" Most tourists would be baffled . "
Recently, someone on Redditasked, “What’s something ‘normal’ in your country that would confuse the rest of the world?” As someone who loves learning about other cultures and their nuances, I couldn’t stop scrolling. Here’s a roundup of some of the most fascinating, funny, and simply interesting responses people shared:
1.Japan: “Young children walking in the city and taking public transport alone. Trusting strangers not to steal your valuable stuff when left unattended. Going tokaraokeor internet cafes when you need a cheap place to sleep a few hours.”
2.Czechia: “News stations reporting when the first wild mushrooms are ready to be picked, usually done by an infinitely smug reporter holding up a hřiby (Boletus mushroom) while directing viewers to the official website that tracks mushroom growth daily (no, really).”
— siredana_faeis
3.UK: “Milk and beer are sold in pints, but no other liquids. Driving distances are in miles, but running distances are in kilometers.”
4.South Africa: “We call traffic lights ‘robots.’ And when the robots aren’t working, random hawkers (street vendors), people who are homeless, and bystanders will jump in to direct traffic, and we just…go along with it. Yesterday, I was directed through an incredibly busy intersection (during rush hour) by a silver-painted man with a plastic flower poking out of his hat.”
— GCB78
5.“For Finland, probably that we put our babies outside to nap, even when it’s cold.”
6.“For Sweden, I can look up almost all the data for any person in Sweden if I want to, including their address, number of vehicles, and so on. This transparency really frightens some people, but it is made to combat corruption. It is also almost always available online.”
— JKEJSE
7.“Regular use of the swear word ‘cnt.’ Here in Scotland, we use it to socialize. You’ll regularly hear people talk to one another like, “Hey ya dumb cnt,” and it’s like saying hello to many folks here. Swearing and insults, in general, are a constant thing, and it’s considered more unusual if you don’t fire back at many folks here.”
– SomeBloke94
8.Australia: “Saying ‘yeah, nah’ and ‘nah, yeah.’ This subtle language wizardry is second nature to Aussies: ‘Yeah, nah’ = no. ‘Nah, yeah’ = yes. It’s a code, and it will confuse non-locals. Also, shortening literally every word. Aussies are champions of abbreviation: ‘Servo’ = service station. ‘Macca’s’ = McDonald’s. ‘Arvo’ = afternoon. It can sound like a whole new language.”
And , " Celebrating Christmas in 40 ° C heat . A summer Christmas with BBQs , beach cricket , and prawns instead of snow and bomb ? That ’s a culture shock for anyone from the Northern Hemisphere . last , prater are a genuine scourge . The swooping time of year is substantial . bicycler fall apart zip tie-up on their helmets . People avoid certain streets . It ’s like a scurvy - fundamental state of war with birds for a couple of month a year . "
— Which_Experience_541
9.USA: “1) Displayed prices don’t include sales tax. 2) Tipping servers in restaurants is expected and almost required.”
— postoperativepain
10.Canada: “A bag of milk.”
11.“In Denmark, not only is college and university free, but the government actually pays you to study (if you are 18+).”
— Inevitable - Cold-7657
12.“In Singapore, we use non-value items such as umbrellas or tissue packs to reserve a table (aka, ‘chope a spot’) at busy food courts or hawker centers. This way, we can go get our food and come back to a guaranteed spot to sit down and eat. Most tourists would be baffled as to why there are random tissue/napkin packs and would probably just push them aside or take them for themselves.”
13.France: “There are unspoken yet strict rules to cut cheese. You will horrify everyone if you use the improper cut technique for a specific shape of cheese.”
— liyououiouioui
14.New Zealand: “Shoes are entirely optional outside of the house.”
15.Phillippines: “We point direction using our pout or lips.”
— MudPutik
" This is an American Indian thing too , at least for my tribe ! "
— UnicornOnTheJayneCob
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.
16.Colombia: “Cheese on hot chocolate.”
And finally:
17.Ukraine: “1) Fast digitalization of the government services. You don’t have to carry your documents as all of them are in your phone (including your school and university diploma). 2) We are pretty much a cashless society (99% of the places do accept cards, except for the mini-buses and babushkas selling food in the market). Money transfers are nearly instant between banks and usually do not require additional fees (I was really surprised that in some countries, you need an external app just to transfer your money).”
Note : Some answer have been edited for length and/or pellucidity .
