Don’t fall prey to these fitness misconceptions, experts tell us…

Inspired by the numerous models flaunting their hot-bods in commercials on the small screen and by actors on the big screen, you finally decide to join your local gym. But before you step into the ‘fitness world’ there are a few workout misconceptions that you need to be aware of. Here’s busting some myths…

Exercising on empty stomach

According to fitness expert Nawaz Modi Singhania, one of the most common mistakes people make when they start to workout is by starting to exercise on an empty stomach. “Working out on an empty stomach could lead to fatigue, even before your body actually starts metabolising the fat,” she says. “But don’t exercise on a full stomach either.” The healthy thing to do is to not eat a heavy meal for at least an hour before you begin your workout. Instead have a light health snack. “A fruit or health biscuits are a good option,” she says.

Join a gym to get fit
This is another common misconception, point out health experts. Any form of activity that gives your body an overall workout including cycling, dancing, jogging or even swimming is just as good a way to get fit as joining a gym. As long as you get exercise in some form, being fit need not be synonymous with gymming.

Women bulk up like men if they do weights
“Regular workouts only make the muscles firm and taut. It’s a myth that women bulk up like men do,” clarifies clinical fitness specialist Namita Jain. “Unless a woman works towards achieving that look, it’s highly unlikely, that she will bulk up by default,” adds Namita.

Expecting miracles
The perfectly-sculpted bodies that you see on TV are not made over a day. It needs patience, dietary discipline and a lot of hard work. Fitness instructors who promise you otherwise in just a few weeks are exactly the ones you’d want to avoid.

Excessive sweating means you’re unfit
“Sweating is simply a mean to release the heat from the body to keep your body temperature normal. It just efficiently cools down your body and it’s perfectly normal,” say experts.

The more you exercise, the better it is
Yes, there is a thing as over-exercising, and it can cause injury. Your muscles need at least 24 hours to repair themselves. It’s important to rest your muscles too to avoid muscle fatigue.

Supplements are a must for fitness
Supplements cannot compensate for poor nutrition. “They can be an added, but never the main foods. Vitamins, proteins and carbohydrates work best for the body in their natural forms”.

Do not eat immediately after training
Post-workout nutrition is as important as what you eat before it. Include protein and carbohydrates in your diet and not just any one. Studies have shown that proper post workout nutrition increases protein synthesis, suppresses cortisol, replenishes glycogen, and enhances recovery.

Here goes Argentina

Algerian Fans

Here goes BRAZIL

CAMEROON

CHILE

DENMARK

ENGLISH

FRENCH

THE GERMANS

GHANA

GREEK

ITALIANS

THE MEXICANS

NETHERLANDS

PARAGUAY

PORTUGAL

SLOVAKIA

SLOVENIA

THE HOSTS- SOUTH AFRICA

SOUTH KOREA

SPAIN

Switzerland

USA

Image Courtesy: Getty Images

Cribber:

Women who crib, talk negatively and belittle people are a great turn-off. Sure we all have our bags full of complaints, but it is one thing to complain once in a while, and it’s something else to crib big time 24×7 about every issue or every person one comes across. Men can’t understand why a woman has to crib and bitch all the time. Either you do something about the issue or stop complaining – it’s as simple as that.

Weight-watcher:

‘Oh can’t have beer, it has 150 calories’, ‘I must hit the gym everyday’ – if these are your favourite catchwords, you have trouble coming your way. There is only so much diet, exercise regimens men can take and if you are too conscious, a man is likely to be exasperated. Women need to know when to give in ‘without throwing their weight around’!

In-law basher:

Agreed only the fortunate are blessed with a good set of in-laws. So if you are not one of the lucky ones, will you constantly bash them up verbally? They are somebody’s parents and if you don’t have anything nice to say something about them, don’t say anything. How does that sound?

Worker bee:

If you are buzzing nineteen to a dozen only about the presentations you have to make for the boss, deadlines, colleagues, HR head and the office

janitor – it’s obvious you have nothing else to talk about. A man may want to know about your interests, your views on him, and more, but you prefer to hide behind ‘work’ all the time. If you want a man, any man actually – get a life first.

Agony aunt:

There are some women who constantly feel they are an ‘advisory body’. They feel it is their business to hear out the whines of everyone around them and suggest suitable solutions. They are so deeply involved in this part-time job that they inadvertently sound like they are advising you as well. Nobody wants to date a mom, you know.

Overbearing, obsessively rude, noisy, and opinionated – there are so many things that can be found annoying in that one person in Office. So, what actually are some of the ‘universally’ bad behaviors for office work? Here’s a look at the top 10 annoying office habits…

1. Office drummers - There are lesser annoying office habits than the person who has to tap out a rhythm while waiting for their brain to submerge into the work they’re assigned.

2. Foghorn phone voice – The breed of office worker who raises their tone several decibels as soon as they pick up the phone.

3. Pod pong - Well, these are those people who marinate themselves in perfumes overnight.

4. Key smashers – All offices have at least one person who appears to think that to make the little symbols on their keyboard appear on the screen, they need to exert the force of an atomic bomb through the ends of their digits.

5. Paid for nothing – In this case, an employee gets paid for standing out in the sunshine chatting to wheezy and addicted mates while the fresh-lunged members of the workforce are indoors putting their mind to work.

6. Snot funny - What is it with people, who riddled with pleurisy, the bubonic plague or cancer of the entire body, still think it’s a good idea to come in to work? The world really won’t stop if that report doesn’t get finished and the boss more likely regards you as a mug than a martyr. Your work mates, of course, will shower you with love for ruining their plans for the weekend and keeping their kids out of school.

7. Lucifer’s lunch – Egg and mayonnaise sandwiches, tuna fishcakes, blue cheese with crackers, breakfast burritos with extra onion and chips with salt and vinegar – all food items which should be banned from the workplace, thanks to their smell.

8. Ringtone hell - This section includes all those people who play bits of their favourite heavy metal music collection from a speaker on their desk, via their mobile phone.

9. Space invaders – You distinctly remember hearing the boss bring your new work mate over to his or her work area and say, “This is your desk”. The boss did not follow that up with the words, “but feel free to use your colleague’s desk for overspill if there’s not enough room for your inane gossip magazines and pictures of your 17 children”.

10. Eau de underarm – There are fewer things more noxious than a damp-shirted male who, after working up a sweat running for the bus, is left to “mature” over a keyboard for eight hours.

But, the pitfalls while selecting a property, especially for NRIs, are many and it has been seen that people while buying property overlook some important factors and suffer later. As the investment involved in purchasing a property is substantial, it is essential that buyers go about it in an organized and methodical way.

When buying a property, ensure that the title of the land in question is clear. The property title is the legal document that confers ownership of the land on the seller. V Ramesh from California bought a house without checking the title. Soon thereafter he got a legal notice from the actual owner. Rues Ramesh, “I was shocked when I got a legal notice and realized my folly when it was too late.” Cases such as these are common among NRIs who simply grab the first property they like without checking the title.

Not many are aware that the purchase price of the property is not the only cost to be borne. You need to factor in other hidden costs such as brokerage, stamp duty, legal fees, inspection fees, mortgage fees and the like. Ensure that you’ve budgeted for these too lest they spring up unpleasant surprises later.

A commencement certificate is issued by the local authorities to allow the builder to begin construction once all norms have been met. Unless the commencement certificate is granted, the construction is illegal or may never happen. If you don’t verify the project’s commencement certificate, you could end up paying money for a property that will never be constructed. And that’s exactly what happened to Sameer Shah when he paid a huge amount for an apartment in Mumbai which was under construction only to realize later that it was an illegal construction. He says, “I have filed a case against the builder, but I don’t have any hope of recovering my money.”

Another important document is an occupation certificate which is issued by the local municipal body after the builder has provided basic amenities like electricity and water besides having constructed according to the permission granted. Do not sign on the dotted line until you check this document.

Suresh Prabhu bought an apartment in a newly constructed building in a posh locality. But after all the formalities had been completed he got a shock when he found out that the building did not have an intimation of disapproval (IoD). An IoD is a set of instructions that a builder has to fulfil in order to construct the building. It is valid for one year and has to be reissued if the construction is not completed in a year’s time. Unfortunately, Suresh was unaware that the builder had flouted this regulation and that it had got into a legal wrangle. He waited for nearly two years for the possession of this apartment.

There have been several cases in which builders have failed to provide adequate water supply connections leaving residents high and dry. In such instances, residents have no choice but to depend on water tankers. Ensure that your property has adequate water supply connections.

Acute power shortage is a reality in several areas in India, even in metros like Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai. Voltage fluctuations too are common which can damage delicate electrical equipment. Take this into account before you narrow down on a property.

A buyer needs to get the survey number of his property. This is the unique identification number given to a plot of land to help identify the same as an authorized building. Certain areas like forest or agricultural land are out of bounds for residential purposes. Finding out the survey number protects you from being taken for a ride by a builder who constructs houses in a prohibited area and charges you for it. Such a building could be declared illegal and demolished by the authorities without paying you any compensation. So beware!

A background check on the reputation of the builder needs to be done, as you may land up buying a property from a builder with a dubious reputation. There have been instances where builders have constructed poor-quality flats or have swindled people of their money. Ensure that you buy property from a reputed builder.

Buying an apartment not only involves a substantial investment but also has long-term repercussions. It pays to do your homework before embarking on this exercise, to prevent your property from becoming a millstone around your neck.

STRESS vs TIME

1 . Stonehenge, UK :

Famous for its astonishingly huge stones. The summer solstice ceremony held by druids and New Agers confirm it as a cathedral to mystical paganism.

Reality: Tourists can’t touch the stones, can’t walk inside the area, can’t wander about its space and have to pay an entrance fee to see it.

Why not: Go to a place where access is easy and there are no restrictions. And what is this about entrance fees?

2. Petra in Jordan :

It rises out of rose-red sandstone in a hidden valley. Firmly featuring on the itinerary of every traveller to the Middle East since the days of the Grand Tour, Petra is one of the most visited sites in the Middle East.

Reality: The tourism village that has grown up around Petra now threatens to outsize the ancient city itself.

Why not: Go to a place that’s off-beat and where the only face you can see is that of your beloved.

3. Colosseum in Rome, Italy :

A breathtaking sight for tourists.

Reality: The sight is often crowded and usually has long queues. The entire building is a traffic roundabout and the interior is too precious to host concerts. Then, there is the danger of tourists falling victim to pickpockets.

Why not: Honeymooners don’t have the time to stand in queues! Every moment is precious, remember?

4. Machu Picchu in Peru :

It is South America’s most-promoted destination. It has held the top spot for travellers eager to see the majesty of the Inca for several years.

Reality: The journey to Machu Picchu is not pleasant, and the entrance fee has risen to more than 25 pounds.

Why not: What is it about entrance fees?

5. Angkor in Cambodia :

It boasts of some of the most jaw-dropping Buddhist monuments in Southeast Asia. The dozens of spectacular temples here are crowned by the peerless Angkor Wat – the site’s largest monument – in a memorably atmospheric setting among gnarled jungles and glass-like paddy fields.

Reality: There’s no escaping the crowds here. The days when Angkor was a remote and challenging destination are sadly long gone. The temples are now firmly on the international sightseeing circuit, making it hard to appreciate their majestic architecture and profound religious significance in anything approaching peace and quiet.

Why not: Well, since most honeymooners to be by themselves with no living being in sight, this destination will have to change.

But when this pain is persistent and hinder your day to day activities, it should become a cause of worry.

Fibromyalgia may not be a household name, but it affects 30 per cent of population. ‘Fibro’ stands for fibrous body tissues and ‘algia’ stands for aches. So fibromyalgia stands for pain in the body tissues that is continual.

What is it?

Fibromyalgia is a muscular ailment that is characterised by muscle pains, fatigue and tenderness in areas such as the spine, neck, shoulder and hips (also known as ‘tender points’). These points hurt throughout the day and especially when strained excessively, for example while lifting a heavy stuffs, studying with head bent down or working on the computer.

Who can it affect?

Of the 30 per cent of population that fibromyalgia affects most are women. In men, it is common in those who indulge in excessive physical activity that revolves around one joint.

Even though it can occur at any age, people between the ages of 20-35 are more prone to fibromyalgia. This especially includes working professionals who have sedentary lifestyles.

SYMPTOMS

• Difficulty in sleeping
• Feeling tired even after sleeping all night
• Frequent headaches
• Numbness in hands and feet
• Bodily stiffness
• Difficulty in waking up/ laziness
• Sometimes it can result in irritation and severe depression in the patient
• Aches in different areas of the body. Particularly near the upper back, shoulder blade and neck.

Causes

There is no absolute cause that can pinpoint why fibromyalgia occurs. But there are things that trigger it – accident, childbirth, stress, faulty sleeping habits (sleeping face down repeatedly). When the muscle or ligaments in the body are severely strained over a period of time, fibromyalgia occurs. Also sometimes after a severe muscle injury, the healing makes the muscles stiff, making it lose its original flexibility, thereby resulting in the ailment. Research has also found that deficiency of serotonin in the central nervous system and resulting the imbalance is blamed for its occurrence.

Treatment

There are a number of ways to deal with fibromyalgia.

There are oral muscle relaxant pills and painkiller ointments that are prescribed to the patient.

If the fibromyalgia is at a more serious level, then regular physiotherapy is also administered.

In some cases when fibromyalgia leads to depression, anti-depressants are prescribed.

Clinical healing through heat or vibration treatment can also be given to the patient.

Coping with it

Since fibromyalgia has no fixed cure, only its symptoms can be treated by effectively managing it. Here is how to cope:

Stretching exercises:

Stiffness is often caused by fibromyalgia. This can be treated with simple stretching exercises. Try out active stretching (stretching through yoga) instead of using gym equipments. You could even workout

on the gym ball. However make sure you inform your trainer about your weak spots.

Swimming:

Swimming relaxes the mind and energizes the body. It will equally stretch the entire body at one go.

Hot water bath:

If you feel lazy after waking up, massage your body with scented oils and have a hot water bath to refresh yourself.

Relaxation:

Take short breaks while working for a long period of time. This will calm down the strained muscle.

But when this pain is persistent and hinder your day to day activities, it should become a cause of worry.

Fibromyalgia

may not be a household name, but it affects 30 per cent of population. ‘Fibro’ stands for fibrous body tissues and ‘algia’ stands for aches. So fibromyalgia stands for pain in the body tissues that is continual.

What is it?

Fibromyalgia is a muscular ailment that is characterised by muscle pains, fatigue and tenderness in areas such as the spine, neck, shoulder and hips (also known as ‘tender points’). These points hurt throughout the day and especially when strained excessively, for example while lifting a heavy bucket, studying with head bent down or working on the computer.

Who can it affect?

Of the 30 per cent of population that fibromyalgia affects most are women. In men, it is common in those who indulge in excessive physical activity that revolves around one joint.

Even though it can occur at any age, people between the ages of 20-35 are more prone to fibromyalgia. This especially includes working professionals who have sedentary lifestyles.

SYMPTOMS

Difficulty in sleeping

Feeling tired even after sleeping all night

Frequent headaches

Numbness in hands and feet

Bodily stiffness

Difficulty in waking up/ laziness

Sometimes it can result in irritation and severe depression in the patient

Aches in different areas of the body. Particularly near the upper back, shoulder blade and neck.

Causes

There is no absolute cause that can pinpoint why fibromyalgia occurs. But there are things that trigger it – accident, childbirth, stress, faulty sleeping habits (sleeping face down repeatedly). When the muscle or ligaments in the body are severely strained over a period of time, fibromyalgia occurs. Also sometimes after a severe muscle injury, the healing makes the muscles stiff, making it lose its original flexibility, thereby resulting in the ailment. Research has also found that deficiency of serotonin in the central nervous system and resulting the imbalance is blamed for its occurrence.

Treatment

There are a number of ways to deal with fibromyalgia.

There are oral muscle relaxant pills and painkiller ointments that are prescribed to the patient.

If the fibromyalgia is at a more serious level, then regular physiotherapy is also administered.

In some cases when fibromyalgia leads to depression, anti-depressants are prescribed.

Clinical healing through heat or vibration treatment can also be given to the patient.

Coping with it

Since fibromyalgia has no fixed cure, only its symptoms can be treated by effectively managing it. Here is how to cope:

Stretching exercises:

Stiffness is often caused by fibromyalgia. This can be treated with simple stretching exercises. Try out active stretching (stretching through yoga) instead of using gym equipments. You could even workout

on the gym ball. However make sure you inform your trainer about your weak spots.

Swimming:

Swimming relaxes the mind and energizes the body. It will equally stretch the entire body at one go.

Hot water bath:

If you feel lazy after waking up, massage your body with scented oils and have a hot water bath to refresh yourself.

Relaxation:

Take short breaks while working for a long period of time. This will calm down the strained muscle.

The cultural gap across the Atlantic

The Western world (i.e. Europe, the Americas, Australia and New Zealand) could be considered as a single “Western civilisation”. ‘Westernness’ could be defined by people who are ethnically or culturally European, in other words people of European descent or speaking a European language as their mother-tongue.

Europe itself has the greatest linguistic and cultural diversity of the Western world. However, the common history, geography and socio-political evolution of the European continent, as well as the cultural divergences that have occured in former colonies, have resulted in the creation of a common basis for European culture that contrast (sometimes sharply) with the USA or the rest of the Western world.

Here is a summary of my observations on the differences between Europeans and Americans (USA). These are of course the major trends, and exception exit everywhere. Irish and Polish people, for instance, tend to be closer to the American mainstream than to some of their fellow Europeans. Canadians are somewhere in between, sometimes more European, but often closer to their southern neighbors.

Feeling of time & distances

Perception is shaped by our environment. A 100-year old house or church is considered new by Europeans, but old by Americans. I have even heard Americans think that 200 years was “ancient”. For a European “ancient” refers to something that is typically 2,000 to 5,000 years old (related to the Antiquity, not antiques !).

Things are reversed when it comes to distances. Europeans would tend to think that driving 100 km is quite a long way, while for Americans that would be rather near. This is due to the much higher density of population in Europe, and the smaller size of Europe (believe it or not the EU is over twice smaller than the USA). Yet, Europeans travel much more than Americans, inside or outside their own continent. This might be because Europeans are used to go “abroad” since their childhood, European countries being so small, and do not feel the whole experience to be so exceptional. Supposedly Seatlle residents feel the same about going to Canada, a stone’s throw away.

Cars

Almost all Europeans have cars with manual gears, while Americans have a marked preference for automatic ones.

European cars are also very different in style than their American counterparts. American cars tend to be more massive and squarer, because size matters in the States. Americans have a fondness for (very) long limousines as well as pick-up trucks (in the country). Both are virtually unseen in Europe. Europeans like rounder designs of cars. Smaller cars are much more common in Europe, probably because Europe has a more urbanised population and small cars are easier to park in cities (especially on pavements of historical cities where big parking lots are rarer than in the USA).

Washing machines

European washing machines normally have only a cold water inlet (the water brought to adequate temperature inside the machine) as opposed to a hot and cold water inlet in the USA. European washing machines are almost always loaded from the front, as opposed to the top in the USA. Interestingly, Japan decided to follow the American system.

Measure System

All Europeans use the metric system (metres, grammes, litres, Celsius, etc.). Although Americans do learn it at school, the vast majority of them still use the old English Imperial system (yards, miles, pounds, Fahrenheit, etc.) for everyday life.

Date and time system

Europeans write the date in the format “Day Month Year”, whereas Americans use “Month Day, Year”. Americans usually consider that the week starts on Sunday and ends on Saturday, while in Europe it always starts on Monday and finishes on Sunday.

Most non-English-speaking Europeans use the 24h system, as opposed to the 12h system used in English-speaking countries.

Public holidays

Labor Day (1st May) is a national holiday in (most) European countries, but not in the USA. EU countries also celebrate Europe Day (5th or 9th May), although it is not an official holiday (yet).

Social customs

Europeans think of “traditions” like baby showers and bachelor(ette)’s night with strip-teasers as typically American (which they are). This is something most Europeans only see in US series and movies. The same is true of Thanksgiving and, until the late 1990′s, of Halloween (but this last one exported itself well to Europe and East Asia).

Schooling

Schools and universities are free in most European countries. Europeans see university as granted, while American families often have to save for years for their children to attend one. What is more, universities in most countries around the world have entry exams, while only a few European countries do (like the UK).

North Americans have prom night at the end of the last academic year of high school (and sometimes also middle school), while Europeans have no such tradition.

Languages

Foreign-language learning in Europe is now compulsory in every country since primary (elementary) school. Most Europeans learn 2 to 4 foreign languages, for obvious reasons. Americans usually only speak English (+ their mother tongue for immigrants) because they do not need more in their huge country.

Politics

Europeans tend to be more liberal regarding soft drugs, prostitution, alcohol, abortion, or cloning (but interestingly not so for GM food). Americans on the contrary grant greater freedoms when it comes to gun possession, as well as driving a car from a relatively young age (the norm is 18 years old in Europe).

Government system

Americans have a “Congress”, while Europeans all have “Parliaments”.

American politcs is chiefly curtailed to two parties, which would be center-right and right, but lack influential left-wing or green parties. It is rare for a European country to have less than 3 main parties. It is often 4 or 5, which makes politics less bipolar (but often also more complicated to reach agreements).

The American police (FBI) is much more “aggressive” than the police in Europe (car chases, break into houses with guns shouting “police, don’t move, hands on your head !” or such scenes almost non-existent in Europe). Suspects in the US are detained more easily and interrogated more harshly. Americans also go to court much more promptly than in Europe.

The legality of guns in the States also makes daily life and one’s sense of safety completely different from Europe.

Patriotism

Americans put much more emphasis on patriotism than Europeans. Being a patriot is a way of life in the USA. The term is rarely used in Europe.

Few Europeans would mind rational critics of their country’s government, while a good deal of Americans find them offensive or disrespectful (especially from non-Americans). Some Americans go as far as regarding criticism of their government as a personal attack. Europeans are only too happy to hear other people criticizing their own politicians or their country’s problems.

Religion

Americans are much more religious than Europeans. Church going is very popular in the US, where it is seen as an indispensable way of socializing. In Europe the practice has almost entirely disappeared and is mostly limited to the elderly, or special events like weddings or Christmas.

God is often mentioned by American politicians, but almost never in Europe. Mixing religion and politics is taboo in many European countries (notably France), due to the stricter separation of state and religion. There are exceptions, such as Poland or Spain, but even these countries do not appear very religious compared to the USA.

More extremely, a majority of Americans would find offensive for someone to openly claim not to believe in god, whereas the opposite is often true in Europe.

Circumcision

Circumcision is almost unheard of in Europe, as in most of the non-Muslim and non-Jewish world. The practice became very popular in the USA after WWII, and over 90% of baby boys born during the Cold War era (until the 1980′s) were automatically circumcised, with or without their parents’ consent. It is becoming less common nowadays. Nevertheless, a 2002 survey revealed that 79% of American men were circumcised. The prevalence was lower among Hispanic men, and lowest of all in men born outside the US.

Political correctness

Due to their great ethnic and religious diversity, Americans have developed a more acute sense of political correctness, in an attempt to attenuate frictions between the various groups. Europeans still associate very much with their place of birth with their ethnicity, language and culture. In fact, until recently, adjectives for language, ethnic group and nationality would often match (with notable exceptions, like Belgium and Switzerland). In the US (almost) everybody has the same nationality and language, and it is ethnicities and religions that differentiate people first, hence the greater importance for respect toward other ethnicities and religions in the USA.

In Europe the emphasis of respect is put on cultures and languages. Making aggressive jokes about a particular linguistic or cultural group (e.g. calling the French “cheese-eating monkies) because of the importance of cheese in French culture), for instance, is the equivalent of attacking a particular ethnic or religious group in the US. It’s a big no-no. However, making fun of religions is usually quite acceptable in Europe.

Food

Europeans all have a lot of traditional dishes from their region or city. Specialties tend to be very local, so that some pastries can be seen in one town, but not 100 km away.

Europeans eat more varied and balanced meals (especially in southern cultures) and less fast food than Americans (except maybe the Brits). Europeans eat more cheese (not just the French !), more yoghurts, and on average drink more wine and stronger beers than Americans.

Americans consume sweeter food and much more soft drinks than Europeans. US alcohol laws are much tougher than anywhere in Europe (see map of legal age to drink alcohol in Europe below).

Sports

It is interesting how the popularity of sports can be so different between Europe and North America. The most popular sports in ALL Europe is football (soccer), probably followed by tennis, cycling, and Formula 1 (as well as other motor races). In the US, soccer and F1 are far away in the popularity ranking. It is baseball, basketball, ice hockey and American football that attract the crowds and make money. And as much as European sports lack popularity in the US, the reverse is true (except for basketball).

Dating & Marriage

While marriage is increasingly seen as a completely optional “folkloric tradition” in Europe, it is still quite important in the USA (probably because religion is also more important there). Statistically Americans marry much more than Europeans, but also divorce more. Gay marriage, now legal in several EU countries and hardly an issue for debate in Europe (because of the little importance of marriage in Europe nowadays), is still vehemently opposed by a big part of the US population.

Wedding ceremonies are also much more important and formal in the USA. In most of Europe it is limited to an informal family gathering (usually at the bride or groom’s parental home). Marriage traditions do vary considerably between European countries, and even more between families. But in average it is certainly less important than in the States (or in Asian countries for that matter).

Furthermore, there are some strong nationwide American traditions regarding wedding ceremonies, like bringing “something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue”. There is obviously no equivalent thing at a European level, and most often not even at a national or regional level.

In fact, even the way of dating tends to follow so well-defined rules in the USA. For instance, there are widely followed conventions about sleeping on the 3rd date. Men know they shouldn’t expect to see a woman again if she insists to split the bill (“check” in AmE) at the end of their first date. The way of proposing, or buying an expensive ring are more important for Americans too. In Europe, the way of doing things is more informal and spontaneous, and can varies a lot from one region to another, and even on a person to person basis. Sometimes, that makes Europeans envious of how easy and clear things look in the USA in comparison. The drawback is that it seems too stereotypical, especially if you don’t like the conventions.

Nobility

Europe still has a class of noble people (restored in Eastern Europe after the fall of communism), and many countries will mention the title (e.g. Baron) in official documents. About 1% of family names still have a “noble particle” (uncapitalized “de”, “di”, “von”, “van”, etc.) and it does have a meaning for some people. Europe also has hundreds of thousands of castles reminding people on a nearly daily basis of the time where nobility once ruled over everything.

Military politics

It is prohibited in most of Europe for the military people, or anyone with a professional military history to become a politician. This means that they become politically ineligible. In the USA, the reverse is almost true. It is almost required to have a military history to become president, and quite a few Congress people have also served in the army. Maybe this is because the president’s image is still strongly associated with that of the “commander in chief”, and because defense (or offense) is so important in US politics.

Let’s also note the common use of gangsters and criminals in the US military for their “killing talents”, and the way they can pass from notorious criminals to national heroes – something mostly unheard of in Europe. The US government has even used this tactics in post-war Japan to fight communism by forgiving and rehabilitating convicted war criminals and yakuza leaders (some even became Prime Ministers with the support of the US, like Kishi Nobusuke).