Common Myths About Our Respective Countries

[DarkFish]

Originally Posted by Tchocky

I'm moving to Maastricht next week, this stuff is bloody vital. Keep it coming!

Maastricht? In that case two especially for you:

Limburg (the province of which Maastricht is the capital) is part of the Netherlands
Not true! Just ask anyone in Brabant!

The Limburgish people speak Dutch
Not true. They speak some very strange mix of German, Flemish Dutch and some words of their own, and end every single spoken sentence with a question mark.

[DarkFish]

Originally Posted by Tchocky

Note to world - do not serve Guinness without making sure you know how.

And that's why Dutch/Belgian beer is better: you do not have to wait for it

[Jimbuna]

Holland is famous for her beautiful mountains.

Always take your own pedal bike with you when touring because they are extremely rare and hard to find once you are there.

Pickled fresh herring is a wonderfully tasty dish.

[krashkart]

Originally Posted by jimbuna

Pickled fresh herring is a wonderfully tasty dish.

*runs off to grocery store*

[DarkFish]

Originally Posted by jimbuna

Holland is famous for her beautiful mountains.

Not true. But there are some hills north of Arnhem, and Limburg is pretty mountainous.

Always take your own pedal bike with you when touring because they are extremely rare and hard to find once you are there.

True, they are very hard to find

Pickled fresh herring is a wonderfully tasty dish.

True

[DarkFish]

Originally Posted by krashkart

*runs off to grocery store*

Sorry, you won't find them there
In fact, you probably will find them nowhere except in the Netherlands (and Flanders maybe).

And I wouldn't recommend buying some fresh herring and go salt and ferment them yourself

[krashkart]

Originally Posted by DarkFish

Sorry, you won't find them there
In fact, you probably will find them nowhere except in the Netherlands (and Flanders maybe).

And I wouldn't recommend buying some fresh herring and go salt and ferment them yourself

I was thinking of the 'pickled' (marinated) herring they sell at the store. I'm not sure about fermented fish...

[DarkFish]

Originally Posted by krashkart

I was thinking of the 'pickled' (marinated) herring they sell at the store. I'm not sure about fermented fish...

Well, 'pickling' can be done in brine too, and that's the pickling done on our Hollandse Nieuwe.

Anyway, the fact that herring is usually served with raw onion here is sometimes attributed to be originally to conceal the rotten taste of old herring that had been fermenting for a year
With current technologies the herring stays reasonably good, but you still can clearly taste the difference between new herring and the herring that's been caught a year ago.

[UnderseaLcpl]

I thought this thread was supposed to be about myths regarding our own countries, not about things we've heard about other countries. Have I been missing an opportunity to make fun of other countries all this time!?

I think I'll start with Kyrgyzstan because it's so easy; the people are called Kyrgyz, and it just goes downhill from there. Kyrgyzstan, in addition to being just another "-stan"(Soviets Took All Niceties), is a nation where the main import is bullying and its main export is forcefully extracted lunch money. Ironically, the ephonymn Kyrgyz comes from some Turkish word that means "unconquerable". It was a this point that the nation's history became more sad than funny.

All but impossible to find, or pronounce, or care about, as well as having a name that is just too silly to be taken seriosuly, but not quite spellable enough to be used as a joke, Kyrgyzstan is the world's least influential nation-state.

[Platapus]

In the United States, we "won" the Mexican American war, but still ended up with Texas.

[TarJak]

Originally Posted by jimbuna

Pickled fresh herring is a wonderfully tasty dish.

You really were soused the whole time you were there weren't you?

[nikimcbee]

Originally Posted by UnderseaLcpl

I thought this thread was supposed to be about myths regarding our own countries, not about things we've heard about other countries. Have I been missing an opportunity to make fun of other countries all this time!?

I think I'll start with Kyrgyzstan because it's so easy; the people are called Kyrgyz, and it just goes downhill from there. Kyrgyzstan, in addition to being just another "-stan"(Soviets Took All Niceties), is a nation where the main import is bullying and its main export is forcefully extracted lunch money. Ironically, the ephonymn Kyrgyz comes from some Turkish word that means "unconquerable". It was a this point that the nation's history became more sad than funny.

All but impossible to find, or pronounce, or care about, as well as having a name that is just too silly to be taken seriosuly, but not quite spellable enough to be used as a joke, Kyrgyzstan is the world's least influential nation-state.

So, is it too late to post; all Germans are blond, chubby, wear lederhosen, and eat chocolate?

[UnderseaLcpl]

Originally Posted by Platapus

In the United States, we "won" the Mexican American war, but still ended up with Texas.

Hey, we're not the ones who waged a war to keep us in the Union.

[STEED]

The UK is a nation of shop keepers.

Not any more, so heres the new saying...

The UK is a nation of curry houses.

[Sailor Steve]

Myth: The US is the great Melting Pot.

Truth: The US is the great Stir-Fry Bratwurst Enchilada Pizza Parlor!