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cultural differences

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Started by marja (sinner) in Chit-Chat

why is it that all my work-contacts in france are so stuck-up? And all the luxemburg ones think that they can have something extra when they shout and insult me.

Do I just have bad luck?

Are there any more cultural differences, maybe behavioural differences is a better word, I need to know about so I can adjust my tactics in negotiating a contract?

Please tell me, because it’s beginning to annoy me

ps: mind you, this is a comment out of frustration, realy not an insult to the french or luxemburgers. We belgians probably have a same typical behaviour (I would also like to know that one).

Posted on Fri, 18 June 2004 at 08:45

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#1

hoochalobster (Sarah) Super Moderator wrote:

I couldn’t possibly comment. *maintains stiff upper lip*

;)

Heh heh, I was watching a program the other week about how a lot of UK banks have moved their call centres to India and how they have to have training to understand British culture…by watching Eastenders :rolleyes:

Posted on Fri, 18 June 2004 at 09:46

#2

marja (sinner) wrote:

“I couldn’t possibly comment. *maintains stiff upper lip*”

You can’t be serious, we’re not that bad :p

Posted on Fri, 18 June 2004 at 10:10

#3

allroy (Rainer) wrote:

Lëtzebuerg ass ee schéint Land !
Typically Belgian, considering themselves as a nation and not the dumping place of the Dutch, the French and the Germans.
Do I get something extra now? ;)

Seriously, you just have to admit that there are cultural differences as there are different cultures. You can track it down even within a country.
Compare the rustic Bavarians, the stiff inhabitants of the northern parts (e.g. Lower Saxony and Hamburg) and the friendly, open-minded party people of the Ruhrpott (guess where I’m from)

What struck me over the years now is that when sharing certain cultural interests (e.g. loving T?), these differences become hardly recognizable. There are only little differences to audiences in Belgium, The Netherlands, UK, Italy, France or Germany.
Unfortunately, this doesn’t help you with your workmates as this is everyday life, and that’s full of assholes. :(

Posted on Fri, 18 June 2004 at 10:26

#4

marja (sinner) wrote:

off course I accept that there are differnces in habits between countries (even inside countries) but I always thought that the general rules for politeness apllied everywhere.
For example:
When you call somenbody, always start with hallo and introducing yourself (then you can start shouting and insulting :))

don’t laugh in peoples faces when they are trying to speak your languages because you’re to ignorant to speak anything else but your mother tongue

don’t start doing something else whilst the other person just had a 367km ride just speak to you for half an hour

Show respect for the other persons thoughts and arguments

shall I go on :).

Posted on Fri, 18 June 2004 at 12:03

#5

allroy (Rainer) wrote:

I see…

Hello marja, nice to meet you. I’m allroy and I’d like to tell you…

…I can’t imagine that your French colleagues don’t stick to these rules of common sense. Maybe you should consider getting another job at a different company, ‘coz if this is your everyday experience, it really sounds bad.

On the other hand, DON’T BE SUCH A SISSY!!!
When do I finally get something for free? :(

Posted on Fri, 18 June 2004 at 12:26

#6

motherh666 wrote:

The best thing to do with getting on with Half-Scottish/Half-Germans named Seb living in Amsterdam is wearing some nice underwear.

That’ll do it.

What we talking about?

Posted on Fri, 18 June 2004 at 12:49

#7

allroy (Rainer) wrote:

Should I wear a black lace thong, Sepp? :D

Posted on Fri, 18 June 2004 at 12:59

#8

motherh666 wrote:

Got any red velvet?

Posted on Fri, 18 June 2004 at 13:03

#9

allroy (Rainer) wrote:

Na, red’s too luscious. I’m a shy boy, don’t you know.

Posted on Fri, 18 June 2004 at 13:08

#10

motherh666 wrote:

Prude

Posted on Fri, 18 June 2004 at 13:34

#11

RobbyVDH wrote:

allroy wrote:

When do I finally get something for free? :(

July 31 or did your brain die already :D ?

Posted on Fri, 18 June 2004 at 16:07

#12

JSar666 wrote:

Norwegians are scum. Xenophobic, stuck up, arrongant and totally dismissive of other cultures.

If you ever have the misfortune of meeting Norwegians abroad you’ll notice they always travel in pack and never interact with people that aren’t Norwegian.

Posted on Fri, 18 June 2004 at 19:11

#13

Michael wrote:

I actually did my graduation thesis on cultural differences! One thing I found is that there always were, still are, and probably always will be vast cultural differences. You just gotta be careful with stereotyping. One negative experience with someone from a culture other that your culture does not mean that everybody from that culture is an asshole. Every culture has assholes!

Now that we’re discussing this, what do you guys regard as typical of some of the most common cultures on this board (Dutch, Belgian, English, German, and so on). I know that many Belgians regard Dutch people as being cocky (‘dikkenekken’ ;) ) and many Dutch people regard Belgians as being stupid. Note that I don’t share either opinion. What else is often said about other cultures according to you?

Posted on Fri, 18 June 2004 at 19:46

#14

motherh666 wrote:

I feel German people are quite harsh and cold. I never noticed it when I grew up there, but when visiting again after living in Scotland I found it quite an unfriendly place. Of course there are a lot of cool nice people as well, but when talking to shop-assistants or barstaff and chance aquaitances they are cold as ice.

Posted on Fri, 18 June 2004 at 19:49

#15

allroy (Rainer) wrote:

motherh666 wrote:

I feel German people are quite harsh and cold.

NEVER :(
Ok, could be, but this really depends which part of Germany you’re in.
But the Scots are really grand. Feel lucky, you’ve get the best of both worlds.

JSar666 wrote:

If you ever have the misfortune of meeting Norwegians abroad you’ll notice they always travel in pack and never interact with people that aren’t Norwegian.

A friend of mine once met a girl from Norway at a Lenny Kravitz show. She was a bit reserved but slowly warmed up to him. so no stereotypes, please, as Michael said.
On the other hand, without using clichés we couldn’t tease all these lovely folks from other countries.

Robby VDH wrote:

July 31 or did your brain die already?

Hey beer, gimme back my brain!

Posted on Fri, 18 June 2004 at 22:09

#16

JSar666 wrote:

I wasn’t talking about stereotypes, I was talking about the real deal!

Stereotypical Norwegians are intelligent, well-organised, quite stand-offish, but very warm once you get to know them. However, this is all bollocks. What they really are is what I put in my original post. Oh, and I’d like to add: Norwegians are always badly dressed.

Posted on Sat, 19 June 2004 at 11:10

#17

Gav wrote:

Hehe - just read in the paper that the American students think that everyone in England talks ‘proper’ English, the police in walk round with wooden bats, it always rains and children are whipped at school… which re-enforces the stereotype that Americans can be a little bit dumb :p

Posted on Sat, 19 June 2004 at 11:43

#18

Misanthropologist (d) wrote:

heh, presumably that wasn’t _all_ american students? What paper was it? Or do I not want to know the kind of rag you read? :)

Posted on Sat, 19 June 2004 at 11:50

#19

Gav wrote:

It was in the ‘always truthful’ Daily Mirror…

It was a survey carried out by the British Consulate on American Students in California, Virginia, Massachusetts and Texas.

60% also said it was too cold to possibly live in England and that Beckham was a hockey player…

This did follow an article on ‘How Fat is Kirsty Alley?’ so read into it what you will!

Posted on Sat, 19 June 2004 at 12:03

#20

Misanthropologist (d) wrote:

In that case I have great faith in the results…

how fat IS Kirsty Alley? *shrugs* Gotta get me a Daily Mirror, clearly…

Posted on Sat, 19 June 2004 at 15:31

#21

Gav wrote:

21 stone apparently… :eek:

Posted on Sat, 19 June 2004 at 16:41

#22

Mekhet wrote:

Talking about cultural diferences…21 stone (how large are the stones?) Kg please…
:P

Posted on Sat, 19 June 2004 at 16:52

#23

Gav wrote:

133.35630 Kg ;)

Posted on Sat, 19 June 2004 at 16:54

#24

Misanthropologist (d) wrote:

:eek:

Someone is heavier than me! :o ;)

That certainly is newsworthy. Daily Mirror, I salute you. :rolleyes:

p.s. it’s raining here… :D

Posted on Sat, 19 June 2004 at 16:56

#25

Gav wrote:

We’ve had showers this afternoon but it is dry now

…and a little overcast :)

Posted on Sat, 19 June 2004 at 16:57

#26

JSar666 wrote:

The weather was shit all weekend here, which is surprising considering how lovely it’s been lately.

Posted on Sun, 20 June 2004 at 18:56

#27

Lola wrote:

deadsetgav wrote:

Hehe - just read in the paper that the American students think that everyone in England talks ‘proper’ English, the police in walk round with wooden bats, it always rains and children are whipped at school… which re-enforces the stereotype that Americans can be a little bit dumb :p

they think that the irish can’t speak english…a couple of months ago at work I was speaking to an american on the phone..he asked me where I was from and when i said ireland he told me that my english is brilliant…i told him thank you but english is actually my mother tongue…although irish is the official language but i’m not gonna get into that..

Posted on Mon, 21 June 2004 at 11:09

#28

Misanthropologist (d) wrote:

Ci? wrote:

he told me that my english is brilliant…

How was his?…

Posted on Mon, 21 June 2004 at 11:15

#29

Lola wrote:

wunnerful!! :rolleyes:

Posted on Tue, 22 June 2004 at 10:23

#30

Alan wrote:

Ci? wrote:

they think that the irish can’t speak english…a couple of months ago at work I was speaking to an american on the phone..he asked me where I was from and when i said ireland he told me that my english is brilliant…i told him thank you but english is actually my mother tongue…although irish is the official language but i’m not gonna get into that..

I had that a while ago while in the States - they were amazed at my English!

Although, I didn’t tell them the truth. I let on that I speak Irish normally, only speaking English to Americans. I even rattled off a few Irish phrases to impress them :p

I can speak Irish (if a little slowly), but obviously, English is my natural language.

Posted on Tue, 22 June 2004 at 10:39

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