Things done different

[Lann 10,846]

We had visitors from New Zealand for christmas. They were surprised that we always have our babies take their naps outside. Summertime we put a net over the stroller, wintertime tuck them down so all you see if their face. I guess it might be due to them having alot of dangerous animals or something. But the babies sleep alot better outside.

Have you ever came across something your people do that others find weird?

[Spinnaker1981 974]

Does heating snails count? We make it a tradition in summertime and we love it, but most outsiders find it discussing, well .... apart from the french, they do understand the acquired taste...

[Potato 922]

I once met a Portuguese bloke that couldn’t get his head around the fact that we eat baked potatoes on their own. Don’t know if other nationalities find it weird but it’s the only thing I can think of.

[Jjss924 576]

We teach our kids to shoot guns starting around 5-7 years old. Mostly .22 or .223. They learn the rules like a mantra from an early age(not a toy, always loaded, etc.), and they learn to respect the dangers of the tool they are using.

[Squirrel 5,180]

1 hour ago, Jjss924 said:

We teach our kids to shoot guns starting around 5-7 years old. Mostly .22 or .223. They learn the rules like a mantra from an early age(not a toy, always loaded, etc.), and they learn to respect the dangers of the tool they are using.

This sums up everything wrong with America. Guns should not be in the hands of the public let alone children. If you need them as a tool such as for hunting etc that’s different but there’s no need for them at all in every day life. 

[Lann 10,846]

I once went to my room mates house in FW/Dallas over Thanksgiving. We went hunting in their forest behind their house. We each had a .22 rifle, 9mm pistol and a shotgun with sluggs. All we got was birds and snakes. That was indeed a new (and fun) thing for me!

[The_Lady_A 1,280]

If it seems the person we're talking to doesn't understand English, we repeat it louder, then really slowly, then roll our eyes and sigh. And probably say the same thing we just said even louder and slower.

[LimeGreenLegend 4,295]

50 minutes ago, The_Lady_A said:

If it seems the person we're talking to doesn't understand English, we repeat it louder, then really slowly, then roll our eyes and sigh. And probably say the same thing we just said even louder and slower.

And if that doesn’t work, trash the place  

[djw180 7,006]

Making tea using a tea pot.

[JustHatched 12,123]

2 hours ago, Squirrel said:

This sums up everything wrong with America. Guns should not be in the hands of the public let alone children. If you need them as a tool such as for hunting etc that’s different but there’s no need for them at all in every day life. 

I disagree, there is a need in everyday life for them and I was taught at age 5 to shoot. I don't wanna debate it cuz I know how the majority of the world sees America but guns do not sum up everything wrong with America.

[LimeGreenLegend 4,295]

2 hours ago, Squirrel said:

This sums up everything wrong with America. Guns should not be in the hands of the public let alone children. If you need them as a tool such as for hunting etc that’s different but there’s no need for them at all in every day life. 

 

 

[The_Lady_A 1,280]

I agree with swerving a debate about gun control in this topic, that's too much of a can of worms.

I have definitely noticed that the weather is the default small talk subject for English people.

[LimeGreenLegend 4,295]

9 minutes ago, The_Lady_A said:

I agree with swerving a debate about gun control in this topic, that's too much of a can of worms.

I have definitely noticed that the weather is the default small talk subject for English people.

I used to work with a Nigerian dude who loved to talk about the weather.  He would actually pull out his phone and check the Met Office updates when that topic came up

[Jjss924 576]

4 hours ago, Squirrel said:

This sums up everything wrong with America. Guns should not be in the hands of the public let alone children. If you need them as a tool such as for hunting etc that’s different but there’s no need for them at all in every day life. 

I guess this was the wrong place to post things you do that other people may not do or agree with.

[Crawford1872 2,587]

26 minutes ago, Jjss924 said:

I guess this was the wrong place to post things you do that other people may not do or agree with.

Nahh as much as it might not be what i’d personally be comfortable with it makes sense with the reasons you gave, in the landscape of where you live. Which is the whole point in the thread as far as I can see.  

Edited February 10, 2018 by Crawford1872

[Protocawl 2,971]

1 hour ago, The_Lady_A said:

I have definitely noticed that the weather is the default small talk subject for English people.

Pretty sure that's universal.

[omarcomin71 3,900]

9 hours ago, Lann said:

We had visitors from New Zealand for christmas. They were surprised that we always have our babies take their naps outside. Summertime we put a net over the stroller, wintertime tuck them down so all you see if their face. I guess it might be due to them having alot of dangerous animals or something. But the babies sleep alot better outside.

Have you ever came across something your people do that others find weird?

 I don’t think I have ever heard of having your babies take naps outside.  It makes a lot of sense to me.  The freash air and the sounds of nature has to be soothing. 

Very cool!  

[Arruda 718]

10 hours ago, Lann said:

We had visitors from New Zealand for christmas. They were surprised that we always have our babies take their naps outside. Summertime we put a net over the stroller, wintertime tuck them down so all you see if their face. I guess it might be due to them having alot of dangerous animals or something. But the babies sleep alot better outside.

Have you ever came across something your people do that others find weird?

It's not the first time I hear of that, but the first time I did I was completely amazed by it. And it seems like a great idea.

I think people from anywhere but Scandinavia would be surprised, not because of being from New Zealand and not because of animals. Where I come from there are no dangerous animals, anyone would be completely surprised by that.

[zztop911 1,609]

17 hours ago, Lann said:

We had visitors from New Zealand for christmas. They were surprised that we always have our babies take their naps outside. Summertime we put a net over the stroller, wintertime tuck them down so all you see if their face. I guess it might be due to them having alot of dangerous animals or something. But the babies sleep alot better outside.

Have you ever came across something your people do that others find weird?

My family at various times, when the opportunity would arise , would sleep on a screened in porch. The sleep is so damn relaxing, it's a shame all our sleeping can't be done year round. We used to have a 36 ft cabin cruiser that we would go fishing all weekend on the lake. I would always camp out on the bow.

Edited February 11, 2018 by zztop911

[Spinnaker1981 974]

Arruda, no dangerous animals, but 250.000 cows for 245.000 people is a nice average...

[Lann 10,846]

Thirty years ago roaming the neighbourhood, one of the regular highlights were the containers/dumpsters placed for people to dump whatever crap they wanted in.

Still remember my buddy finding a woman laying in it taking a smoke.

Anyway, today those are long gone. Now instead we have about 10 small containers. One for each of papers, cardboard, plastic, metal, glas, colored glas, clothes, batteries.. And each household sort it this way in preparation for a weekly trip here. 

Whatever is left of your trash is divided in two separate containers at your house. One is for organic stuff, that goes to fuel our public transportation (biogases). The others is for whatever is leftover, basically diapers and similar shit.

If you have some big stuff like an old Christmas tree or a mattress there are big central stations where you can drop of anything (except tires) as long as you sort it correct amongst about 30 different categories.

Do you guys do this as well? 

[Spinnaker1981 974]

43 minutes ago, Lann said:

Thirty years ago roaming the neighbourhood, one of the regular highlights were the containers/dumpsters placed for people to dump whatever crap they wanted in.

Still remember my buddy finding a woman laying in it taking a smoke.

Anyway, today those are long gone. Now instead we have about 10 small containers. One for each of papers, cardboard, plastic, metal, glas, colored glas, clothes, batteries.. And each household sort it this way in preparation for a weekly trip here. 

Whatever is left of your trash is divided in two separate containers at your house. One is for organic stuff, that goes to fuel our public transportation (biogases). The others is for whatever is leftover, basically diapers and similar shit.

If you have some big stuff like an old Christmas tree or a mattress there are big central stations where you can drop of anything (except tires) as long as you sort it correct amongst about 30 different categories.

Do you guys do this as well? 

In here we divide it by: paper, plastic, glass and all others.

Batteries and small electric devices have their own place, but fewer and far apart (usually in malls or places where a lot of people go to.)

Any thing that is big enough (washing machines, fridges, furniture, etc.) we call the municipal services and they come and pick it up at your door, free of charge.

Edited March 11, 2018 by Spinnaker1981

[djw180 7,006]

In the UK it varies on where you are, it can even vary within the same city. We have 3 bins, one paper and card, one for plastics and cans and one for other rubbish. Some other parts of the city have another for organic waste as well. There are muncipal dumps as well you can take anything to and they have big skips for lots of different classes of rubbish, electrical goods, wood, etc. etc. I think you can gte big items, fridges, matresses etc collected as well.

[Fido_le_muet 5,198]

In France it also varies depending where you live. Basicaly, the northern half of the country is cleaner and more eco-friendly than the southern half. 

I live in the middle and here we have 3 different container at home : 

• One for organic stuff : leaves, grass...
• One for plastics, papers, cardboard, cans...
• One for all the trash that can't be recycled

To dispose of glass, we have to bring them to specific containers at several locations. 

Batteries, lamps, ink cartridge go to small containers. Most supermarkets have them. 

For big stuff, we also have several municipal dumps around the city (5 or 6 in a 30km radius I'd say) and there you can drop anything yourself but you also have to drop them on the correct container. But we only have a dozen big container max, not 30 like you guys in Sweden. Basically we have ones for wood, metal, furniture, organic, gravel/rocks, cardboard, lamps/batteries, dangerous products like paint or oils and one for anything else.

Every trimester or semester, we also have a big truck that can come collect directly at home your big trash (washing machine, beds, TVs... 

It would be interesting to know exactly what happens to our trash and how it can be recycled and reused. We know that our paper/cardboard, cans are recycled but that's basically all. @Lann, you seem very well informed about what you trashed is used for. Is it because you did a little research about it or is it common knowledge in Sweden ? 

Here in France we clearly need more information about it and more education. We can do much better. You guys in northern countries are much advanced compared to us. 

In some parts of southern France (Marseille), it feels like we're still in the 70s. Lots of trash in the streets, no individual containers, they put everything in the same bin, no recycling  

[Dodge 7,265]

2 hours ago, Lann said:

Thirty years ago roaming the neighbourhood, one of the regular highlights were the containers/dumpsters placed for people to dump whatever crap they wanted in.

Still remember my buddy finding a woman laying in it taking a smoke.

Anyway, today those are long gone. Now instead we have about 10 small containers. One for each of papers, cardboard, plastic, metal, glas, colored glas, clothes, batteries.. And each household sort it this way in preparation for a weekly trip here. 

Whatever is left of your trash is divided in two separate containers at your house. One is for organic stuff, that goes to fuel our public transportation (biogases). The others is for whatever is leftover, basically diapers and similar shit.

If you have some big stuff like an old Christmas tree or a mattress there are big central stations where you can drop of anything (except tires) as long as you sort it correct amongst about 30 different categories.

Do you guys do this as well? 

This is very interesting. In the US we have a convenient system for sanitation. Most cities in the US have trash, recycle [glass,paper, plastic],  and landscape waste removal that come to your house and collects in a truck like the Trashmaster in GTA. 

For trash, it is on a weekly schedule. They will take almost anything you put out. It is the citizens responsibility to not put dangerous or recyclable materials in the 55 gallon container provided for you. But nobody really checks it. 

Recyclable, is done on a monthly basis. Same premise as trash really. 55 gallon container is provided with your waste disposal registration. It is accompanied by a list of what can be recycled. Different types of glass, plastics, and fiber based items. And then paper, and cardboard. I'm not sure how it is monitored. 

Landscape removal come 2 times per month during the summer months. Only for yard waste. 

We have recycling centers where you can turn in large items for metal scrap, and recycle. Soda cans, all the way up to cars and trucks can scraped and recycled. Those places pay out by the pound (lbs.) for the item you bring. 

We lack the convenient ability to discard items that should not be collected in the trash. Tv's, batteries, CFL light bulbs, florescent bulbs, cell phones. That stuff is difficult to recycle correctly. Most people will just put them in the trash to collected with all your other garbage to be put in the landfill. That's sad really.