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Old 09-22-2006, 09:12 PM   #21
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Originally Posted by Intrepid Homoludens View Post
No, they only looked like bunnies. Truth is I have no idea what they actually were, those bunny suits they wore were so authentic looking.
I've made that same mistake myself. There was blood everywhere.
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Old 09-22-2006, 09:18 PM   #22
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It was sickening, what I put them through. But the most eerie part was that, when the smaller one finally squealed, I could've sworn it sounded like Robsie if he squealed. That squeal had an English accent! I immediately tossed them both out the window and watched as they limped away before switching on my Xbox360.
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Old 09-22-2006, 09:19 PM   #23
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Wow, you completely lost me there.
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Old 09-22-2006, 11:41 PM   #24
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I have a a similar question for you Americans.
We had a couple of teachers (really nice people) from The USA visiting our school a couple of days two years ago. They were invited to eat with us, but they said that they had brought therir own food which was fine with us. They still decided to eat together with the children. In Sweden the school lunch can consist of for instance: meatballs and potatoes and sauce, different fish dishes, soup and bread, pasta dishes. All and all it's healthy food. While we're eating, the americans took out chocolate bars and small bags of crisps (expr?) and to go with it, coca cola. My students were quite upset that the visitors got to eat goodies like that, while they were having the fish or whatever was served that day.
My question: Is chocolate bars, crisps and coca cola a normal lunch for an average american?
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Old 09-22-2006, 11:57 PM   #25
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Originally Posted by Jelena View Post
Is chocolate bars, crisps and coca cola a normal lunch for an average american?
That depends on socio-economic position and lifestyle choice. Many Americans eat a great deal of junk food (I call it garbage), and for a number of reasons. One of them is the chosen lack of time due to work schedules and, if they're parents, the inconvenience of cooking at home (which takes time). So they're more likely to go to McDonald's or order in from Domino's Pizza. And it's faster to simply open the cupboard and grab a big bag of Cheetos or Pringle's Potato Crisps than to steam vegetables. This is exactly what I observed when I used to live with my sister and her husband and kids. There was always garbage in the fridge and in the cupboards for them when they come home after school, or their dad would bring home cheeseburgers and fries after work because he was too tired to cook (my sister never really learned from my mom how to make dinners, and she herself is a terrible role model for her own kids, constantly sucking on chocolates and whatnots). Needless to say the kids are overweight and the parents don't exactly have bodies to be proud of.

Another reason is economics. The less affluent you are (especially if you live on welfare or fall in the category of low income) the more likely you eat junk. This is because healthy foods like fruits and vegetables and dairy are more expensive, and so you're forced to buy 'filler foods' such as macaroni & cheese, white bread, donuts, potato chips (crisps), and soda pop (soft drinks), all of which are very cheap. In the long run they contribute to the insane rate of obesity the U.S. is known for.

Still another reason is what I call the culture of instant gratification, fueled by t.v. commercials for Taco Bell or Pizza Hut, especially when many of us are online, watching the game on t.v., or whatever, and we're too damn lazy to get off our asses and actually cook a meal from scratch or at the very least grab a bag of fresh baby carrots or celery from the fridge. We've developed a taste for garbage and the convenient way it's delivered to us.
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Old 09-23-2006, 12:09 AM   #26
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It could also be that your guests in particular were wary of regional foods and decided to go with something that looked 'safe' (i.e. a known quantity). I personally am pretty unfamiliar with swedish food, except for the slightly suspect meatballs at Ikea, which don't really count, so I'm not sure what I would expect a lunch to consist of, and might be inclined to come prepared. I doubt I'd choose crisps and chocolate, but hey

Personally, what I eat for lunch is determined by walking out into the office and saying "Who wants to get some lunch?" and then making everyone else figure out where to eat. In the end, I eat a lot of burritos, or sometimes a sandwich.

I do drink a lot of Dr. Pepper though
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Old 09-23-2006, 12:13 AM   #27
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There's a cafe within walking distance of where I work that makes a decent chipotle chicken wrap to order. That or I just get a salad for lunch. I wash it all down with water. For breakfast before I go to work I usually have carrot/orange juice, a banana, and coffee. I hate eating more than that because I'd get weighed down in the morning. Half the time Nanay has something she cooked (usually a meat and vegetable dish, or salmon) waiting for me for dinner when I get home.
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Old 09-23-2006, 12:18 AM   #28
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Quote:
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There's a cafe within walking distance of where I work that makes a decent chipotle chicken wrap to order.
Mmm, that sounds good. There's a sandwich place near Telltale that makes their own sourdough bread. Tasty stuff.
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Old 09-23-2006, 12:23 AM   #29
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Not surprisingly there's also a McD's and a Taco Bell by that cafe. Maybe once a week I'll get a cheeseburger but I always feel kinda ill in the head after eating it.

When I do brown bag it's sometimes steamed pork gyoza (from Trader Joe's) with rice, salmon sushi rolls (again from Trader Joe's), or Filipino food that Nanay either cooked or bought.
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Old 09-23-2006, 12:25 AM   #30
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Hmm... how are those gyoza when they're steamed? I've never been able to cook them to my satisfaction, but I've never tried just steaming them.
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Old 09-23-2006, 12:26 AM   #31
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I steam them in the microwave. I put them in a bowl, cover the bowl with a paper towel, and spray the paper towel liberally with water.
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Old 09-23-2006, 04:58 AM   #32
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Quote:
Jelena was saying
They still decided to eat together with the children. In Sweden the school lunch can consist of for instance: meatballs and potatoes and sauce, different fish dishes, soup and bread, pasta dishes.
WOW!!! That sounds better than the stuff I had in school!!

The truth is exactly what Tab said. Most people, especially here in the US, are terrible creatures of habit and it sometimes takes a crowbar or cattle prod to make them jump there tracks so to speak.

Honestly your explaination of good food hardly ever gets served in schools here in the US not because the school lunch programs cannot afford it, it's because you cannot get the lil monsters to eat it.
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Old 09-23-2006, 05:23 AM   #33
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Thanks for your replies. Just a few comments:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Intrepid Homoludens View Post
That depends on socio-economic position and lifestyle choice.
In this case these teachers were well educated, working in a private school.
Quote:
Many Americans eat a great deal of junk food (I call it garbage), and for a number of reasons. One of them is the chosen lack of time due to work schedules and, if they're parents, the inconvenience of cooking at home (which takes time). So they're more likely to go to McDonald's or order in from Domino's Pizza.
Having worked full time (45 h/week) for almost 20 years, also during the years were my kids were younger I know what it's like to have busy family life, but I've always liked cooking and have tried hard to have a cooked dinner every night for the family to eat together.
Quote:
Originally Posted by tabacco
I personally am pretty unfamiliar with swedish food, except for the slightly suspect meatballs at Ikea, which don't really count, so I'm not sure what I would expect a lunch to consist of, and might be inclined to come prepared.
That could of course explain it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rlpw
Honestly your explaination of good food hardly ever gets served in schools here in the US not because the school lunch programs cannot afford it, it's because you cannot get the lil monsters to eat it.
I know what you're talking about since I teach myself. The food in Swedish schools have high quality, with a pretty good variety of meals, although I personally find that it's getting worse. Still there are dietitians who make the menues and make sure that the food is nutritious.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Trep
Still another reason is what I call the culture of instant gratification, fueled by t.v. commercials for Taco Bell or Pizza Hut, especially when many of us are online, watching the game on t.v., or whatever, and we're too damn lazy to get off our asses and actually cook a meal from scratch or at the very least grab a bag of fresh baby carrots or celery from the fridge. We've developed a taste for garbage and the convenient way it's delivered to us.
One thing is to mistreat yourself with junk food, but giving your children too much of it and being a lousy role model for your children by snacking away on the wrong things.....it just makes me mad!
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Old 09-23-2006, 06:35 AM   #34
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Here's my two-cents:

I'm from Malaysia where it's an extremely hot country so we have our bath twice a day... seriously, it's really icky if you don't. And you very rarely see anyone wearing the same clothes twice in a week.

But in Russia, it seems that it's the norm to for them to wear the same outfit all week long. I hate to sound really rude, but some of them even have a disagreeable smell. I really have no idea how often it is for them to take their bath (and I'm not sure I want to find out), but I was told that it's not frequent. I assume that it must be due to the cold climate? I really don't know.

Again, I apologize if I've offended anyone.
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Old 09-23-2006, 06:46 AM   #35
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OK I'll you tell something about my Soviet experience. I was there on a study trip and visited schools, but also the Circus. When the show was over and everyone left, there actually were an odour around the audience. I know that hygiene products were hard to get during those years so I'm not criticising. Before we went on this trip we were told that fancy soaps and perfume were excellent giftes to bring along to give our interpreters and guides.
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Old 09-23-2006, 06:54 AM   #36
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Quote:
saucyminx was a sayin
I'm from Malaysia where it's an extremely hot country so we have our bath twice a day... seriously, it's really icky if you don't. And you very rarely see anyone wearing the same clothes twice in a week.
While we have you. Your close to Thailand. Are there any problems in your country caused by the military takeover? I haven't heard from a friend of mine there in ages now. And I cannot help but think the worst (even though folks seem to be happy about it). Every time I hear Asia and military takeover I get flashbacks of Khmer Rouge.
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Old 09-23-2006, 08:04 AM   #37
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Sigh, I'm half Russian.. No, I'm silent, my lips are sealed, I'm not gonna say even one word... *grml*











Spoiler:
(I shower several times a week, I must be an exception..., seriously people, you cant generalize like that)
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Old 09-23-2006, 08:13 AM   #38
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I find that people who wash their hands a lot tend to get sick more often.
Haha, well, BoyToy would fit that theory.
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Old 09-23-2006, 08:29 AM   #39
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kuze View Post
Sigh, I'm half Russian.. No, I'm silent, my lips are sealed, I'm not gonna say even one word... *grml*
And we all luv ya for your understanding of us ignorant foreigners
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Old 09-23-2006, 09:04 AM   #40
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jelena View Post
I have a a similar question for you Americans.
We had a couple of teachers (really nice people) from The USA visiting our school a couple of days two years ago. They were invited to eat with us, but they said that they had brought therir own food which was fine with us. They still decided to eat together with the children. In Swcan consist of for instance: meatballs and potatoes and sauce, different fish dishes, soup and bread, pasta dishes. All and all it's healthy food. While we're eating, the americans took out chocolate bars and small bags of crisps (expr?) and to go with it, coca cola. My students were quite upset that the visitors got to eat goodies like that, while they were having the fish or whatever was served that day.
My question: Is chocolate bars, crisps and coca cola a normal lunch for an average american?
First off, I think you're lying. Perhaps you were offended by the original comments, and went for the typical and sadly easy throat of the whole "fat Americans" thing, or maybe you were just trying to be snide and sarcastic, but I don't care what country you're in, unless it's a country who has a steady diet of shit, nobody except maybe unsupervised 12-year-olds bring chocolate bars and "crisps" (whatever that is) for lunch. Fish, bread, soup and pasta dishes are ALSO typical American dishes, so I find it hard to believe that they were freaked out by this and decided to stick with their safe chocolate bars.

Sure, you'll deny lying, but since you seem to be rather bad at it, you might as well not waste your time...unless trep is the only one reading into it.
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