# Misconceptions



## Rayna' (Mar 5, 2007)

What are some misconceptions of where you live (state or country)?  Im really curious about the world out side of Texas.  I havent traveled much.  

I would think when people hear the word Texas they think of cowboys, horses, and  ?????  First of all, Ive never been near a horse.  Second I rarely see someone dressed in Wranglers, boots, & cowboy hat.

OkIm about to show you how clueless I am about the world around me.


When I think of :

England- wet, tea all the time, British accents (I have the hardest time understand what is being said on British TV), 

Canada- cold, French, Celine Dion (?),  Degrassi High, 

New York City- crowded, scary, too many people, 

Let me know what state/country you are from & Ill let you know what my idea of your state/country is before you prove me wrong.


----------



## LaFoto (Mar 5, 2007)

Well, I assume many think that all of Germany is Bavaria, and people are dressed in Lederhosen all the time, eat nothing but Wurst and Sauerkraut and mashed potatoes and drink lots and lots of bear, and the table cloths are always checked, the duvets huge and the girls big-bosomed.

Which is not quite true.
Which is why I am inviting any TPF member who wants to come and can make it possible to come to set out for Germany in May of 2008 for the biggest TPF meet-up the world has ever seen, one whole week long, and ... IN THE NORTH OF GERMANY! (Where we also have beer. And Wurst if you want some, and Sauerkraut if you are very keen, only don't we have any mountains). 

And I know that England can be parching hot (was so in 1990! Phew!)
Many English drink coffee
And I love British English (other than Cockney .... I don't understand a word of it).

More later.


----------



## Rayna' (Mar 5, 2007)

I don't know much about Germany..:er:    I wish I could go on that trip but I am not able to at this time.


----------



## Corry (Mar 5, 2007)

LaFoto said:


> Well, I assume many think that all of Germany is Bavaria, and people are dressed in Lederhosen all the time, eat nothing but Wurst and Sauerkraut and mashed potatoes and drink lots and lots of bear, and the table cloths are always checked, the duvets huge and the girls big-bosomed.



  I'm sorry, but this whole paragraph made me laugh like you wouldn't believe! 


I think people think that people of my area are just a bunch of farm folk....


...and they're right.  LET ME OUT!!!!!!


----------



## Rayna' (Mar 5, 2007)

Corry, where are you from?


----------



## Corry (Mar 5, 2007)

Midwest.


----------



## MPowerM3 (Mar 5, 2007)

Rayna' said:


> What are some misconceptions of where you live (state or country)? I&#8217;m really curious about the world out side of Texas. I haven&#8217;t traveled much.
> 
> I would think when people hear the word Texas they think of cowboys, horses, and ????? First of all, I&#8217;ve never been near a horse. Second I rarely see someone dressed in Wranglers, boots, & cowboy hat.
> 
> ...


 
I use to think New York was scary, but now that the girl friend lives there for school and Ive been around (allbeit a upper east side apartment) its really not that scary. No one bothers you, you dont bother them its all good. 

One thing I have noticed though is that the people in her neighborhood are just done right stuck up ***holes.


----------



## lostprophet (Mar 5, 2007)

well if there is no Lederhosen then there is no way i'm going to the meetup :greenpbl:


----------



## Corry (Mar 5, 2007)

lostprophet said:


> well if there is no Lederhosen then there is no way i'm going to the meetup :greenpbl:




I think people that live within twenty miles of LostProphet are crazy loons.  :mrgreen:


----------



## The_Traveler (Mar 5, 2007)

MPowerM3 said:


> I use to think New York was scary, but now that the girl friend lives there for school and Ive been around (allbeit a upper east side apartment) its really not that scary. No one bothers you, you dont bother them its all good.
> 
> One thing I have noticed though is that the people in her neighborhood are just done right stuck up ***holes.



OK, no one bothers you - and you don't bother them.

Do you think that they consider you a 'stuck up ***hole.'


----------



## Tangerini (Mar 5, 2007)

lostprophet said:


> well if there is no Lederhosen then there is no way i'm going to the meetup :greenpbl:



hum.. I'm sure we can find some for you


----------



## darich (Mar 5, 2007)

The stereotypical impression of a Scotland is that we all go around wearing kilts saying "och aye the noo", have ginger hair never want to spend money and always want to fight the English, probably due to Braveheart!!


----------



## Rayna' (Mar 5, 2007)

darich said:


> The stereotypical impression of a Scotland is that we all go around wearing kilts saying "och aye the noo", have ginger hair never want to spend money and always want to fight the English, probably due to Braveheart!!


 

what about the lepricans?  Or is that Ireland.


----------



## JDS (Mar 5, 2007)

I'm in Tennessee...what do you think?


----------



## Rayna' (Mar 5, 2007)

Tennesse-  I think of moonshine, Elvis, country music, coal miners, mountains...


----------



## Tangerini (Mar 5, 2007)

Hum... How 'bout Colorado?


----------



## Rayna' (Mar 5, 2007)

mountains, skiing, cost of living much higher than Dallas, Columbine, people instantly can spot a Texas accent, lots of snow & ice.


----------



## JDS (Mar 5, 2007)

Rayna' said:


> Tennesse-  I think of moonshine, Elvis, country music, coal miners, mountains...


You pretty much got it for rural East TN, where I'm from.  If you go into Knoxville, you're in a melting pot.  People from everywhere are there, bringing different cultures all into one place..but that's about how it is for any bigger city I suppose.


----------



## lostprophet (Mar 5, 2007)

darich said:


> The stereotypical impression of a Scotland is that we all go around wearing kilts saying "och aye the noo", have ginger hair never want to spend money and always want to fight the English, probably due to Braveheart!!



just go to Fort William


----------



## Dreadaisy (Mar 5, 2007)

Hummm. A little state called New Mexico!
Where do I begin with the misconceptions of our little state? No, we are not part of Mexico and most people do speak english. We are educated most of the time and above all the Balloon Fiesta is not a wonderful event.. It is a traffic producing mad house.. It causes accidents through out the two weeks and most people are just grumpy.. Although some beautiful photos can be taken during this time..


----------



## Hertz van Rental (Mar 5, 2007)

darich said:


> The stereotypical impression of a Scotland is that we all go around wearing kilts saying "och aye the noo", have ginger hair never want to spend money and always want to fight the English, probably due to Braveheart!!



That must be the Highlands and Islands. I thought you lot were all deep fried Mars bars and Glasgow kisses on a Friday night :lmao:


----------



## Tangerini (Mar 5, 2007)

Dreadaisy said:


> Hummm. A little state called New Mexico!
> Where do I begin with the misconceptions of our little state? No, we are not part of Mexico and most people do speak english. We are educated most of the time and above all the Balloon Fiesta is not a wonderful event.. It is a traffic producing mad house.. It causes accidents through out the two weeks and most people are just grumpy.. Although some beautiful photos can be taken during this time..


Little?!  

First thing that pops into my mind is, "Red or Green?"


----------



## Rayna' (Mar 5, 2007)

Dreadaisy said:


> Hummm. A little state called New Mexico!
> Where do I begin with the misconceptions of our little state? No, we are not part of Mexico and most people do speak english. We are educated most of the time and above all the Balloon Fiesta is not a wonderful event.. It is a traffic producing mad house.. It causes accidents through out the two weeks and most people are just grumpy.. Although some beautiful photos can be taken during this time..


 

My cousins are from Taos. I've been told that people from Taos hate us Texans. Something about when Texans are there to ski & such, they are snobs. Oh, they really make fun of my Texas accent. It is pretty bad. I've been to Taos twice that is the only time I've seen mountains. It was beautiful. Went to Albuqerque (SP?) & something in the air killed my nose! Oh the allergies!


----------



## Dreadaisy (Mar 5, 2007)

The people in Taos are snobs add Santa Fe to the list but in Albuquerque we love Texans they make us laugh. It is rare when you can combine an accent and spanish where people still can understand what you are saying.. The mountains and sunsets are to die for here. The thing that most likely killed your nose was those snobby Taos people.. Your nose could not handle nice folks...


----------



## Rayna' (Mar 5, 2007)

Dreadaisy said:


> The people in Taos are snobs add Santa Fe to the list but in Albuquerque we love Texans they make us laugh. It is rare when you can combine an accent and spanish where people still can understand what you are saying.. The mountains and sunsets are to die for here. The thing that most likely killed your nose was those snobby Taos people.. Your nose could not handle nice folks...


 

LOL:lmao:


----------



## Corry (Mar 5, 2007)

I had the misconception that a lot of people I met in Texas would have accents.  I can count the accents I heard on my fingers, and I've spent around two weeks there total, in Houston, Galveston, San Antonio, and Dallas (and the highways in between).  

And when I first talked to clarinetjwd (from Houston) for the first time, i was surprised there wasn't even a hint of an accent, even though he TOLD me beforehand he didn't have one.


----------



## Rayna' (Mar 5, 2007)

yeah, not everyone around here has an accent.  I think if you are more in the cities instead of the country the accents aren't as bad.  If you ever talk to me on the phone you will definately hear an accent.


----------



## Dreadaisy (Mar 5, 2007)

Well, my profession allows me to meet many people(Children/ Families).. The number one question by far would be, " Is it safe to drink the water here?
I guess I am just as bad assuming that most have accents in Texas..


----------



## Rayna' (Mar 5, 2007)

Dreadaisy said:


> Well, my profession allows me to meet many people(Children/ Families).. The number one question by far would be, " Is it safe to drink the water here?
> I guess I am just as bad assuming that most have accents in Texas..


 
I can't believe people ask about the water.  That never crossed my mind when I've been there.


----------



## Dreadaisy (Mar 5, 2007)

I guess it comes down to the idea that people are not informed about life in general.. I bet there are things in other states that I would be clueless about.. I have also been asked if the Peso is still good here.. Above all it provides a great laugh..


----------



## cal_gundert05 (Mar 5, 2007)

What about Berkeley, CA?

Most people assume everyone is a stoned-out weirdo (which is true for some of the population), but it's a college town so there are tons of smart "normal" people from all walks of life.

The city does have some peculairities, though.  Like the consensical ramblings of many homeless people, and the fact that you can sometimes smell marijuana smoke downtown (not all of downtown, maybe just half a block).


----------



## Rayna' (Mar 5, 2007)

cal_gundert05 said:


> What about Berkeley, CA?
> 
> Most people assume everyone is a stoned-out weirdo (which is true for some of the population), but it's a college town so there are tons of smart "normal" people from all walks of life.
> 
> The city does have some peculairities, though. Like the consensical ramblings of many homeless people, and the fact that you can sometimes smell marijuana smoke downtown (not all of downtown, maybe just half a block).


 

I think of it as a college town, that goober from American Idol that sang "She bangs" , lovely weather..other than that I don't know anything about Berkeley.


----------



## nabero (Mar 5, 2007)

On a train in Germany I was talking the a man in my cabin from the Norway, when he asked me what part of the United States I was from and I told him I am from Ohio. He INSTANTLY said "Cows and Republicans"...

I didn't realise Ohioans had that reputation... (I'm very liberal and...I don't see a cow for many miles)


----------



## Rayna' (Mar 5, 2007)

nabero said:


> On a train in Germany I was talking the a man in my cabin from the Norway, when he asked me what part of the United States I was from and I told him I am from Ohio. He INSTANTLY said "Cows and Republicans"...
> 
> I didn't realise Ohioans had that reputation... (I'm very liberal and...I don't see a cow for many miles)


 
lol.   I really can't think of anything when it comes to Ohio.


----------



## Corry (Mar 5, 2007)

Ohio makes me think of Drew Carrey and speeding tickets!


----------



## Hertz van Rental (Mar 5, 2007)

Corry said:


> Ohio makes me think of Drew Carrey and speeding tickets!



I just think of America :lmao:


----------



## The_Traveler (Mar 5, 2007)

Rayna' said:


> lol.   I really can't think of anything when it comes to Ohio.



I grew up in deepest Massachusetts and thought that Ohio and Iowa were just different pronounciations of the same place.


----------



## Icon72 (Mar 5, 2007)

My own misconceptions:

*Texas* - Oil rigs, heat, money.
*Germany* - I picture mountains and old drab cities.
*England* - I picture London, double decker buses, Big Ben.
*New York* - I used to think it was a bit scary, lots of crime. Now i feel if I were to go there I would get lost.
*Scotland* - Farmers, dreariness. I love Scottish accents.
*Tennessee* - Polite pretty girls with southern accents.
*New Mexico* - Heat, dryness and scenic beauty.
*Berkley* - College, intellect.
*Ohio* - I picture Bowling Green for some reason. Went there once to watch a rugby match. 

I'm always interested to hear how people in other countries envision the US if they've never been here.

I know the answer for Wisconsin, you all picture cows and cheese right?


----------



## cal_gundert05 (Mar 5, 2007)

Rayna' said:


> I think of it as a college town, that goober from American Idol that sang "She bangs" , lovely weather..other than that I don't know anything about Berkeley.



HAHA!  That guy used to serve food at my brother's dining hall, and he would hit on my brother's friend.


----------



## JTHphoto (Mar 5, 2007)

any stereotypes for Arizona / Phoenix? 

I've been through Texas a few times, all i really remember is the humidity during the summer, in Houston i think. I also think of Nasa, the Alamo, and Pace Picante Sauce.


----------



## Rayna' (Mar 5, 2007)

I think of hot hot hot.  And for some reason I get Arizona & Akansas mixed up.





JTHphoto said:


> any stereotypes for Arizona / Phoenix?
> 
> I've been through Texas a few times, all i really remember is the humidity during the summer, in Houston i think. I also think of Nasa, the Alamo, and Pace Picante Sauce.


----------



## Aquarium Dreams (Mar 5, 2007)

JTHphoto said:


> any stereotypes for Arizona / Phoenix?



I've heard people brush off the weather there as, "But it's a _dry_ heat."

Yes, like your oven.

Also, I was really surprised to learn about monsoon season, because I had assumed it never rained.  They say it gets cold at night, because it's a desert, but that's not true, either.

I never heard any stereotypes about the people before I lived there, but I heard plenty from the locals once I was there.


----------



## Peanuts (Mar 5, 2007)

*Texas* - Oil, cowboys (yes, I know, misconception), cacti, hot, drawling accent
*Germany* - That large castle that I can barely pronounce and defintely can't spell, but I remember being fascinated by the sinks. Other than that, checkered table clothes. (No joke)
*England* - Accents, big cities, fog
*New York* - Shopping (yikes), big city, Donald Trump
*Scotland* - Kilts (sorry Darich)
*Tennessee* - Blonds with accents who play tennis
*New Mexico* - Pretty much Texas
*Berkley* - California in general reminds me of people who ask if Canada is part of the US
*Ohio* - that when spelling all capitals vertically it still says Ohio. A few relatives


Any thoughts on Canada? Do we have accents?


----------



## EBphotography (Mar 5, 2007)

Peanuts said:


> Any thoughts on Canada? Do we have accents?



Instead of saying sorry the normal way it sounds like "Soory" and your only exports are snow and trees.

Taken directly from Weird Al's song "Canadian Idiot."


----------



## Rayna' (Mar 5, 2007)

_Any thoughts on Canada? Do we have accents?_

I know when someone is from Canada when they say "about".  I used to watch Degrassi Jr High & High & they always said "about" funny.


----------



## cherrymoose (Mar 5, 2007)

cal_gundert05 said:
			
		

> What about Berkeley, CA?
> 
> Most people assume everyone is a stoned-out weirdo (which is true for some of the population), but it's a college town so there are tons of smart "normal" people from all walks of life.
> 
> The city does have some peculairities, though. Like the consensical ramblings of many homeless people, and the fact that you can sometimes smell marijuana smoke downtown (not all of downtown, maybe just half a block).



See, even I have stereotypical misconceptions against Berkeley. 

But yes, you're right, we do have plenty of 'normal' people, professors, scientists, etc. And then we have the strange ones-- but that's not a bad thing, that's what makes Berkeley... Berkeley.

Hahah, that reminds me of when we first moved up here, and my aunt came to visit. She was walking along Telegraph, and started freaking out.

"There's marijuana! There's marijuana! Should I call the police?!?!? I'm calling the police!"


----------



## brighteyesphotos (Mar 5, 2007)

What about MI?


----------



## GrayFox (Mar 5, 2007)

In Massachusetts, we are all "Massholes", so says people. Also in the town I live in, it was the one featured in "A Civil Action", so I also had to deal with everyone asking me how my water was.


----------



## Tangerini (Mar 5, 2007)

Rayna' said:


> mountains, skiing, cost of living much higher than Dallas, Columbine, people instantly can spot a Texas accent, lots of snow & ice.



Let's see... 
Mountains: yes. 
Skiing: yes.  
Cost of living much higher: um I know it's higher, but I don't know by how much.  
Columbine: I'm guessing that (sadly) you mean the school shootings and not the flower, and unfortunately yes.  
Spotting Texas accents: Can't everyone?  
Lots of snow & ice: Well if you go by this winter then yes, but typically we have over 300 sunny days a year.


----------



## Puscas (Mar 5, 2007)

Before I came to NYC, I thought New York would be intimidating, busy, inspiring and fast. It's all that, but it's not scary. 
I think the general misconception in Europe about Americans is that they are shallow. Having seen quite a few states the last 8 months, I can say that's really not true. 






pascal


----------



## GoM (Mar 5, 2007)

Canada.

Loft above a really great house party.

.....

There's no 'mis' in this conception...


----------



## GoM (Mar 5, 2007)

JDS said:


> I'm in Tennessee...what do you think?



Poor bastard


----------



## Efergoh (Mar 6, 2007)

LaFoto said:


> Well, I assume many think that all of Germany is Bavaria, and people are dressed in Lederhosen all the time, eat nothing but Wurst and Sauerkraut and mashed potatoes and drink lots and lots of bear, and the table cloths are always checked, the duvets huge and the girls big-bosomed.



Not counting the Lederhosen, that sounds an awful lot like the bar down the street.

Wow...I could really go for a Beer and a Brat right now, too.


----------



## LaFoto (Mar 6, 2007)

When I talked to Julie Comparini, the solo alto singer who acted as our "Irene" in the staged Händel Oratorio "Theodora" back in November, she told me that she actually is from San Francisco. And in that same conversation she healed me from a misconception I had about San Francisco, i.e. that it is always warm there, San Francisco being in California. She said it is NOT so. San Francisco had a micro climate of its own that is quite different from the rest of the state. (And she said many tourists were healed the hard way, by bringing flimsy clothes and getting very, very cold - so at first they got a cold, and then could be healed ... from both: their cold and their misconception ).

When I think of California, I think of blonde, bronzed YOUNG people jogging along the beach. How about that?

And we were healed from the misconception that *Texas *is always hot when our plane landed in Houston and the pilot said prior to landing that temps were at about 3°C (which is barely above freezing point). We were not PACKED for those temps, oh dear!!! 

The man in the breakfast bar of our hotel on Galveston Island did have a drawl, too true, and my husband was all lost, but I understood what he said well enough.


----------



## darich (Mar 6, 2007)

Rayna' said:


> what about the lepricans?  Or is that Ireland.



Leprichauns are traditionally Irish.
:mrgreen:


----------



## darich (Mar 6, 2007)

lostprophet said:


> just go to Fort William



The further north you go the more Tartan shops you see and the more Tartan Shortbread there is for sale!!!


----------



## darich (Mar 6, 2007)

Hertz van Rental said:


> That must be the Highlands and Islands. I thought you lot were all deep fried Mars bars and Glasgow kisses on a Friday night :lmao:



Deep fried mars bars can be had at pretty much any chip shop. For the lfe of me i can't imagine how someone thought it would be a good idea and it almost makes me sick thinking of eating one. I've never tried one and don't ever want to!!
As for the glasgow kiss - that's generally a glasgow thing rather than a scotland thing (hence the name). And it's not only on a Friday!!
Seriously though, it's pretty safe in the city centre and most people do their own thing. The occasional nutter does want to fight but most of the times he has pals with him who dissuade him by giving him more beer!!!
:lmao:


----------



## Rayna' (Mar 6, 2007)

what is a chip shop?


----------



## Mitica100 (Mar 6, 2007)

Transylvania=Dracula and Dracula=Vampire.

Two of the most heard misconceptions that I hear when I tell my friends about my mother being born and raised in Transylvania.:lmao: 

Actually Vlad the Impaler (who was the inspiration for Mr. Bram Stoker's _Dracula_ and possibly Macchiavelli's _The Prince_) had very little to do with Transylvania, save for a castle or two. He didn't reign there but rather in Wallachia, which is S and SE of Transylvania.

Also, although he was an unusually cruel ruler, he wasn't a vampire. 

But...  We love myths and legends, don't we?:lmao: 

In spite of that though, the Romanian government entertained the idea of a huge amusement park based on Dracula the Vampire. I guess money speaks... :lmao:


----------



## Alex_B (Mar 6, 2007)

I wear leather trousers, eat lots of Bratwurst and Sauerkraut and I drink beer the whole day ... 

Well, I am exaggerating of course ...

But I once heated up some Sauerkraut in our kitchen at work in England ... and people were really disgusted there by the smell and the idea to eat half fermented Kraut


----------



## LaFoto (Mar 6, 2007)

There's a kind of German idiom that says that somewhere extremely remote and far away from about anything, further than the neck of the woods and the back of beyond and the middle of nowhere, then that is "in Wallachia". 

So although I must admit oops: ) that my geography is so poor I never knew that "the famous Wallachia" is in Romania :blulsh2:, I have always "known" the place (in that misconception manner of "knowing" only, of course).


----------



## LaFoto (Mar 6, 2007)

You know where I last had real Eisbein and Sauerkraut, Alex (and just for the fun of having it THERE, for THERE it was kind of exotic)?

In Australia!

I'd never neither have it nor cook it here!


----------



## Alex_B (Mar 6, 2007)

LaFoto said:


> In Australia!


 
You probably would not believe it, but I've never been Down Under!


----------



## lostprophet (Mar 6, 2007)

Rayna' said:


> what is a chip shop?



A Chip Shop or 'chippy' is a wonder to behold!
Its a place where one can buy British delicacies such as
fish and chips
mushy peas
sausage and chips
spam fritter and chips


----------



## Alex_B (Mar 6, 2007)

yummy .. chips with salt&vinegar ... that I really consider a delicacie .. but only when served wrapped in old newspapers (which I guess it illegal these days  )


----------



## The_Traveler (Mar 6, 2007)

what is a 'buttie'?

Do I want to know?


----------



## Corry (Mar 6, 2007)

....it would be a good time to mention that your chips and our chips aren't the same thing. 

Your Chips are our fries: 






(image courtesy of google image search)

Our Chips: 





(again, image courtesy of google image search.  )


----------



## JohnMF (Mar 6, 2007)

Mitica100 said:


> Transylvania=Dracula and Dracula=Vampire.



...and also the Cheeky Girls. My favourite Transylvanian export :mrgreen: 

As for accents I can't really tell the difference between a Canadian and American accent. Is there much of a difference?


----------



## JohnMF (Mar 6, 2007)

The_Traveler said:


> what is a 'buttie'?
> 
> Do I want to know?



its basically a sandwich.

Mmmm... Chip Buttie... That's it, I'm off down the chippy, this thread has made me hungry


----------



## Corry (Mar 6, 2007)

JohnMF said:


> ...and also the Cheeky Girls. My favourite Transylvanian export :mrgreen:
> 
> As for accents I can't really tell the difference between a Canadian and American accent. Is there much of a difference?




There can be a bit of a difference....but often I don't think there is a big one.  A while back I talked to one of our Canadian friends from this forum on the phone, and I can't say I recall noticing an accent.


----------



## Alex_B (Mar 6, 2007)

Corry said:


> ....it would be a good time to mention that your chips and our chips aren't the same thing.
> 
> Your Chips are our fries:



Hmm, in some circles there people agree on fries being thinner and longer, whereas chips are thicker and still got more of the potato-shape.

At may fastfood places in the UK you get fries 



> Our Chips:



those are crisps 

however, in Germany we call them chips...


----------



## The_Traveler (Mar 6, 2007)

Is a chip buttie a fried potato sandwich?
I could see that each bite slows down your heart like an engine under load.


----------



## Mitica100 (Mar 6, 2007)

LaFoto said:


> There's a kind of German idiom that says that somewhere extremely remote and far away from about anything, further than the neck of the woods and the back of beyond and the middle of nowhere, then that is "in Wallachia".
> 
> So although I must admit oops: ) that my geography is so poor I never knew that "the famous Wallachia" is in Romania :blulsh2:, I have always "known" the place (in that misconception manner of "knowing" only, of course).


 
 

Corinna, the actual Romania has three distinctive regions:

Transylvania, Wallachia and Moldova. I was born in Wallachia (Bucharest) but my mom was born in Transylvania and my dad in Moldova.


----------



## darich (Mar 6, 2007)

lostprophet said:


> A Chip Shop or 'chippy' is a wonder to behold!
> Its a place where one can buy British delicacies such as
> fish and chips
> mushy peas
> ...


I thought about actually saying "Chippy" but then realised few people would know what that was!!


----------



## JohnMF (Mar 6, 2007)

The_Traveler said:


> Is a chip buttie a fried potato sandwich?
> I could see that each bite slows down your heart like an engine under load.



I suppose you could put it like that, but it doesn't make it sound too appertising!






homemade Chips on buttered white bread. Make yourself one at home, i bet you'll love it


----------



## Rayna' (Mar 6, 2007)

JohnMF said:


> I suppose you could put it like that, but it doesn't make it sound too appertising!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 

strange...but that actually sounds kinda good.


----------



## LaFoto (Mar 6, 2007)

Well, let me think about any other misconceptions I might have ... it's just that I have been to quite many countries and if I haven't been then my sister has ... what I remember is that when I was little, I was convinced that all Chinese people were truly yellow, and I saw the first Chinese person at 13 in a Chinese restaurant in the Netherlands and was quite disappointed to see that their skin is actually not so very different from most of ours. I find that an embarrassing misconception I had all during my childhood, but what else can I say: I did believe that until then... :roll:


----------



## JTHphoto (Mar 6, 2007)

Aquarium Dreams said:


> I've heard people brush off the weather there as, "But it's a _dry_ heat."
> 
> Yes, like your oven.


 
yep, or a giant hair dryer... but i'll still take 120F/49C & dry over 100F/38C & humid anyday... and it's only bad for a few months here, the rest of the year is beautiful. And that's what A/C is for... :sun:



Aquarium Dreams said:


> They say it gets cold at night, because it's a desert, but that's not true, either.
> ....


 
In the city, the concrete and buildings hold in the heat, but if you get out into the desert away from town you can get some huge temp swings, and it will get pretty chilly.


----------



## morydd (Mar 6, 2007)

The only thing I can think of as a common misconception about Chicago is that people think it's still a major place for organized crime. The city government as taken over that racket.


----------



## Corry (Mar 6, 2007)

morydd said:


> The only thing I can think of as a common misconception about Chicago is that people think it's still a major place for organized crime. The city government as taken over that racket.



You should see the sign I snapped a pic of Sunday near the Water Tower that some guy was holding.....it was about Mayor Daley, and it's inappropriate for forum posting! (well, sort of)


----------



## Aquarium Dreams (Mar 6, 2007)

Today in my bio class, we were discussing how tourists who drink the water or eat food in Mexico can get sick from the bacteria.  In conversation, this tends to raise the question, "Well, why don't the locals get sick?"  The usual response is that they've developed a tolerance to the bacteria, but one of the girls in my class had it all figured out.  She said, "Is that why Mexicans drink so much Tequila and eat spicy foods?"


----------



## Rayna' (Mar 7, 2007)

deleted


----------



## Corry (Mar 7, 2007)

Rayna' said:


> My husband seems to think that everyone around the world hates the U.S.  Do you think the majority of the world hates us?




....not sure that's a good subject to get into....getting a bit political with that one (politics and religion are not allowed on the forum)


----------



## Tatiana (Apr 11, 2007)

I won't get "political", but I  wanted to contribute my two cents.

Being from Colombia, I've had to deal with more "misconceptions", prejudice and bad  jokes than I care to remember. 
Please do me (and yourself) a favor: whenever you feel tempted to make a quick judgement based on whatever second or third hand information you have of a person's country, think about the misconceptions other people may have about your own country and how they would hurt you or offend you. 

And for those who are interested, you can watch this and see what Colombia is REALLY all about:

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gh8Xe7uxbeo[/ame]

COLOMBIA IS PASSION! :heart:

To the mods: please let me know if you feel this is inapropriate.


----------



## (Ghastly) Krueger (Apr 11, 2007)

Aquarium Dreams said:


> Today in my bio class, we were discussing how tourists who drink the water or eat food in Mexico can get sick from the bacteria. In conversation, this tends to raise the question, "Well, why don't the locals get sick?" The usual response is that they've developed a tolerance to the bacteria, but one of the girls in my class had it all figured out. She said, "Is that why Mexicans drink so much Tequila and eat spicy foods?"


 
I'm from Mexico 
Let's split this: bacteria in water: yes, it can happen. I actually don't drink tap water unless I know there are water treatment installations working correctly in the place, otherwise I drink bottled water and from certain brands.

Bacteria in food. Not really, unless you have from a street vendor, who has the food sitting on the dust and sun all day.

Getting sick from spicy food: yes, Moctezuma rules (Why do you guys from the US call him Mo_n_tezuma?)

Locals developing tolerance (to both bacteria and spice) yes, some more than others... but we also know what to eat and where to eat it.

Eating spicy food or drinking tequila to kill bacteria: misconception. Both mess up your stomach, making you feel even worse.

Eating spicy food and drinking tequila all the time: another misconception. Of course there are exceptions, bu we usually drink tequila in some party or at lunch in the weekends, and we don't get drunk all the time.

There are of course other miconceptions from Mexico I can talk about, but I'd like to hear what you have first. I'lll tell youif they are true or not.


----------



## blackdoglab (Apr 11, 2007)

I don't get out of my own state enough to really see how folks react to my venerable home of Wisconsin, but I've figured out a few stray misconceptions.

1. Cheese, Brats, and Beer.  O.K. I'll be honest, I do like a good cheddar and pepper jack, but I'm not a big fan of bratwurst (too greasy) and the strongest drink I'll guzzle is a Sprecher's gingerale.

2. Ja!  Hey Dere, (and other language oddities)  Once more, I do say ja (the j sounds like a y) often, but I've rarely heard the whole upper peninsula accent.  I guess you have to go to Escanaba Michigan to hear it.

3. The Packers.  Yes, we love our team.  BUT...   I have to admit that I cannot follow a football game.  I can stay with baseball, hockey, and soccer, but football has too many rules for my tastes.

Can you fine folks think of any others?


----------

