Odd things your spouse does.

[Sayha or bust. 71]

That's how you measure waist size. Maybe in vietnam the don't allow you to try on pants.

You could be right, I didn't see any dressing rooms in the open markets.

[chrissbe17 3]

I am the Non-Us Citizen:

1. I also brush my teeth before I eat. I have taught this to my husband. I think it's gross to eat breakfast without brushing your teeth so now my husband follows my example. It's just the way I was raised.

2. The washing dishes with cold water thing might be situational. In Trinidad we do not have hot water running all through the house, usually just in the shower. You use cold water by default.

Great thread!

[Sayha or bust. 71]

I am the Non-Us Citizen:

1. I also brush my teeth before I eat. I have taught this to my husband. I think it's gross to eat breakfast without brushing your teeth so now my husband follows my example. It's just the way I was raised.

2. The washing dishes with cold water thing might be situational. In Trinidad we do not have hot water running all through the house, usually just in the shower. You use cold water by default.

Great thread!

I started this thread despite our vast cultural difference we can love one another. I don't believe there's a difference because the color of our skin, the language or religion. I believe we are equals . I also wanted to hear other people stories, I'm very interested in the different cultures and customs.

[amyandjorge 76]

My husband won't eat an apple without peeling it! And he wont peel an orange with his hands, only with a knife.

When he first saw me walk outside barefoot, he told me I am the oddest person hes ever met

He will not take a shower if he has been outside and it's hot or he's been working, he will not get wet or take a shower right away, ever.

Also, he eats the head of the fish, I get stuck at the gills.

[Kehinde 45]

I wanted to share some of the odd things my wife does. Share some of your stories.

1. Sweeps the carpet with her small straw broom.

2. Caught her cleaning the bath tub with a toilet brush.

3. When taking pictures never a pic taken with 3 people.

4. Refuses to use our brand new dishwasher. Most of our dishes are cleaned in cold water with extreme amounts of dish soap.

5. Our son uses a bucket in the shower and doesn't turn on the shower head.

6. Cleans her teeth before she eats, not after.

7. When buying pants she measures the waist with her neck. Never seen this done before.

8. Rarely likes to put food in the icebox after she cooks.

9. Uses msg and sugar like it's going out of style."Guess she doesn't want me around for too long...lol"

10.Likes to squat on a chair instead of sitting while we eat dinner.

Despite all what I describe, I wouldn't change a thing and love her so much!!!!

From what you have discribed...This woman has never left the Island before now. Lol!

Edited December 30, 2011 by Olami

[Amy_and_Victor 159]

1. If she forgets something in the house and goes back in to retrieve it, she must first look in the mirror

It's very common RUB (Russia/Ukraine/Belorussia) superstition from older times. If you're going back to house to grab something you forgot, you should look at yourself in the mirror, or something bad will happen today with you. So many people from RUB will do it. One more related superstition - if somebody at home and person from RUB coming back asking to give something - never give it if you both at the different sides of doorstep, you should be at the one side from door to take/give anything.

2. Of course, shoes off upon entering the house

3. I must change outside clothes to home clothes when I come home from work.

RUB people "germofobic" in eyes of a lot of US people. I also can't imagine myself walking from the hall to the living room or in the bedroom in the shoes I wore outside, because then I'll be worried that it's dirty around and I'll need to wash floors to feel myself ok. I also prefer to take off street clothes in the hall because of street dust. It's just RUB cultural thing, and for us very hard to understand point of view "I have immunity to take care about these germs" just because we all grew up listening from the first days - "clothes and shoes which you wore outside never should go beyond the hall, because it's unhygienic". I know in US it's different point of view on this problem though. But I personally, as most of RUB people, would be highly offended if somebody would walk to my living room or bedroom (where I'm walking in home shoes) in the street shoes.

4. Ziplock bags are a no-no

5. She will not use the dishwasher - NEVER!

6. She will not sit on the toilet, she squats

7. She eats 7-8 apples a day

I have no idea about other items.

[Anna and Ali 13]

Glad to see my hubby from Jordan isn't the only one who wears pajama pants under his jeans. He tucks them into his tube socks (not a good look) he also takes 2 showers a day at least and will wear the same outfits repeatedly but always spend ages on his personal hygiene, makes no sense.

He also doesn't like to be barefoot in the house and has to change immediately upon coming home, even if we are headed back out. He is never ready EARLY ever!

On every holiday so far he has me if we can delay the entire family gathering so he can have more time to sleep.

[Mozzer1972 7]

My wife squats rather than sits on the chair at the dinner table because the chair is too cold.

[Caryh 5,206]

1 measures pants around the neck trick, it does work though.

2 will only use a short witches broom to sweep, so she's bent over the entire time, but the dust pan must have a long handle so it can be used standing up.

3 there's about a million reasons you need to give someone a coin if they or you do something.

4 cooks everything with soy sauce.

5 everything except rice needs a dipping sauce.

6 all foods are eaten with some rice on the spoon.

7 default mode is to set the table with only spoons, she's learning pretty quick with that though.

8 doesn't make two steps into the house without taking off the shoes, even if returning to grab something.

9 takes slightly cool showers but complains about being cold when she gets out. Thats up to her, but when she jumps in the shower with me and turns down the temp, I'm not too thrilled lol.

10 uses a tabo instead of paper.

I wouldn't trade her for the world though. I'm sure there are somethings I don't even notice after spending enough time in her country. Some of the habits from her country are actually good things, others we've blended to get the best of both, and yet others are harmless so why not?

[nurse1967 287]

The squatting thing would freak me out. Middle Eastern men have their own special "quirks". First of all, my husband will be late for his own funeral if I'm not there to hurry it along. He is ALWAYS running late which drives a type "A" like me insane. He whispers prayers under his breath before entering the bathroom as he believes the bathroom is the devil's home. For someone who thinks the devil lives in the bathroom, he sure spends lots of time in there! He thinks you shouldn't drink or eat cold things if you are sick. He thinks ceiling fans make you ill. There are too many to mention!

[Sayha or bust. 71]

The squatting thing would freak me out. Middle Eastern men have their own special "quirks". First of all, my husband will be late for his own funeral if I'm not there to hurry it along. He is ALWAYS running late which drives a type "A" like me insane. He whispers prayers under his breath before entering the bathroom as he believes the bathroom is the devil's home. For someone who thinks the devil lives in the bathroom, he sure spends lots of time in there! He thinks you shouldn't drink or eat cold things if you are sick. He thinks ceiling fans make you ill. There are too many to mention!

i believe everything you say about late. I have two uncles from Iran that are notoriously late all the time. We tell them they were on Persian Time.

[Sayha or bust. 71]

From what you have discribed...This woman has never left the Island before now. Lol!

She was pretty far south with nothing around her that remotely resembled the united States. She never went to the capitol city until she met me which was 8 hours to the north.

She had a little hut where she would wash clothes in a bowl and hang them to dry. I never realized S. Vietnam was that poor. One thing I did notice was everybody was happy and smiled all the time.

One more story I will share. We took a day trip to Chicago, I swear every homeless person she saw she would hand out money to.She even made me stop at one of the busiest intersections so she could put money in this wheel chair bound mans cup, needless to say cars a honking behind me. She calls this money "coffee money".

[VanessaTony 3,567]

I measure pants by neck because your neck width around is the SAME as your HIPS! IF you do not want to try on the pants wrap the waist around your neck and it will fit you. It ALWAYS works. I have never had a pair of pants that do not fit me when measuring them this way.

I'm from Canada too not a far off country or anything.

Are you sure you don't mean same as your waist? Because I have an hourglass figure (broad shoulders, small waist, child-bearing hips) and there is NO WAY my hips are the same as my neck. Waist yes, hips heck no.

[And_Sam 44]

The squatting thing would freak me out. Middle Eastern men have their own special "quirks". First of all, my husband will be late for his own funeral if I'm not there to hurry it along. He is ALWAYS running late which drives a type "A" like me insane. He whispers prayers under his breath before entering the bathroom as he believes the bathroom is the devil's home. For someone who thinks the devil lives in the bathroom, he sure spends lots of time in there! He thinks you shouldn't drink or eat cold things if you are sick. He thinks ceiling fans make you ill. There are too many to mention!

Ha Betsy! So true about the bathroom! We even have prayers taped to the mirror in the master bathroom!

Also, wears his shiff shiffs (flip flops) into the shower, even though it's probably the cleanest floor in the whole house!

Always spits into the trash can. (ewww!!!!)

Refuses to go barefoot anywhere. Even on the carpet.

Always wear his clothes more than once before it goes into the laundry basket BUT will not wear the same thing 2 days in a row.

I can always tell when he is talking to another Egyptian because he yells when he is on the phone to them, whether it's in english or Arabic.

Has more hair products and "good" smelling lotions/colognes/body sprays than a woman

[mike42979 57]

The circumference of your neck is half the circumference of your waist for the most part so with the edge of the pants wrapped around your kneck if the 2 ends are able to touch on the back side then they are or should be a perfect fit. I have known this as an American for many years and never thought of where it came from! It is similar to that of your foot being the same length as that of the space between your wrist and elbow.

Edited December 30, 2011 by mike42979