How many languages does the average american speak?

There are truths to a lot of stereotypes..whether they be about Americans, Europeans, or whoever.

While there are some truths, its stupid to generalize because "some" is not the same as "all."

Each one of us is an individual who most likely would prefer to be treated based on that..not on some generalization that completely overlooks our individuality in favor of a broadbased bullshit categorization rooted in a random groups experience with a people they think I or you somehow associate and/or identify with because we have the same passport.

dear God help them

Everybody has stereotypes about everybody else… that’s the easiest way to get around in a world that’s too difficult to understand completely.

My wife has a cooking apron with phrases like "as flexible as a Swede, available as a Belgian, funny as a German, organized as an Italian, …" poking fun at a bunch of the European stereotypes by mocking their opposites. Trust me – I’ve smelled stinky people in every country I’ve been to… sometimes you just have to sniff long enough.

As a Canadian, I know there are also stereotypes between us. As they say, "Don worry abao di’"

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How many languages does the average american speak?

1.5 their native language and bad english.

I hate stereotypes.

The matter of the fact is, luis, that practically every society stereotypes other societies…or even within societies, certain groups stereoype others. There are also stereotypes within Europe…as well as stereotypes Europeans have towards Americans.

Going back to American stereotypes towards Europe, I completely agree with you. As for "women not shaving their armpits" (UNTRUE), I have a theory as to how this stereotype came about. I’ve read that it wasn’t common for American women to shave their armpits and legs until the 1950s (or at least their upper legs). The practice didn’t reach Europe until the 1960s (a decade later). After WWII, the United States emerged as a prosperous industrial/political/economic superpower, and many ordinary aAricans were affluent enought to visit other countries (while Europe was still rebuilding from the war)…many traveled to Europe, and thus formed an opinion on European women. The stereotype is now looong outdated but it persists.

Fast forward to modern-day…despite the fact that 99% of European women shave, all it takes is for an American tourist to see just one unshaven woman, and for that particular American the stereotype is confirmed. The American then returns to the US, says "oh yeah, it’s true I’ve seen it" (despite the fact that occasional unshaven women exist in the US as well) and it’s a vicious cycle. That’s how stereotypes persist.

As for the water: I can go on forever about water. Many American tourists are quick to jump tp the conclusion that water in a certain country is "bad." The matter of the fact is that just as in the US, many rural areas in Europe use well water, and well water is hard water, which has a funky taste and smell, but it is not "bad" or "unclean" or "unsafe." It is perfectly safe (yes, it’s purified of diseases). (Some places also use desaliniated sea water which also has a funky taste, but is perfectly safe.) Some people may get temporarily sick if their body is not used to this type of water, and then they jump tp the conclusion that "water is bad." Others might get sick for reasons completely unrelated to the water (like eating without washing your hands, or reactions to a change in climate), and they blame the water. This lady you were having a conversation with, luis, is convinced that the water in Europe is "bad." (I bet she’s neer been to inland parts of the Midwest where they use well water. She’s probably never left LA/Chicago/NewYork.) All you need to do to prove her wrong is to show here the non-existence of cholera in Europe (and most of Europe’s longer life expectancies and lower infant mortality rates than the US). Cholera is a disease common in places where the water truly is bad (like certain parts of the 3rd world). This disease does not exist in Europe today (although it did exist in Europe and the US before WWII). Thus, the water is perfectly good.

luv the beach what made me laugh about her is she said water is "scarce" in europe therefore they dont shower. they get a bowl of water and simply just use some of that water for armpits and hair or whatever. she also said they dont wash their clothes they let it air dry for a week (sweat). she then sais europeans smell during the summer. blah blah

she also said water is undrinkable that you have to buy bottled water. maybe she has something against europeans because i was there 2 summers ago and everything she said was the exact opposite. the thing that bothers me about people like that is the cycle youre talking about is true. she tells one person that person tells two more etc, etc.
this lady’s husband is in the air force so she was stationed in europe till about 3 years ago. still, she must have something against them. oh well.

I agree that most of the stereotypes are bullshit, but having made numerous trips to Germany, I can say I have seen PLENTY of unshaven women there. This stereotype is definately based on fact.

Utilities in general are more expensive in Europe. The reason for short showers is that it costs a fortune to heat the water. You’ll also see lots of nifty energy-saving ideas. A guesthouse we stayed at in Switzerland had motion lights in the hallway so that the lights were on only when needed. The bathroom light was on a timer, and if you didn’t do your business quick enough, you’d be in the dark! I’d love to have some of these things easily and inexpensively available in the US.

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luv the beach what made me laugh about her is she said water is "scarce" in europe therefore they dont shower. they get a bowl of water and simply just use some of that water for armpits and hair or whatever. she also said they dont wash their clothes they let it air dry for a week (sweat). she then sais europeans smell during the summer. blah blah

LOL. This perfectly describes Europe 50 years ago!!!!!!!!!! This lady is hilarious. PLEASE oh PLEASE print this thread and have her read it. She may think she’s an expert on Europe because her husband was stationed there, but when you have a bunch of more experienced Eurotrip.com posters disagreeing with her, you know that’ll just shoot her down. (Tell her LTB grew up moving back and forth between Europe and the US, and has lived in Europe of the 1980s/1990s/2000s, not the 1950s.)

As for water being "scarce," she doesn’t know what she’s talking about. (I’m assuming she’s never been to water-abundant Norway, Finland, or Russia). Water is not scarce. It’s true that water is not abundant in some places: countries in southern Europe which are very similar to the western United States (parts of Spain/Italy/Greece). Guess what? Spain, Italy, and Greece have man-made reservoirs just as the western USA does, and more are being buit to meet the demands of these countries in the 21st century. Some places (smaller Greek islands, Cyprus) have desalinated water for tap water (seawater with the salt extracted), and locals prefer to use bottled water to drink. (Is that so bad?) During my childhood, my family and I spent over a year in Greece which is identical to California. I remember that year, it hadn’t rained that much in the Athens area and the reservoirs that provided water for Athens were filled with water at below-normal levels, so authorities were gettig worried. I remember the public service announcements on TV telling people to conserve water, but many people didn’t take it seriously. But soon enough, a very rainy winter followed (and a busy decade building a several more reservoirs).

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she also said water is undrinkable that you have to buy bottled water.

Tell her that many Americans believe the same thing about the USA. That’s why Britta and Ice Mountain are making $millions$. It’s not that the tap water has bad quality, it’s that tap water has a taste that some people don’t like (different water sources provide different minerals, and different amounts of minerals to the water. And there’s also various chemical effects that these harmless ingredients have to the water, like making it difficult to lather soap). Water from wells especially has this effect (you’ll also see this in parts of the Midwest that are far from the Great Lakes). If the water really was bad, then cholera, tubercuslosis, and other diseases would be rife in Europe, but these diesease disappeared from Europe before this woman was even born.

However, what sailor says is correct. Electricity is very expensive in Europe, and because electricity is used to warm the water people try to take short showers. (In sunny southern Europe, many poeple try to install solar water heaters, thus you’ll see quite a few homes with solar panels). In my apartment in Paris, we had electric space heaters in each room, and if we weren’t using a particular room (in the winter months), we would turn off the space heater in that room, and close the doors to save money.

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this lady’s husband is in the air force so she was stationed in europe till about 3 years ago.

Well that explains everything, luis.

This woman (if she lived in Europe with her husband) lived on the base, which is a little, isolated America within a foreign country. Many Americans stationed abroad never leave the base. It’s as if she never lived in Europe; she just accepted what she was told about the outside world by her fellow American housewives, and was removed from the everyday lives of Europeans. She never had to pay for utilities, nor had she lived/roomed/eaten dinner with Europeans, so she’s not exactly the go-to person if one has questions about living in Europe. PLEASE have her read this thread.

hehe, i shower twice a day, always use deaodorant, and even shave. the water i get from the tap here is the same as what they sell in bottles elsewhere. in my opinion, water from the tap in southern countries tastes horrible, but its not bad water.

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hehe, i shower twice a day, always use deaodorant, and even shave. the water i get from the tap here is the same as what they sell in bottles elsewhere. in my opinion, water from the tap in southern countries tastes horrible, but its not bad water.

If anything, the water in southern countries usually comes from mountain springs or artificial reservoirs, not wells. It’s what you’re used to folks. If it tastes different to what you’re used to, it doesn’t mean it’s bad.

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If anything, the water in southern countries usually comes from mountain springs or artificial reservoirs, not wells. It’s what you’re used to folks. If it tastes different to what you’re used to, it doesn’t mean it’s bad.

didnt say it was, i personally just thinks it tastes horrible.

This is the funniest thread I’ve seen here in ages. She does figure herself quite the expert, doesn’t she?

I think compared to most of the US we are more careful with electricity, gas, water, fuel, etc. Personally I think this has a lot to do with the general awareness of the finiteness of Earth’s resources being a lot higher over here. We have solar panels on our house as well – the sun’s energy is infinite. If we can use it, why wouldn’t we do that?

As far as shaving armpits go, most people do, some don’t. I see it more as a conformity issue. If you think about it it’s kind of insane that women ‘have’ to do this otherwise they’re considered gross.

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If anything, the water in southern countries usually comes from mountain springs or artificial reservoirs, not wells. It’s what you’re used to folks. If it tastes different to what you’re used to, it doesn’t mean it’s bad.

didnt say it was, i personally just thinks it tastes horrible.

And I don’t think so at all. What places in particular are you talking about? Were you in a big city or in the countryside? On the continent, or a small island?