USC Clueless Families?

[Koakland 0]

I got a bit fed up explaining to Tom's friends the difference between Great Britain, United Kingdom and England. Now I just tell people to google it lol.

huh? uh oh. Well the diff b/t England and GB I know but the UK?? Going to wikipedia right now.

[Ban Hammer 13,333]

everyone knows where brazil is.

[Soancika+Brian 0]

Hey guys,

I am from Lithuania. I had someone ask me if we had cars in our country... ...HELLO...in what century are we living?

[mox 298]

I'd rather hear stupid questions about other countries than no curiousity at all. Most people don't ask any questions either because they don't care, afraid they'll look stupid or think you'll get indignant you don't anything about their country.

Definitely!

Hey guys,

I am from Lithuania. I had someone ask me if we had cars in our country... ...HELLO...in what century are we living?

So...do you?

[Soancika+Brian 0]

I'd rather hear stupid questions about other countries than no curiousity at all. Most people don't ask any questions either because they don't care, afraid they'll look stupid or think you'll get indignant you don't anything about their country.

Definitely!

Hey guys,

I am from Lithuania. I had someone ask me if we had cars in our country... ...HELLO...in what century are we living?

So...do you?

I told him that we don't have cars and that we ride dinosaurs.

[Autumnchik 6]

When my husband first started work here, he was on a job site with a guy who truly believed that the United States was Central America and Canada was North America. He also insisted that Mexico and Guatemala were South America. Apparently, this guy had once looked at a globe and saw the words North America written solely on Canada, which led him to his conclusion. My poor hubby tried for quite awhile to explain which countries were considered North America, Central America and South America, but this guy refused to believe him and thought my hubby was the ignorant one.

[Shad and Dani 3]

everyone knows where brazil is.

Hard to miss Brazil on the map!

[bora bora 1]

everyone knows where brazil is.

Hard to miss Brazil on the map!

But I've had friends ask me if it was 11 pm at night (while I was in Brazil) when it was 11 am in New York

I also had a guy ask me if Bolivia was near the Ukraine and another person wondered if I'd be speaking Bolivian while I was there.

[faryan 4]

Well, some people have actually asked me if people here in Malaysia still live on trees. I am not sure if that was just a joke or what. Maybe I dont have much humor..

[Brad and Vika 129]

Belarus isn't exactly a well known country. I already knew a lot about it even before I met my wife because my mom's parents were born there. My wife is a Belarusian citizen, but was born in Russia. She is ethnic Russian. My grandparents were ethnic Belarusians. What is the difference? I can't really tell any major differences and have traveled in both countries. Belarusians have attempted to revive the Belarusian language, but most Belarusians speak Russian and don't even know the Belarusian language. Russians, Belarusians, and Ukrainians were the Slavic peoples within the USSR. I have found all three to be very similar to my American eyes.

When Americans ask my wife and stepdaughter where they are from they just tell them, Russia. It is a lot easier than trying to explain the geography, history, and peoples of the region.

I don't know about Russia, but I see lots of differences between the average group of Belarussians walking around Minsk, and the comparative in a place like Odessa. Ukraine has been a kind of cultural crossroads historically, so you see the influence of Slavic, Asian, Middle Eastern, and even African in different parts of the country. That cultural diversity is present in the people, mode of dress, body language, and even the architecture a little. I agree though that for most Americans, it is VERY tough to explain any of that.

[peejay 327]

Belarus isn't exactly a well known country. I already knew a lot about it even before I met my wife because my mom's parents were born there. My wife is a Belarusian citizen, but was born in Russia. She is ethnic Russian. My grandparents were ethnic Belarusians. What is the difference? I can't really tell any major differences and have traveled in both countries. Belarusians have attempted to revive the Belarusian language, but most Belarusians speak Russian and don't even know the Belarusian language. Russians, Belarusians, and Ukrainians were the Slavic peoples within the USSR. I have found all three to be very similar to my American eyes.

When Americans ask my wife and stepdaughter where they are from they just tell them, Russia. It is a lot easier than trying to explain the geography, history, and peoples of the region.

I don't know about Russia, but I see lots of differences between the average group of Belarussians walking around Minsk, and the comparative in a place like Odessa. Ukraine has been a kind of cultural crossroads historically, so you see the influence of Slavic, Asian, Middle Eastern, and even African in different parts of the country. That cultural diversity is present in the people, mode of dress, body language, and even the architecture a little. I agree though that for most Americans, it is VERY tough to explain any of that.

My cousin was going to take me from Belarus on a trip to Kiev several years ago, but I just didn't have the time and I was worried that I wouldn't be able to return to Belarus from Ukraine with the Belarusian visa I had. My departure flight to the USA was out of Minsk. I would like to visit Ukraine some day just to see it. Unlike Belarus and Russia, a visa is unnecessary unless a US citizen wants to stay more than 90 days (or so I heard).

My stepdaughter's boyfriend is a Ukrainian and lives here in Houston. He has been a US citizen for several years. I've met several other Ukrainians here in the Houston area. Some of my mom's relatives in Belarus have Ukrainian surnames, but are Belarusian citizens. Some of my other Belarusian relatives have Russian surnames too. My mom's parents both had Belarusian surnames. That is why I say that there are little discernable clues in appearance, because they all have that Slavic look.

I'll have to take your word on the cultural diversity of Ukraine. I don't know much about the Ukraine except from books. I've never been there.

From what I have seen of European Russia and Belarus it is mostly Slavic. In Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Minsk I saw only a few foreign students from Africa and China around the university areas. Occasionally I saw a few peoples from the Caucus' or the 'stans of the old USSR. My wife calls them "people from the south". Otherwise it was 99% Slavic from what I saw in Belarus and Russia.

Belarus is a crossroads too. It was occupied by Germany in WWI and WWII. Napolean ravaged his way through there on his failed conquest of Moscow. The Hordes from the East rampaged through there in earlier times. Not much African activity that I have ever read about though.

[Shad and Dani 3]

everyone knows where brazil is.

Hard to miss Brazil on the map!

But I've had friends ask me if it was 11 pm at night (while I was in Brazil) when it was 11 am in New York

I also had a guy ask me if Bolivia was near the Ukraine and another person wondered if I'd be speaking Bolivian while I was there.

LOL...Every time I call my family from Bulgaria they ask me about the time It's like a magic trick to them

[JSVP08 3]

I got a bit fed up explaining to Tom's friends the difference between Great Britain, United Kingdom and England. Now I just tell people to google it lol.

wow! i thought GB is a name for all of the three? ...... totally clueless

[JSVP08 3]

hey! i like this topic! am learning a lot ...and ohh well....gettin a lot more clue now. its nice to hear from places ive never known that exist .....

wow the World is vast and huge!!

Hey guys,

I am from Lithuania. I had someone ask me if we had cars in our country... ...HELLO...in what century are we living?

[JSVP08 3]

everyone knows where brazil is.

Hard to miss Brazil on the map!

Agree and i like brazil coz of the arizona river....err....is it?