Cultural differences

Cultural differences
 

I know we are all westerners and have a lot of things in common. But do you notice many differences when you cross the Atlantic either way? Are Americans very different from Europeans? What are those differences?

I actually have never been to any European country, so the only things I could contribute would be hearsay.

Es muy difícil hablar en generalidad pero me parece que los europeos son mas mundanos, y los américanos llevan mucho de la cultura vernacular del occidente sin saberlo. La cultura norteamericana parece mas joven que la cultura europeo y a veces se ve esa diferencia se ve entre la gente de europa y la gente de américa. Cultura popular y energética y vernacular es mi imagen de américa. Cultura clásica y mundano es mi imagen de europa. América (Estados Unidos por lo menos)es un amalgama de rasas y por eso mas ecléctico. Los europeos son mas auctóctonos y clasico.
Does my blah blah blah make any sense? Generalizations are dangerous

Poli

What I find funny is your use of worldly, mundane to describe Europeans. I would like to know why you have that opinion of us. I , for one, am a very saintly lady...

Mundano might be one of those false friends- words. Mundane is very negative world in English meaning plain and boring and unevently. Worldly is positive in English. Is mundano positive a negative word? When I used mundano, I meant it as a positive word.
I see Europeans as being more worldly because of the great variety of cultures that exist there in a relatively small area. Spain, France, Italy,
Portugal, Britain, Germany are all so close. The U.S. is multicultural too,
but we seem more like an amalgam. Where I live, the variety of languages spoken is surprizing, but the pravailing culture is anglo. For three thousand miles (with obvious regional cultural variences) we are basicly the same culture.
I think a person can be worldly and saintly at the same time. Maria Jose, I never doubted you saintliness. After all you defended yourself, and therefore the world, against Alfonso the dragon.:D

Poli,
Mundane in English has two meanings. The one you explained, of course, but it's also a synonym for worldly. I think in Spanish it only means worldly.I liked:love: your dragon metaphor.:cool:Super cool!

Ten cuidado de la palabra mundane en inglés. Verdaderamente significa cosas cotidianas, nada especial ni diferente. Por ejemplo: En la oficina una conversación de deportes(Wow, a home run in the final inning--that's what clinched it!) o de fotos de un recien nacido (oh, how cute!). En la casa: pasando la aspiradora. En el campo: alimentando los cerdos.
It can mean of the earth(after all that is where the word is derived from) , but of a routine nature both here and in Britain.

Poli

The main meaning of mundane in English is insípido, aburrido, cotidiano, regular etc.

I think Europeans are generally more liberal than Americans. Although of course generalizations are dangerous.