People Are Revealing The Totally Normal Things In Their Countries That Make Tourists Say "Wait, What?"
Recently, someone on Reddit asked, "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 to karaoke or 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)."
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."
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."
7."Regular use of the swear word 'c*nt.' Here in Scotland, we use it to socialize. You'll regularly hear people talk to one another like, "Hey ya dumb c*nt," 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."
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 turkey? That's a culture shock for anyone from the Northern Hemisphere. Lastly, magpies are a genuine threat. The swooping season is real. Cyclists wear zip ties on their helmets. People avoid certain streets. It's like a low-key war with birds for a couple of months a year."
9.USA: "1) Displayed prices don't include sales tax. 2) Tipping servers in restaurants is expected and almost required."
10.Canada: "A bag of milk."
In the eastern regions of Canada, including Ontario, Quebec, and the Maritimes, some milk can be bought in bags, rather than jugs. This is largely a result of Canada's conversion to the metric system in the 1970s – milk producers found it cheaper to adjust to plastic bags to accommodate the changing sizes rather than redesigning the existing assembly lines for plastic jugs.
11."In Denmark, not only is college and university free, but the government actually pays you to study (if you are 18+)."
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."
"One time, I sat down at a table in a bar, and eventually, a dude came back to accost me. 'Is my drink bothering you??' I said, 'What?' And he pointed to a Dixie cup with nothing in it that I thought the previous people just left for the server to clean. I said, 'Oh, is this your table?' And he said, 'Uh YEAH,' like it was obvious.
I'm all for throwing a jacket, bag, or just a regular restaurant drink down; it's clear that someone's sitting there. But an empty Dixie cup? The dude was dancing in this bar all night with older women and didn't even buy anything, lol. He just got free water and took up a four-person table he had never sat at."
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."
14.New Zealand: "Shoes are entirely optional outside of the house."
"Friend of mine is living in NZ for a couple years. She has not adjusted to the no shoes culture yet."
In Australia and New Zealand, it's not uncommon to see people shoe-less in public, like at the gas station, the grocery store, or even the pub.
15.Phillippines: "We point direction using our pout or lips."
"This is an American Indian thing too, at least for my tribe!"
16.Colombia: "Cheese on hot chocolate."
"We call it 'doble crema,' which is slightly similar to mozzarella, as it melts quite nicely when heated. The cheese tends to be fresh, low in salt, and white. So, it doesn't alter the flavor to whatever we add it to — it just adds texture."
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)."
And, "Wartime things (hope they won't be a norm in the future): 1) No air travel AT ALL (our country has been a big no-fly zone for more than 3 years). You can get to us only by bus, train or car. 2) Military recruitment ads everywhere; some of them are very creative, but some are really questionable (like advertising for 18-24-year-olds by converting the potential money reward to Roblox currency 💀). People also receive tons of SMS notifications from different brigades to attract more people. 3) We are trying to live as normal a life as humanly possible, and most activities are available. Even after a severe missile attack, everything reopens within an hour. Fast digitalization also includes creating tons of apps for checking air raid sirens, blackouts in your area, and military documents."
Do you have any other seemingly "normal" things in your country that might confuse or shock other people from around the world? Let us know in the comments or at this anonymous form.
