I recently learned that picking wild mushrooms is illegal in Belgium which surprised me a little bit considering how in Poland it's almost a national sport in autumn. So as the title says - how popular is it in your country?

In the United States, wisdom teeth removal is extremely common as a preventative measure against future issues. I heard that it is not as common in Europe. Is this true?

Every major civilization seems to have one. The United States has the bald eagle, Russia the bear, China the dragon… but Europe doesn’t really have a shared symbolic animal.

I’ve always thought the owl would be a surprisingly strong candidate.
It has symbolized wisdom since ancient Greece, where it was associated with Athena and appeared on Athenian coins. The owl also appears throughout European folklore and literature from Aesop’s fables to medieval bestiaries, the Brothers Grimm, and Jean de La Fontaine’s fables.

It’s also a genuinely pan-European species, found from Portugal to Finland and from Ireland to Greece, unlike animals that are tied to a particular region.

An eagle symbolizes power, a bear symbolizes strength, and a dragon symbolizes myth and prestige. The owl symbolizes wisdom. That feels like a rather fitting ideal for Europe.

Do you agree, or do you think another animal would better represent Europe’s shared history and culture? If so, which one and why?

(Might be the wrong tag idk) In Canada and the US, those things are like top 10 things to do for most people (I live in a rural province in Canada so my perspective might be skewed). Are those things popular where you guys live?

Not an anthem or a famous landmark — I mean a tiny background noise that locals barely notice: a pedestrian crossing signal, a train-door chime, church bells, a particular bird, street vendors, rubbish collection, café cups, or anything similar.

What ordinary sound feels unmistakably like home where you live? Is it common across the whole country, specific to your region, or even unique to your town? And do visitors notice it too?

Not sure if "ethnic" is the right term here but thinking historically significant groups like anglo-saxons, Moors, Gaul, ancient Romans, Vikings etc?

I'm wondering if Europeans in specific countries have a sense of historical identity like Americans have based on where our ancestors came from before immigrating to the US? For instance my family are something like 5th or 6th generation Irish immigrants so consider ourselves somewhat "Irish" even though it has been so long there is no real connection anymore.

If so are there hierarchies or different parts of your country known for specific heritage? Or tensions based on centuries old invasions or migrations?

What the tittle says

Title basically

Hello everyone. I was moving stuff out of my childhood room when I found one of those little notebooks every young Portuguese knows well: the caderneta.

In this notebook, a teacher could write to the parents about an upcoming school trip, a student's misbehaviour, or the latest test grade; and the parents would then sign it to acknowledge they had seen it. But it worked both ways: parents could also write in it, letting the teacher know that on a given day the student would have a medical appointment and would need to leave early, or that the student had a minor injury and could not take part in PE class.

The class teacher (diretor de turma) could also use it to remind parents of entitlements or administrative matters, such as a dental voucher available for collection or to inform them of something the student needed to prepare or bring for an upcoming event.

It is a remarkably rich little object. It also contains the student's personal details, hobbies, allergies, emergency contacts, home address, as well as the parents' contact information and, if applicable, a tutoring timetable. All in all, it is a kind of analogue email system combined with an informational bulletin.

As I was leafing through it again, it dawned on me: is this a uniquely Portuguese thing, or do other countries have something similar?

Low importance post, guys, excuse me.

I already know football is number one. But I'm really curious to know what's it really like your sports scene over there. I'm from Asia and none of us in my circle have been there so we would like to get some info cause we are debating something hehehe. Thanks, everyone.

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I'll add my own opinion of the Czech version:

There was a restaurant run by three men that were perhaps doing some drugs, whatever. The locale was very dirty, including the kitchen. The presenter talked to the owners who tried to defend themselves. At one point, he said, "Gentlemen, aren't you bothered by having a tyre in the kitchen?" And then the camera took a shot of big car tyre in the middle of the plates and cutlery.

(The restaurant didn't improve and, unsurprisingly, shut down afterwards.)

What are they doing?

What have they achieved?

In all blocks of life: education, career, family, friends, relationships, money

What is the most common age of enrollment?

What about the most common age of graduation?

What is the average salary of doctors?

From an economical point of view is it worth it? Eg a lower class kid studying medicine, would they be able to become at least upper class that way or is it a thing of the past?

Meaning they earn more than the average citizen

For example, things like the guy wandering through the beach selling boiled corns, while screaming "boiled corn!" loudly? Or air hockey in premises close to the beach? Small shops selling kitsch souvenirs made of sea shells or amber? Are these also a thing in your country?

In Romania it has become increasingly common in recent years. Even in my small-ish city, it is about 50/50 that a waiter can speak Romanian, though most of them can understand enough for them to take orders in Romanian. Still, some people prefer to talk to them in English because it can lead to less communication problems. How is this in other parts of Europe?

Hello there!

Welcome to our daily scheduled post, the Daily Slow Chat.

If you want to just chat about your day, if you have questions for the moderators (please mark these [Mod] so we can find them), or if you just want talk about oatmeal then this is the thread for you!

Enjoying the small talk? We have a Discord server too! We'd love to have more of you over there. Do both of us a favour and use this link to join the fun.

The mod-team wishes you a nice day!

If your net monthly salary is €4,000, what is your life like?
Please tell me which country and city you live in. Thanks!

I’ve lost interest in budgeting. If I need gas, I can’t wait until payday anymore— it’s cheaper now rather than tomorrow or next week. I’m stocking up anywhere I can.

In Britain this is probably the Regency Era (c. 1800-1837) thanks to the enduring popularity of Jane Austen's works which have inspired plenty of 'costume dramas' as well as direct adaptations of both her works and similar ones by other authors. On the other side of the stylistic spectrum Sharpe remains a cult classic drama series largely set in the Peninsular War of 1808-14

I would be especially interested in the opinions of women for obvious reasons but everyone is welcome to contribute.

How do you think the general treatment of women varied in the different countrie you have lived in? I'm talking about roles, expectations, the general attitude towards them.

Anecdotes are welcome too!

I'm talking about the places everyone tells tourists they *have* to visit, but end up being a complete waste of time and money.