FUNNY & WEIRD STUFF AMERICANS DO

I've lived with American for a year and let me tell you that sometimes they do pretty funny (and weird) stuff. Like every country and every culture, the US has his own traditions or habits. Here is a list of the things I found funny and weird in America !

1 - Americans don't use knife

During my first day of school, when I went to the cafeteria I realized something : there were no knifes to eat. Even at home, they use a fork to cut their food. Maybe French people are weird to use a knife and a fork, I just feel like we created knifes for something.

2 - They listen country

I've always knew country music, but never really listened to it before to be in Wisconsin. I discovered a whole new style of music, and I have to admit that I loved it. It's just not a popular style of music in France, so it was funny when I realized the cliché was real : farmer listen to country musics. Some cool music to listen :

* "Drinkin' problem" - Midland

* "Chasin' that neon rainbow" - Alan Jackson

* "I'd love you all over again" - Alan Jackson

* "Why don't we just dance" - Josh Turner

* " As she's walking away" - Zac Brown Band

*" Take me home, country road" - John Denver

* "It's a great day to be alive" - Travis Tritt

* "Dirty road anthem" - Jason Laden

3 - Sport is everything in America

It was obvious to me, when I got my timetable at school. I was done at 3pm (sometimes earlier), and during the rest of the day most of the student do sports. Depends on the period of the year, but they have football practice, basketball practice, volley practice or baseball practice. In France, we have class until 5 pm and lots of homework, they don't. We don't have sports, or music or art class so it's really different to US education. (I'm the one playing on the left side, wearing blue jersey, haha).

4 - They basically eat whenever they want

In France, we have time to eat : breakfast on morning, lunch and then dinner. We don't eat between meals and we eat dinner around 8pm so when I got there, I found weird the fact that they eat when they want, so when they are hungry (it's logical when we think about it). Sometimes we are hungry but don't eat because "it's not the time to eat", in America it doesn't matter, you are hungry? good, eat then.

4.1 - Food portions here are enormous!

And the best way Americans found not to waste it : to bring it home. That's why the doggy bag is so famous in America and literally everyone use it.

5 - Like in movies, girls wear football players jersey's

It's funny because Americans are really supportive. Every Fridays, before Football games, girls wear a boy's jersey to support their team, and if you are a cheerleader, you generally wear your cheer outfit and the jersey. It brings a special atmosphere at school, and it's cool. To go further in the cliché, I remembered when we came back from a volleyball game, we started singing out loud all together in the bus and it is an amazing memory now.

6 - In Wisconsin, driving tractors to go to school is normal

Yeah, I'm not going to repeat but yes. One day, at school there were a bunch of tractors parked. And at first, I have to admit that I found that really weird. Why would people want to come to school with a tractor ? But in Wisconsin, it was like "a thing to do", so I just found that funny that we all have weird stuff that we like to do. By the way, I wrote an article about my year as an exchange student in Wisconsin, click here !

7 - Americans love hats

When in France, it can be a sign of disrespect to wear hats indoors, it's the opposite in the United States. Everyone wear caps and all the time. American loves to wear a hat with their favorite football team on it, their favorite bars or activities. The only time I've seen American taking their hats off, was during the national anthem.

8 - Their classes are really different

Now that I went to school in America, I can say that French education is really strict. There is a relationship between the teacher and the student that I admire in this country, there is a mutual respect for each other while having a very good relationship. Teachers don't show any superiorities and student are not disrespectful toward their teachers. In America, I could feel that teachers believed, trusted and truly supported their students and it is the best way for a student to succeed.

9 - Their courses are just amazing

When I was in high school in USA, I could choose my own courses. As an exchange student, I decided to take original courses that I could never have in France and that was the best idea. I had the chance to take cooking class, art class, speech or even a class where they teach you how to be good parents, you have to keep a baby for a certain time and take care of it. With my speech class, I also had the chance to interviewed a retiree in a retirement home to tell about her American life, it was just amazing. Then I choose class like sociology, geography or history and I had amazing teachers that allowed me to learn a little more about America. I'll always remember one time my history teacher, grade us on an a special task : he asked us to demonstrate on the street and about the subject we wanted (we got ice cream after that haha).

10 - Air conditioning and ice water are a routine in restaurants

It's like a thing to do apparently. In every restaurants or bars, they have the air conditioning on which makes it chilly sometimes. Are you already cold? Well, just wait because they are bringing you a glass of water with A LOT of ice. And often, they eat a soup right after that and have ice cream for dessert (they actually eat ice cream even when it's freaking cold outside). Can someone explain me ?