Your country baffles me...
I've had this floating in my brain for a while now. We're all pretty much able to watch TV shows from other countries these days, legally or not, and some of us are lucky enough to travel. Then there's news reports that give you a glimpse into life in other countries. What I'm wondering is if you've ever been baffled by why something is the way it is?
For example, when I was in France back in 1999, I stayed in both private residences and a mini-apartment. In all cases, the light switch for the bathroom was outside, and it was the only room done that way. I kept picturing kids turning the lights off on each other or their parents, but couldn't quite figure out why it was done this way. Was it a safety feature to keep the electrical switch outside a room with a lot of water? If so, what about the electrical outlets inside, and the switch and outlets in the kitchen being inside? Maybe it started as a safety thing back in the day, and evolved into an "it's always been done that way" thing?
Watching British TV, there's two things that have intrigued me. One is that most exterior front doors do not have a knob or handle, apparently the norm is to unlock the door with a key and push it open from there, but there's usually some sort of handle on the interior. One reason I thought that might be the case is some buildings have been repurposed for living spaces, or doorknobs are just not the standard, though I have seen them on some buildings. The second thing is apparently the clothes washer is in the kitchen in a lot of cases? I guess to take advantage of the existing plumbing, though I do know my friend in France had hers in her bathroom, where there was enough space to have a device to hang up her clothing indoors. Again, it's an existing plumbing thing. In my house, we have what we call a "utility room" which houses a clothes washer, dryer, deep freeze, and some extra kitchen style cabinets and a sink. It's sort of a catch-all room for storing stuff you don't know where else to put.
So is there anything that's puzzled you from American shows or news reports? No guarantee that I have an answer, since I'm in a rural area and might not be able to answer things related to more urban life. Plus there's a big difference in the various regions of the country to the point it often feels like a loose collection of multiple countries. All I can say is if you're a Brit and refer to Americans as "Yanks" while you're in the Deep South, consider yourself lucky if you just get a dirty look.
For example, when I was in France back in 1999, I stayed in both private residences and a mini-apartment. In all cases, the light switch for the bathroom was outside, and it was the only room done that way. I kept picturing kids turning the lights off on each other or their parents, but couldn't quite figure out why it was done this way. Was it a safety feature to keep the electrical switch outside a room with a lot of water? If so, what about the electrical outlets inside, and the switch and outlets in the kitchen being inside? Maybe it started as a safety thing back in the day, and evolved into an "it's always been done that way" thing?
Watching British TV, there's two things that have intrigued me. One is that most exterior front doors do not have a knob or handle, apparently the norm is to unlock the door with a key and push it open from there, but there's usually some sort of handle on the interior. One reason I thought that might be the case is some buildings have been repurposed for living spaces, or doorknobs are just not the standard, though I have seen them on some buildings. The second thing is apparently the clothes washer is in the kitchen in a lot of cases? I guess to take advantage of the existing plumbing, though I do know my friend in France had hers in her bathroom, where there was enough space to have a device to hang up her clothing indoors. Again, it's an existing plumbing thing. In my house, we have what we call a "utility room" which houses a clothes washer, dryer, deep freeze, and some extra kitchen style cabinets and a sink. It's sort of a catch-all room for storing stuff you don't know where else to put.
So is there anything that's puzzled you from American shows or news reports? No guarantee that I have an answer, since I'm in a rural area and might not be able to answer things related to more urban life. Plus there's a big difference in the various regions of the country to the point it often feels like a loose collection of multiple countries. All I can say is if you're a Brit and refer to Americans as "Yanks" while you're in the Deep South, consider yourself lucky if you just get a dirty look.