Amusing outside stereotypes

[Kheldarson]

Just ran across this on another site I frequent for authors looking for help with critiques and ideas (Scribophile, if anyone's interested). It's not often that one gets to see the deeper misunderstandings and stereotypes of one's country from other POV's. So I thought I'd share and see if anybody else had amusing anecdotes of what they've heard their nation is like from others outside.

This was a response to a query over how a male character might respond to the news that his wife was asking for a divorce, specifically how you would feel if she left you after you'd helped take care of her during an illness. The guy later identifies as being from Brazil:

This is the trick part, because in American society is not allowed to a Men Stop his life for a women.

This should be like sex, where since the high school men lie that they have much more sex and sex drive than they really have.

Since he wants the relationship and like you say he stopped his life, he’s already is not an average man.

Plus, he can’t have the support of friends and society.

The view of a men who stop his life for the wife and make effort to save his marriage is of an effeminate man.

So if his voice sound feminine, is totally acceptable, because the ideal of masculinity is “Screw you, I’m only interested in breasts.”

[Kelmon]

I was dating a muslim girl from malaysia for a while, who had been told (and recieved brochures telling the same) that, for example, it is normal in western society for the host of a party to offer his wife to any male guests to have their way with. The rest of the brochure she showed me was gold too. For example some pseudo-scientific explanation on how we're all mentally ill because of eating pork.

I was in tears from laughting afterwards.

[ExRetailDrone]

I currently teach in Korea, and in the old textbook that I used for my 6th graders when I first got here, there was a chapter where one of the phrases was "Oh, don't take your shoes off. We don't take our shoes off in the house." I found this really strange, as I was always taught to take your shoes off when you entered someone else's house unless specifically told otherwise. Turns out that it's a somewhat common belief here that people in Western countries leave their shoes on all the time, unlike here where it is considered very rude to leave your shoes on if you step beyond the entryway of a house/apartment. My husband, who teaches at a middle school, has even had students get surprised when they find out that we don't sleep with our shoes on, too!

[HYHYBT]

The line about high school guys lying about how much sex they have, at least, sounds right enough.

[Greenday]

The line about high school guys lying about how much sex they have, at least, sounds right enough.

High school girls do the same thing. The only difference is guys lie and make it a higher number whereas girls make it a lower number.

[HYHYBT]

High school girls do the same thing. The only difference is guys lie and make it a higher number whereas girls make it a lower number.

Probably. One thing I do remember: there guys who talked big consistently were *not* the ones whose girlfriends later turned up pregnant.

[fireheart17]

I was dating a muslim girl from malaysia for a while, who had been told (and recieved brochures telling the same) that, for example, it is normal in western society for the host of a party to offer his wife to any male guests to have their way with. The rest of the brochure she showed me was gold too. For example some pseudo-scientific explanation on how we're all mentally ill because of eating pork.
.

Isn't there a disease that affects the brain anyway from eating contaminated pork?

Also, it sounds like they got confused with a "swinging" party

My primary school music teacher hosted Japanese exchange students from time to time. One morning they were both in the bathroom and the Japanese exchange student held up a BIG bath towel and asked what it was used for.
Turns out he had a facecloth and had been patting himself dry with that.

We were all giggling after that.

[ExRetailDrone]

My primary school music teacher hosted Japanese exchange students from time to time. One morning they were both in the bathroom and the Japanese exchange student held up a BIG bath towel and asked what it was used for.
Turns out he had a facecloth and had been patting himself dry with that.

From what I know, that's common in Asian countries. Before moving here, I had read to bring my own bath towels because the ones you find here are very small since that's what they use instead of the large ones Westerners are used to.

[fireheart17]

From what I know, that's common in Asian countries. Before moving here, I had read to bring my own bath towels because the ones you find here are very small since that's what they use instead of the large ones Westerners are used to.

And now I've learned something new. Thank you!

[Hyena Dandy]

Always know where your towel is.

[Eisa]

I was talking to one person from West Bengal, I think, about the misconceptions he had of one of my mental disorders. Because my FB profile said I was married, apparently it was fair game to ask me loads of sexual questions and ask how lesbians can even have sex because "Americans like to talk about sex all the time!"

Um...no. No, we don't. Particularly not with strangers.