Commonly Asked...

     Here is a list of questions I am commonly asked by the Belgians. It is mostly the students at school that ask about these things, and I’m almost sure all of the questions are based off movies or reality TV shows. Some examples but not limited to; Mean Girls, American Pie, Heathers, Jersey Shore, Breakfast Club, 16 and Pregnant and…well I think you get the point. Sad but true, I have learned most of what Europeans think about the U.S. comes from reality TV and movies.

-Is prom real, or just something from the movies?

     Yes, unfortunately, it is real.

-Do American teens really have crazy house parties every weekend?

     Not like you see in the movies, but we don’t have clubs like in Belgium, so usually the gatherings are at people’s houses.

-Do you like George W. Bush?

     Some do.

-Do you like Barrack Obama?

     Yes, but some don’t. (They are always flabbergasted that some people don’t like him.)

-Do you like Sarah Palin?

     I have mixed feelings about that one…

-Do Americans really have a t.v. in every room of their house?

     It depends on the family, but it’s not uncommon.

-Is it true Americans eat out for every meal?

     No, we do cook our own food sometimes.

-Why did YOU kill all of the Native Americans?

     I didn’t, and every country has its mistakes, no?

-Are all Americans morbidly obese?

     Do I look morbidly obese?

-What is New York/San Francisco/Hollywood/ Las Vegas like?

     I’m not sure; I haven’t been to them all. (They are always shocked by this, and I follow it up with, “Have you been Paris, Rome, Berlin, and Barcelona?”)

-Are most of the girls at your school pregnant?

     No, not everybody is 16 and pregnant, though there is definitely a higher rate of teen pregnancy in the U.S.A.

How many celebrities have you seen?

     How many have you seen?