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We're American. Exposure to all things Scandanavian is thin. MOst of us probably think any scandanavian style buffet is a Smorgasbord( I realize it has different names in different places).
Buffets here are also usually all you can eat, which is good for people on a tight budget. If your in Scandanavia and the budget is a bit tight, you might go for a buffet. It allows you to afford that $15 beer in Oslo.
Your inexpensive food is generally much better then ours.
I just googled RAX. I could see eating there for lunch so that I could splurge on dinner. I also see that it's pizza. It probably reminds people of home. I'm going to Copenhagen in September. I'll let you know if I try a buffet
You might see a couple of my old buddies there. Have fun!
Americans seems to be much more optimistic about almost everything. Many or most Germans are mostly "it will go wrong, everything is going worse. Formerly everything was better" I hate it so much.
No German Angst :-)) The panic fear about nuclear energy, the fear about fracking, or even the fear about a new mayor electrical line throug the hole country. In a few decades Germany is back in the dark ages.
It seems to be easier to change your profession, people are not that interested wether you failed in the past.
People don't care how you are dressed. Not that many people who screw up their nose about that. On the other side, I really don't like how the average american is dressed. :-))
Americans are more confident in statistics. That's good and bad, but Germans absolutely don't trust any statistics. (Traue keiner Statistik, die du nicht selbst gefälscht hast) Most Germans are completely overchallenged to understand a statistic.
It is much easier to buy a cheap, little run down house or a mobile home, than in Germany. I don't want to live in such a house, but I know many Germans which would like it. It is nice that they have the opportunity.
I don't like to move, but it's good that moving around is much easier in the U.S. than in Germany.
People are friendlier. I am sure after a few month or after a few years I would miss the german directness, but sometimes I wish we could be more like America on this point.
More patriotism. I think it's too much in the U.S., but there are to much germans that hate their own country. Constructive criticism is very important, but in Germany it's often very destructive.
The school spirit and more sporting activities during the younger ages.
I wonder what the vehicles per household in U.S. vs. vehicles per household in Germany is, and what percentage of adults own cars. The U.S. has a large number of 4+ car households, especially in rural areas. For example, a scenario around here in the country might consist of:
1. A 2011 Ford Explorer pick up for dad. (in the garage)
2. A 2003 Buick Park Avenue for mom. (in the garage)
3. A 1998 Volvo station wagon for 19-year-old daughter. (in the driveway)
4. A 2005 Pontiac G6 for 17-year-old son (in the driveway)
5. A 1999 32' Class-C Motorhome for road trips (in the driveway)
6. An unlicensed, non-running 1969 Chevy Camaro that the father is "working on" restoring (permanently in the pole barn)
7. An unlicensed 1996 Eagle Talon, used by the 15-year-old son to practice driving on the dirt road, parked by the pole barn
8. An unlicensed 1990 Ford truck for snow clearance, parked out by the pole barn
9. An unlicensed 1984 AMC Gremlin, non-running, from previous owner, stuck in a thicket or encroached on by a swamp.
I will be blunt : as much as I find the "Amrican lifestyle" can have its advantages (even if it is unsustainable for our planet , but it's another debate) ...in America, in Europe I find it ridiculous (and extremely expensive, much more so than in the US or CND) to try to live like an Americans. Unfortunately a lot of people here , fans of all sorts of gadgets, try to emulate that way of life, but often (specially when it's families from the lower middle classes or the wealthiest segment of the working class) they don't quite manage to reach the same level of comfort (only if there is simply a lack of space in most of Europe for McMansion's) as their American counterparts, but "playing the American" riding second hand Harleys is soooo popular in Europe (I find it tasteless, devoid of class, and it will never be the real thing anyway ...)
Is Helsinki as expensive as Norway? That may be why,lol. I think its because we think your buffets are much better than ours. We have this image of scandanavian smorgasbords. I would try one in Helsinki myself. I didn't try one in Oslo, but I probably would have. You would have a tough time finding one I would go in the the USA.
Oslo and Norway is even much more expensive than Helsinki. And the price level in Helsinki is also partly a myth. That's partly because many tourists linger only on a small area in the historical core where the prices indeed are very high, and there's always both tourists and locals willing pay the price. Hop on the tram and linger a bit north and you can get the same stuff for half the price. And if you've spent 1000's of $ already why should you go with a 10€ hamburger/pizza buffet when you can get a real good meal for 20€? I guess those tourists just want to get what they get at home.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Northwindsforever
Smorgasbords? I guess you can find a couple with Danish themed red and white colors here and there.
What Americans mean with smörgåsbord is quite the same kind of buffet we call seisova pöytä. So if it has salmon, sausages, fresh bread, some pastries, eggs and salad, it's a smörgåsbord.
I wonder what the vehicles per household in U.S. vs. vehicles per household in Germany is, and what percentage of adults own cars. The U.S. has a large number of 4+ car households, especially in rural areas. For example, a scenario around here in the country might consist of:
I wonder what the vehicles per household in U.S. vs. vehicles per household in Germany is, and what percentage of adults own cars. The U.S. has a large number of 4+ car households, especially in rural areas. For example, a scenario around here in the country might consist of:
You're describing a small subset of the population, that's not a common situation. In Massachusetts, 11.9% of 4+ person households have 4+ vehicles. And likely there are not more cars per people. It's a little more common in Minnesota, 15%.
From what I heard from a German, younger childless adults in cities (even in smaller ones) typically don't have cars, though families do (or at least one).
From what I heard from a German, younger childless adults in cities (even in smaller ones) typically don't have cars, though families do (or at least one).
Maybe if they don't have a proper job yet, but where I live, in a town of 300,000, basically all young adults own a car.
Oslo and Norway is even much more expensive than Helsinki. And the price level in Helsinki is also partly a myth. That's partly because many tourists linger only on a small area in the historical core where the prices indeed are very high, and there's always both tourists and locals willing pay the price. Hop on the tram and linger a bit north and you can get the same stuff for half the price. And if you've spent 1000's of $ already why should you go with a 10€ hamburger/pizza buffet when you can get a real good meal for 20€? I guess those tourists just want to get what they get at home.
What Americans mean with smörgåsbord is quite the same kind of buffet we call seisova pöytä. So if it has salmon, sausages, fresh bread, some pastries, eggs and salad, it's a smörgåsbord.
Hi Ariete. I learned a ,long time ago, that when traveling get away from the touresty areas for a good meal. I do that as much as possible and I also try to look for a place where the menu is in that country's language. That means it doesnt cater to tourists.
I remember that my first trip to Italy I didn't realize most restaurants would close in the afternoon. I was hungry. We drove and drove, and all that we coud find open was McDonalds. I REFUSED to eat McDonalds in Europe. WE had a late afternoon flight from Treviso and we ended up eating in a small, cheap, cafe in the airport. The food was much much better than McDonalds
When my sister went to Paris, I'm told that she only ate at McDonalds because "They couldn't find any good food in Paris".. That's right folks, no good food in Paris.
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