The differences between cruisers from different countries

Exactly, each and every country (whether one wants to admit it or not) can be the same. I've traveled the world and have encountered groups of folks from other countries on my trips and whether it be those from Germany, Italy, France, Norway, Africa, China, etc., when in a group they pretty much all act the same. They can get loud, because they are all talking at once. They can overtake large areas, because the want to be together.

 

The fun for me is traveling to met others from different countries and I could give a rat's behind if they wear sneakers, wear smelly sandals, wear shirts with their country on them, wear Hawaiian shirts, are loud, take up a lot of the tables, etc., because none of that is as important as learning about other's and their countries and enjoying a trip. Before folks start critizing others on how they act or what they wear, maybe it is time to look in the mirror at yourself and see what other's see.

I hear ya! I won't say "I've traveled the world", but I have been to somewhere around 85-90 countries, (some that are virtually inaccesible nowadays), many under 'down & dirty' ground level conditions, that would be considered appalling to many who, (erroneously IMHO), consider themselves 'globetrotters'.

Our family motto is: Combibo is sursum ranunculus - ("Suck it up, Buttercup")

And Canada is becoming more homogenized...poutine has made it to BC.

It's also made it to the UK. Commonly found in large city hipster bars. :)

 

Delish.

I've seen poutine sold on food trucks in Arizona, and on the menu at Red Robin - Yummmmm. [emoji3]

One of the most enjoyable posts I’ve read in years!

And Canada is becoming more homogenized...poutine has made it to BC.

Thank you! Yes, we've got some pretty authentic poutine (curds flown in daily from Quebec) as well as quirkier, less traditional chips/cheese/gravy combos.

It's also made it to the UK. Commonly found in large city hipster bars.

 

Delish.

I recall chips with cheese & gravy being common on Fridays at school 'dinners' going back almost 4 decades... so unless it's a true poutine with curds, I think they're just stealing the name rather than truly adopting the dish as it is over here. Although since Timmies seems to be going great guns in Glesga' the UK might indeed be getting more Canadianized - BBC even ran a story last year about Scotland becoming the next Province should they win independence from the UK;-)

If you promise to keep him I'm sure we can arrange a one way ticket for Justin.

Agreed - but only if we don't have to swap leaders;-)

Our family motto is: Combibo is sursum ranunculus - ("Suck it up, Buttercup")

Apologies in advance for the pedantry, but as a Botanist I couldn't let that Latin slide...

Unless you refer to your family as 'little frogs' you need to add the capital R to Ranunculus & use italics to indicate you're talking about a plant genus (and personally I'd drill down to species - probably the most widespread across the continent is R. sceleratus which is also a good spiritual match for the sentiment you're trying to invoke - the Cursed Buttercup!)

Apologies in advance for the pedantry, but as a Botanist I couldn't let that Latin slide...

 

Unless you refer to your family as 'little frogs' you need to add the capital R to Ranunculus & use italics to indicate you're talking about a plant genus (and personally I'd drill down to species - probably the most widespread across the continent is R. sceleratus which is also a good spiritual match for the sentiment you're trying to invoke - the Cursed Buttercup!)

I've just painted over the Family Coat of Arms and replaced the plant with an amphibian....so much easier than all that editing! ;)

Thanks for the tip.....which we found informative rather than pedantic. :)

I've just painted over the Family Coat of Arms and replaced the plant with an amphibian....so much easier than all that editing! ;)

 

Thanks for the tip.....which we found informative rather than pedantic. :)

You should make it a Poison Arrow frog - some First Nations tribes used Ranunculus to poison their arrow heads (mostly over this side, where we have way fewer rattlesnakes than near you).

Totally-unrelated-to-poisons: is Capers still the go-to fine dining spot in downtown Belleville?

It's also made it to the UK. Commonly found in large city hipster bars. :)

 

Delish.

Poutine.

I've never heard of it, so I googled it.

You reckon it's "delish"?? :eek:

Fortunately it's not made it to my village chippy

Bad enough that Americans smother theirs with ketchup :eek:, Belgians with mayo :eek:, and Brummies with curry sauce. :eek:

Never screw around with perfection.

Just add salt & vinegar

JB :)

You should make it a Poison Arrow frog - some First Nations tribes used Ranunculus to poison their arrow heads (mostly over this side, where we have way fewer rattlesnakes than near you).

 

 

Totally-unrelated-to-poisons: is Capers still the go-to fine dining spot in downtown Belleville?

Capers? Geez, I don't even know if they're still open, (Google says 'yes', but we've been fooled before....drove out of town once looking for a knife sharpeners', only to find they'd been closed for a couple years).

Also, not being foodies, and firmly ensconced in the vulgus, we don't 'dine', we "Grab something to eat in order to refuel". ;)

However, if we do drive/walk past it, (or where 'it' once was), I'll attempt to remember to report in...but at my age don't hold your breath, the memory is like "The Old Gray Mare"..... not at all what it used to be.

Snakes? Pah. "I **** in their general direction"...although I did once, inadvertently, due to poor headlights on a rented camper, run over (with luck it wasn't harmed) a 20+ foot python 35 years ago next month up near Louis Trichardt.

Cheers.

From the NYC area too, and cut meat, or anything else that needs cutting, as I go. The only time I would cut everything up in advance is if I was cutting it up for a small child. I was taught to hold my fork in my right hand, and to use the knife with my right, laying it on the plate when not in use. I also discuss distance in terms of time rather than miles, so I think that it is very much a cultural thing. (Also a personal thing, because the same trip will take me less time to drive than my husband, since I am a little heavy on the gas pedal.) Being that the US is very diverse, with different areas having different traditions, I am not surprised by any of this. After all, depending upon which region you live in , you might have a different word to describe the same item. A hero, for example, can be a sub, a hoagie, a blimpie, a grinder, etc... . As for differences in behaviors for people from different countries, while my husband and I have only cruised once so far, we have taken many road trips, especially to National Parks, and have met a good variety of people from all over the world. One thing that I have noticed is that people from certain countries have less concern about personal space and will stand withing inches of you when having a conversation. Most of us in the USA like to keep about 18 to 24 inches between us, if not more. Also, those of us from the US seem to pile the food high on the plate at the buffet, (no wonder we are a country of obese people.)

Capers is still there, and still a great place for dinner- at least it was the last time we were there .

From the NYC area too, and cut meat, or anything else that needs cutting, as I go. The only time I would cut everything up in advance is if I was cutting it up for a small child. I was taught to hold my fork in my right hand, and to use the knife with my right, laying it on the plate when not in use. I also discuss distance in terms of time rather than miles, so I think that it is very much a cultural thing. (Also a personal thing, because the same trip will take me less time to drive than my husband, since I am a little heavy on the gas pedal.) Being that the US is very diverse, with different areas having different traditions, I am not surprised by any of this. After all, depending upon which region you live in , you might have a different word to describe the same item. A hero, for example, can be a sub, a hoagie, a blimpie, a grinder, etc... . As for differences in behaviors for people from different countries, while my husband and I have only cruised once so far, we have taken many road trips, especially to National Parks, and have met a good variety of people from all over the world. One thing that I have noticed is that people from certain countries have less concern about personal space and will stand withing inches of you when having a conversation. Most of us in the USA like to keep about 18 to 24 inches between us, if not more. Also, those of us from the US seem to pile the food high on the plate at the buffet, (no wonder we are a country of obese people.)

If you leave 24 inches between you while conversing you'll find an entire Chinese tour group with selfie sticks have occupied "your" space.

We also were raised that it was polite to cut one piece of meat at a time. We find that people in the U.S., Australians, many in South America are too loud (at times). Brits are polite but complain a lot. Some Europeans and Asians cut in line regularly and do not respect personal space. The same people also push into elevators and make sure they are the first to get out of elevators.

I don't think that any country is perfect but do feel that you should respect the culture of the cruise line. What I mean by that is, for instance, when on a British ship, walk on the left side or the corridor and when on a ship headquartered in the U.S., walk on the right side (this avoids lots of collisions).

Last, it always helps to look up the etiquette of the country that you are visiting so that you don't offend the local people. We are currently sailing in Indonesia and know not to touch a person (adult or child) on the head. As long as you are respectful, all should be fine.

Poutine.

Never screw around with perfection.

Just add salt & vinegar

JB :)

Come on John - while I agree that decent chips don't need anything fancy, is there no room for more than one way to serve a particular foodstuff in your life? There's no need to add anything to a good steak - but that doesn't mean they're not also good with Bearnaise sauce!

Capers is still there, and still a great place for dinner- at least it was the last time we were there .

Good to know it's still going strong - Belleville became a regular stop on our road-trips Toronto-Montreal because we could grab dinner in Capers.

...Last, it always helps to look up the etiquette of the country that you are visiting so that you don't offend the local people. We are currently sailing in Indonesia and know not to touch a person (adult or child) on the head. As long as you are respectful, all should be fine.

+1. This is the crux of being a 'good traveler' instead of getting you & your fellow countrymen labelled as 'Ugly American', 'Arrogant Brit' etc. I'd add that learning at least a handful of words & phrases (Please, Thank You, How Much, Where is, Sorry*, Excuse Me) is also appreciated - and the more obscure the tongue, the greater the appreciation in general.

*Any American who knows the word Sorry in the local language is immediately assumed to be Canadian - adding a Canadian flag pin or sewn somewhere on a hat or backpack will see you treated well regardless of how poorly most US tourists may be thought of locally;-)

I recall chips with cheese & gravy being common on Fridays at school 'dinners' going back almost 4 decades... so unless it's a true poutine with curds, I think they're just stealing the name rather than truly adopting the dish as it is over here.

Oh yes, chips,cheese and gravy is a common staple you can get in any 'chippie' or cafe over here. But its called that and not Poutine. We obsess over gravy.

Thats why only certain joints serve the true poutine. The UK's defined cheese industry means restaurant owners who want proper curds can get them easily if they ask. The UK has been going through a North American food craze for the last decade or so.

Brick Lane in London has a 'Poutinerie' that is the real deal...according to my husband's Canadian colleague.

I had a good one in Manchester too ( Blue Caribou)...tasty and squeaky.

learning at least a handful of words & phrases (Please, Thank You, How Much, Where is, Sorry*, Excuse Me) is also appreciated - and the more obscure the tongue, the greater the appreciation in general.

Whilst staying in Genoa, and shopping in back alleys, we started frequenting a fruit/veg 'hole in the wall' that we labeled the "Don't touch" store because the owner insisted that he, and only he, select the items to be purchased.

One day while standing in line I noticed a wedding pic on the wall, and when it was our turn to be 'abused' I greeted him in Arabic.

Thenceforth we were 'best buds' and we could pick up any damn thing we wanted! :)

Added: DW just reminded me of the time, in Ottawa, when we visited a small Sikh store in search of curry powder - the owner and another guy were in deep conversation when we entered, and he gave us a disinterested glance, just short of a scowl.

Until......I said "Sat Sri Akal".......then we 'almost' ended up with a dinner invitation at his home. :)

We also were raised that it was polite to cut one piece of meat at a time. We find that people in the U.S., Australians, many in South America are too loud (at times). Brits are polite but complain a lot. Some Europeans and Asians cut in line regularly and do not respect personal space. The same people also push into elevators and make sure they are the first to get out of elevators.

 

I don't think that any country is perfect but do feel that you should respect the culture of the cruise line. What I mean by that is, for instance, when on a British ship, walk on the left side or the corridor and when on a ship headquartered in the U.S., walk on the right side (this avoids lots of collisions).

 

Last, it always helps to look up the etiquette of the country that you are visiting so that you don't offend the local people. We are currently sailing in Indonesia and know not to touch a person (adult or child) on the head. As long as you are respectful, all should be fine.

Not on P&O, the captain in his safety briefing states always walk on the right hand side of corridors and staircases. I guess this is an international maritime convention. Lots of people walk on the left though as they are ignorant and lazy.

Not on P&O, the captain in his safety briefing states always walk on the right hand side of corridors and staircases. I guess this is an international maritime convention. Lots of people walk on the left though as they walk and drive on the left in their home country.

FTFY.

Although I am still trying to figure out why, in the London Tube system, for the escaltors they state to stand to the right, walk on the left. Even though the left escalator goes up or down, and the right one comes to your floor. :D

Whilst staying in Genoa, and shopping in back alleys, we started frequenting a fruit/veg 'hole in the wall' that we labeled the "Don't touch" store because the owner insisted that he, and only he, select the items to be purchased.

 

One day while standing in line I noticed a wedding pic on the wall, and when it was our turn to be 'abused' I greeted him in Arabic.

 

Thenceforth we were 'best buds' and we could pick up any damn thing we wanted! :)

 

Added: DW just reminded me of the time, in Ottawa, when we visited a small Sikh store in search of curry powder - the owner and another guy were in deep conversation when we entered, and he gave us a disinterested glance, just short of a scowl.

 

Until......I said "Sat Sri Akal".......then we 'almost' ended up with a dinner invitation at his home. :)

I feel ya - we ended up having the best lunch on Rhodes at someone's house (we were driving on a really, really bad road, saw the first house in miles, stopped to ask if the road got better or worse ahead - i.e. should we turn back or push on - and ended up being forbidden to leave until we'd had something to eat, then we just had to try the home-made jam from those trees by the pool, then some home-made liquor, then a swim in the pool and a nap to get over the liquor...)

Sometimes paying attention backfires amusingly though - not long back from Egypt, went to a new Italian resto. Lots of banter from the staff, and among them - noticed one guy was constantly called 'The Arab' by the others and he was certainly a bit swarthier than the rest. When he brought our desserts I thanked him with "shoukran" and he looked totally blank. So I ask whether my pronunciation was terrible, or maybe Egyptian Arabic was different enough from his own that I should have used a different term?

He bursts out laughing and calls over the other waitrons - turns out he was Sicilian and apparently mainland Italians frequently refer to them as Arabs in jest. We went back many times, they always made sure we were sat in 'the Arab section' with that waitron, so much so that I overheard some other patrons inquiring if there was a Middle Eastern menu they had to ask for specially!

Then there was the Weegie kebab house where the owner referred to everyone coming in as (apologies for easily-offended Greek speakers) 'M4l4k4s' - for years apparently! If they'd all been good buddies, quite acceptable (the more you slag off someone, the more likely you're good friends - especially in Glasgow!) but this was a first-time visit for me. Luckily for him patrons must have assumed it was some term of respect rather than chibbing him... I chose to order in Greek and fire off a similarly-offensive term with a big wink.

FTFY.

 

Although I am still trying to figure out why, in the London Tube system, for the escaltors they state to stand to the right, walk on the left. Even though the left escalator goes up or down, and the right one comes to your floor. :D

Tone being tricky in posts compared to speech, just in case you aren't being sarcastic... it's stand to the right on any given escalator, so that folks who want to walk up them (i.e. not wait for the slow pace of the escalator) can easily pass you on the same one. It doesn't mean if there are two escalators, you should walk up the one on the left. Most escalators up here in Canada have similar signage.

Then there was the Weegie kebab house where the owner referred to everyone coming in as (apologies for easily-offended Greek speakers) 'M4l4k4s' - for years apparently! If they'd all been good buddies, quite acceptable (the more you slag off someone, the more likely you're good friends - especially in Glasgow!) but this was a first-time visit for me. Luckily for him patrons must have assumed it was some term of respect rather than chibbing him... I chose to order in Greek and fire off a similarly-offensive term with a big wink.

The Greek term was perhaps the first word, (out of my 'vocabulary' of maybe four words total).....I learned.

Oftentimes 'these' words are the first absorbed, (and, under a variety of circumstances, the most useful).

Turkey, 1963, two of us, heading overland towards Australia*, shared a ride in the back of a Jeep with two Germans, one of whom had spent a year in London as a waiter in order to improve his English.

He said the absolute best word he learned was F*** - it was, he said, by far the most versatile - one can say "The F****g this, or the F****g that" and everyone knows exactly what you mean!

*As a boring OT story, (apologies to all for the deviation), I found this blog last year, (and made three remarks in the comments section under 'Eric') about a train journey, one that I had made in August 1963:

http://www.kathmanduandbeyond.com/train-zahedan-iran-quetta-pakistan/

Tone being tricky in posts compared to speech, just in case you aren't being sarcastic... it's stand to the right on any given escalator, so that folks who want to walk up them (i.e. not wait for the slow pace of the escalator) can easily pass you on the same one. It doesn't mean if there are two escalators, you should walk up the one on the left. Most escalators up here in Canada have similar signage.

Except, in Canada you drive on the right, and typically walk on the right. And on the roads, the left lane is the "fast" lane and used for passing.

So standing on the right makes sense.

But, in the UK, they drive on the left, and typically walk on the left. Passing is on the right.

So why, only on escalators, do they do it opposite?

Oh, and in Canada, if you come to a typical one up, one down escalator, the one on the right goes from your floor to the other one. And the one on your left is coming from the other floor. In the UK, most escalators, the LEFT one goes to another floor and the RIGHT one comes from that floor.

Somewhat sarcastic, but also a real question.

Yes, you go up the up escalator and down the down one. :)

The Greek term was perhaps the first word, (out of my 'vocabulary' of maybe four words total).....I learned.

 

Oftentimes 'these' words are the first absorbed, (and, under a variety of circumstances, the most useful).

 

Turkey, 1963, two of us, heading overland towards Australia*, shared a ride in the back of a Jeep with two Germans, one of whom had spent a year in London as a waiter in order to improve his English.

 

He said the absolute best word he learned was F*** - it was, he said, by far the most versatile - one can say "The F****g this, or the F****g that" and everyone knows exactly what you mean!

 

*As a boring OT story, (apologies to all for the deviation), I found this blog last year, (and made three remarks in the comments section under 'Eric') about a train journey, one that I had made in August 1963:

 

http://www.kathmanduandbeyond.com/train-zahedan-iran-quetta-pakistan/

That reminds me of a cab driver we had in New Orleans, of all places.

He was from some Arabic country (don't recall which now).

He told us when he was first learning English he kept getting confused between

F**** You and Thank You.

:eek:

He told us when he was first learning English he kept getting confused between

F**** You and Thank You.

 

:eek:

OMG..There's a difference? ;)

How another guest cuts their meat or the nature of the signage on escalators in other countries has never given us pause or concern. Don't really understand the issue. It would be a very boring world if everyone did, acted, ate, etc all the same things.

What we find interesting is that there are people who actually believe that the way they do something, or the customs in their country, is/are the correct and the best possible way. We find this very odd.

What we find interesting is that there are people who actually believe that the way they do something, or the customs in their country, is/are the correct and the best possible way. We find this very odd.

Going back to the 1970s, old Finn guy, long time resident of Canada, would always say (by way of lecturing) "In Finland we do it this way....."

He, his wife, and one of his sons took a trip to Finland.......son related that one of the first things out of the old man's mouth when they met up with relatives was "In Canada we do it this way.."

Except, in Canada you drive on the right, and typically walk on the right. And on the roads, the left lane is the "fast" lane and used for passing.

 

So standing on the right makes sense.

 

But, in the UK, they drive on the left, and typically walk on the left. Passing is on the right.

 

So why, only on escalators, do they do it opposite?

 

Oh, and in Canada, if you come to a typical one up, one down escalator, the one on the right goes from your floor to the other one. And the one on your left is coming from the other floor. In the UK, most escalators, the LEFT one goes to another floor and the RIGHT one comes from that floor.

 

Somewhat sarcastic, but also a real question.

 

Yes, you go up the up escalator and down the down one. :)

Ah, I misunderstood your confusion.

The signage is for tourists and new immigrants who have not acclimatized yet - I literally cannot remember a time in the UK when locals did not already do the 'stand right, walk left' thing, but tourists get confused and clog the escalators (especially in busy tube and train stations). As to which side to stand on - you are confused because you are an American and thus assume driving is the normal way to travel, and I wager you've never walked along the side of a road that did not have sidewalks.

It's drilled into Brits as soon as we can walk, that you always walk on the right - anybody you saw 'walking left' on roads is a tourist. This means you are looking at approaching drivers which is safer for two reasons - first, it's a proven psychological trait that making eye contact with drivers makes pedestrians safer (they are forced to acknowledge you are there and you are a fellow human being) and secondly if the driver is distracted you can SEE that they are coming right at you and have a chance to jump out of the way!

Your follow-up question at this point might be - but if we drive on the left, and thus overtake on the right, why do we overtake fellow pedestrians on the left? Because the slower-walking person should be hugging the far right hand side of the roadway, thus it's impossible to overtake them on the right unless you want to climb a hedge or wall. Even in cities there are plenty of roads without any sidewalks, or with ridiculously narrow ones that only one person can fit on - it's a fundamental problem of so many buildings and roads that predate automobiles...