Differences Between Americans and Europeans

My sister got a chance to visit me in Brussels last year. I went to pick her up at the airport and just as Sarah Kathryn and I were getting settled on the train back from the airport she said, "SO WHAT ARE THE OBVIOUS SIGNS SOMEONE IS AN AMERICAN?" to which I replied, "They talk really loud." After that, she was really very good about trying to fit in and keep her voice down. But her question has gotten me thinking about why it is so easy and obvious to see when someone is an American or a European. Some of the different ways I can quickly tell where a person might be from are:

Hair: European men wear more hair gel than most American men. They also seem to dye or at least highlight their hair. European men's hairstyles often seem to be shorter with a spiky, messed up look. Click here for a perfect example. I am biased coming from the South, but European women's hair is much flatter than Southerners.

Glasses: Europeans are definitely much more adventurous in their choice of eyewear. There are a wider (and crazier) range of colors and styles to choose from. Italians especially love clear frames. I have tried many pairs on over here because I want to look more European, but they are all just a little too weird for me to get past!

Teeth: One of the most obvious ways to know someone is American is by their teeth. No one puts more money and time into making and keeping their teeth straight and white than Americans do. Case in point: a group of American's teeth versus European's. Someone explained to me that Europeans only have reactive health care, rather than preventative. So they will deal with your teeth when there is a cavity, but you won't get bi-annual teeth cleanings as a child to prevent those cavities. However, I will also mention that this person told me that Europeans make fun of Americans' obsession with stright white teeth. As he views it, why do we care so much about having the appearance of good teeth when we let our bodies get fat and out of shape. If we are that into image, we should care about our entire image.

A good example of both the glasses and teeth difference is here.

Weight: Along the lines of Americans' size, I was in an aerobics class at the gym the other day. There were 15 other women in the class and only one was a larger woman. Every other female was an average size and weight, anywhere between a US size 4-10. The thing about Europeans is that they are not to either extreme -- super skinny (like Nicole Richie) or super big (like Rosie O'Donnell). I feel like Americans are on either extreme and not as much just regular.

Clothes: It is so hard to pinpoint all the differences between American and European clothes, but I'll try. First, Europeans do not wear sweatpants or anything that promotes a team or product as often as Americans. The last time I was in a US airport, I realized that this is ALL Americans seem to wear. Europeans wear much more muted colors, while Americans seems to wear brighter things and "cutsier" types of outfits (e.g. capri pants with little apples on them). Even though a European's outfit might not seem to look good to the American eye, you can be assured that it was put together with time and thought, not just thrown on.

Shoes: The bottom line is that Americans wear tennis shoes and Europeans don't. I don't understand how Europeans do not have many more foot problems because I have tried to buy shoes over here, but they offer no support, especially on the cobblestones.

Makeup: Maybe this is just because I think of Southern women when I think of "American" but they definitely don't wear as much makeup as we do. Segolene Royal (the woman who is running for the French presidency) is the perfect example of a classic European woman. Look, she doesn't even wear earrings!!! To put it in perspective, I wore earrings every single day of high school and I can still vividly remember the day I forgot to put them on and how I was pulling my hair over my ears for that whole day to hide my mistake. To me, this woman has the typical American look.

Diamonds: You can always tell an American by her engagement/wedding ring. Americans wear diamonds (BIG ones at that) and Europeans seems to wear either a small diamond or just a band on their ring finger.

It just amazes me how quiet Europeans can be with their voices. Once when I took a train from Brighton to London I noticed that even though the whole train was full, there was not ONE PERSON SPEAKING the whole time. One woman quiely answered her cell phone, mumbled a few words, and then hung up. It was so quiet that I fell asleep and the only reason I woke up was because a little snore of mine slipped out and it woke me up. I guess everyone else in the train heard it too!