Geography-related Questions 41-50

THE QUESTION:
G50: I am from Japan and am curious about why Americans, who seem very worried about their health and prefer diet foods, eat such high-calorie meals, e.g. with Cokes, pizza, etc.
POSTED NOV. 16, 1998
Yasu, 29, Asian <nyasu@hotmail.com>, San Francisco, CA
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THE QUESTION:
G49: I went to Europe two summers ago and found that generally in Germany, people were very accepting and willing to go out of their way for me, even though I only knew about two words in German. However, when I went to Paris, I actually knew some French and yet the people I came in contact with there were generally rude and not willing to help me at all. Can any Parisians out there tell me why this happened?
POSTED NOV. 10, 1998
Paul, 19 <pwajbel@vt.edu>, Blacksburg, VA

ANSWER 1:
I am not a Frenchman, but I have observed the same rudeness, starting 30 years ago while in the Army and stationed in Munich. By and large, I found the Germans to be great people; self-disciplined, neat, honest and friendly. The French men were arrogant with no apparent right to be. They were rude, argumentative and undisciplined. (Thankfully, the women are pretty wonderful!) I had occasion at the LeMans race to observe cultural contrasts in action: An announcement was made, first in French, for the audience to clear the pit area so the race could be started. Nobody moved. The announcement was repeated in Italian (again, nobody moved), then in German (some people immediately moved to the stands), then in English (more people moved), again in Italian (more moved this time), and then repeated over and over in French. Finally, a line of police cleared the Frenchmen off the track so the race could start. I also would like an answer to your question.
POSTED DEC. 2, 1998
Fred, 59, WASP <fred.whitaker@lmco.com>, CO

FURTHER NOTICE:
I was in Paris in 1990 and found the Parisians I met to be very friendly. The hotel clerks, salespersons, bus drivers, etc. As for the traditional “rude” waiters, I did detect a bit of arrogance, but if we were friendly to them and treated them as equals, we got superb service. I think Americans go to France expecting the French to be rude and arrogant, so it turns out to be a self-fulfilling event.
POSTED DEC. 21, 1998
M. Vansweringen, 70, multiracial, widow <MurielVS@aol/com>, El Paso, TX
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THE QUESTION:
G48: What are the cultural differences between Brazil and Colombia? For instance in business life?
POSTED NOV. 10, 1998
Hannu P. <hannu.paasio@pultti.hamkk.fi>, Tampere, Finland
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THE QUESTION:
G47: What do Colombians and Brazilians do in their spare time, i.e. what are their most popular meals and drinks, hobbies, clothing, etc.? What would be typical small talk?
POSTED NOV. 10, 1998
Anna L. <anna.lounamaa@pultti.hamkk.fi>, Tampere, Finland
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THE QUESTION:
G46: Why is it that in rural areas where people aren’t crammed together there is less incidence of loneliness than in big cities, where people are found everywhere?
POSTED NOV. 3, 1998
Ronald V., Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

ANSWER 1:
One of the biggest problems is that all of the people in the cities are strangers. In rural areas, most people have made longstanding connections with each other because they have been there for generations. And the trend is that most rural residents are in large families that all work together to contribute to the community. The people standing elbow-to-elbow in the cities have no link or common bond. Their lives do not depend on each other even though they share the same streets. I have been fortunate enough to live in the epitome of both big city and rural village. Some of my most valued relationships came from the asphalt of city life; however, I sometimes feel that relationships that have come from a rural community have a lot more substance, and that members view life as too important to let their relationships stall. But I think it’s also OK for people to be lonely every now and then.
POSTED NOV. 5, 1998
Big city girl turned cowgirl <cbeam@gwe.net>, CO
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THE QUESTION:
G45: What is it like to live in Irian Jaya? I know about the area’s history, its government and economic situation. But on a day-to-day basis, what is it like? The weather, the animals you might encounter, traveling, cooking, bathing, electricity, water needs, housing? What do you do? Also for socializing and going to school, or church, what are the facilities there?
POSTED NOV. 2, 1998
Kate, 29, white, American <Writekate@aol.com>, Tampa, FL
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THE QUESTION:
G44: As an Englishman recently moved to the United States (which I love), I am curious about why some people stop their vehicles two or three car-lengths from the line at traffic lights.
POSTED NOV. 2, 1998
Stephen S., 43, self-employed freelance writer <wordsmith@powernet.net>, Henderson, NV

ANSWER 1:
I have been wondering about this for a long time, and I’m glad I’m not the only one. A friend told me that it was probably because the driver is afraid of being car-jacked, and wants to have room to drive away quickly if they have to. This may be true in some cases, but I observed drivers stopping two or three car-lengths behind the stop bar or other cars long before car-jacking became an issue. Sometimes I find it very annoying, especially if I am trying to get into a left-turn lane for which the light is green but can’t because somebody won’t pull their car up to the one in front of them.
POSTED MARCH 26, 1999
Jennifer K., 28, female, San Jose, CA

FURTHER NOTICE:
The answer is simple: They’re talking on their cell phones and are too distracted to judge the distance correctly.
POSTED APRIL 7, 1999
Matt M., 22, American male <matmillr@ix.netcom.com>, Sacramento, Ca
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THE QUESTION:
G43: Having moved to Texas within the last five years, I’ve noticed that many Texans prefer to drive in the “fast” lane (left) instead of following proper driving laws and staying to the right when driving slower. I’ve noticed this of Texans driving in other states also (California, Kansas, etc.) Why do these Texans feel it is OK to drive whereever they want?
POSTED OCT. 30, 1998
B.K., 28, Houston, TX

ANSWER 1:
Texans drive in the left lane on highways because it has not been against the law until just this year. When I learned how to drive, I was taught to move over to the right lane if a faster car was approaching from behind, but it was perfectly legal to drive in the left lane if I so desired. This year, certain stretches of Texas highways now carry a “left-lane passing only” regulation, but again, this is a very recent development in this state.
POSTED DEC. 1, 1998
Stephen S., 31, San Antonio , TX
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THE QUESTION:
G42: What is involved in a wedding ceremony if you are from Bali?
POSTED OCT. 28, 1998
Vic, Vista, CA
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THE QUESTION:
G41: I always smell something artificially sweet when I arrive at an airport in the United States. On the other hand, my American friend says that she smelled soy sauce when she arrived at Narita airport in Japan, but I can never recognize it. And my friend says that Korean air smelled like Kimuchi (Korean traditional food) when she was there. How about other countries? What do people who have visited foreign countries feel the air smelled like when you arrived for the first time?
POSTED OCT. 23, 1998
Kanako, Tokyo
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