATM instead of going in. I only ever go inside a bank if I’m opening an account there.
Load More Replies... Luckily Ian Fraser Killmister didn't take an german "Umlaut" and call his Band "Motörhead" so I - as a german - didn't need to be offended by his rude use of - from his position - foreign lettering.
Yep, came here to comment on that. Metal umlaut has been around for decades, nothing new. ☺ Edit: I think Blue Öyster Cult did it first?
Load More Replies... I don't wear shoes in my house, just house slippers. But as a child my mom would yell at me for not wearing shoes. Why? Because she had bad feet. The podiatrist told her it's better to wear shoes, so she would nag me to wear shoes all the time or I'd get "fallen arches" or something ridiculous. We lived near the beach! I. Hate. Wearing. Shoes. XD
Sounds like she just wants to b***h about the most unimportant things. Honking? So if someone sits at a red light scrolling thru their phone, I can't honk my horn? And how do you not have a bank account if you pay with a card? There isn't an endless supply of money somewhere, that card has to be tied to something. The only one I agree with is the holiday one. Yes, please give me a break, there doesn't always have to be a holiday. Like as soon as Valentine's day is done, Let's get the St. Patrick day s tuff, out once that is over, Easter,...just give a break form the holidays. sometime!
Half of the things she's complaining about is pretty much the same in the most european countries, at least here in germany.
Ummm...I don't know.. I feel like she really wants to sound "'american", the kind we see at tv shows and stuff... and she enjoys it too. The way she talks is super annoying.So why bother making a video of s**t you "'don't like"' about America? C'mon girl.. it's so obvious
One good thing I have seen here is having the disabled symbol on the car registration plate. I was following a car today that had it. Not sure if that is country wide or just here in Florida. That is a really good idea. Also the top loader washing machines work so well. Everything comes out perfect.
The duvet cover thing gets me - we wash the whole thing, not just the cover, because not only does the cover get VISIBLY dirty, the duvet itself gets filled with INVISIBLE dust mites and their excrement - which we do not want to sleep in and breathe in (especially those of us allergic to it).
Girl - we have tampons like that here. Don’t speak for entire Scandinavia. Besides Æ Ø Å are Danish letters. Not Norwegian.
This link, by a Norwegian news site, explains how credit scores work in Norway. It seems the whole point of this and many of these types of articles are just to bash the US, whether the info is true or false. We're just people like everyone else in the world. We are not our government's policies or laws. Just people like you, trying to live our lives, just like you. https://www.lifeinnorway.net/credit-rating/
"i have to get a bank account now?" you're actively living in the US to study, should've gotten one from the start, dafuq? Also, honking, almost everyone honks for various reasons, not "just for emergencies" I've never even heard of that before, school uniforms are a thing pretty much all over the world, it depends on the school, and stores setting up for a holiday way too early? E V E R Y W H E R E, a dude in Belgium got an article in Belgium for opening a Christmas store in august, it's not just the US, just stop
Her voice and attitude sound so entitled. Cringe. You use metric and we use imperial. We get more gas per dollar for a gallon than you do with your punny litres. If America is so awful, please feel free to go to another country that aligns with your sensibilities. It's not like you came here for a better education. Everyone knows our schools are overpriced propaganda traps. I hear Russia has great schools that actually teach the subjects instead of critical race theory. Why are you wasting your money in our backward country?
Another post looking way too hard to find America weird/wrong/bad/stupid. It's called a different culture. We get razzed all the time about not respecting/ being open to other cultures when we visit (apparently everyone hates us to visit, but somehow we're supposed to be well-traveled without actually traveling), yet bashing American culture is OK? Come on BP, get over the hating America/Americans, and find someone legitimately curious about a culture instead of people whose only personality trait is hating America. And just to put this out there, most of the "weird" "irritating" things people claim are utter BS. Example; We use your "cute" letters and that's offensive?.. I didn't realize that's a thing as I can't ever recall seeing this phenomenon. Empty duvet covers... for starters they aren't duvet covers, they're called comforters, and they are a single bulky "blanket". .. we wash them in that old-fashioned backward way.. via "washing machine". 🙄🙄🙄
Seriously? Then get the hell out of the country if you don't like being here.
rly? tampons with aplicator? You can buy it in every shop in EU...
Normal culture shock stuff. Except I haven't seen the weird use of øæå or åäö addressed before. Bands like Motörhead actually pronounce the ö as ö not an o, but what weirded me out was the series Stargate that spelled it's name as Stargåte, because that would be pronounced something like stargootté. That's what many of my friends called it actually. Great series, weird name
American here, and most of her gripes are mine too or aren't really found much if at all in the US. Checks, for example, haven't gotten one or used one in years. Most of this seems like a weird LA thing, not a US thing.
This is not a weird LA thing, most people dont even write checks for rent anymore because its all done online. This is just another talk c**p on America thing. If she expected everything to be the same she should of stayed home.
Load More Replies... I’m currently on holiday in Florida. It takes 15 mins to boil the kettle not get hot water. That’s on the most powerful induction ring. The first night we were here I used a different ring and it took an hour. Seemingly cars can overtake you on either side and really don’t like you changing lane. Finally PUT THE PRICE INCLUDING TAX ON THE PRICE TAGS YOU LUNATICS. I have no idea how much things actually cost until they are rung up. Today at Disney I bought my son a toy. The ticket l price is $9.99. So I take it to the till with a $10 note. The price was actually something like $10.64. I did however go to the Olive Garden the other night for the first time ever. It’s great. The seafood pasta dish was glorious as is the shrimp and pepper starter.
The stove issue isn't normal, they must have a problem with that stove. I grew up with an electric stove and it never took long to boil water. Car thing, legit. Same in some other countries. Many Americans agree with you in the price tags, I HATE never knowing exactly how much until I check out. It isn't hard to add the sales tax before printing the tag. Olive Garden is very tasty if 0% authentic Italian
Load More Replies... The country has its issues, but it is by no means a third world country. Trust me, I was born in a third world country and you don't have an idea of how blessed you are if you were born in the US.
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