Oh my. I think these are funny...

I have one, too.

I was living in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and working behind the counter at a cafe. One of the other employees, about my age, asked me the name of the body of water that washed up at the nearby beach.

I was sure that I did not understand the question but sure enough, the answer she was looking for was THE ATLANTIC OCEAN.

Another story about the same girl...

One day she asked me if I was familiar with the word, "Ciao," and how to spell it. I said I thought it was Italian and that it was a greeting, meant good-bye, or hello, or possibly both, like aloha. (Hey, I wasn't sure, I was just a kid.) I said I thought it was spelled C-I-A-O.

She looked concerned so I asked her why. She told me, "Well I met this guy in a bar last night and I spent the night at his place. When I left this morning he was still asleep so I used my lipstick and wrote on his mirror C-H-O-W."

He probably thought she was bringing back breakfast....

I still laugh to myself when I remember that story and it was about 25 years ago!

I was in Florida and when someone asked me where I was from they asked if Canada was anywhere near France???

I said not really...

My sympathies, susanteach.

((I))

"you should have had some fun and told them it [Brussels] is the capital of the Brabant."

Only it isn't. It's its own region. And Brabant was split in two about 10 years ago: Flemish Brabant's capital is Leuven, and Walloon Brabant's capital is Wavre.

I can't believe how much of my brain is occupied by useless knowledge like this. Sad, isn't it? I blame this one on my friend Caroline who was, for many years, office chief for the governor of East Flanders and has indoctrinated me in Belgiana. But she's also given me a heck of a lot of chocolates, so I shouldn't complain.

These are funny, but sad.

A Brazilian friend was on the Metro in Washington, D.C. A passenger asked where she was from.

"I'm from Rio."

"Oh, is that in Paris?"

Susanteach; here in Belgium memorizing is still very much in fashion! My 7-year old just learned the times tables (don't know what grade that would be in the US), and had to get 100 out of 100 right, in a classroom test, with a timer too.
I learn a lot helping my kids study for exams!

Sigh...I should be a better ambassador for American education, but this post caught me on a cynical summer day! I should say that I teach in an affluent, highly educated parent community just minutes north of Chicago. It's just that the kids are sooooo busy. They are getting a quality education, but as far as knowing their geography and math facts, well, it requires additional home time. Good news though, a student recently informed me that she knew the capital of Poland because her au pair was Polish.

I certainly agree that there are many, many people with a very poor sense of geography. But I'm not convinced it can be blamed on the schools.

I worked as an aide in a fourth grade classroom four years ago. Geography was in the curriculum. Not only did those kids have a fantastic teacher, she was a world traveler as well. She's been to all 7 continents. So she had great enthusiasm for the subject. And I'm sure that among all the students who passed through her classroom before she retired last year, there were many who were influenced by her love of travel. And those students probably learned something about geography.

But, like any other subject taught in school, if you don't have an interest in it, or use it in your everyday life, you probably won't retain much.

I once lived in the London suburb of Petts Wood. When I mentioned to next-door neighbour that we were moving to another London suburb, Potters Bar, she asked if we were or going by train (possible) or flying.

Hi

I'm afraid I've come across some howlers about Europe in US :

Belgium - let me see - in Germany, right ?

You are from Sweden? So lucky. I just love Zurich !

To a Brit - where did you learn your English ?

To another Brit - why is it that all foreigners who speak English have accents and we don't ?

And, why do Europeans speak foreign languages instead of English when we are on vacation ?

Peter

We knew an Australian couple in the US and they were often complimented on their command of English.

Just awful how They are all stupid and ignorant.

The last few remind me of my friend's experience. When she and her husband had adopted an infant from Korea, people would ask them if thebaby understood English.

susanteach, it's the same in Australia. Here's it's called Society and Environment and is a much more holistic subject than just the rote learning of facts. There's a real challenge in teaching the names of countries and capitals when these seem to change on a daily basis.

When I spent a month in Europe in January, I was intrigued by the number of people I spoke to who couldn't quite get their heads around the fact that I had all this time because I was on my summer vacation. They knew intellectually that it's summer in the Southern Hemisphere but it was like they didn't really believe it.

More likely the idea that in your summer vacation you'd go voluntarily to a cold dark winter!

As a matter of interest try putting "Bulgaria" into the search panel at upper right and see what comes up.

It's not just our school students who are geographically challenged.

Harzer

this is not really travel-related, but I was just talking to a friend of mine who I think is burning out planning his trip to italy. He said to me "my boyfriend has been like my catacomb".

your WHAT??

he meant catalyst.

A few years ago my big mouthed BIL and SIL stayed with us for three days, in our rented Paris vacation apartment. As we drove them by the Eiffel Tour, BIL said, "in five years they won't be able to find anyone who speaks English to work on this thing".

Some years ago, we were talking one of DH's old girlfriends. We told her that we had just returned from Europe and that the dollar was pretty weak. She said that that was very upsetting, as she was going to Hawaii the next week.

Hey, he didn't marry her ;-)

Nina

GARDYLOO .... It's now almost July 2006 - has your service technician arrived yet?

We're still waiting for someone from about that time, I've forgot who, or what the problem was ;-)

Nina

Thank you, yes, the dishwasher is now functional again.

Old story from Soviet days:

Husband and wife go into Zhiguli car sales room in suburban Moscow. "We want to buy a car."

Salesman: "Certainly, I'll need your deposit to put you on the waiting list."

Man: "How long is the waiting list?"

Salesman: "If you order today, your car will be delivered in 3 years, 12 days from now."

Wife, digging in her handbag: "What time of day will it be here?"

Salesman: "Why do you ask?"

Wife, looking at pocket diary: "We have a plumber scheduled for that day."