Habits you learned "foreign" and can see yourself using for the rest of your life.

Eve_Dublin

Was having a nice glass of lemonade and beer tonight otherwise known as a "Clara" here in Spain. I usually drink it when I don't want to get gee-eyed on a work night and make a small can of beer last. I love it...but being Irish, can't believe I'm mixing beer with anything. I used to actively scoff at people putting blackcurrant in their Guinness but now I'm doing something similar! What's happening to me!

Following on from the load of emigration threads we've had recently, I'd be interested to hear what things people picked up from living or spending time abroad. Keep it light-hearted pleeeease! My other ones are as follows:

- When I walk into the reception of anywhere, I greet everyone with a "Buenos Dias" as is the done thing here.

- I always stay on the right hand side of an escalator after living in London and now here. In London it was kind of bet into me after getting shouting at repeatedly for not doing so. I do it out of fear...

- I send short, to the point emails to bosses with no flowery language.

- I protest fairly regularly.

- I think the queuing system we have in Ireland, UK and America is ridiculous.

- I gesticulate all the time while I'm talking.

- I can't drink pints anymore

- I'm probably a bit more blunt than I was.

- I eat my dinner at 10 at night.

Loads more but that's to get the ball rolling....

You?

kfallon

Clara is known as a shandy over here, not a foreign phenomenon

Eve_Dublin

kfallon wrote: »

Clara is known as a shandy over here, not a foreign phenomenon

No, but I drink it all the time....that's the point.

SafeSurfer

I **** outdoors after a weekend camping in Leitrim.

woodoo

Hold doors open for people and get into queues when i see them. It amazes me the amount of people here that ignore queues.

I was in a bar in Scotland a few years ago and they were queuing to buy drink at the bar. I know thats are rare one but it was funny to see.

Praetorian Saighdiuir

You just wanted to tell us you are in Spain, isnt that right OP?

I learned the ways of Jiihad!

Stinicker

I say "No Worries" all the time after being in Australia. I also Shower every single day after spending time in South East Asia, wheras you could often get away without showering every 2nd day depending on the level of exercise before.

castletownman

Speaking out of experience, it appears that half of the student population of south county Dublin have picked up awful habits from their J1's in California, like the use of the terms "man" "dude" "OMG" ETC. and the propensity to wear nothing but Abercrombie and Fitch.

kfallon

Eve_Dublin wrote: »

No, but I drink it all the time....that's the point.

Damn foreigners.....turning our women into lightweights :pac:

Chuck Stone

I've been to Germany, France, England, Spain and Italy.

Now when I go to other countries I just take people's stuff with a gun because, you know, I'll kill ya like.

kfallon

Stinicker wrote: »

I say "No Worries" all the time after being in Australia. I also Shower every single day after spending time in South East Asia, wheras you could often get away without showering every 2nd day depending on the level of exercise before.

Oh yes that well known culture that is exclusive to Asia of washing yourself every day

Eve_Dublin

kfallon wrote: »

Damn foreigners.....turning our women into lightweights :pac:

Ah but that's the thing! No such thing as a "shandy light-weight" here. Even the men drink it! But you're right, 5 claras and I'm anyone's....

kfallon

Eve_Dublin wrote: »

Ah but that's the thing! No such thing as a "shandy light-weight" here. Even the men drink it! But you're right, 5 claras and I'm anyone's....

Orders a large bottle of both TK Red & White.....

eth0

Eating sushi. Tis mighty stuff

I'd eat a whole salmon and not bother cooking it as long as i had some soy sauce and a lemon to squeeaze on it

Wibbs

Never mind the beer and lemonade, what about that odd Spanish(in some areas) of coke and red wine. Kalimocho? IIRC. Tastes better than it sounds and I've been a bit hazy of eye on it more than once.

Diego Maradona

Clara eh? That would explain why Brian Cowen looked drunk the entire time he was Teashock.

Snowie

Shaking my friends hands when I see them!

grizzly

Eve_Dublin wrote: »

- I think the queuing system we have in Ireland, UK and America is ridiculous.

How do they queue in Spain?

Eve_Dublin

benwavner wrote: »

You just wanted to tell us you are in Spain, isnt that right OP?

I learned the ways of Jiihad!

Ah if you've seen my posts, I mention it in almost everyone. Plus there's a big location:eespain beside my name. Kind of old news at this stage...:) Sad but true...

Eve_Dublin

grizzly wrote: »

How do they queue in Spain?

They go in, take a number and wait their turn. Sometimes they queue but they're pretty disasterous at it (which is annoying). If you get your number, you can take a seat and wander round...


Sorry, forgot....they go into a shop and ask, "Who's the last person?". Someone tells them, so everyone knows who's next. Great system.

bb1234567

Eve_Dublin wrote: »

Was having a nice glass of lemonade and beer tonight otherwise known as a "Clara" here in Spain. I usually drink it when I don't want to get gee-eyed on a work night and make a small can of beer last. I love it...but being Irish, can't believe I'm mixing beer with anything. I used to actively scoff at people putting blackcurrant in their Guinness but now I'm doing something similar! What's happening to me!

Following on from the load of emigration threads we've had recently, I'd be interested to hear what things people picked up from living or spending time abroad. Keep it light-hearted pleeeease! My other ones are as follows:

- When I walk into the reception of anywhere, I greet everyone with a "Buenos Dias" as is the done thing here.

- I always stay on the right hand side of an escalator after living in London and now here. In London it was kind of bet into me after getting shouting at repeatedly for not doing so. I do it out of fear...

- I send short, to the point emails to bosses with no flowery language.

- I protest fairly regularly.

- I think the queuing system we have in Ireland, UK and America is ridiculous.

- I gesticulate all the time while I'm talking.

- I can't drink pints anymore

- I'm probably a bit more blunt than I was.

- I eat my dinner at 10 at night.

Loads more but that's to get the ball rolling....

You?

Hahaha same here:D no fun bein a sleepy irish person in a city like london, oh the londoners on the tube werent happy with me..

eth0

grizzly wrote: »

How do they queue in Spain?

Very close together with no clothes on and doing a wee dance, like all sexually liberated europeans should

Cienciano

I was living in Germany for a year, but continue driving on the right when I'm back in Ireland

builttospill

I can't stop using the three sea shells since I got back from San Angeles.

ArtSmart

Stinicker wrote: »

I say "No Worries" all the time after being in Australia. I also Shower every single day after spending time in South East Asia, wheras you could often get away without showering every 2nd day depending on the level of exercise before.

Thanks for that Stin(ic)ker

Cookie_Monster

dipping crisps in a mixture of reduced cream and onion soup (and calling them chips)

paintitblack

Wibbs wrote: »

Never mind the beer and lemonade, what about that odd Spanish(in some areas) of coke and red wine. Kalimocho? IIRC. Tastes better than it sounds and I've been a bit hazy of eye on it more than once.

love that stuff, they put sugar in it too sometimes, tried recreating here but its just not the same!

Stinicker

kfallon wrote: »

Oh yes that well known culture that is exclusive to Asia of washing yourself every day

Actually when I was in Thailand and Malaysia I was showering three and four times a day as I was pouring sweat due to the heat and humidity.

PseudoFamous

Eve_Dublin wrote: »

Sorry, forgot....they go into a shop and ask, "Who's the last person?". Someone tells them, so everyone knows who's next. Great system.

That sounds ridiculous. A queue is a straight line. Everyone is organised and ready to purchase when their turn comes. Bloody anarchy, can't even queue correctly.

yer man!

bb1234567 wrote: »

Hahaha same here:D no fun bein a sleepy irish person in a city like london, oh the londoners on the tube werent happy with me..

I always keep to the left, same side as cars on the road........ makes more sense to me.

Dangerous Man

After a few visits to London I definitely do the 'standing to the right' thing on the escalators now. The first time I saw those signs on the underground I thought it was just an example of how uptight the English were (and it probably is, in fairness) but it really does make sense. It drives me nuts when I'm trying to get past people on the escalator and they stand there like pigs.

As for where I live now, I don't call the toilet the toilet, I call it the washroom. It's just what it's called here. I tip barmen. I eat poutine... yum. Lots of stuff.

ArtSmart

PseudoFamous wrote: »

That sounds ridiculous. A queue is a straight line. Everyone is organised and ready to purchase when their turn comes. Bloody anarchy, can't even queue correctly.

lol.

as for taking habits home - hardly. i remember a 'queue' in Oz, "after you mate. nah, mate after you' and one in Dub when i came home, 'i woz here first, so fuk off'.

cant bring everything home.

hardCopy

Stinicker wrote: »

I also Shower every single day after spending time in South East Asia, wheras you could often get away without showering every 2nd day depending on the level of exercise before.

Before, like in the 1800's?

nice_very

Wibbs wrote: »

Never mind the beer and lemonade, what about that odd Spanish(in some areas) of coke and red wine. Kalimocho? IIRC. Tastes better than it sounds and I've been a bit hazy of eye on it more than once.

Kalimotxo, the rumour is it was invented in the town I lived in:

from wiki - The current name, "Kalimotxo", is attributed to the "Antzarrak cuadrilla" ("Geese young friends circle"), which supposedly coined it during the 1972 Puerto Viejo festivities (in Algorta, Getxo, Basque Country). Legend has it that the servers in one of the "txozna" (stands in Basque festivals where drinks are served) noticed that the wine they had bought was not in good condition, so they decided to mix it with something to kill the sour taste. The inventors of the mixture named it after two friends of the cuadrilla known as "Kalimero" (after the Calimero chicken character) and "Motxo", hence the name "Kalimotxo". The name caught on and became popular throughout Spain.

also clara is called Pika in Euskadi

keith16

staying on the right hand side of an escalator is an interesting one. Seems to be done everywhere but Ireland. And not just escalators, those flat groundy "escalators" too.

Nothing says "self-entitlement" more than a load of morons standing/blocking the groundy escalator things as they are wheeled along at 0.02 k/h.

Cedrus

The london escalator learning curve is steep alright, I was knocked down on my first day there and was pinned under my rucksack heading straight to the bottom end. Never made that mistake again.

JupiterKid

Standing to the right on escalators and travelators for me too.

Eating burritos for lunch - picked up that when on my J1 in California many, many moons ago.

Taking my shoes off when I get home and putting on a comfy lightweight pair of sandals.

Swimming in the nip (when I can).

HazDanz

Wibbs wrote: »

Never mind the beer and lemonade, what about that odd Spanish(in some areas) of coke and red wine.

I learnt that here in Ireland befriending two spainish people at a wine reception in University! It kept me drunk for two weeks straight drinking the coke/red wine combo with those lads.

Nobody believe me when I explain "the spanish" do it, I always get laughed at over it

policarp

Kissing on both cheeks is an uncomfy one for many older Irish folks. . .

khmk

Eve_Dublin wrote: »

Was having a nice glass of lemonade and beer tonight otherwise known as a "Clara" here in Spain. I usually drink it when I don't want to get gee-eyed on a work night and make a small can of beer last. I love it...but being Irish, can't believe I'm mixing beer with anything. I used to actively scoff at people putting blackcurrant in their Guinness but now I'm doing something similar! What's happening to me!

Following on from the load of emigration threads we've had recently, I'd be interested to hear what things people picked up from living or spending time abroad. Keep it light-hearted pleeeease! My other ones are as follows:

- When I walk into the reception of anywhere, I greet everyone with a "Buenos Dias" as is the done thing here.

- I always stay on the right hand side of an escalator after living in London and now here. In London it was kind of bet into me after getting shouting at repeatedly for not doing so. I do it out of fear...

- I send short, to the point emails to bosses with no flowery language.

- I protest fairly regularly.

- I think the queuing system we have in Ireland, UK and America is ridiculous.

- I gesticulate all the time while I'm talking.

- I can't drink pints anymore

- I'm probably a bit more blunt than I was.

- I eat my dinner at 10 at night.

Loads more but that's to get the ball rolling....

You?

You left out the one where you mention that you live in Spain in every single post you make. It doesn't matter what thread either, you manage to sneak it in.

Not meant as an insult just an observation.


I learned to be a dick on the internet.

Jimoslimos

Eve_Dublin wrote: »

- I always stay on the right hand side of an escalator after living in London and now here. In London it was kind of bet into me after getting shouting at repeatedly for not doing so. I do it out of fear..

Unfortunately in Australia it's the other way around - stand on the left. Took me a while to adjust, and then unlearn again when I returned to the UK.

ArtSmart

policarp wrote: »

Kissing on both cheeks is an uncomfy one for many older Irish folks. . .

and the younger ones as well. last time i tried that to some girl i met at a nighclub...well, I was apparently the one 'out of order'. unbelievable.

mackg

How much coke and how much red wine? This sounds like a winner.

emzolita

Taking my shoes off at my front door. Was a big thing in Canada, I even seen workmen taking off their shoes going into houses.

ArtSmart

mackg wrote: »

How much coke and how much red wine? This sounds like a winner.

em, coca-cola and wine.

RDM_83 again

mackg wrote: »

How much coke and how much red wine? This sounds like a winner.

50:50 is quite good or if your feeling like some classy al fresco imbibing one bottle of wine in a 2 litre plastic bottle, works well with very cheap rough red.
Its called vörösboros kóla or VBK in Hungary (for some reason calling it Kalimotxo sounds really pretentious to me )

ArtSmart

emzolita wrote: »

Taking my shoes off at my front door. Was a big thing in Canada, I even seen workmen taking off their shoes going into houses.

yes, done in Europe and Asia as well. maybe even the states. but here? lol.

Brinimartini

Dangerous Man wrote: »

After a few visits to London I definitely do the 'standing to the right' thing on the escalators now. The first time I saw those signs on the underground I thought it was just an example of how uptight the English were (and it probably is, in fairness) but it really does make sense. It drives me nuts when I'm trying to get past people on the escalator and they stand there like pigs.

As for where I live now, I don't call the toilet the toilet, I call it the washroom. It's just what it's called here. I tip barmen. I eat poutine... yum. Lots of stuff.

The Germans say "Links Gehen Rechts Stehen" but they're a shower of b'stards anyways.

Rabies

I do the escalator thing too.
Drive in my bare feet and walk to the shop with no shoes on in summer, kiwis do it at all times.
Hardly ever drink more than a pint or two on a night out, straight to spirits.
Take my shoes off at the front door of every house I enter.
Say "sweet as" with every thing

mackg

RDM_83 again wrote: »

50:50 is quite good or if your feeling like some classy al fresco imbibing one bottle of wine in a 2 litre plastic bottle, works well with very cheap rough red.
Its called vörösboros kóla or VBK in Hungary (for some reason calling it Kalimotxo sounds really pretentious to me )

Yeah I was thinking about it for festival/beach party drinking.

Pace2008

Eve_Dublin wrote: »

They go in, take a number and wait their turn. Sometimes they queue but they're pretty disasterous at it (which is annoying). If you get your number, you can take a seat and wander round...


Sorry, forgot....they go into a shop and ask, "Who's the last person?". Someone tells them, so everyone knows who's next. Great system.

How is that any more, if even as, efficient as the Irish system? You walk into a shop, grap your victuals, and make your way towards the counter. If there is no one waiting to be served you proceed to the counter and complete the transaction. If there are people being served you stand behind them. You know who's next ahead of you because you're standing behind them. In my 24 years in this country I have yet to see this system fail, and I cannot see the flaw in it, yet alone how how it could be described as ridiculous.