what is that you usually do or see in your country or area but is weird to do in other area you have traveled or vice versa?? like it is unusual to wear footwear indoors in asia.
Large-scale evacuations because of unexploded WW2 ordinance.
UK
Proper fish and chips. I’ve seen American fish and chips and it’s nowhere close
I’ve had fish and chips in both the U.K. and the U.S. No offense to the Brits, but it’s better in the U.S., because they use this thing called “seasoning.” The only thing I prefer about the U.K. version is the paper cone the chips come in.
Civilians openly carrying handguns
I’m with the other commenter below. I’m not sure this is terribly usual, even where legal.
I keep an eye out for this sort of thing just sort of out a professional interest, and in terms of openly carrying firearms (not knives), I’ve only spotted two people doing it this year. And one of them was a guy who I think was intending to carry concealed, but was not doing a very good job due to an ill-fitting shirt.
Mass shootings in the US. It’s become so common here that most if not all are desensitized.
Wearing thongs (flip flops) in a grocery store.
Kangaroos littering the side of the road (they have about 4 neurones and all of then are suicidal)
The only place I have seen young kids (think 6 years old) swear similarly to here in Australia is in Scotland, and they are just as feral as we are.
Walking down the street at night. In the UK and USA it was apparently just not a thing you did. Here I will walk home at 2am no worries, and tonnes of people walk home from the pub drunk enough to not always make it home and sometimes just pass out on the footpath. Never had a problem, never been mugged or similar in that situation, and after living in the UK and visiting the USA I can definitely say I would never do that there.
Wearing swimmers (bikini or budgie smugglers) and going for food and drink on the same trip. The number of times I’ve gotten coffee, had lunch, or jumped into the bank while dressed for the beach is uncountable, but never ever outside Australia.
Hitting your kids is rare here. Spanking is not really normal and is definitely not common in public compared to my visit to the USA or my time in the UK. In both of those people would cuff their kids or slap their hand when they were being unruly. That is uncommon here and I have seen people intervene when someone was hitting their kid in public on more than one occasion. The same goes for animals, people don’t like you hitting your dog either. Not to say it doesn’t happen, but it is not considered OK.
Healthcare. We have it. We love it. In the UK the NHS was OK, not great, and the USA is terrifying. My meds would cost me about $310 per month but end up costing a max of $38, unless I spend $1200 in the year at which point the rest are free. As in, no cost, just pick them up, zero dollars. Mine are half medically necessary and half for better function, but for some people they are way more necessary and I am so happy they can just go get them, no risk of rationing meds.
People do talk about politics and religion here, but not with random people and not in public. If someone isn’t interested you are generally going to back off quickly and leave it be. Religion and politics are mostly private and the few people who do talk tend to not be too intense about it. Certainly most don’t become a registered Labor or Liberal party member with the group identity associated. It is much more loosely held and less culturally relevant.
Kangaroos littering the side of the road (they have about 4 neurones and all of then are suicidal)
To be fair to them, cutting across the path of a predator is pretty effective right up until the predator is a two-tonne death machine.
Walking down the street at night. In the UK and USA it was apparently just not a thing you did. Here I will walk home at 2am no worries, and tonnes of people walk home from the pub drunk enough to not always make it home and sometimes just pass out on the footpath. Never had a problem, never been mugged or similar in that situation, and after living in the UK and visiting the USA I can definitely say I would never do that there.
Still pretty dangerous for women, I’ve gotten plenty of harassment at night. But definitely far safer than the US.
People do talk about politics and religion here, but not with random people and not in public. If someone isn’t interested you are generally going to back off quickly and leave it be. Religion and politics are mostly private and the few people who do talk tend to not be too intense about it. Certainly most don’t become a registered Labor or Liberal party member with the group identity associated. It is much more loosely held and less culturally relevant.
I think it depends. People are still fairly likely to talk about what they think is a “fair go”, and we’ve had some massive political protests lately. But it feels like each party has to meet in the middle a lot more, so stuff isn’t as polarising, and things that are don’t get talked about as openly.
Also in the US they have to register for a party when they register to vote. Feels like they heard about the concept of the secret ballot from us and then just failed completely on the execution.
Most states in the US don’t require you to register for a party, although there are some that do.
Also, there are places in the US that are incredibly safe, but most of the big cities are not. But the US is very large and diverse.
First of all,
You fuckers need to bring out your own dictionary.
Budgie smugglers? I thought that’s Australian for Gum Boots. Turns out, it kinda is actually, but for your Johnson & co.
Secondly, When wearing a thong (the real sexy kind) in a grocery store becomes a norm in your part of planet, I’m moving there permanently.
Third,
Lunch\Cafe in your beachwear?
Bro, you should’ve started with this.
Imma land there now.Secondly, When wearing a thong (the real sexy kind) in a grocery store becomes a norm in your part of planet, I’m moving there permanently.
I want you to pause for a second and think what the average person looks like.
Yep, though self selection plays a role here. If you feel like you look bad you will probably be less likely to go out in swim gear. The average you will see in swimmers is well above the actual population average.
Almost everyone has a sauna or at least access to one at or near their home.
Finland for those wondering.
Tipping as a social obligation when eating at dine in restaurants which in turn allows the waiter to be paid less by the employer and theoretically lowers menu prices.
The Asshole Subsidy. Extra money is taken from the people who are kind enough to worry about the waiter getting paid, effectively giving assholes who choose not to tip a discount.
Are you calling non tippers the assholes, and not the business owners or practice of tipping in general? Tipping is out of control and a stupid obligation as it is currently being used.
Yeah, but many servers make serious bank. You won’t find those people bitching about tips. Worked IT at a payroll firm, frequently saw the numbers.
Servers who bust serious ass make serious bank. Worked as a server. Bad servers have bad numbers, skilled servers have good numbers
In Germany people seem to like opening windows when entering a room, even in the middle of the winter. Or maybe I only know weird Germans.
A few central/northern European countries also don’t believe in curtains.
German here. The Germans you describe seem fairly normal. Air quality > temperature
I understand, it’s just a weird behavior from a southern Europe point of view: when it’s cold outside we close the windows to keep it out.
Also weird from my UK point of view: it’s fucking freezing out them I’m not opening the windows. I do get that it’s nice to have fresh air and you can always put the window in the vent position, but even when it’s really cold you can feel it.
Some people open the windows for they cool fresh air and turn on the heat or set the fire place.
I’ve read some time ago that in some region of the world it is normal to leave a baby outside in a crib (bundled up, of course) in freezing temperatures or around freezing temps. Seems to provide some health benefit. I imagine the temp is not too far below freezing.
To be fair: Every single appartment/house stayed in in the UK was so poorly isolated that it felt fresh and cold already when entering a room with outside walls/windows. In Germany/Switzerland many modern houses are basically pretty much airtightly sealed and well isolated
Being very touchy and physical.
Cheek kisses are usual for strangers. And it’s normal to touch people you barely know or have a small friendship.
Country is Spain.
How small does the friendship need to be for me to casually smooch all the pretty members of your society?
France.
You’re at the grocery store and want to buy a single bottle of milk or coke, but they’re only sold in packs of 6? Just tear open a pack and take one bottle.
I see that lots in Canada as well, but often the 6-pack is way cheaper per unit, to the point where sometimes a 6-pack is the same price as a single.
Own a musket for home defense, since that’s what the founding fathers intended. Four ruffians break into my house. “What the devil?” As I grab my powdered wig and Kentucky rifle. Blow a golf ball sized hole through the first man, he’s dead on the spot. Draw my pistol on the second man, miss him entirely because it’s smoothbore and nails the neighbors dog. I have to resort to the cannon mounted at the top of the stairs loaded with grape shot, “Tally ho lads” the grape shot shreds two men in the blast, the sound and extra shrapnel set off car alarms. Fix bayonet and charge the last terrified rapscallion.He Bleeds out waiting on the police to arrive since triangular bayonet wounds are impossible to stitch up, Just as the founding fathers intended.
Close enough
Welcome back, Kevin McCallister
Easy: school shootings, together with politician denial about the causes of this, guns, and lack of regulation for who owns them, make owning guns easier than getting a driver’s license.
Super sad, but here we are.
The police kills more people every year than the amount of people killed in mass shootings since 1983. They also repeatedly ignore reports of people who go on to commit school shootings.
You should look into common sense pig control. I think that would save more lives than just being hysterical about AR-15s.
2024
Police- 1270
Mass shootings- 500ish (actually a down year)
While I agree we need police reform, let’s be accurate.
Both problems need extensive work.
Hearing gunshots in the wild and not giving a shit. I came straight out the woods, not even off a trail, and there was a young couple by the creek. Having a .22, though really wimpy, didn’t want to frighten them. Not the sort of place you typically see other humans. Also, I look like a well-outfitted homeless guy when hiking. I waved and smiled, walked up to introduce myself.
The were super nice. “Sorry if I worried you. I was popping beer cans down the creek and I never fire any other direction.” “Oh! That must have been you we heard!” Given how sound carries over water, I must how sounded like I was very close. No worries.
LOL, how many non-Americans would hear gunfire in some lonely woods and not run like hell? :) We’re rednecks, or redneck adjacent, so it’s plenty safe to assume we know how to be safe. Shooting is a brutally Darwinian sport for dumbshits.
I live in City/Suburban (its like within a city but no tall buildings), and I hear what sounds like fireworks all the time and nobody gives a shit. And sometime I hear “fireworks” going off in rapid succession like pop pop pop like idk maybe its fireworks, maybe its gunshot, who knows. Just another day. 🤷♂️
(Yes, this is USA, its a liberal city, so its not the hillbillies)
I’m WAY more concerned with pops in a city. When I lived in Elgin, IL (Chicagoland), the 4th of July made me a bit nervous.
Apparantly nobody cares. Didn’t even hear police sirens lol. And “stop and frisk” is a thing here.
What’s this raygun looking contraption?
Italian-made Chiappa Little Badger Extreme. $209. My god. I have never had so much fun with a new gun. Breaks in two pieces, 3.5lbs., hella accurate. Got it two weeks ago, probably took it out 10 times since.
Wanted a Chiappa Rhino, not practical, just for giggles, can’t afford it. Talk about a science fiction weapon, it was even in The Expanse!. And yes, the barrel is on the underside.
Italy: always offering (and accepting) food or drinks while visiting. It’s impossible and/or incredibly rude to pass by a friend’s house without getting at least a coffee or a glass of water.
Netherlands: cold lunch. Traditionally, you’d have only one hot meal a day, and lunch would be sandwiches. I don’t mean to say that sandwiches don’t happen in other countries, but that hot lunches are basically unheard of in NL.
US: everyone has one or multiple cars. Walking to the grocery store means you are basically destitute. (That was quite the culture shock!)
The Italian food thing is pretty common in many cultures, I’ve seen it in a few countries myself and it’s big deal here in Lebanon. My own parents used to be livid about me bringing friends over and not offering anything to eat when I was younger. It’s a part of my culture I’m a bit resistant to doing, I don’t know, it’s pretty intuitive if it’s time to eat or not, and if someone’s dropping by between meals I am totally fine not setting the whole ass table. Maybe a beer or coffee (the good stuff, it’s a nice thing to share) nowadays.
The Dutch food thing has zero resemblance to my culture but it is in line with something I’ve read before about western (at least the description I read was western) food habits. Going completely off the top of my head here. As far as I remember, historically you had one heavy meal and everything else was a smaller meal. I think I was looking up “dinner” vs “supper”. The impression was that the word “dinner” was originally for the big meal of the day, and that “supper” was for a light meal at the very end of the day. “Breakfast” is more of literally breaking a fast than it is a whole meal and lunch referred to a small mid-workday meal.
So I think the idea of temperature might be connected to the size or heaviness of the meal in your Dutch thing.
Or maybe my nerves are completely cooked after work and this is more word salad than word coherent comment.
As a clarification, that last one is definitely NOT true about all places in the US, it very much depends on which area you live in. In NYC few people own a car even if they’re quite well off. No one here drives to get their regular groceries.
I lived in NJ. When i randomly said i didn’t have a car, some colleagues gave me pitying looks. I heard NY is its own little microcosm, but it seemed in general US is very car centric, so much so that there were areas I literally couldn’t reach by foot.
Germany: Workers have rights, and can go to court easily if needed.
