Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with european

3-Ring A4-sized Binders

sdis — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 16:19:46 -0800

EuropeanOfficeFilter: Is there such a thing as a 3-ring A4-sized binder? How about a hole-puncher that works with A4 paper? American 3-ring binders are infinitely superior to the silly 2-Ring "PageRipper" Binders or the 4-Ring "CantTurnPages" Binders that are normal out here.

Anyone know of a 3-ring binder that fits A4 paper? (Most American binders, the paper is taller than the binder)

Bonus points for finding a 3-hole puncher that has a centering guide for A4 paper.

Im not a gringo!

freddymetz — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:05:44 -0800

European in Mexico. How can i avoid being called a gringo and how do i react elegantly? Im a German living in Mexico with dark blond hair, light-ish skin and blue eyes. Thus, according to many mexicans, i am a gringo.
I find it quite offensive when they call me this and address me with either "gringo" or "guero".
What can i do to avoid this? and, if colouring my hair black and wearing a fake moustache is the only option, how can i react elegantly and/or humourously?

Feel free to post your own experiences of this here please!

Who can hire me a car to drive from the UK to the Netherlands?

gonzo_ID — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 03:10:17 -0800

I need to hire a car to drive from Bristol, UK and to drop off in Haarlem Netherlands. Avis says no, europecar says no, hertz are difficult to get hold of. Suggestions? Recommendations?

Photos of soviet bloc villages

cascando — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:40:15 -0800

I am looking for images, or a photoblog, of eastern european villages. Think dusty, soviet bloc style, with maybe a of Borat-esque comedy. Its for a film treatment I am working on. Any help with where to get some imagery of Uzbek villages or something similar would be greatly appreciated. Even a link to a relevant Flickr pool would save me. Thanks again.

Potter, Norrell, and....?

Doctor Suarez — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 22:10:49 -0800

Suggest absorbing fiction about mysterious England. This is purely a mood-driven question. I want to read more books that combine ideally British or possibly Continental European settings, the past (anywhere from sword-and-board to the 1950s), and perhaps some element of the supernatural. To give you some idea what I mean, here are the books that are close, but already read:

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
Neil Stephenson's Baroque Cycle
The Hound of the Baskervilles
Bram Stoker's Dracula
Shelley's Frankenstein
The Harry Potter Books (which are really close, I suppose, but a bit too youthful for me. Actually, truth be told, I haven't read them, but I made the insane decision to experience the saga from the movies and have my wife fill in the gaps.)

Okay, so I'm making you all work as literary Pandora Radio. And yes, it's somewhat similar to this question, which is an excellent start, but my peccadilloes are a touch different. Think you're up to it, chaps?

European split beds?

anjiro — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 19:09:11 -0800

Mattress-filter: I recently took a trip to Germany with my wife and was fascinated by some of the hotel beds there. Unlike some other parts of Europe, there were not two single-person beds, but seemed to be two combined. It was like two mattresses stuck together somehow; they had separate sheets (both bottom and top), but didn't shift away from each other in the slightest. You could lie right on the crack and not notice a thing! I noticed that we slept a lot better, possibly since the two halves didn't influence each other as much.

How does it work, and can I get something similar in the US?

A woman on the run, smuggler pilots, and a blog -- does anyone remember this?

kowalski — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 09:12:34 -0800

Does anyone remember a blog c. 2001-2002 purportedly written by a European woman hiding out in the Caribbean/Central America from the well-positioned family she had run away (and stolen) from? What was her pseudonym? What was the name of the blog? Is there any trace of this story (and any resolution on the question of its veracity) left on the web? I've tried googling, tried searching here, but all the descriptors I can think of are far too common, and there are too many years of unrelated chaff covering it over. Now looking for someone with a better memory for key details than mine to unlock the global archive.

Any Halusky in Chicago?

Bengston — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 23:44:09 -0800

Any Halusky in Chicago? Does anyone know any Czech/Slovak places in Chicago where you can get halusky? All of my googling has presented me with very little even though I know that Chicago once had a ripe Czech population.

Help Me Find Best Airfares Belfast to Malaga

aelish — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 18:48:23 -0800

What are the most economical airlines for flights from Belfast, Ireland to Malaga, Spain? I am trying to make sure I get the best fare from Belfast, Ireland to Malaga, Spain for (outbound, late July; inbound early August). So far, the best fare seems to be EasyJet....am being quoted £465 for 2 adults (includes 1 hold baggage per person; speedy boarding as I am told that "it's a mess" trying to check-in and board; and travel insurance).

Question - since I am familiar with American carriers airlines and not European carriers - am I missing major search engines or European carriers on which I could get a better deal? Other ideas? I think the EasyJet quote is not bad considering it's high season, but I want to make sure I'm not missing out on anything.

Thanks, mefites...hoping to book in the next day or two at the latest.

Help identify this recent European comedy film...

The bat in the hat — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 03:28:37 -0800

Help identify this recent European comedy film... Okay, so I'm wanting to find the name of a film and its sequel. It was quite culty, so I'm sure someone will know it.

I saw the first one at the Incredibly Strange Film Festival in Wellington about 9 years ago, and the sequel a couple of years later.

The film was a European (Dutch? Swedish?) crime comedy. I can remember three things from it - in one (both?) a minor character (a chef?) kept hurting himself (like being electrocuted) as a running slapstick gag. Secondly, in one of them (the second?) some of the characters broke the other characters out of jail (by some weird contraption like a catapult or a crane or a helicopter, I can't recall). Finally, at the end of the ?second one, ?everyone gets shot and dies and the main character has some form of out of body / afterlife experience (I think this gunfight makes use of John Woo pigeons, too).

I know this isn't much to go on, but like I say, I imagine that it might trigger bells for someone! Worst comes to worst, I'll email the guy who ran the Festival, but I'd rather try you lot on for size!

Cheers.

What European country will offer the lowest price for the same mini-laptop?

gttommy — Sat, 30 May 2009 04:58:53 -0800

What European country will offer the lowest price for the same mini-laptop? (list of countries inside) This is really a 2 part question...

I would like to buy a cheap, super fast, long-battery-life mini-laptop, solely for going on to the internet at places which provide free wi-fi. I will emphasise the need for fast load up time, and switching between several web browser windows without lag. Eye-candy is not important.

For under 200-400 USD what should I get? (cheaper is good)

As I am travelling around Europe, in what country should I get it?

Countries: England, Sweden, France, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Netherlands, Monaco, Vatican City

Considering currency exchange rates, tax regulations, and anything else you can think of.

Thanks in advance.

How/where can I get a Dutch-style city bike in NYC without breaking the bank?

zvs — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 18:15:25 -0800

How/where can I get a Dutch-style city bike in NYC without breaking the bank? I've been riding around a beat-up old Panasonic road bike for awhile (it's a 1981 model that I bought used, and has turned out to be something of a lemon), and I've sank so much money into repairing it that I don't see the point of keeping it anymore.

I'm an occasional commuter (Brooklyn to downtown, ~5 miles, including a bridge), and a pretty experienced rider (fairly fast, traffic weaving) but not a bike nerd or great at maintenance. 99% of this bike's usage will be on-street.

I saw these on Wikipedia and fell in love (my work pants are always getting torn up in the chain, drum brakes are probably better for the seemingly always-wet roads)... can I find a bike after the Dutch model in NYC? Without dropping a grand? Or is it time to call eBay?

sweater!

leotrotsky — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 19:28:30 -0800

Sweaterfilter: Men's side button collar sweater. Buttons from the shoulder to the neck. Saw them everywhere in France. Can't find them ANYWHERE online. Why are they so hard to find?

Does the whole EU have to fight?

Alec Loudenback — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 16:05:58 -0800

If a country in the European Union becomes involved in a major military conflict (politi-speak for big war), would it drag the other nations into it like other binding agreements in European past? I can't find any real yes or no online. I do know that the EU has it's own troops, but I am talking about if China decides to attack Germany, and Germany (as a sovereign nation) fights back, do all of the other nations have to fight too?

I understand that in a major situation like that, other countries would probably ally with Germany anyway, but are the legally bound by the EU constitution/agreement/treaty/other document of the EU?

Bonus points for specific references to a EU document/ other official source.

professional interrailing?

Anonymous — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 13:12:49 -0800

I like my job, but I want to leave, badly. I want to leave the UK for warmer/more interesting climes. Where are good places to find a job in continental Europe, with a media/technical slant, for someone who only really only speaks English? I'm sick of the north of England and want to move somewhere new. I really want to experience another European (or possibly further afield) major city, but I don't know where to even start.

I currently work in technical support for a company that makes electronic products related to video/media. I would like to continue to be involved in this kind of area (I'm also big on audio too), but I also love the idea of being a bit more creative in my work.

What kinds of sites list opportunities in these kind of areas in European cities? So far, I know of sites like Mandy.com and grapevinejobs, but these are pretty much entirely geared toward London.

I would love to move back to London, but Berlin, Barcelona, Amsterdam, really interest me. Scandinavia and Eastern Europe intrigue me too.

Are there other ways of moving to another country without becoming destitute pretty fast? I like the idea of teaching english, but can't imagine this pays terribly well.

Is it the hot toddy on my breath?

zoomorphic — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 08:15:14 -0800

This has been bugging me for a while: is there much difference in appearances between people of various European backgrounds? Acquaintances and strangers can always "tell" I'm genetically Scottish, or at least some strain of Brit. This would seem ludicrous if they weren't totally right. Do Europeans and Americans look that different, beyond mannerism/lifestyle/fashion variations? It seems like an absurd question to ask, except that I am consistently stopped by random strangers, sometimes Americans, sometimes Brits, who want to know if I'm British or Scottish. When this happened twice this past month, I felt like it wasn't just that I'm magnet for lunatics and lonely people. And I've got two Scottish grandparents from Durness and two Welsh grandparents from Gwynedd. But I do not have carrot red hair, nor do I wear obscene amounts of plaid. My teeth are straight, my accent is American. I was raised in the US by American-born parents. What gives?

I'm wondering if any folks who've spent time on both sides of the pond can notice such details, because "looking [X European background]" would seem like jingoistic folklore to me, circa Europa, but I grew up in an enormous, culturally ubiquitous, genetically muddled nation. I understand that the UK more isolated than the US, but it's no Iceland.

Also, do identifiable characteristics abound in less genetically isolated European countries (Mediterranean nations are another story). Can natives pick out Frenchness or Russianness in the faces of fellow countrymen when they're abroad?

Rockin' in the Eastern Hemisphere, or would be if I wasn't in the US

curagea — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 23:35:47 -0800

Calling all Germanic (and Slavic) rockers, ravers and, uh, *insert classical term that starts with "r"*! Help me expand my music collection with European melodies! A similar question was asked before, but I'd like to narrow the scope down a bit.

I'm a big-time metal/hard rock/electronica/classical/ambient fan. I like non-American music more than American, and have heard that Europe has a big music scene for those genres. Sure, I could spend countless hours listening to samples from each of them, but I'm VERY picky about the music I listen to. Main reason? Getting inspirations for making my own music.

So, fellow MeFites, help me discover more European music that adhere to one or more of the following criteria. I'll be listing American and non-American examples that I feel exemplifies the qualities I want so you can have a few starters. Oh, and I use the term "electronica" broadly, just to point out:

- Good/great sense of melody - This one is top priority. The more complex, the better, whether by vocal and/or instrument. And if screaming/growling is involved, it better be done not just for show (see below). Examples: Disturbed, Poisonblack, Paradise Lost, A Perfect Circle (Mer de Noms), Orgy, Schiller, Lunar, Hybrid, BT, Chopin, Rachmaninov, Prokofiev, Liszt, Squaremeter

- Heavyweight/Workout/Emotional - Oh yeah. I love to bang my head and blow my eardrums out (not literally, of course). Or really rave and dance like a maniac. Or... shake my head in internal pain over the piano. Examples: Disturbed, Judas Priest (pre-Nostradamus), Testament, Oomph!, Rammstein (pre-Reise Reise), The Prodigy (pre-Fat of the Land), The Crystal Method's "Stir Fry - Breakin On The Street", Infected Mushroom, Rachmaninov, Lizst

- Quirkiness - I also don't mind something that "sounds" fun and manages to be unpredictable. Examples: Mars Volta, Spacehog, Van Halen, Infected Mushroom, Dead Can Dance, 70's Scorpions, System of a Down, Prokofiev

- Angst with authenticity - There's screaming and growling and wailing, then there's the good mature kind, done in the right places so they don't like they're just... there. Examples: Disturbed (yeah I know, I'm a fan), Oomph! (pre-Ego), 30 Seconds to Mars (debut album), Breaking Benjamin, Trapt, Paradise Lost, Alice in Chains, Sevendust, Zeromancer

- Good drumwork - I'm not a drummer, but since getting Rock Band, I've been paying more attention to drums because they're so underestimated. Speed is not an issue; complexity is. Examples: Disturbed post-Believe (alright, I'll stop), Mars Volta, Testament, Queens of the Stone Age, Kagerou (NO Dragonforce. After listening to the stupid lyrics and the mind-numbing drums and guitars, that kind of music now just exhausts my brain).

- Mysterious/Twisted - Crawl-under-your-skin or whoa... gnarly... Examples: Panacea/Squaremeter, SunnO))), Infected Mushroom, late 80's/early 90's Delerium, the soundtrack from Quake, some Prokofiev

- Germanic lyrics, Slavic lyrics, or none - This includes German, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, English, Czech, Russian. Please no French; I heard French rock once and it made me cringe. Chinese rock made me laugh out loud, not in a good way. I don't really care whether the lyrics make sense or not.

Whew! I know that's a lot to cover, but these criteria were listed in order of descending importance to me, so don't worry if your searches don't match all of them. Metal, electronica, classical, ambient - heck, even New Age (think Enya) - , whether from the mainstream or indie, gimme gimme gimme! I really love to see what new great music is out there. Who do you recommend/what are your favorites?

Note: Middle Eastern-style music is acceptable too, comme Squaremeter's "Aswad".

Where can I find English translations of European comics?

monkeyagent — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 21:13:54 -0800

Is there any database or online fan community focused on translating European comics? I recently spent a month backpacking across Europe and along the way I tried to pick up comics local to some of the countries I visited (when I could). I amassed a pretty good collection, with some fantastic artwork, but I was hoping to find some kind of fan-driven resource for translations (similar to the fan-translations manga that are so popular).

The French stuff I can mostly read fine on my own (though a translation would still be helpful), but the Czech, German, and Italian I have no hope of understanding. The list is below (title, author, ISBN - best as I could figure):

Brussels/France
Supreme Dimension (comic magazine - issue 12)
Skydoll - 978-2-84946-674-2 (Marvel just started releasing this, but only a few issues are out)
Le roi des bourdons - David de Thuin - 2-9600409-0-2
Chacun cherche sa case - delfine - 2-35123-129-5
Loup y est-tu? - Allan Barte - 2-35123-120-1

Berlin
Orang Comic Magazin #7 - The End of the World (Publisher: Reprodukt) - 978-3-938511-92-3
Klassenfahrt (Publisher: Reprodukt) - 3-938511-03-6

Prague
Kytice - Karel Jaromir Erben - 80-86955-25-7
Komiks Fest!revue (Magazine - issue 1)
Czekomiks - Stepan Kopriva (Publisher: Dlouhe PRSTY)

Venice
Giacomo Casanova - Dario Missaglia (picked this one up in the Venice tourism office - no other info is given)
Tex - Il Villaggio Assediato (#552)
Sprayliz - Luca Enoch (issue #2 - Publisher: macchia nera)
Vasco Comics - Basta Poco (Issue #1 - Panini Comics)

Even if I can't get any help with these (still very happy with them), any collected resource for European comic translations would be handy for future use.

Thanks!

Where to watch Euro Final in DC?

mand0 — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 23:19:23 -0800

I'd like some suggestions on where to watch the European Cup Final this Sunday in Washington DC. Extra points if the bar is pro-Spanish.

What do I need to learn about wines to be a waitress at a nice restaurant?

Niomi — Thu, 22 May 2008 07:34:08 -0800

What do I need to learn about wines to be a waitress at a nice restaurant? I have an interview with a Italian/European themed restaurant of the sort my family could never afford to even step into. This is the best job I could ever hope to get, but I need to do some homework on wines before my interview. I'm too young to have much expirience with alcohol (but I will be old enough to serve it in a restaurant.. very shorty) and I have almost no knowledge of wines other than the kind that comes in a box. I'm doing some Googling and browsing on Wikipedia, but is there anyone who has worked in the industry or knows a lot about wines that can point me in the right direction? Some names of wines I know have been served at this restaurant based on google searches: Vega Del Rio Crianza, Crios Torrontes, and Ornellaia. I don't have the money (and in any case, it's not legal) to do any tasting of these wines on my own.

Chariots of the Globs

Artw — Thu, 15 May 2008 01:13:16 -0800

Help identify a (most likely European) comic with Von Daniken style ancient astronauts that I vaguely remember from childhood. I would have seen it in the early 80s, and it came in softcover Tin-tin sized volumes. It concerned (as I remember) a bunch of ancient astronauts knocking around on Earth befire the evolution of man, carving the Nasca lines in Peru with spaceship born lasers, that sort of thing.

(No, it wasn't Jack Kirby)

7 hours, how to study?

LSK — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 05:24:58 -0800

I have the day to study for AP exams and prepare a presentation. How can I spend it most effectively? I have two AP exams to study for: Calculus BC and European History. I don't know half the concepts in Calc BC, because I decided around two weeks ago that I would take it instead of AB. I'm confident that I can learn it, if I knew what to study. European History, I'm a bit more worried about. I don't know what to expect on the test and I don't know how to study a history book.

I also have a presentation that I'm delivering in my Theory of Knowledge class on Friday. I have the slideshow made; I just need to make a 15-minute presentation to accompany it.

I have around 7 hours to do all of these.

Beklager, jeg snakker ikke norsk - EU national moving to Norway?

Happy Dave — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 10:06:53 -0800

Moving around in the EU - how about them fjords there? Another week, another 'how tough would this be?' immigration question.

I'm 26, British, living in the UK, married to an American who is about three or four years away (assuming the UK govt doesn't move the goalposts) from a British passport. I work in communications, she's a journo.

I've been thinking about the future, and in particular the various places in the EU that we might consider living and working, and Norway keeps coming up again and again in my personal wish list. I've always been attracted to Scandinavian culture, and my Dad works for a Norwegian firm and comes back with stories about working over there that make me really excited.

I'm also quite drawn to what I perceive as a pretty liberal, well-run government and strong economy, good education, healthcare and cultural life.

If we were to think about moving to Norway, within, say, five years, what would be the plusses and minuses? Any expats or Norwegian MeFites who have done this or have insights? We live in London at the moment, but may move back to Scotland, where I'm from - how would Norway compare with Scotland in the above terms?

Cheers!

Help with travel!!!! (berlin - prague - Munich)

monkeyagent — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 11:30:56 -0800

Hey I'm travelling to Europe this summer and want to go from Berlin to Prague. I found a previous post on it but it's from 2005 and the info is a little outdated so i was wondering if anyone had a good suggestion for going about getting to prague? I'm travelling with my Girlfriend and we'll be going from Prague to Munich after our stay there. Does anyone know if we can use our Eurail passes in Germany (from say berlin to dresden then switch trains to prague) or book a roundtrip ticket that will take us into Prague and then on to Munich? All help would be appreciated! Thanks

Project Get-Away-From-North-America

radgardener — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 07:52:54 -0800

I'm a 21 year old Canadian considering moving to Europe, and I'm mostly looking at Germany. What difficulties might I face? Which country might be the easiest to get a EU citizenship in? I have an incomplete Computer Science degree. Would it be worth completing if my goal is an EU citizenship? Might there be a skilled trade that might be in higher demand, and have better job security? I'm just sticking my toes in the water at this point.