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30 Biggest ‘Culture Shocks’ For People From 3rd World Countries When They Visited An Advanced One, As Shared In This Online Group
The modern world is a world of movement and people are constantly moving from one country to another. Clearly dissatisfaction with one's life causes this migration as they desperately try to find a higher quality of life, freedom, and security in developed countries.
Unfortunately even nowadays, the standard of living in the developed and so-called third world countries is incomparable. What people in the US or UK, for instance, take for granted sometimes seems like a real miracle to migrants.
There is a Reddit thread where people are trying to find out what was the biggest surprise or even shock for newcomers after moving into a developed country. The thread has amassed around 61.7K upvotes and over 21K comments so far, so the topic seems to be more than interesting.
Bored Panda made a curated list with the most impressive and sometimes unexpected revelations. So please scroll to the end, watch and share your comments. Who knows, maybe your story, or the story of someone you know, would become just as popular.
More info: Reddit
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#1
So I knew this guy who used to live in the middle of nowhere in Africa. For unknown reasons his family moved to Montreal, Canada when he was a teenager. I met him in highschool.
Everyday he'd bring a glass of water and sit by the window and all he would do is watch the glass of water throughout the whole course.
Eventually my friends and I started noticing so we went up to him and asked him about the glass of water and the open window.
He looked at us with big round eyes and told us "I've heard that if you leave water next to the window and it gets cold enough outside... The water turns INTO ICE!"
We all had a laugh and everyday came for an update on his water cup. Eventually winter did arrive. The teachers let us keep our winter coat in the classroom so that he could leave his glass of water next to the open window. Surely enough after a little while ice was starting to appear on top of the water.
He was so happy.
Ose okosun 3 years ago
There’s no such thing as “middle of nowhere” in Africa. He came from a country.
Asi Bassey 3 years ago
I’m quite sure there is no place called ‘Nowhere’ in Africa, there is one in Oklahoma though.
karen snyder 3 years ago
This story is absolutely adorable, no doubt. How does it show a change in socio-economic development of the two countries? I know kids in California who have never seen snow. I have a buddy in Nebraska who didn't see an ocean until he was 40. These are not "development" issues.
Hannah Edwards 3 years ago
I treasure a memory of the Malaysian students in the university block next to mine. It started snowing and they all ran outside to play, beyond excited.
Uber Mensch 3 years ago
Was stationed in the Philippines, and tried to explain winter and snow. Utter failure. One of those "you gotta be there" deals.
RELATED:
#2
The postal system. The logistics of delivering millions of letters to millions of homes on a daily basis is astonishing. Especially at that price. The idea that I can send a letter across the country and have it reliably delivered the next or possibly even same day is truly impressive.
Samantha 3 years ago
Yet we Americans take the Post Office for granted to the point that we might lose it (or have it privatized, which would be just as bad).
Uber Mensch 3 years ago
That's primarily due to the fact that the USPS is an official Government entity, but is expected to pay for itself - but not allowed to set its own rates or face direct competition. Worst of both worlds: government monopoly AND capitalism.
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Michelle Line 3 years ago (edited)
I'm 57 years old. Born, raised and lived my entire life in the US. The Post Office has always amazed me. Millions of letters and packages being picked up, sorted and sent to their destination in the span of 1 to 5 days. It truly is a phenomenal task that most people here in the US grossly underappreciate.
Chris Zaydel 3 years ago
1-5 days is not realistic. I work in bookkeeping, and the standard date stamped checks we receive are typically 2 to 3 weeks late. Coming from within our zip code even. This is Maryland, you mileage may vary.
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Paul Davis 3 years ago
The U.S. Post Office used to be like that until the Republicans decided "screw this living in a first-world country...third-world post is where we want to be because it makes dictatorship easier" and started shredding the organization.
Chris Zaydel 3 years ago
Paul, did the Republicans make them buy 165,000 new ICE mail carriers ? The postal Service is currently being sued by 16 states for not moving to EV. Their claim is that the EV's would not be a good deal, cost wise. This from an organization that needs 10 Billion tax dollars a year, to cover their losses. The EV's would have cost only 2.3 Billion, and brought a 200% decrease in the fleets greenhouse gas output. It's not about Dems or Republicans, its about poor leadership.
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Gosiaatje 3 years ago (edited)
This. I always thought that a kind of a reliable, state-run (these days it's privatized) postal system thay we have in Poland is a normal thing to be expected in any country. It is after all such a basic need of a citizen. I still am shocked that in Guatemala, where my husband is from, the public post is pretty much non-existent and unreliable, and it takes one whole year for a letter to be delivered from Europe to Guatemala O_o
Adrienne Mcginley 3 years ago
Unless you try to send a letter locally. Just did this & it took 11 days to go all of 40 miles!
Bob Standen 3 years ago
Yes, it works so well the stress on workers can build up so much one guy will bring a rifle to work and kill a bunch of other postal works to blow off steam.
Chris Zaydel 3 years ago
Bob, with respect, the last time that happened was in 1991, 31 years ago.
Load More Replies... #3
TheGalagaGuy wrote:
I visited Germany once with my family. We were about to cross the road when a Porsche came racing through. Living in India, we experience daily traffic mishaps and there is negligible concern regarding pedestrian safety and courtesy. So we were actually shocked when the driver literally halted to a stop and insisted on us crossing the road. There was no traffic light, no zebra crossings nothing and we actually were used to letting cars pass by before walking, so this was the biggest shock to us.
MaxThrustage added:
Coming from Australia to Germany this weirds me out too. I recently started cycling for the first time in 18 years, so I ride with the skill of a toddler and the grace of a drunk. But never once has any car honked at me, no one has gotten impatient as I wobble my way around them, no one has gotten mad about having to slow down because of this d***head on a bike. Back home I would have been mangled by now, but in Germany people are generally very accomodating. (Although I think it helps that I'm in a small city -- no one's in that much of a hurry here.)
Terra Renee 3 years ago
Mangled in Australia is better than either shot to death or robbed at gunpoint like in my city. Screw you, St. Louis.
Queen Jackson. 3 years ago
Crossing that off the future road trip list then….
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oktopus 3 years ago
For anyone wondering, picture is Tokyo, Japan (west exit of Shinjuku Station).
J. F. 3 years ago
Was wondering why all the cars drive on the wrong way (from a german perspective)
Load More Replies... Adrian 3 years ago
I visited Germany too and agree with everything you said. One thing did bother me was driving up the motorway and venturing with trepidation up to 130km/h (20 above my Australian limit) and being overtaken by something going so damn fast I didn't even have enough time to tell what make it was.
PitbullmomAF 3 years ago
Germany has very good road manners. After 20 yrs of living back in the US, I still get frustrated, especially with SoCal drivers!
Unaffected 3 years ago (edited)
It's true! German bike lanes are fantastic.I lived in Freiburg and rode my bike all the time with my daughter in the back seat.No way I'd do that in Melbourne now!
Display Name 3 years ago
In India, unofficially - Green is for go, yellow is for speed up, it's going to turn red and red just after green/yellow is "it just turned red, you have a few seconds, go" and red just as timer starts nearing zero is for "come on, cross a little or the other side will hog up a few seconds."
Mayank Gupta 3 years ago
This kind of surprised me as well on my first ever trip to Europe when I saw this happen with my multiple times in France. I was so amazed that I brought this habit me back to India. I'm now a much more patient driver. Thanks, Europe!
Luther von Wolfen 3 years ago
My dad did a lot of driving in Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) in 1969-70. He said it was hard to switch back to US driving when he came back. In Vietnam, the biggest vehicle had the right of way.
#4
That things would get fixed. I had a vending machine in my dorm building, it broke down and said well s**t guess no more vending machine. Absolutely flabbergasted when I saw the machine repaired and working
It's Me 3 years ago
Perhaps not even remotely the point but I remember when vending machines were just 25 cent soda cans. Or the $2 cigarettes machines.
Random Person 3 years ago
A whole cigarette machine for $2?? Those were the days.
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Mark Buckrell 3 years ago
The owner makes no money from a broken machine. There is no altruistic public service involved.
Bob Standen 3 years ago
That machine is making money hand over fist, no way they'll let it stand idle. 1,000% profit mark up on those goods.
Daniel Marsh 3 years ago
I had heard about his book dedication to Satan. I was prepared for him to advocate the destruction of the American economy. But when I read how he forced the campus cafe to be replaced by a sandwich-vending machine, I knew Saul Alinsky was far more evil than I could have imagined.
Liam Walsh 3 years ago
I don't think they've realised that missing out the word 'treatment' or similar actually does make a difference!
Load More Replies... #5
I moved from South Africa to the UK and the fact that you can actually live off minimum wage is just incredible. Pay rent and bills, buy food and slowly furnish your house. It’s phenomenal.
Also the fact that most of the UK born citizens think this is a terrible place to live is just beyond me. I always get asked why’d I leave sunny South Africa to come to this “s***hole”. They just don’t understand how good they’ve got it.
albernistuff 4sale 3 years ago
Yeah, Canada is starting to lag like this - mostly the housing costs have soared.
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Michelle Line 3 years ago
Compared to many countries were people earn equivalent to a few US dollars a day, yes, this would be amazing for many people. However, in the US, we have a high cost of living that other countries do not, so our minimum wage is not enough to sustain the cost of living here.
Anne Mitchell 3 years ago
In most developed countries a person can live off minimum wage except the USA. There people are paid the least possible amount and the employers count on peoples' tips to allow their employees to live, and make millions in profit in the process.
Rick 3 years ago
It’s different for everybody. It’s all very well saying “you can live off minimum wage”…YES, it may be possible, depending on WHERE in the UK you live, and your living situation. It also depends on your job. If you get minimum wage on a zero hours contract and are only getting a handful of hours a week, then simply, you can’t. That’s not to say the safety net of a minimum wage is a bad thing, I’m not saying that at all. But spouting off misinformation like that is what leads people (and politicians) to say that it’s entirely feasible to live off. It’s not so much the wage that’s the problem, it’s the contracts.
Uber Mensch 3 years ago
Travelled all over Asia early/mid 70s. Just about every country had problems (sometimes several) with _something_. As scr3wed up as the U.S. is, there are too many places where EVERYTHING is so much worse.
PitbullmomAF 3 years ago
Having lived in Korea, Greece, spain & Germany before coming back to the US, we have a lot of growing to do. We are a fairly young nation with a god complex, but we can learn a lot from other countries.
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Nicole Normand 3 years ago
I've never had minimum wages but most people here (Canada) say it's not feasible even if they are single and no dependents.
#6
Atash wrote:
When I first came to The Netherlands, I took the train from Schiphol Airport to Rotterdam. As I was sitting in the train, wondering how a country could be so flat, a guy, that looked like an obvious beggar, approached me and told me something in Dutch. I told him in English that I do not speak Dutch. Without hesitation, the guy proceeded to beg in fluent English. That was such a cultural shock...
Even after all these years in The Netherlands, I can not speak Dutch all that well, not for lack of trying but because Dutch people absolutely have no problem switching to English instantly the moment they realize I am not a native speaker.
ifeardolphins18 answered:
To be fair the Netherlands has a higher literacy rate in English than most English speaking countries. A Dutch friend told me that if you’re under the age of 40 and can’t speak English you’re basically shamed for it.
Arjen de Landgraaf 3 years ago (edited)
In my youth, school mandatory required all students to have at least an intial grasp of 4 languages: Dutch (well, of course), English, French and German. Except for Enlgish class I hated those lessons, which is a shame, as now I realise howmuch I still remembered, and that I can ask some basic questions in French anf German too. What if I paid attention?
Mark Buckrell 3 years ago
If you keep speaking Dutch, they will usually humour you until the conversation just stops working, especially if you say something like, "Ik heb oefening nodig in het nederlands."
jimmy pop 3 years ago
The Netherlands are surrounded by English, French and German, two international languages and the most influential in the EU, all of them are commonly taught in Dutch schools and none of the surrounding countries could bother to teach a language as insignificant as Dutch. They adapted.
marianne eliza 3 years ago
As an exchange student to West Germany in 1976, I was amazed to learn that the students were required to take 7 years of English.
PurpleUnicorn 3 years ago
There was a Dutch girl in my class in college, she said everyone speaks English because nobody (outside NL) speaks Dutch
Marco Hub-Dub 3 years ago
I grew up between the US and the Netherlands. I still have a very hard time speaking Dutch and wouldn’t consider myself fluent even though many in my family primarily speak it. All because the English is better there than San Francisco or California.
Dana Ondráčková 3 years ago
Got the same shock as a teenager on summer job There. I am Czech, speak Czech And english. Some old grandma tried to chat with me on a bus, me, shy teenager girl, Just nods. Then she realised I dont understand her so she switches to fluent english. I was so shocked. Just a few km away our families over 30 dont speak english at all, mostly rusduan, german or not second language at all
Lyyyy 3 years ago
Some people are on a next level, my sister-in-laws kids learn finnish and italian from home, they also live in wales, so they have to learn english and welsh. And most of SIL family speaks german, among other languages, so starting from age 10 they’ll learn that too. I only know 4 languages, and 2 of them not even very well.
#7
My wife’s first time in the U.S she burst out laughing at how a 4-way stop worked, and just couldn’t believe people actually followed the rules.
Soggy Crumpet 3 years ago
Roundabouts are very common in many American towns but in some places there simply isn’t room. Roundabouts require more space than a 4-way stop
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Andie Day 3 years ago
Americans continually cuss their roundabouts because the stupid highway departments don't know how to build them. Soggy Crumpet is correct, they don't allow enough room for them, and it screws up traffic. As an American who has driven overseas, I get how well they work if done right. Can't convince my friends though, because we don't have any that work.
Couch 3 years ago
People in the US can't figure out how to use a roundabout for some reason they can't fathom how it works. I love in a town that has one and it's the worst thing to try and go through so I avoid it at all costs. In Ohio
Aria Whitaker 3 years ago (edited)
That is not "People in the US"...that may be your town. Mine has about 6 different roundabouts near one of the local universities. Everyone can use it, low accident rate, no issues. Sorry Ohioans cant, but that is not a "US" thing...it is a YOUR AREA thing.
Load More Replies... PurpleUnicorn 3 years ago
We recently got our first 4-way stop (Ireland) because there wasn't room to put in a roundabout. It has worked pretty well. But I remember the consternation when we got our first double roundabout! And filter lane traffic lights took a while for people to get used to - all seemed very odd to me, who grew up with all these things!
Andy Zbinden 3 years ago
roundabout: the ones in the ring (from left if not in UK and some others) come first. 4-way stop: the one from the right (s.above) comes first.
Aria Whitaker 3 years ago
Those are NOT the stop sign rules in my area...that one that gets to the sign first goes first, not the one on the right. That only comes into play if two cars get to the stop at the same, exact time.
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Laura Pantazis 3 years ago
The four way stop rule off the top of my head is that the person who arrived at the stop sign first goes through the intersection first. If two or three cars arrive at the same time, the person to the furthest right goes first. If four cars arrive at the same time, well, they just have to work it out amongst themselves, lol
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#8
LazerMoonCentaur wrote:
A Tsongan African man who was staying with me came rushing in the first week he was staying me and woke me up. He was extremely excited that there was a garbage truck with a motorised arm and was picking up the wheely bins as it went down the street "Have you seen this! Have you seen this!" He kept exclaiming over and over again, "Amazing, amazing!" It made me laugh very hard, but he was a lovely guy.
XandelSA answered:
South African here. The thought of a garbage truck with a motorised arm literally blows my mind. There's absolutely no rules here that state where our bins should be placed which I imagine is the foundation you need before you can have a truck pick em up by itself.
Benita Valdez 3 years ago
In my father's country in South America there are carriage/buggy pulled by a horse or two that pick up garbage. His family house was on a street with cobblestones and I loved hearing the horse clomp up the road 🙂
FreckledFox 3 years ago
I found this to be one of the sweetest most innocent posts. Thank you for the smile
Terra Renee 3 years ago
My trash dudes still pick it up manually. Bet they wish for an electric arm.
Sabrina Passarge 3 years ago
Germany here, so please excuse my lack of words. I´d like to add, that those arms are able to weigh the trash. A lot of cities here only charge you for the actual kg in your garbage can.
Traci Johnston 3 years ago
There's a flat rate 😕 however you have the choice of a small, medium or large bin!
Load More Replies... HostyMosty 3 years ago
It's this kind of surprise and wonder that makes me almost, ALMOST want kids. To be able to experience it yourself as an adult is almost a miracle, but to experience it through another is still a gift.
phil blanque 3 years ago
Yeah, "advanced" countries will go to great lengths to avoid hiring people.
Jro308 3 years ago (edited)
Actually it has more to do with 2 things. 1. Employee Safety, a driver not having to get out of the truck at every stop significantly decreases their risk of getting hurt or hit by another vehicle passing them and 2. It is way more efficient. AT every company I have ever worked for safety of our guys on the road is always #1 priority. FYI we call them ASL trucks short for Automated Side Arm.
Load More Replies... #9
How things actually work.
You can rely on your electricity not going out at least twice a day. If you buy something and it breaks, there's warranty with little to no hassle. Internet actually works more than it doesn't. Public transportation actually arrives and shockingly, it does on time. If you hire a service, it'll actually be done and with an expectation of quality. The list goes on.
Of course it's not perfect and there's s***ty people everywhere, but that's the exception, not the rule. And it's a massive difference.
M O'Connell 3 years ago
That strongly depends on what it is. I persuaded a friend to purchase the extended warranty on her vehicle because it was the first year of the model, and "initial release" problem were going to be more likely.
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Rens 3 years ago
Again, my mom in South Africa is at the mercy of "loadshedding" where they supply no electricity to certain areas because either there isn't enough being produced (poor maintenance of an aging network and power stations) or no funding because of too many people getting electricity illegally... She's now on PAYG but I don't think that's solved anything. She now has a gas cooker, made a huge difference to her.
Scott Crowell 3 years ago
We have been trying to contact you regarding you car's extended warranty.
#10
When I was in the Marines I had a friend that was from extreme rural Africa.
So we took him to 3d shows and such. He had been in the US for around 6 months but even things like tv was an amazing luxury to him. Someone in the group picked up one at a pawn shop off post and gave it to him and he was just amazed that someone would just give him a TV.
Something nifty. He had it set up so direct deposits would go to an account his village had access to. His salary as an E2 in the Navy made his family semi royalty in the village.
Aria Whitaker 3 years ago
Yes, it is awesome to hear about. Just for perpective...an E2 in the Navy makes only $15,437 to $24,462 a year. Quite telling that such a low amount was so significant to his family back home. We take so much for granted.
Load More Replies... Samantha 3 years ago
They can, as long as they already live, legally, in the US and speak English. They're offered expedited naturalization with no fees, which can be pretty attractive given the cost (of both time and money) of citizenship.
Load More Replies... M. William Bell 3 years ago
If you go back far enough, we’re all African. It’s a real shame that some of us lost our sense of tribalism along the way. I’ll bet that dude would be respected as hell no matter where he lived.
#11
You can speak up against the government without being threatened or kidnapped
Ruthie R 3 years ago
Russia, China, Syria, Iran, Egypt, Saudi, UAE, Algeria, North Korea... many people in the West have no clue how lucky they are to be able to speak out without fear.
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RedMarbles 3 years ago
Why many were so alarmed at US protesters and even journalists getting grabbed by police with no insignia and put into unmarked vans during protests a couple years ago. That kind of thing should alarm even those who thought the protesters should not have been protesting.
Gregg Long 3 years ago
Well until recently. Disney just learned that while Republicans definitely consider corporate money as free speech they don't consider corporate speech to be free speech.
Queen Boudicca 3 years ago
But Republicans do apparently agree that corporations do have "religious convictions" because they are allowed to deny women healthcare. Hobby Lobby claimed it is against their religion to provide women birth control via company health insurance... but Viagra is a "quality of life" right for men.
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Natalie Bohrteller 3 years ago
Say it a bit louder for the idiots that claim we're living in a dictatorship...
King Kashue 3 years ago
In general. Protest where certain presidents want to walk for a photo op with a bible and you might get tear gassed and beaten by cops (and that's only because that certain president was told that if he called out soldiers - like he wanted to - the Secretary of Defense would resign in protest himself).
#12
I visited my cousins in the U.S once. I was suprised that your houses don't have walls around them. There were only those fences at the side and back that pretty much anyone can jump over. Where I live the only houses who dont have walls surrounding them are those in compounds or subdivisions that have roaming security guards. Paid security guards not volunteers like the neighborhood watch kind of thing
edit: To the people asking I'm from the Philippines but its n̶i̶c̶e̶ interesting to see that other countries carry this t̶r̶a̶d̶i̶t̶i̶o̶n̶ practice.
edit: Not really a wealthy family but not really a from dangerous neighborhood. It pretty standard here to have at least a 2 meter tall concrete walls if you have middle income but those poor ones just settle with barbed wire
albernistuff 4sale 3 years ago
In Canada you will mostly see fences or walls for practical purposes; walled in back to keep pets or rambunctious children away from neighbors' yards. Tall walls mostly only seen as light/noise blockers for busy roads. Even our 'gated' communities generally don't have more than a decorative fence and a sign. No security gate or patrols. More like HOA lite; the social contract is to keep the yard tidy and no long term driveway ornaments.
Aura 3 years ago
We also have strict rules in a Canada about fencing around pools. When I see a fully enclosed backyard I just assume there's a pool or a dog.
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Huddo's sister 3 years ago
There used to be a practice of people cementing glass on the top of brick walls too. At the place my grandad built, he put barbed wire at the top of the cyclone fencing, because it was next to a 'board of works' flood plane. When my mum bought the place off him, she got rid of the barbed wire, as it seemed unnecessary.
Load More Replies... Bob Standen 3 years ago
Here in Australia the normal is a 6' wooden fence on the back and sides, but a 3-4' in front yard in the inner suburbs. When we moved to an outer suburb north of Brisbane we had no fences in the front and 3-4' fences on the sides. No one ever locked their doors, crime was very rare in 1960s.
#13
ziggyjoe212 wrote:
Giant grocery stores are full of food and always fully stocked.
Coming from Ukraine to USA in the 90's, my entire family's jaws dropped for hours.
polishfurseatingass answered:
Hah, my dad's from Munich and my mom's from Kraków and the stories about their childhoods are sometimes so different because of that.
Like my mom will tell you how oranges were a delicacy that you only had for special occassions while my dad will be like "oh when we were bored we used to throw them at each other for fun".
Terra Renee 3 years ago
Bless you. Your country will win! Then they'll stock the shelves with looted Russian military "equipment". 💓🇺🇦
Sue Hazlewood 3 years ago
It's not "looted", the Russians are importing it for the Ukranians.
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M 3 years ago (edited)
I had the same feeling the first time I went to France when I was a kid. Was born just after the revolution (in Romania) and while we had plenty of stuff we did not have 1000 types of food, snacks, toys etc. The selection was pretty limited and sometimes very basic and our family was poor so we couldn't afford much. Went to visit some friends in France and they took us to a mall. It was like a Disney park for me and my sister. So many things and varieties and just cool toys. Like we got toothpaste that tasted like candy and came out in the shape of a cartoon. What. Mind blown. We went to a large supermarket and this lovely man who worked there came to us and gave both of us a teddy bear with the supermarket logo on it. I cannot describe how happy and amazed I was. I still have that bear at my parents house.
Traci Johnston 3 years ago
You have a beautiful story~ Thank you for sharing 😊
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Vihra Stancheva 3 years ago
When I was little we only had oranges for Christmas. To this day even though I now live in a country where oranges grow literally in every 2 meters I still connect them to Christmas.
Paulina 3 years ago
To be fair, both of the commenters here are talking about their countries from early 90s and before - the communist era. Mid 90s, after the collapse of Soviet Union, things got better pretty quickly and there was no striking difference to the west anymore.
James Pasquini 3 years ago
Yes things did get better as Russia accepted more western ideals. Putin has cast that aside and is knocking 30 years of development away. I think he's planning a seeing a statue erected in his "honor." (rolls eyes)
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PandaRave 3 years ago
It’s nice to hear about people going from crap communist countries to the west during the Soviet Union. I know damn well Ukraine won’t go back to that.
jevais 3 years ago
Hello Panda Rave, Ukraine is a democracy no longer under the rule of Russia. Poutine is raving mad that there's no longer the great Russia, he wants the same as when all the eastern countries were USSR.
Load More Replies... Evelyn Ann 3 years ago
My fiance is from eastern Poland and had the same experience, he could not believe the availability in our stores when he moved here in 2000. Even with the Berlin Wall torn down there wasn't western commerce in Poland, probably still isn't. But the bakeries and bread there are supposed to be far superior to ours, i believe him!
Arenite 3 years ago
It was common, during the Soviet era, for Russians who made it here to NYC to have literal nervous breakdowns in supermarkets because they were overwhelmed by having to choose between 8 brands of toilet paper and too many types of soup to count. They were used to scarcity and take what you can find.
#14
That people here (Ireland) don't lock their door when they leave and have no security bars on their (multiple) windows.
The general sense of safety and the fact that I could walk home alone at 4AM and still be safe, if a bit nervous.
Luther von Wolfen 3 years ago
In the US, this was true when I was growing up in a small town. It isn't anymore.
NOLAHusker 3 years ago
It's still true. Crime is way lower now than it was when I was a kid, even with the recent uptick. Don't believe the sensationalist news.
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Lyyyy 3 years ago
I live in small town. My grandmothers door is usually unlocked even if she isn’t home, but if it is locked, everyone knows there is a spare key in her old boot next to the door. I do this: first one who gets home unlocks the door. The last one who goes to sleep or leaves home locks it.
Nicole Normand 3 years ago
In the 1980s we lived in a small town and people would drop in and put food on our counter. Once we got a new mattress that sat in our dining room! Then we moved in a bigger town but lived in the country and still didn't lock our doors, especially the back door. In 1999 we moved to an even bigger town and didn't lock the door. After a few days, this dude barges in and runs upstairs. I can hear him make a lot of noise and grunting. I called 911; I was hysteric. He came back down with a cupboard in his arms. The police caught him. He said he was coming back for it as the previous owner had refused to give back (it was screwed in the wall). Police gave a slap on his hand, told him to ring the bell next time and let him go. No way after that did I forget to lock the doors. None of use (all 5) were used to do it but we adjusted. Now that they are all grown, we have a code so when the kids say they are coming for a visit I put a magnet outside on the door; it means the door is unlocked.
Cuppa tea? 3 years ago (edited)
Not sure about ot locking doors, as most houses in estates have alarm blasting through day. But yeah, that is just about all security there is. Once I left all windows on my car open overnight. Came in morning and thought someone smashed them. No broken glass, so it was just my negligence.
Peta Hurley-Hill 3 years ago
I'm in Australia. Our front door key is in the front door 24/7,whether we are home or not(in case someone comes over and can't get in, of course).
#15
The quality of the public infrastructure, and how respectfull city planning is with pedestrians. Sydney is full of beautifull little gifts in the shape of shortcuts, stairs, parks, pathways. Everywhere.
It truly is a joy to just walk through the city.
Also, dogs are more polite that people where I come from.
#16
That people don’t care at all with the clothes or my overall appearance (weight, hair, etc).
In Brazil I always get comments (good or bad) about how I look. Mainly from friends or family but it’s common to always talk about it.
When I moved to Australia I made friends, and never got a comment about any of these things. It was a big relieve to find out that I can be myself and not worry about the tons of comments about something that doesn’t matter at all.. :)
BluEyedSeoulite 3 years ago
This seems to be purely cultural. Affluent Asian countries will comment on your appearance as well. Equally negative and positive. It's to show that they cared enough to notice. Negative comments can and often do lead to mental issues later tho
Izzy Curer 3 years ago (edited)
Never comment on anyone's appearance. I don't care if it's my dear old grandmother saying it. I don't care if they're trying to be complimentary. I don't care if there's a chicken roosting on my head. I. Don't. Want to hear it
albernistuff 4sale 3 years ago
You know who wear suits? Politicians, lawyers, car sales....Someone who cares too much about appearances triggers my spidey sense.
RedMarbles 3 years ago
A lot of the "suits' still have to be in suits for their jobs though. I'm sure many wouldn't if they had a choice.
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#17
My grandmother came to the U.S. from El Salvador during the 80s ( bad times) and she said she couldn't get over the fact that hearing tons of guns firing at night like fireworks wasn't normal, and how peaceful it was to have quiet at night.
Mick Casey 3 years ago
Well if you live in Cleveland there are gunshots pretty much every night
Gregg Long 3 years ago
Depends. I lived in Kansas City and heard more gunshots at night in the 7 months I lived there than the rest of my life put together.
Just saying 3 years ago
An African friend in the UK hated November 5th (firework night) as it reminded him of the situation he had come out of.
jevais 3 years ago
Don't worry USA this has come here too in Switzerland. It's not just something that happens in the States.
Aria Whitaker 3 years ago (edited)
I....think you misread the post. She is stating that this DOES NOT happen in the States, not that it does.
Load More Replies... Teresa Stabler 3 years ago
It does still happen in some places but a lot of places it's quiet.
Dana Ondráčková 3 years ago
Czech here. I cant even sleep with Windows near more busy Street like my grandma had. I am so used to dark and quiet city
Bettie-Jean Neal 3 years ago
Depends on where you live. I moved into Philly from the burbs and live there for almost 10 years. Took me a while to get used to night time noise. When I moved back to the burbs, I had to get a fan for some night time noise.
#18
I could see how a developing country where getting drinkable water takes some effort (boil it, filter it or buy it) it’s pretty weird to go to a developed country and find out that people c**p in toilets with drinkable water and also shower in it.
Michelle Reynolds 3 years ago
This is such a sad waste of potable water. We should be using "gray" water (not sewer water but other water poured down the drains- dishwater etc) in toilets and to water grass!
Mermaid Elle-Jaye 3 years ago
This reminds me of the best boss I ever had (pink Zulu restaurant Perth) she was Zimbabwean and we had a staff meeting before the restaurant opened, she prepared some jugs of water from the tap and set it on the table for us, one waiter says in a pretty stuck up manner - “ummm! I only drink water from a bottle”, boss lady’s all stumped, completely in wtf mode. She says “the problem with you western kids, you don’t even appreciate that he fact you live in a country with non potable, instantly drinkable water that doesn’t not kill you or give you bugs and you still complain!” - I haven’t purchased bottles water since her point, that was 2009. I used to also serve the Patel family there and never realised till the murder (I still think he did it).
Kathryn Baylis 3 years ago
I really don’t think the water in the toilet can be considered potable. The shower is another story, as I sure as s h I t hope I’m showering in water that’s clean enough that I won’t get sick if I swallow any.
Bob Standen 3 years ago
When planning Hong Kong they knew they had limited fresh drinking water, so they put in two pipes into houses and one is purple to carry salt water to flush the toilets. And to not pollute the bay they pump the sewerage into huge tankers that carry it away to China where it is processed into fertilizer. China is the worlds biggest producer of fruit and vegetables in the world. These are shipped everywhere, but when consumers find out human manure is used to grow them sales drop off. So to stop this they use middle men to hide the country of origin, New Zealand is a huge importer of China's produce who then process it and label it 'Processed in New Zealand from local and imported goods' as a way of hiding it, crafty?
Terra Renee 3 years ago
You still need to boil water in some parts of the USA. My city had a boil order not too long ago.
M O'Connell 3 years ago
That is usually due to a water-treatment malfunction or infrastructure maintenance, and not because you get your water with a bucket from the river.
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Random Person 3 years ago
In most of Northern Europe potable water falls from the sky 40-60% of the days. It's not a scarce resource. Setting up a secondary "grey" water system would be inefficient.
#19
My god parents adopted two girls from Ethiopia.
They were straight terrified of any bodies dogs. Anybodies.
In their home town, kids were regularly attacked and killed by wild/street dogs.
jevais 3 years ago
Here there has been a huge increase of refugees in the past 35 years or so. Ex-Yugoslavia , Africa and Sri Lanka where most folks are Muslim. They're either scared, don't like dogs or both. It's very difficult to live in neighborhoods having a dog when the majority of the population are not Europeans. It's a shame because dogs here in Switzerland must go with its owner to official classes to be educated. Here there's no rabies, the law obliges that dogs have a detector under its skin, have vaccination yearly. All dogs must be registered at police where one lives.
Weim Central 3 years ago
Swiss requirements for dogs are the same in many developed US states where the owners are responsible. The difference is that it's a conscious choice at our expense that many don't make.
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Auntriarch 3 years ago
In some places it's sensible to fear dogs, they are in packs, may have rabies, are not socialised with humans, and are likely badly treated by humans.
Hobby Hopper 3 years ago
I had a Kenyan friend that was terrified of dogs for the same reason.
Hello Dolly 3 years ago
Most dogs don’t carry rabies here as well as we don’t have a very large amount of stray dogs. Most animals here don’t really have rabies. There is a large population of stray cats though but even animal control tries to get them spayed and neutered. We have very good animal control. So I don’t think they have much reason to attack.
Display Name 3 years ago (edited)
I don't know why Dev Mehta was downvoted. He's asking a logical question. Westerners need to know that their desire to adopt from poorer regions actually is giving rise to human trafficking. A poor kids gets kidnapped, and trafficked. His/her poor family then pulls out other kids from school to pool money to find their child (double suffering). In this case, the person could have helped more people in community if they had funded neutering (of stray dogs) and getting access to internet. By adopting, they only gave 2 kids a good life by pulling them out of their culture and country.
Jette Wang Wahnon 3 years ago
Dev mehta...why babies from poor parts of the US ?? A friend of mine (Danish) also adopted a girl from Ethiopia who at the time was 8 and living in a home for orphans....My friend worked for the Unicef...The above post seem similar....
Display Name 3 years ago (edited)
Again, you may not realize it, but it's giving rise to child being kidnapped from poor families and be dumped in orphanage and subsequently adopted. It's better to help community, rather than adopt a few children at the same cost. You assume that the child will have a better life in the West. Economically, yes, but emotionally they may always end up feeling like a fish out of water, end up in a place where they neither connect with their biological family and nor with adoptive parents. West can help poor countries much better if they helped community sustain rather than uproot a child. https://harvardpolitics.com/international-adoptions-trafficking-problem/
Load More Replies... #20
The lights. So many lights from street lamps, traffic lights, huge buildings lit up all night. Oh and the highways blew my mind. They were so wide and full of so many cars.
I was 6 and I’ll never forget that first drive from the airport to my new home in December. It was also my first time seeing snow.
Teresa Stabler 3 years ago
Snowball fights are fun! Plus making snow angels and snowmen.
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Brivid 3 years ago
Street lights are nice for safety reasons but they also make it impossible for someone to see the stars. People who live in the city or suburbs, with many building and street lights, are always amazed at the night sky when they are in very rural places. The night sky is amazing when you can see it in all its glory.
Sue User 3 years ago
I was going to college with a girl from Miami. It started to snow and freaked put. She said it was her first snow, and i thought she meant for the season, but she meant " first snow ever". She was very disappointed when i explained the snow was too dry and would not pack into balls. She thought all snow was same
AK to LV 3 years ago
I grew up in Fairbanks, Alaska. If you drive just a couple of minutes out of town, most side roads aren't paved and don't have streetlights. When we would visit family in Las Vegas, I thought it was so cool how there were sidewalks in the neighborhoods and so many lights. It did freak me out the first couple of times it got dark in the summer. I was 7 and didn't know that it could be dark and hot at the same time. By the time it gets dark in the evening you can see your breath.
#21
naimza18 wrote:
Being a girl, you can live alone.
gordonjames62 answered:
I have a daughter living in Toronto, Canada, and another living in Halifax Canada. They would never worry about physical safety or being robbed.
Then my oldest went to work with street kids in Bogata Colombia. It took her a long time to fully understand why people got upset with her wanting to go out for walks at night.
Mark Buckrell 3 years ago
Every city has bad areas that you have to watch yourself in (including Toronto and Halifax), but overall Halifax is very safe.
Priscilla Reshell 3 years ago
I'm scared to live alone wherever I'm at but it's always to have pepper spray or a taser
Philenzortia 3 years ago
It is dangerous but it depends of course on which part of the city she was living. Also living alone as a woman is completely safe, burglars do not discriminate lol.
#22
Toilet paper. Toilet paper everywhere. You don’t have to bring your own to a public restroom because there’s one in every stall here in America, and it’s free.
everyone's favorite person 3 years ago
This list is making me grateful for all the things I take for granted!!
Hello Dolly 3 years ago
Yes!! I went to South America and it was a culture shock the opposite way for me. I had to learn to carry it around with me and to not flush toilet paper down the toilets.
Firstname Lastname 3 years ago
The idea of only bringing enough to wipe after going one and ending up skimping after going two is terrifying. Thank you America for free TP.
Katherine Heasley 3 years ago
In China, it's always a good idea to have a pack of tissues on you just in case you need to use the restroom. Only restrooms in high-end places will have TP.
Anton Kider 3 years ago (edited)
Not free. It's included in the price you pay once you exit the premises.
Celtic Pirate Queen 3 years ago
Found out the hard way that you had to ask for toilet paper at this little taco place we used to go to in San Diego, They kept it behind the counter because people would steal it. Had never heard of such a thing.
#23
roses10111 replied:
How old the houses are. I was expecting modern construction like in my country, buy instead saw old buildings which, ironically, valued more than even the more modern ones
collegiaal25 commented:
Old buildings are often closer to the city center, so it's also location. Plus they may have historical value.
Jill Bussey 3 years ago
Photo is of an old hotel in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, England. Views over the River Thames.
jevais 3 years ago
Gorgeous, much better than ciment buildings that fall in ruin after 50 years according to the climate.
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Gavin Johnson 3 years ago
Sat here in Buxton, Derbyshire in my flat that’s inside a converted Social Club that was owned by the local woodcutters association, the building was built in 1800ish and has walls that are a couple of feet thick and it’s local gritstone, this place would survive a small bomb. I love the character and feel of old buildings, they have a story to tell. Modern buildings will not outlive this old gal, she’s built to last 😀
Teresa Stabler 3 years ago
That building is beautiful. But are cars parked in both directions normal there?
BusyLizzy 3 years ago
It's the UK and yes it's legal to park any way in daylight but at night you have to park in the direction of traffic. I've never heard of this being enforced though. Where I live, people park both ways.
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PitbullmomAF 3 years ago
I love that in high-school I used to party in castle ruins. The old buildings have great energy. Even my dining room set is older than the US 😁
Michelle Reynolds 3 years ago
I wish more people in the US valued older buildings over new construction more.
M O'Connell 3 years ago
Some cities also make it incredibly complicated to get permits to build something new, with the intention of preserving old buildings.
#24
My roomate's coworker is from Guatemala. He says the one of the best things about the US is that when you call for an ambulance, one actually shows up even if you aren't rich or important.
Jill Bussey 3 years ago
You should try the health service in the UK. It's the envy of the world.
Laura Ketteridge 3 years ago
He should try the UK. You get an ambulance in good time, and there is NO bill.
kayla Mckee 3 years ago (edited)
Depends on where you live as well. I lived in an area that so far out in the country it took 47 minutes for an ambulance, 52 minutes for fire truck and the cops would seriously call you to make sure they could take the report over the phone before they came out, if they came at all. The wild and wonderful west Virginia......it is pretty but also pretty crappy.
Linda Lee 3 years ago
Yes, an ambulance will show up quickly in the US but it is very expensive. Even with insurance you end up having to get a year long payment plan to pay off the bill. Then there's the emergency room charge, physician bill, maybe an xray bill, hospital stay, deductible, copays, out-of-pocket costs, non-covered charges. You set up payment plans on them all and hope you pay them off before you get sick or hurt again.
Francisco Manuel Teruel Gutiérrez 3 years ago
My best moments are when I don't need to call for an ambulance, instead.
Dana Ondráčková 3 years ago (edited)
I feel blessed in middle europe where my mom got upset gallbladder, I called hospital, they show up in 20 minutes (not life threatning) And check my mom, give her medication And in minutes she was fine And they Just say "ok bye" And you dont pay anything even if they take you to hospital for tons of check ups And meds
#25
randomBlackbox_ answered:
drinking water directly from water taps
gnarley_quinn commented:
I tried to explain this to my kids. They had trouble understanding where water comes from before it arrived at the two.
Jayne Kyra 3 years ago
I remember being told not to drink tap water when I was an exchange student in the USA. It was baffling. Here (Slovakia) tap water is standard. Hell, it´s what you get in restaurants unless you ask for mineral water (sparkling, semi-sparkling, still).
Isabel Care 3 years ago
Unless you are in a hard water area and have painful joints. A basic water filter jug works wonders
Jette Wang Wahnon 3 years ago
When travelling drink bottled water...at least for some days until you get used to the strain of bacteria normally found in local drinking water...
Shine Caramia 3 years ago
Fluoride in water is a public health measure. It does not make frogs gay or whatever insanity you're spewing.
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#26
Being able to walk around the city while using my phone.
If I use it where I live, I get murdered, raped or kidnapped over a phone.
Honduran :)
Teresa Stabler 3 years ago
People can be walking down the street in the middle of the day and have their phone snatched right out of hand. Pay attention to your surroundings!
Load More Replies... #27
Seeing so many women driving cars in USA was shocking to me.
Charlotte Sandoval 3 years ago
I'm gonna guess Saudi Arabia. It's a very recent change that women are legally allowed to drive there
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K Wit 3 years ago
So weird to me that there are still in this day and age whole countries that still think women are nothing but dirt on their shoe. Evolve already ffs. Religion is monstrous and nothing but lies.
Nubis Knight 3 years ago
The problem most often is not the religion itself but the culture: before Koran women had no rights at all while the Koran gave them first rights. The problem is what the clergy made of the rules. Same in catholic church that denies female Apostels/early followers. That's only because the catholic church rose from ancient Roman Tradition that was complety anti-feministic.
Load More Replies... #28
Coming from the worse country to a better one, it surprises me how easy it is to do a transaction online.
Apply visa? do it online. They will notify you once they need documents, once you are ready, etc. Every step of the process.
Pay bills? Fine, do online banking.
Order food, groceries? Do it online, call for delivery.
Schedule for appointment? Call, Do it online.
Meanwhile in my country, you need to do all this PHYSICALLY. Fall in line for hours. Registration done?
On to the next step - payment. Uh oh, you need to go the bank, collect the receipt and come back here.
You want to do it online? Good luck with the s***ty websites and slow internet. I could go on and on.
Its day and night comparison.
Scarlett 3 years ago
Ok, I have a really stupid and irrelevant question, what are those white things with pink swirls in soup?
Iamlisa 3 years ago
I broke both of my legs last year snd my condo unit is on the second floor. No elevators. I was couldn’t walk for 5 months nor could I leave my condo. I was perfectly fine. I was able to get everything I needed and everything done by using my iPhone to access online services.
#29
Cables underneath the roads and not hanging everywhere
HarriMissesScotland 3 years ago
Here in Central Florida they are now replacing underground cables with monstrous concrete poles. I hate then.
Soggy Crumpet 3 years ago
This is a very ignorant statement. Much of Florida peninsula (not the panhandle) is limestone and sand. The sheer amount of money and effort it would take to install underground cables would make it counterproductive. Plus when flooding and hurricanes occur, it’s a lot easier the fix above ground wires than below.
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Bob Standen 3 years ago
Had holiday in Vietnam and was shocked by the amount of power/telephone wires every where. download-4...0a9fe0.jpg 
Isabel Care 3 years ago
And just after they've laid new tarmac, someone digs it up to put other stuff under the road. Nice to drive on a patchwork road
#30
Busses arrive on time and the estimated time remaining for arrival is displayed at each bus station. Also, THERE IS A FIXED BUS STATION
Rachel Ainsworth 3 years ago
This is one of the most noticeable differences when travelling in developing countries. Buses (generally minivans) only start their trip when they have enough passengers and can be waved down anywhere along their route if they have space.
Ololade Olaomo 3 years ago
Exactly. Even if it remains just one seat to be filled, we have to wait till that one seat gets filled.
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Tigerpacingthecage 3 years ago
I guess these type of things must be really hard if you use time as a tool, like people with autism or adhd, who often rely on time as a tool. I used to work with people who would have a really hard time if the bus was 3 minutes late or so. If that particular bus was canceled it could ruin their whole day, not being able to take the next one for example. Of course you work on other strategies and tools to help but still... must be stressful.
Mary Jeffries 3 years ago
I hosted a Swiss au pair at one point and she was very underwhelmed with the timing of the buses in the United States.
Isabel Care 3 years ago
The Swiss bus, train and ferry services are all timed to work together, with enough time to walk from the train station to the bus or ferry etc.
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Dan Padgett 3 years ago
Depends, Buses in Scottish cities tend to only have one company providing them. They are heavily regulated and scrutinized by the council's. I'm in Dundee and the bus services are fantastic.
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#31
Everyone’s always inside their houses
Back in my country everyone would always go outside, you could see kids playing, old people talking to each other, there’s always people outside. Because of that i made a lot of friends. I wake up every morning , to see my friends just sitting there outside of their houses, and we would greet and then walk around our neighborhood to meet our new friends, and then we’d talk or play basketball, it was fun. It was much more fun.
Then i moved to japan, i thought just like in my country , kids would always be outside, and i thought i could make friends easily with the neighborhood kids. Turns out, everyone is always inside, the whole neighborhood felt like a ghost town, there were no kids hanging out outside, the place has so many houses, but it felt very empty. Then it hit me, i missed my home , i became homesick, i had no friends, everyday i’m always inside the house, and it was the most boring part of my life, then it became depression, and just got worst and worst, it has been six years, i have a job now, i’m always at home, bought my self guitars,ps4 and a computer to make myself occupied, but i prefer going outside , meeting and talking with friends. Rather than this kind of life. I still miss my previous home, i still miss my previous life.
Hobby Hopper 3 years ago
As an introvert who grew up with a strong sense of community and now has none, I can tell you that having community is way better. Introvert and antisocial are not the same thing.
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L.A. Trefry 3 years ago
There are plenty of places people can go to be with and around other people though, I'm sure.
BasedWang12 3 years ago (edited)
this would drive me insane even though im pretty much a loner
#32
How little theft there is. I was always told to always mind my bag and make it clear I'm holding it tight. Now I can freely leave it beside me, sometimes not even look! I've had friends leave a purse on a table in a restaurant and I made jokes about how easy it would be to steal it. Just a lot more relaxing in public due to less theft.
Another one is how less physical fighting in schools there is. From a young age I was always told "if someone hits you, hit them back harder" but when we moved to UK my dad told me before my first day of school "if someone hits you, tell the teacher".
Hannah Edwards 3 years ago
My husband (South African) couldn’t believe that our local supermarket left the trollies out over night and they were still there in the morning!
#33
I was 9 when we moved here from the Philippines where it's always hot and muggy. The day after we landed my parents took us to Disneyland. Once inside the park I noticed how much cooler it was and claimed how rich the u.s. was that they can use air conditioning outdoors. Everyone got a good laugh out of that one.
#34
HomersPotato answered:
How the smallest inconvience can make people rant like they have serious depression
poopellar added:
Apparently humans always worry about something or the other. Like a worry list that always has to have something in it. So even if all your big problems are cleared out, they end up being replaced by the next set of problems no matter how trivial.
K. Lange 3 years ago
This. In Germany we say 'jammern auf hohem Niveau' - whining at Artikel high level. When you have everything you need you start to think about neighbors hedge being too high or other insignificant stuff. I remember the time when the biggest concern in my company was the new Wall color in the offices. Good old times.
Luther von Wolfen 3 years ago
In the US, its "first world problems" or "white people problems". Being so privileged you get mad when your neighbor has dandelions in their yard.
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#35
boopboopthepoop wrote:
Peoples' personal space is surprisingly vast
Thugglebunny answered:
Worked at Walmart. I had to literally tell people they needed to back up. Not in a mean way though.
albernistuff 4sale 3 years ago
Yeah, I couldn't wait for them to drop the 6' rule, so I could return to my normal 10' personal space...
#36
Not getting suspicious when a stranger talks to you on the street. I can't get over it, I get anxious every time, but people in Canada don't seem to mind at all
Where I come from, when a stranger approaches you, you nope the f**k out
albernistuff 4sale 3 years ago
As a Canadian; if you are standing in line or waiting for something its 99% safe if someone starts chatting you up. If they alter course to deliberately chat you up, that is definitely a red flag. Also no Canadian will generally step closer than just out of arm's reach (polite space).
Hobby Hopper 3 years ago
It might not be to the same degree, but in the US, if a stranger randomly approaches you on the street, chances are they're asking for money or trying to sell you something.
Random Person 3 years ago
In North of England, some random person will just start chatting, with no agenda, just friendly.
Load More Replies... #37
How almost everything is easy. Like drive-thru banking, fast food drive-thru, returning an amazon product, buying stuff online, talking to a customer rep to fix problems, driving with traffic that I can tolerate, following road rules, microwave, central heating and cooling to your house, internet speeds, school buses for K-12 and etc.
There is much more. But the thing that shocks me to this day is the amount of food that gets thrown away.
I used to say that I’m never going to throw away food because it’s wasteful. But over time I realized why people do it; sure you can save the leftovers but who in the family is going to eat it? Yeah, no one.
So we just throw food away. 🤷♂️
Random Person 3 years ago
People in the West are fat enough. Just cook less. But then in the West we tend to eat prepacked stuff, and portion sizes are too large, so there are leftovers. But if they made portion sizes correct, we would complain they are not large enough.
Load More Replies... You cant stop the truth 3 years ago
this is gross, coming from a continent with massive starvation, throwing away food is unacceptable, like unless it is rotten.
K. Lange 3 years ago
There hast to be a solution to avoid this food waste. And in mean the companies as welche, not only the people at home. If you wouldn't throw away this much, you would have to produce less, need less land or water resources. Or you could feed the people in 3rd world countries as well.
Sanne H. 3 years ago (edited)
You could get yourself some chickens to eat the food waste. But you need a garden for that at least… and understanding neighbours.
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Charlotte Sandoval 3 years ago
Just... make less food? If you aren't going to eat leftovers, just make enough food instead of extra...
#38
Electricity water and basic utilities disappearing is not the norm.
Police do there job 40% of the time at least
Using toilet paper to clean yourself instead of water which honestly is really gross for me i don't know why
Terra Renee 3 years ago
No, y'all are right about the bidets. We need to switch to them for good. Much cleaner and cheaper.
Kate 3 years ago
Cheaper? Sorry, maybe where you live, but on the west coast water is expensive.
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You cant stop the truth 3 years ago
(a) bidets are not an option in areas with water shortages, (b) how do you not get lots of dissolved crap running down your legs? (c) how long do you have to squirt yourself to get it all off? (d) you clearly have never heard of a thing called a dingleberry.
Chich 3 years ago (edited)
Have to admit to never using one but do wonder how you dry your backside or do you just wander around with a wet butt??
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#39
How fast food wasn't $50 per person, but rather $5-10. Also, how much civilization advances when the AC is on on all day and everywhere, it's a blessing.
#40
Stranger smiling and saying what’s up on the side walk.
Nicole Weymann 3 years ago
With many of the posts I'd love to know the two countries (from/to). In this case I'll go out on a limb and say they didn't end up in middle/northern Europe. We (German speaking) are usually nice, but it doesn't show much. Reserved more than outgoing.
Luther von Wolfen 3 years ago
In the US, this is normal in rural areas and the south. I was in New Jersey, visiting a girlfriend's family. I was smiling and greeting people on the street. GF told me to stop because "You're scaring people. We don't do that here."
BluEyedSeoulite 3 years ago
If I exchange small talk with another foreigner, my husband is always flabbergasted. "Do you know them?" no... "Why did you talk to them then?" Mind you, we met at a bar because a friend of mine just started talking to my husband 😆
Tonya Wallace 3 years ago
Where I grew up, people (strangers) still waved from cars when passing by. Now you mostly see it in the rural areas. I love it.
Grace Noyes 3 years ago
I live in Texas, and while it has many problems, like a psycho governor and crap legislature, people here are super friendly and always greet you and ask how you're doing. I love it (most of the time).
Aria Whitaker 3 years ago
It looks like she is just being goofy. People make silly faces and have fun sometimes, ya know.
Load More Replies... #41
The one thing which baffled me is how there is an absence of petty crimes and how the shops in the city center were not worried about displaying their wares outside their shops. There was no risk of someone stealing those tiny stuffs.
Also at night , the shops were just closed with their glass doors. no extra iron shutters with multiple locks and stuffs.
Candia Lee 3 years ago (edited)
Wonder where this is. While many USA shops have outdoor displays, many also have night shutters. At least in larger cities.
James Pasquini 3 years ago
The hardware store in my town (in New York state, USA) leaves bags of deicer, fertilizer, whatever outside. No gates or anything. No one steals anything. Maybe because of security cameras? No, items were left outside before the age of security cameras. People just leave the stuff alone.
#42
Cars, devices are much cheaper in US than in CIS countries.
Aria Whitaker 3 years ago
From Google: "CIS states are Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Stands for Commonwealth of Independent States"
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#43
How clean it was in most areas, the structure and the uniformity of it all.
Aria Whitaker 3 years ago
Luther, you should really speak for yourself, or move to a better area. Mine does NOT have trash and filth all over the place, sorry you live in a piss poor area...but not all of us do and it certainly is not a US thing. Maybe it is just the areas YOU frequent.
#44
I was born in Canada but I moved to Africa when I was 3 and then moved back when I was 8. The first time I heard an intercom at school with announcements and the school bell, blew my mind.
#45
How expensive many things are while certain things are very cheap but theres always enough.
#46
Maybe not a third world country per se, but I've lived in Turkey my whole life, and recently moved to the UK.
First off, people here are super cold. They all seem like they want to die. There also a lot of elderly people, like a lot.
The biggest difference was that, the crosswalks actually did something. Like you could pass them and cars would stop.
If I did anything other then sprint across the road when there were no cars around in Turkey, I'd be mush by now.
Dan Padgett 3 years ago
I quite like I here. Further south is too flat. Love me some hills and mountains.
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Kay Yomi 3 years ago
Where I'm from they just wait a long time to cross or they don't cross at all.
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RJ 3 years ago
Well this is both rude and wrong. It definitely doesn’t rain that much, and we have heaps of great food options.
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What do you think ?
You cant stop the truth 3 years ago
Lived in the UK for over a year. The main difference i noticed was the power didn't trip as much, and postal services were incredible, like stuff actually arrived within a day, whereas here you're looking at 2-3 weeks. Also, public hospitals were clean and functional. I decided however to move back to Africa though. The person above who said something about "people are cold" etc. was right. I found the place a bit unfriendly. You basically have to just keep quiet and not speak to anyone you don't know. A bit weird for me coming from SA where we just talk to random people as well, like in the States. If you come to SA and stay in our wealthier areas - in other words, not the 'third world' parts - you wouldn't know it was third world. Stuff is running properly. The trouble is there's not enough money to provide the same level of services to everyone, so basically whoever pays gets the services.
Lou Cam 3 years ago
Depends where you go in the UK. In Northern England and working class areas of the Midlands you get random people chatting to you everywhere. On the buses, in shops, passing by at a park.
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Daniel Marsh 3 years ago
I am such the right-winger compared to many people on BP, but I found this a little cringy. It's real, and anything real is interesting, but it promotes the false stereotypes about how backward the developing world is. There are certainly many rural, economically backwards people left in the world, and far, far, too many people in destitute poverty, but consider that India now has a longer average expected lifespan today than America did when I was born in the '70s. Most developing-world nations have gleaming, modern capitals with skyscrapers. And the most rural areas have at least communal access to the internet, which is a hell of a lot better for learning about the world than the largest, most glorious libraries from when I grew up.
Ellen Ranks 3 years ago
Yes. I saw the skyscarapers in Addis Abbeba, Ehtiopia. And traffic jams as well.
Load More Replies... Chinmayee Kalghatgi 3 years ago
When I was 5 my family wanted to mmove to Hong-Kong. The fact that we had to take subways to move around was an insane concept to me. The buildings were also very tall. We didn’t move there
It's Me 3 years ago
The underground in HK is one of my favorites! What throws me off there is the cost of living.
Load More Replies... another one 3 years ago
BP nobody says "third world" anymore. It's considered offensive!! Change your title please! (you can do your own research into why and what it should be changed to)
All's Gravy 3 years ago
This post stinks of imperialism and colonialist supremacy. "Third World" "Advanced countries" and the like are very pejorative and loaded. There's nothing "developed" about the highest rate of employed and unemployed homelessness in the world. Or a healthcare system that excludes 1/3 of citizens completely and a further 1/2 partially through affordability and limitations. That massive corporations rely on taxpayer subsidies (tax relief, bailouts, benefit subsidies, other government welfare) to return their $billions in dividends to shareholders. Where whole cities are being poisoned by their corporate-polluted water sources? It's more concerning that you take these things for granted.
Gakamat21 3 years ago
Cash generating easy and fast method to work in part time and earn extra $15,000 or even more than this online. by working in my spare time i made $17990 in my previous month and i am very happy now because of this job. you can try this now by follow details here.......... http://www.fuljobz.com
Immortal Emperor Paradox 3 years ago
That's way too less bro. Go find me a better deal.
Load More Replies... You cant stop the truth 3 years ago
Lived in the UK for over a year. The main difference i noticed was the power didn't trip as much, and postal services were incredible, like stuff actually arrived within a day, whereas here you're looking at 2-3 weeks. Also, public hospitals were clean and functional. I decided however to move back to Africa though. The person above who said something about "people are cold" etc. was right. I found the place a bit unfriendly. You basically have to just keep quiet and not speak to anyone you don't know. A bit weird for me coming from SA where we just talk to random people as well, like in the States. If you come to SA and stay in our wealthier areas - in other words, not the 'third world' parts - you wouldn't know it was third world. Stuff is running properly. The trouble is there's not enough money to provide the same level of services to everyone, so basically whoever pays gets the services.
Lou Cam 3 years ago
Depends where you go in the UK. In Northern England and working class areas of the Midlands you get random people chatting to you everywhere. On the buses, in shops, passing by at a park.
Load More Replies... Daniel Marsh 3 years ago
I am such the right-winger compared to many people on BP, but I found this a little cringy. It's real, and anything real is interesting, but it promotes the false stereotypes about how backward the developing world is. There are certainly many rural, economically backwards people left in the world, and far, far, too many people in destitute poverty, but consider that India now has a longer average expected lifespan today than America did when I was born in the '70s. Most developing-world nations have gleaming, modern capitals with skyscrapers. And the most rural areas have at least communal access to the internet, which is a hell of a lot better for learning about the world than the largest, most glorious libraries from when I grew up.
Ellen Ranks 3 years ago
Yes. I saw the skyscarapers in Addis Abbeba, Ehtiopia. And traffic jams as well.
Load More Replies... Chinmayee Kalghatgi 3 years ago
When I was 5 my family wanted to mmove to Hong-Kong. The fact that we had to take subways to move around was an insane concept to me. The buildings were also very tall. We didn’t move there
It's Me 3 years ago
The underground in HK is one of my favorites! What throws me off there is the cost of living.
Load More Replies... another one 3 years ago
BP nobody says "third world" anymore. It's considered offensive!! Change your title please! (you can do your own research into why and what it should be changed to)
All's Gravy 3 years ago
This post stinks of imperialism and colonialist supremacy. "Third World" "Advanced countries" and the like are very pejorative and loaded. There's nothing "developed" about the highest rate of employed and unemployed homelessness in the world. Or a healthcare system that excludes 1/3 of citizens completely and a further 1/2 partially through affordability and limitations. That massive corporations rely on taxpayer subsidies (tax relief, bailouts, benefit subsidies, other government welfare) to return their $billions in dividends to shareholders. Where whole cities are being poisoned by their corporate-polluted water sources? It's more concerning that you take these things for granted.
Gakamat21 3 years ago
Cash generating easy and fast method to work in part time and earn extra $15,000 or even more than this online. by working in my spare time i made $17990 in my previous month and i am very happy now because of this job. you can try this now by follow details here.......... http://www.fuljobz.com
Immortal Emperor Paradox 3 years ago
That's way too less bro. Go find me a better deal.
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