Re: Réflexions sur la culture et les différentes cultures, Reflexion on Culture and on the different cultures (Mixture of French and English)

MurielB Ven 25 Sep - 21:29

Gérard, I would write "never forget me" or "don't forget me, never ! "

gerardM Ven 25 Sep - 21:36

MurielB a écrit:Gérard, I would write "never forget me" or "don't forget me, never ! "

Your comma is very important. Without, we have to write: "don't forget me ever!" (or "don't ever forget me!").

MurielB Ven 25 Sep - 21:38

Yes that's right ! Thanks for these précisions !

gerardM Ven 23 Oct - 0:30

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Always too long for EMTs! Smile

(French) cigarette électronique -> (American English) e-cig
Ask me why English sentences are shorter.

gerardM Mar 10 Nov - 22:43

I post this again as I find it important in this thread.

Howdy.

Discovery News

24 AMERICAN BEHAVIORS CONSIDERED RUDE IN OTHER COUNTRIES: Business Insider combed through more than a dozen travel sites, magazines, and articles to compile this infographic on 24 everyday American behaviors that are considered rude in other countries

24 American Behaviors Considered Rude in Other Countries
Keep your shirt on! At least when you're in South Korea. Yes, even at the beach.
MENTALFLOSS.COM

gerardM Jeu 26 Nov - 20:08

Today Thursday November, 25, Kathy wrote: "Happy Gobble Gobble Day folks".

MurielB Jeu 26 Nov - 23:19

Gobble, gobble is the sound a turkey makes

I didn't know.

gerardM Ven 27 Nov - 0:01

Yes Muriel, and Gobble Gobble Day is Thanksgiving day.

gerardM Mer 9 Déc - 21:07

Hi everyone,

Remember celebrations to come...

- you will send wishes about Christmas and New Year before the D Day, not after like in France.
Americans and Brits are used to displaying the wishes they receive on the mantle of their chimney or somewhere else: it's a question of pride for them.

- never wish about Christmas if you're not sure the destinee is a Christian; instead send "Holiday Greetings".
Americans are very respectful (and careful), remember this.

So, time to send wishes... Smile

MurielB Mer 9 Déc - 21:43

Hi Gérard !
Thanks for letting us know about that. It's true that my first season greeting post cards come from my English friends. The ones who live in England or in Calais.
I have always sent new year postcards to my friends and family (Not Christmas postcards). For me the dead line was January 31st

gerardM Jeu 10 Déc - 15:08

Hi Muriel,

OK for the end of January to send greetings in France.
Again, don't do this for English Speaking People as it would be impolite or say very weird: greetings are sent from Dec 1 to Dec 31.
I wrote "Christians" for XMas, Anglicans are christians. Brits do like the word and the tradition of "Christmas", Americans prefer to be cautious and speak about "Holiday Season" (I don't know if Jehovah's Witnesses do celebrate Christmas or if they prefer to celebrate all year long and avoid this end of December); Americans speak about XMas only when they are quite sure, for example within the family.

MurielB Jeu 10 Déc - 20:39

Hi Gérard !
yes it's very good to know if we don't want to put our foot in and upset English or American people. Usually the first postcard we receive is from my daughter's in-laws who live in Manchester. Every year I want to be the first one to write and every year I forget about it and I am not Sad

gerardM Jeu 10 Déc - 20:58

Merci de me faire part des grosses fautes dans mes messages en langue étrangère. Grâce à vos remarques, je pourrai m'améliorer

It seems you have a few problems with "s" Wink

~~my daughter's in-laws who live in Manchester~~
"my daughter-in-law who lives in Manchester"
If you had several, it would be:
"my daughters-in-law who live in Manchester"

MurielB Jeu 10 Déc - 21:11

Gérard I must explain a bit more. My daughter is married with a boy from Mauritius island. His parents are divorced and both remarried -I am not sure if remarried is the right word-
his mother lives in Manchester with her second husband. They are my daughter's in-laws aren't they ?
Is my daughter's in-laws correct then ?

gerardM Ven 11 Déc - 0:50

OK you are right Muriel; sorry and shame on me!

gerardM Sam 12 Déc - 23:52

Bonsoir à tous,

Noël se fête partout dans le monde mais pas toujours de la même façon, chaque pays cultivant ses propres traditions. De quoi nous donner des idées pour rendre nos fêtes de fin d'année plus originales.
~~~

"Lait de poule" pour tous -
Si le père Noël existe, il est américain. On le doit en effet à une célèbre marque de soda qui a récupéré le mythe de Saint-Nicolas pour le transformer en Père Noël.
Les Américains décorent l'intérieur et la façade de leur maison avec des guirlandes et des boules brillantes. Sur le sapin, ils placent des petites cannes à sucre rouge et blanc. Côté cuisine, les Américains privilégient le boeuf à la dinde qu'ils ont déjà consommée quelques semaines auparavant pour Thanksgiving. Dans toutes les maisons, on trouve un verre de "lait de poule". Il s'agit d'un mélange de lait, de jaune d'oeuf, de rhum et de cannelle qui est offert aux invités pour leur porter chance.
(extrait de "Côté Val d'Oise")

NB : le "lait de poule" en question est appelé "eggnog".
)

MurielB Dim 13 Déc - 9:29

merci beaucoup Gérard pour l'idée du lait de poule porte bonheur. J'ai trouvé la recette sur internet et elle se conjugue version enfant et version adulte.
http://cuisine.journaldesfemmes.com/recette/343778-lait-de-poule

Ingrédients / pour 1 personne

25 g de sucre ou sirop de sucre de canne
1 jaune d'œufs
10 cl de lait
1 pincée de cannelle
1 pincée de noix de muscade
pour les adultes :
1 cl de rhum blanc ou autres alcool (whisky, bourbon,eau-de-vie)

gerardM Ven 25 Déc - 21:52

Hi everyone,

CNET

Not all LED bulbs are created equal. Here's how to be sure the ones you spend money on are dimmable.

How to buy dimmable LED bulbs that won't hum, flicker or buzz
WWW.CNET.COM

This article makes me think of something I liked in the States: dimmable lights.

I found this in a refurbished apartment a few years ago. I'm unable to say if it is frequent but I liked it (I didn't see this in recent hotels I went to).
Instead of the simple and usual switch we've in France, on the right of the kind of plastic plate around the switch itself, there were a series of 4 to 5 points (and leds) that permitted to choose between 4-5 levels of brightness for the light, and this chosen level was kept for the visit that followed (I mean this choice was memorized).
It was located on the switch of every room and I thought it was indeed handy and useful to save energy. I would have preferred a remote tuning but OK better than nothing.

As far as I understand this appliance is named a "dimmer".

... different types of dimmers: incandescent phase control, leading-edge, trailing-edge, three-wire Lutron, or 0 to 10V dimmers.

As you can see in the picture and article above, it needs specific bulbs.

gerardM Ven 25 Déc - 22:38

Howdy.

I don't know if I already wrote about this subject...

4. SCOPE YOUR CREDIT SCORE.

Being an adult means knowing what’s up with your financial health too, and the best way to do that is to know your credit score. It’s hugely important for landing that apartment you want or getting a good rate on a loan, two of the big things you need to do in the game of life. It’s also free to check annually, so no excuses (and contrary to popular belief, these kinds of “soft inquiries” do not negatively influence your credit score). Basically, a good handle on your credit is a good way to keep money in your pocket. While you’re at it, consider an annual sit down with a financial advisor as well to review your money, your plans, and any changes in the market that may have occurred over the course of the year.

If you want to settle in the USA, you've to know there's a database displaying your "credit rate" and that it'll be checked by oodles of organizations. You can't buy a car, you can't rent an apartment, you can't open a bank account, etc without a good credit rate.
It's similar in other countries such as Australia.

gerardM Dim 27 Déc - 18:42

Hi there,

To go on with my previous post,
here's a link to Wikipedia that'll explain the point:

Credit score in the United States

MurielB Sam 13 Fév - 18:00

gerardM Sam 13 Fév - 20:41

Hi Muriel.

Exactly right!

Something important: don't forget to swear!

Another trait of Australia ->

gerardM Sam 13 Fév - 20:48

gerardM Sam 13 Fév - 20:48

gerardM Sam 13 Fév - 20:50