Aparently a true story........

[expat]

An American couple were having lunch in Munich, and having trouble reading the menu. A German gentleman at the next table offered to help.
After the couple had placed their order they thanked him, then the lady asked "Why are there so many different languages in Europe?"
The Gentleman answered, after some thought "Because we Germans lost the War"
The lady took hold of his hand and said,
"Oh, we are so sorry!"

 

[BobFout]

A very clever answer!

 

[sciphi]

Typical American response...

 

[SuperDave456]

Wow... just wow.

 

[Pesca]

Originally Posted By: sciphi
Typical American response...


Unfortunately so true.

 

[Shannow]

Seeing tourists at the local haunts...

That's not how you cook bacon;
That's not how you serve Coffee;
What is THAT ???;
We don't do it that way at home;

Why do people travel in the first place ?

 

[Spazdog]

Originally Posted By: Shannow
Seeing tourists at the local haunts...

That's not how you cook bacon;
That's not how you serve Coffee;
What is THAT ???;
We don't do it that way at home;

Why do people travel in the first place ?

Guilty...

When visiting my wife's family in Cincinnati, they encouraged me to have some Ohio style chili. I might have uttered, "Yes, I like it. It's good but it's not chili. It's meaty bean soup."

But I wouldn't do that in a foreign country.

 

[Johnny]

It is meaty bean soup, with noodles. They serve the same darn thing in WI and call it chili. I either want my chili homemade by my wife or out of a Wolf Brands can.

 

[Rick in PA]

Ah, if it were me, I'd heat up a can of Hormel chili. There's your stinkin' chili!

 

[Smokescreen]

I prefer Stagg Chili.

 

[Dan4510]

Originally Posted By: expat
An American couple were having lunch in Munich, and having trouble reading the menu. A German gentleman at the next table offered to help.
After the couple had placed their order they thanked him, then the lady asked "Why are there so many different languages in Europe?"
The Gentleman answered, after some thought "Because we Germans lost the War"
The lady took hold of his had and said
"Oh, we are so sorry!"

Just goes to show how uneducated most Americans are now despite testing, etc...these days. I went to a little farm school and had a better education after graduating 12th grade than most kids get with a college degree today.

Dan

 

[sciphi]

Yeah, Americans are the uneducated yet "rich" oafs of the world. No appreciation for history or anything but the next big whatever.

 

[bigmike]

This must be something relatively new, historically speaking, in the educational system.

My grandmother was taught in a 1 room schoolhouse with children of every age. She knew every state, capital, most countries' capitals, and knew the globe like it was a homemade recipe.

Not to mention they taught her multiplication tables to 20 x 20, she could do simple arithmetic in her head (she balanced her checkbook this way), and her writing skills weren't too bad (spelling was exceptional).

I think the school system declined from then on. History and geography is an afterthought when children can't write, read, or handle a fraction.

I had to learn all my history (and geography) on my own. Luckily, I had an interest in it.

 

[pbm]

Originally Posted By: sciphi
Yeah, Americans are the uneducated yet "rich" oafs of the world. No appreciation for history or anything but the next big whatever.



We're not 'rich' anymore. We are in DEBT up to our eyeballs because of POOR governing.

I have often wondered how the world would be today if the nazis had won WW2.
Would there be PC? Would lawsuits be out of control? Would Islamic terrorism exist?
It's interesting to think about it....

 

[FloatingBrick]

Quote:
I have often wondered how the world would be today if the nazis had won WW2.


Ah, you're baiting me, but I shall abide by board rules and avoid going political, and simply say, no, I've never wondered that.

 

[Spazdog]

Originally Posted By: bigmike
...I think the school system declined from then on. History and geography is an afterthought when children can't write, read, or handle a fraction.

I had to learn all my history (and geography) on my own. Luckily, I had an interest in it.


I started to wonder who was writing the history books in high school.

We spent at least 2 weeks on The Teapot Dome Scandal. It was a large section of the post Civil War American History book.

We spent one day on The Korean War and McCarthyism. Not one day per topic. One day total. 1950-1960 in one day. Neither depression was covered. None of the pop-culture. Rock-and-Roll, Hula-Hoops, tailfins, the jet age. Nothing.