What was the biggest culture shock when you moved to the USA?
#453
The Hamburgler Incarnate!
Joined: Aug 2014
Location: Quakertown, PA
Posts: 56
Re: What was the biggest culture shock when you moved to the USA?
Are you sure that's not a colloquialism? I don't know anyone round here who would call a Mansion (whether it's masonry construction or not) a castle.
It's hardly their fault the Normans never made it over here though ...
That's a little unfair, I've always enjoyed going to the Renaissance Faire just over the state line from us in Wisconsin. The participants always seemed like your typical amateur dramatics type crowd (and I'll admit I'm biased here, because I did community theatre for a while back home).
Other than it being a little historically inaccurate, I have a good time when I go. For a while, it was the only place around here where I could get a pint of cider.
It's hardly their fault the Normans never made it over here though ...
That's a little unfair, I've always enjoyed going to the Renaissance Faire just over the state line from us in Wisconsin. The participants always seemed like your typical amateur dramatics type crowd (and I'll admit I'm biased here, because I did community theatre for a while back home).
Other than it being a little historically inaccurate, I have a good time when I go. For a while, it was the only place around here where I could get a pint of cider.
It seems to be a common thing round here for people to refer to the houses in Newport as "castle houses" for some reason and if you google it, it's also a popular search that yields results
#454
I have a comma problem
Joined: Feb 2009
Location: Fox Lake, IL (from Carrickfergus NI)
Posts: 49,598
Re: What was the biggest culture shock when you moved to the USA?
Don't get me wrong, I find the fair entertaining. Walking around with a tankard of Ale and a Turkey leg the size of your head whilst a pair of guys i recognize as blue shirts from my local Best Buy swing away at each other with broadswords for entertainment is a great day out. I just find it strange to see that kind of thing in a country that's so "young"
Also, historically accurate or not, turkey legs are the shit.
Now, when we show people here photos of the preserved, 12th century castle that I grew up less than 2 miles away from back home, they are always suitably impressed.
#455
The Hamburgler Incarnate!
Joined: Aug 2014
Location: Quakertown, PA
Posts: 56
Re: What was the biggest culture shock when you moved to the USA?
Heh, we were at a New Years party and my girlfriend (who grew up in Portsmouth) was showing some pictures of our last visit back where we were playing with the kids in Portchester Castle... Shocked faces all round
#456
I have a comma problem
Joined: Feb 2009
Location: Fox Lake, IL (from Carrickfergus NI)
Posts: 49,598
Re: What was the biggest culture shock when you moved to the USA?
Oh yeah, they love a good, proper old castle round my way. My wife, the first time she came out to visit me, was just as impressed with ruins as she was with the fully preserved castle I mentioned before. Though, to be fair, if you've ever seen Dunluce Castle perched on that cliff overlooking the Atlantic, you'd understand why.