African male culture...

[Ta Ta 1]

More cultural clashes become evident as time goes on and especially during

the everyday living together in marriage.

Wait until you have some arguements and use certain words like rude or silly !

WW3 may break out !

....calling Princess Metzger......

[LovinLiberia 0]

LOL, yes m'am...I know about the word silly.

[Ta Ta 1]

you heard me call all the way in Texas........

thanks for arriving so quickly ......

[LovinLiberia 0]

NO PROBLEM. lol.

[taurean 0]

Jenn: I have to say that my husband seems to be the same way with not talking about things right away, but I see this as more of a character trait than a cultural difference. In fact he and I are much the same way in that respect. If I have an issue or I am upset, I don't like to talk a lot either. Rather, I want to think about the situation and then talk.

Going into my relationship I expected so many cultural clashes to come up either based on my own experiences or hearing it from other people, but I am realizing (at least in my relationship) that the gap is not as wide as I thought.

Edited May 7, 2007 by taurean

[LovinLiberia 0]

I haven't noticed much of a gap with mine, either. Liberians are very American in their thinking so we agree and have the same viewpoints on a lot of things. Booker is very open with me. I think he may be a little more open than I am and he is always willing to "discuss" things. One of the cultural clashes I have noticed are the meaning of words (as Omoba mentioned earlier). He takes a word for it's literal meaning and I am a very sarcastic and hardly use a word for it's literal meaning. That can cause some friction between us sometimes because I see it as a joke and he sees it as an insult. I told him he better lighten up before he gets to America or he'll be walking around offended and feeling insulted all day. He will have to learn that Americans can use one word in several different ways, not just the literal meaning in the dictionary.

[discerned1 0]

I haven't noticed much of a gap with mine, either. Liberians are very American in their thinking so we agree and have the same viewpoints on a lot of things. Booker is very open with me. I think he may be a little more open than I am and he is always willing to "discuss" things. One of the cultural clashes I have noticed are the meaning of words (as Omoba mentioned earlier). He takes a word for it's literal meaning and I am a very sarcastic and hardly use a word for it's literal meaning. That can cause some friction between us sometimes because I see it as a joke and he sees it as an insult. I told him he better lighten up before he gets to America or he'll be walking around offended and feeling insulted all day. He will have to learn that Americans can use one word in several different ways, not just the literal meaning in the dictionary.

LOL! That is so true. My fiance takes things in the literal sense as well.

[blah0323 0]

I haven't noticed much of a gap with mine, either. Liberians are very American in their thinking so we agree and have the same viewpoints on a lot of things. Booker is very open with me. I think he may be a little more open than I am and he is always willing to "discuss" things. One of the cultural clashes I have noticed are the meaning of words (as Omoba mentioned earlier). He takes a word for it's literal meaning and I am a very sarcastic and hardly use a word for it's literal meaning. That can cause some friction between us sometimes because I see it as a joke and he sees it as an insult. I told him he better lighten up before he gets to America or he'll be walking around offended and feeling insulted all day. He will have to learn that Americans can use one word in several different ways, not just the literal meaning in the dictionary.

LOL! That is so true. My fiance takes things in the literal sense as well.

LOL....the word that keeps me in trouble and I love to use....DUH....lol

[LovinLiberia 0]

LOL. mine is "you're so silly" or "you're so crazy"...in a laughing and joking manner. He gets completely quiet and then starts his rant about not using those words as jokes and to look in the dictionary for the true meaning and I will then understand why it isn't so funny. Geez, I was JUST JOKING!!!

[joej 0]

More cultural clashes become evident as time goes on and especially during

the everyday living together in marriage.

Wait until you have some arguements and use certain words like rude or silly !

WW3 may break out !

....calling Princess Metzger......

This is so interesting to me. I thought I was the only one using the word "rude" and your right....It does cause WW3. To me it is not much of an insulting word. Sometimes it just pops out. I'm getting better at realizing which words are offensive....Does anyone have an example of a alternative word or phrase that can be used to get my point across without starting a big argument?

[Ta Ta 1]

More cultural clashes become evident as time goes on and especially during

the everyday living together in marriage.

Wait until you have some arguements and use certain words like rude or silly !

WW3 may break out !

....calling Princess Metzger......

This is so interesting to me. I thought I was the only one using the word "rude" and your right....It does cause WW3. To me it is not much of an insulting word. Sometimes it just pops out. I'm getting better at realizing which words are offensive....Does anyone have an example of a alternative word or phrase that can be used to get my point across without starting a big argument?

instead of rude you can try ' insensitive ', or ' thoughtless.'

Anyone has any other words that would offend but that we think nothing off ?

[ForeverAmen 0]

I often use the phrase "That is so stupid" ie., driving on the highway, something on TV, etc., etc. (not specifically directed at my husband), but he thinks that's one of the worst things to come out of my mouth.

[Zee Bee 61]

I have the same problem when I talk to my fiance. Sometimes I say soemthing in all manner of being sarcastic and he gets upset with me. My mistake was thinking that I was "Ghanaian" enough to not make these little mistakes because I have been going there frequently over the years and it is my second home. I thought I was so assimilated in the culture that I would not make such a mistake. WRONG!!

As much as I try to remember that the person on the other end of the line is not familiar with my little quirks (sometimes that is hard to forget) the reponses I get are "Huh?" and his favorite phrase is "I don't understand your American slang" which cracks me up (but sometimes it makes the situation worse )

So yeah, that is my 2 cents.

But like everything else, it takes time.

Patience is a virtue

[LovinLiberia 0]

I often use the phrase "That is so stupid" ie., driving on the highway, something on TV, etc., etc. (not specifically directed at my husband), but he thinks that's one of the worst things to come out of my mouth.

Oh, I forgot that one! I say that a lot, too and in the same way you say it. Booker will say (with his cute little accent) "Shaun, how can you say SUCH A THING!?! I don't care what you are referring to, it is never a good habit to call anything stupid, OH!" ROFL. I get so tired of having to explain to him that it's not meant literally, lol.

I have the same problem when I talk to my fiance. Sometimes I say soemthing in all manner of being sarcastic and he gets upset with me. My mistake was thinking that I was "Ghanaian" enough to not make these little mistakes because I have been going there frequently over the years and it is my second home. I thought I was so assimilated in the culture that I would not make such a mistake. WRONG!!

As much as I try to remember that the person on the other end of the line is not familiar with my little quirks (sometimes that is hard to forget) the reponses I get are "Huh?" and his favorite phrase is "I don't understand your American slang" which cracks me up (but sometimes it makes the situation worse )

So yeah, that is my 2 cents.

But like everything else, it takes time.

Patience is a virtue

Booker says that too and then he will say, "Well, I am a Liberian and in my own Liberian way, we don't say things like that...I want you to go check it up good in the dictionary and tell me who is wrong...Liberians or Americans?" lol.

[Zee Bee 61]

Booker says that too and then he will say, "Well, I am a Liberian and in my own Liberian way, we don't say things like that...I want you to go check it up good in the dictionary and tell me who is wrong...Liberians or Americans?" lol.

I get that too all the time about the dictionary thing! Sometimes he's like "Why don't you go get a dictionary and tell me what that word means" and I don't know whether to laugh or cry because he used to be a teacher and we all know that teachers know everything