7:30 My uncles an alcoholic... hell rob anyone in the family to buy some vodca, then total out his car. I've litteraly lost count of how many cars he's totald. One year o was pretty amused by it as a kid, nothing quite like turning on the news & seeing your uncle in your dads stolen camaro playing dukes of hazards with the police 😂 he totaled that car too, my dad was PISSED! But on a less funny note, yeah shit got bad & he felt like he didn't have much to live for... he did but his ex ruined his life.
Well, you have the tops in venomous snakes, to be sure, and maybe other reptiles and insects. But the American continent has the big bad predators - coyotes(small fry), wolves, cougars and bears. I recall a game warden in Alaska saying, "We are not the apex predator up here."
Really, the scariest animal you are likely to encounter in the U. S. are spiders. Seeing a mountain lion or even a bear is a one in a million chance. Count yourself lucky to see one, preferably from a great distance. However, dangerously poisonous spiders are everywhere. There's probably 5 in the room with me right now.
@@joew8438 Depends where you are. Bears and meese very likely to be seen in the northwest. Alligators very likely in Florida. Scorpions very likely in southwest. All places I've lived, and it did not take me long to see those creatures :)
What about snakes we have copperheads, rattlesnakes, And cotton mouths (otherwise known as water moccasins). There’s a few more and some hybrids but those are the ones that are coming to my part of the US.
As a black person born & raised in America, I can tell you that NOT all black people living identify as African American. I preferred to be addressed as “Black American “. It depends on the individual and their upbringing. Just ask the individual about how he/she wants to address their identity. Trust me, it will be appreciated. 👍🏾😃 Btw Great video.
people are not that preoccupied with race in europe. yes there are racists as probably everywhere, but in general it is not as much a thing, what culture you come out of is much more an thing. So what skincolor you have is not seen as much an defining part of yourself Nationality is much more an thing, so if you say you are an black spanish people will headscratch because the first is obvious to them, the second is of higher importance to them. people will freak out more about dual citizenship questions for example than about skincolor. If you would say "african Spanish" for example that would imply more that you where born and raised in africa and moved as an adult to spain but consider yourself more african than spanish (aside again, in europe it would be more a thing WHERE from africa, from what country, then from the continent africa as in "race" Where i am living there where some troubles with immigrants who where treated as everyone else but got pissy because there "cultural heritage was not respected" and that did upset people because what you do is considerd more important than what you look like, europe is extremly cultural diverse so it is expected that people with different looks can have the same culture (you hardly can tell the difference between many austrians and turkish, but they have very different cultures, greek and turkish tend to look pretty much the same but hate each other with a passion very often.) So if you say for example go as Black Spanish then you will raise eyebrows, it would be more an political than an heritage statement. If people in europe talk about "people with migration background" they are either very left and hard into identity politics or it is used in an mocking way for people who have a hard time adapting to other cultures and want that the place they move to changes there culture to fit them, not the other way around. I always have to groan when people talk about "european culture" as an single entity, or europeans as an single entity too, because as more you go back in history as more you discover that it is an mish mash of people from places as far away as asia and middle east, and so diverse in culture that everyone is surprised that that EU thing works as well as it does, it is an much bigger thing as soon you really think about it than it looks from the outside, it is not herding cats it is herding cats mixed with dogs and they are all on speed and cocaine. If you talk about "white or caucasian people" that is a minority in europe, and they are not running the show, so the race prefix is very pointless at best, culture and nationality is. So in general.. you are X nationality, full stop, or you come over as someone who has the desire to annoy people, because even inside an culture and country there can be an huge diversity, if you look at spain that has an low cooking civil war since like forever, or ireland, or practical every country where you have issues with cultures clashing more or less violent inside the same "cultural area" with people looking the same. So... your skincolor takes backseat, your cultural background is in the drivers seat, and i dare say you may have more issues in the long run with your cultural heritage "american" in europe, people in general will consider that much much more important. Maybe look up Marron Curtis Fort, great guy, sad he passed 2019, and he basically went all academic on an very tiny culture in germany (like less people than new york has people) with there very own language and culture... so you have an "black" man who pretty much pwnd every title an academic can put on his resume in germany working on an german university. I am living way up north in europe and we have an big community of people who immigrated from thailand, they are not "thai" they are citizens, full stop. You do not insult them by putting "thai" in front of there nationality, that would imply they are not very fond of the culture of the country they are living in and consider them not part of the culture they are existing in, that they set themself apart, and if i would imply that there heritage is important over everything else, that would be very impolite, i would politly insult them.
We can all blame mid-late 90's PC culture for some of these horrible replacements. Don't get me started on their choice terms for people who have disabilities. *shudder*
I'm black mixed and I identify as black american or mixed or multiracial or blaxican and I'm glad you said that because i had other black americans try to tell me to identify as just black because people are going to see me only as black person and that i look more like my black but i tell them it don't matter how many people see me as a black person they don't get to tell me how to identify but I love my self as a complete person I wouldn't change myself for nobody
Yeah, I think certain terminology is pushed in the US to advance political concepts... which as you point out, sometimes have little connection to reality. I don't even like grouping people by "race" as it seems a source of division and collectivism (seeing people as groups instead of individuals) to me. But because of the PC culture, I believe I've actually missed out on job opportunities for telling employers I am human and none of their checkboxes defined me. What a world.
Trying to explain mountain lions to German hikers in Glacier Park was kind of tough. When they saw photos they kind of went into shock. "They were following us?" "Yes!"
I believe it! I live in Missouri, and while I am intellectually aware of the dangers of mountain lions in some parts of the USA, I only recently saw one in person at my local zoo, where I saw first hand how MASSIVE they are and how lethal they must be. Kinda felt like a neolithic cave man looking at a saber-toothed killer eyeing me like I'm it's next meal. It was...unnerving LOL...
They sound like dying women in the woods. If you ever hear it at night. You'll think, "should I be calling the cops and save that person?" No, Its a cougar. Just don't go in the woods if you hear it.
@@bombud1 No, it's a cougar. No, not THAT kind of cougar. A mountain lion. A puma. A panther. A catamount. We really have too many names for this particular cat.
Far too few people in the US understand just how dangerous these things are. I live in UT and it's the mascot of a local University because the mountains around the city are full of them. Every hiking season there are numerous encounters with them. Most of the local people are smart enough to not bother them or their cubs, etc. But sometimes people die. Of all the big cats.. Mountain Lions scare me the most.
I saw once an Australian actress on a British talkshow refer to indigenous people of the Australian continent as African-Americans. You can’t get more wrong than that.
@@silverkitty2503 I'm fairly certain it was Rebel Wilson, who I know nothing about, on Graham Norton. She was speaking of indigenous Australians, hit a panic moment of not knowing what to call them and said African-Americans.
I had to laugh at the "It's easy to give directions in the US" statement. It really depends on where you are. When I lived in Maine I was introduced to a phrase people used when they knew giving directions would be too difficult to attempt: "You can't get there from here."
What Diane says is the truth. I am American from an Italian (Sicilian)immigrant family. I grew up with a strong sense of the Sicilian culture and traditions in our household. I also speak both Italian and Sicilian and have a close relationship with my relatives in Sicily. When people ask me what am, I simply say American, that is my nationality. If they ask me what my ethnicity is, I will say Sicilian.
I have a friend who is an American of Mexican descent who got grilled in Europe about what she "really" was. "American". "No, where did your parents come from?" "My dad came from Los Angeles and my mom from Guadalajara." "Oh so you are Mexican." "No, I'm American." 🙄 Sheesh!
I say the same thing. I am an American. My ethnic background is: 1/2 Han Chinese, 1/4 Hawaiian, 1/8 Hispanic (NOT Spanish) and 1/8 Filipino. I told my Company Commander this when I was in US Navy “BOOT CAMP.” He looked at me, smiled and shook his head. From that moment onwards he called me “Heinz 57.” 😂🤣😂🤣
When I was a very small child living in Florida, I remember the alligators in the waterway that went through the back yard. I always make the joke that I was not allowed to play with the green dogs (alligators).
We see alligators pretty regularly in Florida, but there are a lot more guns. Approximately 2 million Floridians have a CCW (Carry Concealed Weapon) license. That is about 10% of Floridians. When you walk into a store or restaurant, there is an excellent chance that multiple people around you have a gun in their purse, or tucked under their shirt. These people (the ones carrying legally) passed a criminal background check and took a class that was at least 2-hours long, and required firing at least one bullet. That really isn't a lot of training.
We have culture shock in our own country. Coming to the Pacific Northwest from the Southeast is a big change. Baristas making your coffee or clerks ringing you up will ask what you're doing immediately after leaving their store for the rest of the night "Got any plans tonight? Going home to relax? Doing anything this weekend?" I thought I was being flirted with or hit on at first, then realized after awhile its just how the people are, they like to ask prying questions like that. Back east, you walk up to a checkout counter, and its "How's it going?" "Oh, you know." Friendly exchange: complete.
Interesting. being born and bred in the PNW I would have assumed that the Southern Charm would be similar. Obviously I’ve only spent time on the west coast lol.
I was born in Seattle and still live just north. Those questions even take me off guard. I kind of stop (thinking, really, none of your business) and give them a vague answer. "Oh not much. Lots to do at home." That sorta thing. LOL! I don't think they really want a detailed answer anyway. My husband will go into a whole story and they don't know what to do with him. 😆 "Well, they asked!"
@@annaburch3200 I’m from Alabama and I agree you and @Alex H are absolutely right. Having said that, I think the responses you both gave sound perfect for the questions. And it’s a double edged sword. I remember once on a trip to visit my brother and his family in North Carolina, I got a flat on the highway in north Georgia. I was in the process of changing the tire when a State Trooper pulled up to see what was happening. It was Christmas Day. When I explained the situation he called a local towing company and a rather taciturn man came out within about 10 minutes, changed the tire and refusing my repeated offers to pay, both wished me a merry Christmas and were off on their way. When I was in my twenties I admit to feeling a bit taken aback by the brusqueness of the the locals on a visit to New York, though that didn’t stop me from loving the excitement and energy of the city. I later moved to London and lived there decades, and it really changed my perspective. Now when I go back to the States I’m always struck by how friendly Americans are from coast to coast, from Seattle to Boston, Chicago to Ft Lauderdale. I was even struck by the friendliness of people in New York 😊
I don't really remember how I got the idea (probably back in the 60's) but I've been under the impression that "Black Irish" was the name of rebellious group, like the SLA or the Taliban.
My family is black Irish. My mother looks like the poster child for the Mediterranean yet is nearly full Irish on both sides (little bit of Scottish, Welsh, French, and Norwegian thrown in according to DNA tests, but culturally, "Irish with a Welsh/ Irish grandpa" lol). When I was engaged my ex's mom had a fit about my dark eyes and black curly hair. She was complaining how we all dye our hair dark, and I told her mine was natural. She said "I thought you said you were Irish?" Which I said, "I am. I'm black Irish. " Her family was VERY blonde hair blue eyed, and she wanted to keep it that way. Though her son and I broke up, her daughter married a guy from Portugal with black curls and dark brown eyes, and last time I checked they had at least one child lol.
@@SessaV Based on the description & your profile, you sound like a lovely person, inside and _outside_ . So phooey on your ex's mother for being so shallow.
@@satyakisil9711 More recently than that, especially if you expand the vocabulary to "dark". But both were in use to variously describe dark hair, dark eyes, both in combination, or even a swarthy or tanned/bronze/olive complexions. In Scotland, well into the 20th century, when they said your "first foot" [first visitor New Year's Day] should be a tall, dark and handsome man, they did not mean a black person or even a brown one as we would now use these terms.
I have a white friend that lives here in the states now, but was born and raised in South Africa. I’ve been told by black friends that calling him “African American” could be considered racist, even though he’s the literal definition of the phrase
That's because a lot of "african americans" in the US (people of african ancestry born in the US) think that phrase should refer to them and them only. It's very political and a taboo to say it in any other way. I could see that they could get very insulted if a white person from Africa was referred to as "African American"....*especially* a white person. That's why they would, as you said, consider it "racist" . I feel that a lot of black people in the US, as well as a lot of Americans in general, have trouble seeing things from the perspective of other places and cultures. I think that's because the US is a dominant country, and also because it's more physically isolated so with those two factors there is not as much of the need to see the perspective of other countries. But I think a lot of African Americans are even more that way partly because they are constantly told they are the ultimate victims, so they hold on to that identity like their life depends on it, and will get very insulted if they perceive anyone else sees things in a different way than that.
@@davidstephan5116 That is a very north American attitude. If you are born in USA, Canada and most countries of the western hemisphere, you are automatically a citizen. It is not like that in most of the rest of the world. Only 35 countries in the entire world offer birthright citizenship. There are only two countries in Africa with birthright citizenship - Tanzania and Lesotho. Compare a person born in the Navajo Nation. Only a person with the right ancestry will be accepted as a Navajo.
For those not from Florida, here's a guideline about alligators and the bodies of water where they live. 1) Smaller than a bathtub. That's a margarita, you drink it. No alligators. 2) Size of a bathtub. That's a bathtub. We fill these with ice to keep beer cold when we lose power during a hurricane. No alligators. 3) Larger than a bathtub. Probably has alligators. Guide to where snakes can be. Are you in Florida? If yes, then there's a chance a snake is there. Brought to you by the Florida Department of Get Over It.
I live in central Florida and I'm not even bothered when I see a snake, it has to be one with weird patterns or a rattler to get me going. Most times it's those black snakes that are under just about everything. Never got bit by a snake here.
My grandmother was Irish. If you asked her if she wanted a cup of tea, the first two times she would not say no. She would say "don't trouble yourself".
If your grandmother was Irish, you can apply for Irish citizenship, and then get an Irish passport. With an Irish passport you have the unrestricted right to live and work in Ireland, and all European Union countries, but also in the United Kingdom. It is perfectly legal for a US citizen to have second citizeship and passport. Just remember to leave and re-enter the United States on your US passport when you go travelling.
I had a friend in high-school who came from Germany. She was only like 5 foot tall and very small, but she could easily drink any one of us under the table, hands down. And walk away like it was nothing.
Directions can get pretty interesting in the states also. You have to remember, we have much more rural areas than we do city & suburbs. Once you get out in the country it’s a whole different ballgame. Our landmarks might include ditches, creek beds, a piped driveway, a planted field or some planted pines (pine trees). And of course there is the never resolved question of how long is a country mile, and that would depend if it’s a driven mile or as the crow flys.
I grew up in a part of the U.S. where black bear, wild boar, coyotes, rattlesnakes, and copperheads were some of our closest neighbors. While bears would sometimes get into the garbage bins, they usually didn't venture too close to people's homes. Coyotes and snakes are a different story, and the "pew-pews" take care of the snakes. Coyotes weren't plentiful until about twenty-five years ago.
Yes Newt propagating at a rate that has been accelerating for centuries now with the rapid growth in scientific discoveries that have vanquished many of the illnesses that slowed our survival rate in earlier ages, revolutions in agricultural and industrial production, which fed the rapid growth in human reproduction and population, producing densely populated cities, to the point that we’re now doing what NO other animals do, increasingly changing the eco-systems and weather as our vast hordes consume and disrupt the environment and destroy habitats. As a result, while our population rapidly grows, we’re the catalyst behind the current mass extinction epoch going on that is the biggest and most profound since that huge meteor hit the Earth just offshore in Southern Mexico and ended the Cretaceous period, the last age of the dinosaurs. By the way, the animals that have benefited to some extent are the ones whose scavenging behaviours work well in environments where humans consume and throw away huge quantities of food, like mice, rats, COYOTES, foxes, rock pigeons (they love all the concrete) roaches and the other animals we have much in common with, locusts, as we greedily consume the earth😐
Happy Monday to you Diane! Looking lovely as always! I'm always fascinated by the topics that you bring about in the content of your videos. Great job with the video! Have a great rest of your week! ✌️😎🙏❤️
We were taught in the US, that "Black Irish" were people in Ireland, who descended from shipwrecked on Ireland, Spanish sailors who were remnants of the 1588 Spanish Armada defeat by the English.
Every major association football league, soccer, in the USA have used the word soccer, even the indoor arena leagues. Its no wonder why most Americans use that word when the leagues themselves use that word...
@@jenniedarling3710 Of course it does. I'm merely pointing out the irony, that Brits complain about Americans doing something, that they got from the British.
"Black Irish" is a term I was taught referred to people from Ireland, or of wholly Irish descent, with dark hair and eyes. There was a MYTH that this came from sailors from the wrecked Spanish Armada, that washed up on Irish shores. DNA analysis has proven this wrong, and the first neolithic inhabitants of Ireland were actually people related to Basques and Sardinians. Many of the light skin and blond or red hair that we associate with the Irish came from later migrations, especially Viking and Norman settlers. The Normans, while coming from an area now associated with modern France, were also a population with high Norse/Viking DNA, and they contributed to Ireland as well.
It’s Gaelic. There are several countries in Europe with Gaelic ancestry and they all have dark hair & eyes. The different countries even compete in a Gaelic tournament.
You a year ago black irish. I need no answer. I have known that black refer to very poor from history lessons in school(Just a slaves from Africa). The brittish took almost all land. Next the potatoes and starvartions they made them extra poor and small too. It as was a good teacher . He knew a lot about the mafias in New York and Chicago too. Comming from Denmark I see no difference in skin color. We are white and some are darker. I know from DNA and maps Ireland has more with red and light hair. Norway too - They are next door.
Years ago, my Ex and I entertained English houseguests for a couple of weeks. We sat down to dinner and someone saw that a 🪲 shiny beetle-bug had gotten into the house. The don’t sting or bite, and I was busy in the midst of serving plates, etc. So the 40-something-year-old mother and teen son took it upon themselves to remove the bug. It had begun crawling up the leg of a chair. I expected one of them to grab a paper towel, gently enclose the creature in the paper, then calmly walk to the door and fling the bug outside, where it belonged. To my surprise, they squawked and fussed and picked up the WHOLE chair 🪑 together, the mom held open the door, (which might allow more bugs inside) While the teen picked up the whole chair as if it were poison or lava. Once they got the one beetle on one chair outdoors, neither of them could figure out to flick it away with a strong middle finger to thumb flick! (😆) It flew away on its own and they both ducked in horror as if a vampire was after their juicy necks! Of course, the Ex was no place to be found. I had to check my own face to be certain not to eye-roll in an obvious way! But I realized that they don’t know by just glancing-they don’t HAVE critters at their home!
It would be a strange day in the US to not find some for of insect flying or crawling around. Spiders, beetles, what have you. You don't think about it after a while. You just handle it.
I'm American and would/do react the same way to any insects. Terrified of them. If someone else is around I make them kill whatever it is so I don't have to get near it.
Where on earth did you get the idea that they don't have critters at their home? Maybe not that particular kind of beetle, but yes, we do get insects in the home in Europe. And European or not, I would guess your guests either had a slight phobia of beetles or didn't know whether this particular beetle was poisonous (in which case they should have asked you first and not just tried to remove it). How big was the thing, though?
@@andreaweber8059 where I live (Tennessee) there are little brown beetles that fly into the house because they're attracted to the light. I would guess that they're on average 10-14 mm long, and, yes, they are quite harmless. I don't necessarily even shoo them out.
Okay just to be clear, that behaviour isn't because they're English - it's because they either have a phobia or are just plain weird. General rule that I and every English person I know (which is a large number given I live in England) follows is; if it doesn't fuck with you, you don't fuck with it. Exceptions might be made for gnats (like tiny mosquitoes), spiders (if they have a phobia), bees (so they don't die indoors) and wasps (flying suicidal sadists with stingers) but otherwise we're not too different to anyone anywhere else.
I’m from Wisconsin which is in the northern United States and one time I was playing golf in Florida. I hit my ball a little bit over the green which was on a hill and I walked over the green and there was an alligator sitting right on the golf course. It kind of stunned me. I knew to look out for them but I didn’t expect to see one just lying there in the sun. He didn’t seem surprised to see me either. It was actually kind of cool but a little scary.
I'm in South Florida and you do see them at times. Most generally don't worry about them, just give them some distance and they'll leave you alone. I worry about the coppermouth snakes around the water a lot more.
The Office Blokes just reacted to "10 Lies Europe Believes about American People". Your channel is getting a lot of play out there! Kind of surprised about the last one. I have talked to lots of Europeans on vacations, in the Army and in college and virtually everything they say about the USA is wrong and or outdated. Jeez you think we still live in 1950s or 60s by listening to them. Maybe they show a lot of olde American TV shows and movies in Europe?
I remember watching a Perry Mason TV episode from the 1950s. Perry was flying to Switzerland from the US. A revolver slides out from under his seat. Perry picks it up, turns around, and politely asks the man sitting behind him if the gun belongs to him, then hands it over to the man once he says it is his. International air travel has changed a bit since then.
We learn world history here, as well. I taught it for 6 years to middle and high school students. I’ve met Irish people who asked if we knew their relatives in Boston, since Florida was so close. 6 in one hand, half dozen in the other…
I've heard Europeans talk about the US a lot You, as a group, do not know more about the US then Americans do about Europe. Not even close. It's about the same. And some quite proudly have no interest in knowing anything about the US.
Black Irish - Spanish blood from the survivors of the Spanish Armada that managed to make it ashore whilst they went around Ireland. A lot of Spanish ships were lost on that voyage.
I love how respectful you are in your videos. Its very refreshing to just hear your side rather than how most Europeans do and talk bad on America the entire time
A man was attacked and had his arm bitten off by an alligator in Florida recently. Afterwards he wandered in a swamp for three days until he found a fence and followed it to a house. He was rescued then. Maybe I have relatives still alive in Ireland? The Irish part of my family came to America during the Potato Famine. The Scottish side came to Virginia in 1690.😊👍
I remember hearing about a certain alligator poacher. He had one arm. His method to hunt alligators was to put his arm in the water and swirl it around to attract the attention of the alligators.
11:12 to 11:40 Directions in West Virginia: Go across the little bridge near the creek, then turn left at the big dead oak tree (you know, the one covered with poison ivy) then go up a bit, past the deer carcass. You then go up the hollow (pronounced "holler"), and you'll see it after a bit.
Once again Diane I got a pleasant surprise when another channel The Office Blokes had your lovely countenance in their thumbnail. They reacted to your 10 things Europeans believe about America that aren't correct. They found your video informative and were quite positive about your presentation. Of course I did my best in the comments to inform their subscribers about how fun and informative your channel is. This video providing an apt example.
@@DianeJennings Not really they basically talked after about stuff you mentioned that they didn't know and basically expanded upon it with their own perspective Sorry ☹️
@@Stevarooni You know I had hoped you'd had confined your comment to the merely obvious not the incredibly obvious. Just slagging 😁 as Diane would say. Of course I plugged her channel in their comments
(As an American) my assumptions, re: European knowledge about the US is kind of multi-faceted... on one hand, I recognize that American culture may well be the nation's #1 export in regard to entertainment; on the other hand, a lot of that entertainment (obviously) does not reflect reality (or at least ALL of reality). In that, I generally feel comfortable assuming that Joe or Jane European is at least somewhat familiar with some of the more successful bits of American pop culture, but I certainly don't assume that they know (or care in the slightest) about the minutiae of American culture/life. In regard to learning about European culture/life, while I could certainly do a much better job that I do, I think I do more than Jane or Joe American in that regard. For example, I am familiar with the difference between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, know a bit about the British political system (that the Prime Minister isn't elected via general/popular vote), etc... More than anything, when interacting with people from other countries/cultures, I do my best to remain humble and mindful that their life experiences may well be drastically different than my own.
I have always wolfed my food down and I never thought about it, even though my mom would give me a hard time about it. I did a junior year abroad in York and everyone I ate with would stare at me, wide eyed and mouths a gape as I cleaned my plate in under a minute. I got lots of comments like, "it's not a race" and "you must not have eaten in some time". I really had to concentrate on eating slowly and quite frankly it drove me nuts.
Depends on the meal for me, I like to enjoy my food. I remember rules like don't talk while you eat and clean your plate which were easier to follow if you just shovel it in.
you popped up and yet again I dropped everything to hang with.very good show today I learned a lot. I see chewie is having a snooze and you are always charming self , I hope you are living your best lives.
On the origins of the Black Irish--what I've heard & read: when Sir Francis Drake & his ships attacked the Spanish Armada in the Channel, the surviving Spanish ships fled by going up and over the British Isles. When they turned south, it was too soon, and with poor visibility, they wound up smashing unexpectedly into the northern Irish coast. The surviving sailors, being Catholic, were welcome, and mixed and mingled with the locals.
An oft repeated, but inaccurate tale. In nearly all cases the Spanish who were wrecked on the coasts of Ireland after the Armada, and who didn't drown, were captured. The nobles and officers were held for ransom, and the ordinary men were executed.
@@deantodd8103 I actually don't know which is more entertaining. I only watch American football on Superbowl. I've seen the European "soccer" fans do the chants and cheers. Looks like a lot of fun.
Europeans know America better than we know them since they “watch American television and movies”? Please tell me you didn’t really say that, Diane 🤦 🤦 🤦 True story-my brother was an exchange student in Germany, and despite having actually grown up in Chicago, he couldn’t break his host family of their belief that Chicago was run by the Italian mafia. That’s what you get when you “learn about America” from TV and movies 😂
I have a friend from the UK. He’s so wholesome when he’s drunk. Sent me voice messages saying how much he liked our friendship and complimented me (character wise). He said whenever he’s drunk, he likes to give his friends compliments. Lol
By the way, I really love it when we get a video that is all Diane instead of just a reaction to someone elses video. You are always more charming than the people you react to.
Soooo today Diane talks about one of her favorite subjects She lists some European “taboos” and then further dissects I really enjoyed this video in all respects And ED’s efforts were noticed for all the special effects
My partner and I just came from Ireland two weeks ago. We loved it. Culturally there are few things that caught our attention. 1. You guys can drink!!! OMG, pubs are everywhere and always packed. People were walking on the street with their glasses in their hands. 2. The inequality was less visible. We did not see those Blocks and blocks of tents full of homeless (like you can see here in America), but we did not see those ridiculous affluent neighborhoods with 20000 Sq FT homes as we have here. That was kind of refreshing. 3. Very Americanized for the most part and the radio sounded just like any American radio (even the accent of the hosts was very American). Music, talking about the Kardashians, etc.. Overall, a fantastic experience.
We also study world history. Many of us have family in other countries as well. I grew up watching Masterpiece theater and now love the BBC and britbox, in the 70s we had a public TV station that played all the British shows and movies. I loved the culture so much that I visited England, Scotland and Wales at 18 years old and loved it there so very much. Many of us know more about Europe than you may think. My parents traveled the world when they retired, my sister also has traveled in Europe Many many times throughout her life. Unfortunately I am now handicapped so travel is just too difficult for me. I have wanted to see Ireland especially since I married an Irish American but sadly that is not possible now.
There are definitely scary animals in Europe - domestic ones. When I lived in Ireland, I got charged once by a ram and once by a bull (the bull was behind a fence, but it came at me fast enough that I was convinced it was going to jump). Other times I've been hiking and come across a flock of sheep or a very dominant ram and wasn't sure whether to approach them.
This is a fascinating topic! Your videos are always well researched and delivered. must admit that what I think I know about the UK and Ireland is watching Masterpiece Theater here in the US. I worked for a time with a graduate student from Ireland. He told me this joke: Where does an Irishman go on vacation? To another pub. He thought it was funny. :-)
I once worked with a chap from Ireland. He and his wife went to Hawaii for a holiday. According to tittle tattle, his wife went shopping, while he stayed in the hotel bar. It was suggested it would have been cheaper to sent her on her own, and for him to get his local pub to play some Hawaiian music.
When you were making the point about speaking directly, I thought you were going to say just the opposite. I am from the midwestern United States. In my experience, Europeans find us so indirect and convoluted in our our speech because we are trying to be polite that we come off as dishonest. This is not just me btw.
Interesting and true. I moved to WI from north east Ohio. I had two equal and opposite problems at work. If I was direct I was being rude. If I asked to have something done it was considered voluntary. The person might do it or they might not. Took me a while to learn that I needed to have a little conversation first and then get to the business of what needed done.
Hmm @Laura Lucretia Martell well, I grew up in America, mostly in the South it’s true. But also in places like Southern California, and Colorado and southern and middle Florida which is a mix of cultures. And I know exactly what Diane is talking about. Because I moved to Europe about 30 years ago. Your focus I suspect is mostly on the verbal. Diane I think is talking about behaviours. I’ll use her reference to offering a cup of tea, and the Irish person saying no at least three times and then finally saying yes. They also do that (another Diane example) when someone offers another person a lift home from a party, and they don’t have a clue how they’re getting home. Ah no I’m fine, l’ll get the bus. Are you sure? I think the last bus has gone. Yes I’ll leave in a little while, thanks anyway, etc. Finally, ah well if it’s really not too much trouble. Thanks very much. Americans tend to take what people say at a surface level, and act accordingly. So they might say, oh I don’t want to be any trouble? That would be great if you’re sure you don’t mind? But if they’d welcome a lift they won’t say no, polite Americans instead will soften their affirmations, or ask questions, are you going that way? Go live in England, Northern France or Belgium or Ireland for about five years then go back home and see if you don’t see the difference. Americans are far more direct.
I thought this too. I'm from Oregon but lived in Europe for 3 years- I was told to speak plainly more than a few times. Just my experience too. Fun fact- loudest tourists I came across were Brits in Poland. 😆
In Wisconsin, if someone says that something is "different", it means bad. I use the term all the time and 90% of the time I don't like whatever I'm describing.
Your nails are looking sparkley today. I think there is room for rugby and football. I always tip for eating at restaurants. Good service gets a higher tip. Enjoyed today's effects you added to the video. Chewie is the coolest. Sending Happy and Joyful Vibes. Happy Monday Diane! 👱♀️🐶🍀
It was so eye-opening going to Europe and seeing just how popular soccer/futbol/football is overseas, and how it’s an afterthought in America. When Lebron James bought into the ownership for the Premier League team Liverpool, he then wore their jersey to one of his games - and sales of that jersey spiked in America. The amount of influence celebrities/athletes can have to bring attention to other sports/leagues/causes, etc. is equal parts jarring and hopeful. Also, because of these videos, I now make a concerted effort to say “Ire-land” and not “I-err-land.” So thanks for that! 😃 Great video, lady! 🇮🇪
While the drinking age in most of the US is 21 (lower in few state), there is one exception. A minor is allowed to drink alcohol at home under supervision of a guardian that is of legal drinking age. Pretty sure allowing too much would be considered criminal negligence and/or child abuse, though.
If I were to guess, I’d say most Americans don’t have passports because 1) there are a lot of things to see and do in the US and 2) most Americans don’t get enough vacation days to go to another country and get the full experience.
Until recently Americans didn't need a passport to go to Canada, Mexico, or to many of the Caribbean islands... All you needed was a US state drivers license with a photo ID... When less than ten percent of Americans have ever flown to Europe, not many bothered to get a passport... Frankly, while most Europeans have passports, I suspect the vast majority have never flown to America, or Canada...
I was just in Ireland for a vacation/holiday, and noticed that you can't add the tip in when you pay by credit card for meals. In the US, they always have a 'add tip' line to the receipt, but that didn't seem to be an option. We had to ensure we had cash on hand in proper amounts for any meals to add tips.
Whenever I tip, I always tip the server in person in cash. I don't trust that the tip on the bill will actally get to the server and not be creamed off in whole or in part by the owner. I wonder whether adding the tip to the bill would make it liable for VAT, which I think is 9% at the moment on restaurant meals in Ireland.
U.S. American here, born and raised in Missouri by parents from Oklahoma and Texas. My folks drank beer on occasion, and would allow us to take sips when they did. In public or at home, it didn’t matter. They would have one, maybe two beers. I grew up thinking it was no big deal to drink…did I have a few instances of binge drinking in young adulthood? Sure. But I realized that, althoughI like beer, wine, and mixed drinks, being drunk was not fun for me and being hung over was even less fun. Fast forward to my husband and I being parents. We have little mugs we got while living in Germany (moved there when our first child was 1, moved back to States when they were 5 and our second child was 2,) which were 4cl big. These were “mugs” used to serve a beer liqueur produced by a brewery we went to. As Germany is serious about proper measures when it comes to alcohol, these mugs were marked with 2cl and 4 cl marks for proper pours depending on what was being served in these tiny mugs the size of shot glasses. I used to make pizza on Saturday nights and we would all have beer and pizza. My husband and I would have a bottle of beer in a mug and our girls would have 2cl of beer with 2cl of sprudel (carbonated water) in those tiny mugs. They loved being able to share a meal all the same way. Some of my husbands family members were HORRIFIED that we were giving our children beer! They told me as much and urged me to stop doing it. I told them that making something a mystery and taboo is a way to get inquisitive children to make poor decisions. Our children are now 9 and 12. Neither are interested in drinking beer or wine or mixed drinks because they don’t like the taste. Will they binge drink as young adults? Possibly. But we talk about it at our house. It is not a mystery. They ask questions, we give answers.
Tipping in the US is supposed to be a compliment to a job well done Servers here think you are supposed to make up for their low paying job I don’t adhere to that theory Crappy service, no tip from me
@@judyperri9496 what tipping is “supposed to be” and what it actually is in the United States are two different things. Even the IRS understands this. Servers are not only taxed on their paltry wage, they are also taxed on somewhere around 8% of the value of their total sales for the day. So, people who don’t tip are actually causing the server financial harm. It is not a simple snub for what seems to be bad service. Not tipping a server actually subtracts money from their paycheck in the form of taxes they must pay on the value of the food you ate while they were serving you. If someone gives you such poor service that you feel they don’t deserve a tip, the correct thing to do is to simply tip them 8%. To tip any less is an @$$hole move.
@@katherinemcintosh7247 Sorry , you don’t make the rules for me I will not tip someone that gives poor service Don’t like it? Do better or get another job You must be of the generation that thinks you are owed something just because you were born I work hard my money and I’m certainly not giving it to some asshole that does a crappy job
That stat quote about only 40-something % of U.S. citizens having passports is about thirty years old and wildly out of date. U.S. passport ownership has gone up dramatically since then, partly due to security considerations post 9/11. Conversely, fewer Europeans now have passports. You no longer have to show your papers every few miles since the establishment of the E.U. Roughly the same percentage of Europeans and Americans have passports now.
Your nail tech did a great job! Cool shirt too! You look very pretty today... In my work of substance abuse counseling I came across a study in which the U.S. was ranked 53rd in alcohol consumption, Canada was ranked in the low 30s, and the U.K. was ranked in the high 20s. I don't remember what Ireland was ranked, but three of the top four were former Soviet republics including Russia. I'll have to see if I can find the study again
We have a world history required class also that has a section on all the major European countries. Although I’m not sure how in depth it is comparatively. I will say tho you are spot on about America being so common in media I don’t really know what modern day Europe is like other than the one time I visited London for school
One exception to your last point: we actually get quite a lot of British media here in the states. There are many American fans of British television programs (Doctor Who, Are You Being Served, Benny Hill, Monty Python, The Catherine Tate Show, Waiting for God, etc.) and British musicians. Our public radio stations (NPR) often play BBC news as well. We don't hear much about what's going on in Ireland or any place that speaks a language other than English (with the exception of Ukraine, these days), but there's still a cultural tether to the UK.
When I was traveling inEurope I was astounded and embarrassed as I talked with people who knew more about America than I knew about their country. I continue to learn about European countries now and I’ll never forget the wonderful people who lit that candle in my heart.
@@avengemybreath3084 weirdos like you ruin a potentially good discussion. A little advice, try being normal every other day. Who knows it may catch on.
On the subject of "African Americans", I have heard a number of Americans refer to foreign (even African) blacks as "African Americans ". This may go back to issues regarding what one calls these folks, as some are very "sensitive " regarding what to call them. So now the paradigm is so ingrained that they can't escape the prescribed nomenclature.
Yeah, it's legit kinda frustrating. Like... Nelson Mandela was not "African American".... but the euphemism is so ingrained in the population as the least offensive phrasing (something something white guilt etc.) that a large chunk of Americans translate "African American" as "black person" blindly, regardless of nationality.
We stayed away from the alligators when I lived in Florida, though there were two that lived in the "pond" (called euphemistically a "yacht basin" without yachts) that connected to the ocean. At night they swam back to the basin and slept in a drainage pipe. The scorpions were far worse, because they'd get into clothes drying on the clothes line, and you'd accidentally bring them indoors if you weren't careful. In Northern Michigan we had bear and bobcat---the bobcats were just curious, and the bear would avoid people except in the Spring, when they're hungry and will eat anything that moves and much that doesn't. Nice show, thanks!
I went to private school here in the USA. We had world geography and world history everything from ancient egypt to modern day USA. I know and remember a lot of it and I’m proud to have had a good education. If you ask me to pinpoint a country on the map, I’m almost certain I could.
Me too. Scholarship kid at a very exclusive private catholic school. Learned tons of history and geography both US and the world. Really enjoyed world history a lot. I found it so much more fun to learn about places I hadn’t been to. Still absolutely love history. I can still go through two or three historical books a week. Anything from how rice cultivation has changed in Asia from ancient to modern times to how hurricanes are formed on the Great Lakes, famous storms, how storm prediction technology has developed and how shipwrecks are found investigated and salvaged. I’m a giant book nerd still
@@edifice2773 I also went to an American public school. We had to fill out blank world maps including major oceans, seas, lakes, rivers, and mountain ranges. Could I still do that? Probably not. Honestly I think the people in those videos are just blanking because they were put on the spot.
@@CM-uq8ro No, what one of the late night hosts did, I think it was James Corden, was to actually show all the people in the man on the street episodes who answered everything correctly. So when we see the ones who are, for want of a better word, stupid, we DON'T see the ones who answered the basic history and geography questions correctly, because where's the fun in that?
I have been to the UK four times and did a Study Abroad at Oxford. I haven't yet met a Brit (other than expats) who knew more about the U.S. than I did about the UK. We also do study World History here, and it's extremely Eurocentric.
I think a lot of it depends where in the US you grow up. Some areas focus on history and geography more then others. I learned a lot of both as well, growing up in NYC. You are absolutely correct, world history is generally Eurocentric.
I mean, you basically said why in your post; you've been to the UK 4 times and studied at Oxford - I doubt you did so without bothering to learn about the nation first. Conversely, most people in the UK will only see America through a computer/TV screen or at best as a tourist going to tourist areas to do tourist things rather than really learn about American life and culture. Most of what we do get is trickle-down through American media. Also, while European history is foundational to much of modern America (be it law, language, culture etc), the reverse isn't really the case - with America's main contribution being WW2 (and disassembling European colonialism to establish the American empire) and we get enough of America's take on that via Hollywood so our schools tend to focus on our own stories as we've basically got 3,000+ years of an entire continent's history to unravel and usually only like 2 to 3 hours a week to do it in meanwhile USA's relatively short written history allows it to have a wider focus.
@@Neion8 America is far more than just the whities and that shows your European bias because there is more Native American history than there is European,like 5 thousand compared to at least 6 thousand in the americas,the us itself has over 500 years of history you Europeans just don’t want to accept it also there never was an American empire that’s just stupid(America helped out with far more than just ww2 and ww1 as well)
I was born in England but moved to the US when I was 5. I grew up drinking Shandys with dinner. It was a ritual for us to wait for our dad to pour a little of his beer into our glass
I was assuming "SwedenGate" is something most Europeans don't wanna discuss. Who knew that inviting a child to join another family for dinner wasn't considered a universal given.
@@DianeJennings Wow! Yeah, in the U.S., if a kid's friend wasn't invited to dinner while visiting, the parents would be branded as weirdos! (No offense to your Swede audience) ✌❤
It does happen, but it was mostly older generations. So this happened among ethnic swedes when my mother was in school the 1950s and 1960s. It is rare among younger generations of Swedes, but does happen. I've never heard it happening among "New Swedes." And I've never experienced anything like it among Swedish Jews. And for people who once lived through starvation or whose parents did, not having enough food for a guest would be unthinkable.
When I was a kid, in the 60s, if the friends family was having dinner it wasn't uncommon to be sent home to have dinner at your own house, assuming you were clueless enough not to leave when it got close to dinner time. Sometimes you were invited to stay of course. But if Mom prepared a meal for five people there often wasn't enough for a sixth.
Diane, I find your views very interesting, for the most part you are spot on and when you’re not certain you ask for clarification. When ever you’re ready to come back to America and would like to visit the beautiful northwest portion of this country I would be honored to show you what we have up here, till then , I pray you have a wonderful time at home and know that Chewie would be welcomed as well
We were once staying with a French family. Lunch one day took an hour and our hostess apologized for serving salad and quiche at the same time. The reason for this "rushed" affair? We had to get to the church for her son's wedding.
That direction in blocks thing goes right out the window when you get to rural areas. Here you're liable to get directions like: go past where that big oak tree used to be, turn left just before you get to Bill Barber's house......etc.
Tipping in the US used to be as you described for Ireland. It has since been altered into something to be expected, but the 10% was accurate as a general rule in the past (pre-2000).
In more rural areas you get turn left at so-and-so's old oak or barn. You have to be careful let them know that you are out from out of town. Then you can get real diretions.
Interesting list Diane. Thanks. Of course I have to go to the silly side. Europeans may not tell us about these points, but they will demand we use a fork upside down. 😜 BOOP
BTW, in North America we do refer to the great game as 'soccer,' but the word is an English expression adopted by us. It's a school-boy's reduction of the term "Association Football" in England in the 1870s.
That's kinda how it is with American football and soccer here in the States (well at least it was in the past and the area I'm from). When I was a kid in the 90s in rural Indiana, all the doctors and lawyers kids played soccer and us working class kids played American football. There was a big rivalry between us. I was in my 20s before I even dared watching a soccer game.
If you're in a big "American football state" like Texas, the opposite was kind of true until David Beckham became well known. I grew up being basically taught by example that, "only girls up to age 12 play soccer, before they have to start wearing dresses and shaving their legs", I kid you not.
The whole thing about soccer being an "elite" sport and American football being "working class" makes absolutely no sense considering how much more football equipment costs compared to soccer.
@@soccerchamp0511 Because of the physical contact that is required in American football. The rich soccer kids thought us dumb barbarians for running into each other and we thought of them as dandy wussies for running around and eating orange slices at halftime. Plus schools in America provide you your equipment and you return it when the season is over. The only thing we paid for was our jerseys and cleats. This is why poorer schools usually have older and shoddier equipment.
In the US when you go to a restaurant they want to get you in and get you out quickly so they can get in the next customer. They don't want you sitting there for a long time.
I love that Europeans linger at the dinner table - we should do that in the US more. Growing up American of Italian heritage, that tradition was ingrained - our family get togethers lasted a long time around the table... Thanks to your channel (and others but especially yours), I am beginning to get a clear picture that Europeans DO know more about us than we know about them, sometimes painfully so.
At your homes, fine. At a restaurant, NO. Other people want to eat too. There are only so many tables. But on a slow day, I’m sure the establishment welcomes charging you for drink after drink.
@@TrekBeatTK Yes - I agree. Good point. Some restaurants are set up to cater to this but the average American restaurant is focused on throughput for the reasons you mentioned...
I went to a rugby playing school. We never paid much heed to the regulations, we just played " get the man with the ball". We used to refer to the game as "Murderball", like Rollerball without the skates and bikes.
American cops don't just carry guns because many Americans are armed, they carry them for protection against any type of attack. Either from a knife, stick, or bat, for example. On knowing about Europe, I would say Europeans know a little more about America than Americans know about Europe. But I must also say that after watching all the video reactions about America by Europeans, I have arrived at the conclusion that Europeans (and others as well) do not know as much as they think about America and Americans. Some of this has to do with the miss information in videos about America. I do not know how many times I have seen videos created by Europeans with major mistakes. Then other Europeans react to said videos and continue on with the bad info. Another RU-vidr I saw couldn't accept that the the US Constitution gave normal Americans the right to carry firearms in public. He stated that the American government had the power confiscate guns because the government was the government. When another viewer tried in vain to explain to him how the US Constitution works, he just couldn't grasp the entire concept at all. To this day, I do not believe he still understands anything about America.
It is a common problem because Europeans have centuries of a tradition to deferring to authority. Feudalism, monarchies, and now modern day cradle-to-grave government have instilled in them the belief that rights are granted from government. Whereas Americans have a tradition of natural rights. They exist independent of government or whether a government recognizes them or not.
As an american, seeing Europeans knowledge of us weirds us out sometimes. It makes us not sure exactly what things are really only American and what things are universal. For example, measurements. We are aware that we are the only ones who don't use the metric system. It's far simpler, and no one knows why we don't... so then why is it when we ask the European how tall they are, they say I'm 6'2? Ummm, how do you know what that is? Don't you mean I'm 180 cm or something like that? Stuff like that just leads to so many unanswered questions.
From what I've discovered, some cultures like Canadians & Brits have mostly kept the English measurements for height & weight. Not sure why, but they do.
In the UK we didn't go fully metric. Because of the cost of changing all the road signs. We kept Miles, Yards and feet. For road distances and speed limits. Also Imperial Pints 568.3 millilitre (USA pint 473.12 millilitre) for Draught Beer and Milk. Because of the cost of replacing millions of glasses in pubs and restaurants. At the time most people had milk delivered to their door in reusable glass bottles. Again the cost of not only replacing all the bottles. The dairies would have had to replace all the bottling and sterilising machines. Everything else is supposed to be metric in everyday use. But old habits die hard.
@@grahamsmith9541 IMO, metric is clearly superior for scientific purposes, but for every-day use, Imperial/Customary works perfectly well. If people understand it, there's no need to change it. I often find myself using both systems, sometimes at the same time. (E.g when doing DIY, I'll use whichever gives the neatest and easiest to remember values. Even if that means measuring a width in cm and a length in inches).
When I took "World History", required for high school at the time, it was primarily centered on Western history and culture. The reason that many Americans do not know any European culture is that even the ones who do well in this class make no effort to retain it. Once they have their passing grade, they are done. The student culture here does not foster retention, even through university, except for vocational skills. Now, some schools in more liberal leaning districts may offer non-Western history alternatives. Many universities require those as part of their core curriculum. This obviously does not sit well with some of the young progeny of the entitled classes.
History and culture are separate but that's okay. Europe culture to me is fine art and music, like what we in America call classical/orchastral music. We don't mean to offend but we have all the music and culture we want, so we don't import from other countries. Considering how much other countries import American culture kinda makes my point. Blue jeans are a good example. History in grade schools starts with the discovery of the Americas. Which was done as a commercial endeavor right? You wanted gold not friends right? In colleges the world history is very dominated by Greeks, Romans, ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. Outside of the plague, the dark ages just isn't a great topic! (Sarcasm)
The United States ranks 12th in the world for education; behind Sweden, Finland, Netherlands, Iceland, United Kingdom, Norway, New Zealand, Ireland (#4), Denmark, Australia and Germany (#1).
My first glass of wine was at age 12 or 13. It was like a couple ounces, but my parents didn't want us to get hooked on the stuff so they let us get the mystery out of the way.
There is a funny scene in "Paul" with Simon Pegg where the two main characters are confronted by a Nevada State trooper. He hears their accents and asks where they're from. When they reply England, he says he's heard of it. " Police don't have guns," he says. " How do they shoot people." LOL
I loved it when she used the term "pissed" for drunk. Has an entirely different meaning in the US and if someone is "pissed" at you, you may want to think about preparing for battle.
In Canada, I use "pissed" in both contexts: "I got right pissed last night" or "I was right pissed at him". I suppose that's the British and Irish influence, and it may not be the same throughout Canada.
The usual thing in Australia is that pissed = drunk, and pissed off = annoyed. Thanks to all the US media we get, we know that it has a different meaning in North America.
A few important corrections: The football/rugby thing really only applies to the British isles. In most countries on the continent people wouldn't even know how Rugby is played. Not saying there's zero association between class and type of sport but it doesn't involve Rugby. Same thing with guns. In France and Belgium for example, military police in full assault gear and with rifles is not an uncommon sight in big cities. In Germany and Austria, no cop would walk around without their trusty 9mm. In the Alpine countries, privately possessed firearms are generally more common. While it doesn't quite reach US levels, basically all of Eastern Europe has a lot of bears and wolves. Scandinavians, the Dutch and western Slavic countries are at least as, Germans and Austrians far more direct than US-Americans. TLDR; if you aren't going for London or Dublin take it with a spoon of salt.
I'd be curious to hear more about the idea that Europeans generally "know more about" America than we do Europe, I'm not sure I agree with that. Now I can't speak to the education system(s) outside America, and I would argue there are some serious problems with ours, but when I was in school we were taught quite a bit..in fact, a LOT of it was required. We needed World History, Geography and so forth. The majority of our education in history was Euro-centric, and then detailed "American History" and classes like "Civics", "US politics" and so forth were also par for the course. Heck, it was required that I take ancient history in my university studies, as well as a Renaissance history of Europe, and in high school we had "American studies" and "European History" classes. A lot of tourism to America and "pop culture" found in movies are...well, they're stereotypical. America itself is called a "melting pot" because we also are full of emigrant culture sharing about various European tradition. As I said, not sure I fully disagree, I just feel I'd like to hear more about it to be convinced.
I have read that the educational system in the U.S. has declined over the past half century. I graduated high school in 1990, and I know that I wasn't challenged the way my parents and grandparents were. Fortunately for me, I loved to read and had an innate sense of curiosity. So I think I turned out reasonably smart. But students today, unless they're in Advance Placement courses, are probably even less well taught yet. (My nephew's in AP classes and he's just a genius. 😊 )
@@deantodd8103 I'll be honest I think it's a combination of a lot of things. Probably the standardized testing, and also the school structures - for instance, teachers being pressured to just shunt kids on to the next grade no matter what, but also a huge, HUGE portion of what I've seen is a lack of effort and interest in kids, and to me that starts at home. I was a sub for a year or two, and the amount of times kids walked out, or refused to pay attention, blatantly cheated or just flat out refused to work because "Why should I, I'll graduate anyway" is honestly terrifying. But a lot of that came from a lack of enforcement - the schools and parents alike lack the fangs to push the kids to apply themselves. Personal observation on my end, to be fair, but it's my initial thoughts.
I think also our news doesn’t really focus on international stories. Maybe a one minute segment. Whereas their broadcasts do report American news or they see it more frequently online.
@@Allaiya. that may be true! Truthfully, I've sort of gotten into the habit of just...finding my news online from a wide variety of sources and places, rather than just mainstream media. I feel like most are like that right now...I recall a poll I learned about back in media communications in college that stated at the time that over half the nation distrusted the media and traditional news sources, which blew my mind.
Love these videos, I am planning a trip to Ireland and Scotland in 12 years (when all of my kids have graduated from high school) just started learning Gaelic too.
If you are interested in languages, culture, inguistics etc by all means learn new languages. Really no point in learning Scottish or Irish Gaelic for touristy purposes. You just need to know that in Ireland MNÁ is the ladies' convenience, and FIR is the men's convenience. Anyone who speaks either language will speak English at least as well as you do. Despite being a compulsory school subject, the majority of Irish people do not speak Irish fluently. Plenty of RU-vid video to hammer that point. Your time would be better spent watching "Still Game" on RU-vid to get used to at least one Scottish accent. And then there's "The Walshes" as your introduction to Dublin culture.
I remember discussing the electoral prospects of the CDU Party in Germany and their sister party in Bavaria, the CSU, in the next election with a German diplomat I met at a convention in San Francisco. He was looking at me like I'd just come from Mars and admitted that he'd never met any American with such extensive knowledge of German politics before. Perhaps being Chinese American added to the disconcerting effect.
I think she's definitely right in general... but there are absolutely plenty of us who are interested in global politics, both in general and in specific regions. We're getting better at that as time goes.
@@mycroft16 Many of the most insightful observations about any country comes from foreigners who are able to see things in a way that we've grown up blind to.
I disagree that Europeans in general know more about the US than the US knows about Europeans. Modern media tell little to nothing about a culture, because the purpose is entertainment and certain aspects may be accentuated or conversely ignored in order to advance the story in the allotted time. Most of us are not at all like the Americans portrayed in films. Most Europeans seem to think we are. Europeans who have actually been to the US or spent time with Americans have a much better understanding.
I live in Houston Texas area where we have lots of bayous which have ample supply of alligators. As a 10 year old my son learned to water ski, mile swim, kayak etc at Scout camp with lots of alligators. This makes you faster swimmer.lol
I have lived in nine (9) other countries in addition to the USA with four (4) of them being in Europe. However, I know i am very much an exception and most Americans will never visit anywhere they can't get to with with their driving license as ID. Do realize the number of Americans with passports drastically increased when (in 2009) the USA required most US citizen travelers to have a passport in order to re-enter the USA after being abroad. Before that one could visit Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean by showing their DL/State ID card plus a photocopy of their birth certificate.
