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What’s normal for you and me might not be normal for someone we know who lives abroad. Or their neighbor. One of the harsh truths of life is that reality isn’t always as objective as we might think it is.

In a viral thread, Redditors shared the best examples of what’s completely normal for people from their country and absolutely weird for foreigners. We’ve compiled some of the best answers that we hope will make you smile and laugh.

Scroll down and upvote your favorite things that are normal for some people, but are unusual for the rest of the world. If you enjoyed this list, why not share it with your friends? And be sure to let everyone know in the comments if you’ve got any of your own stories about what’s normal for your country, but that you realize to be strange when you go abroad.

#1

Going bankrupt from medical debt. (USA)

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Ceredwyn Ealanta
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We don't just find it weird, we find it sad and we're worried about if you're okay.

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#2

Everyone rags on the US for using imperial, but can we talk for a second about how weird we are here in the UK for using both inconsistently?

You buy a pint of milk or beer, but a litre of coke and 25ml of whiskey

People know how many miles to the gallon their cars get, but you buy fuel at pence per litre.

You watch the weather forecast and the temperature is in Celsius but the wind speed is in miles per hour

Most people can tell you their weight in kilograms, and their height in feet, and if they can't give you kilograms they can probably give you stone instead, which is even older than pounds, which nobody uses as a unit of measurement, probably because of the confusion between lbs and £...

It's a glorious mess.

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Nunya
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The US also uses Metric...and Imperial. Perhaps not that the extent described. But alcohol, soda, and other products are measured in liters, milliliters, etc. Milk, water, etc are in gallons, ounces, etc. medications are in milligrams but food is in ounces/pounds.

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#3

upset? have a cup of tea

happy? cup of tea

bored? cup of tea

literally any feeling? cup of tea

edit: yes, I’m from the UK, tea is our answer to all of life’s problems.

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Lucas
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yep, tea. I'm in the UK. My sister got married and had an afternoon tea party. FFS. Celebrating with bloody tea.

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Reddit user Ojlol2’s thread on the ‘Ask Reddit’ subreddit got more than 63,000 upvotes in a day, as well as over 48,000 comments. Wow, now that’s a lot of people wanting to share their experience about how normality can differ from nation to nation.

From bizarre actions to eyebrow-raising phrases, there will always be things that seem out of place, as long as different countries, cultures, and ethnicities exist. And it’s a wonderful thing because a shift in your perspective can lead to more creativity and a more objective understanding of yourself.

#4

Unsuccessfully helping your dad look for one of his missing thongs and then watching him squeeze into one of your mum's so he can go out into the back yard and get the laundry. I'm told the rest of you (incorrectly) call them flip flops. (Australia)

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#5

Eating with our hands.

In 1969 (the same year the man landed on the moon), Miss Gloria Diaz coveted the Philippines' first Miss Universe Crown. During the preliminary Q&A, she was asked "Is it true that you Filipinos use your hand when you eat?" To which she replied "Why? Do you use your feet?" and went her way to winning the crown. (Phillipines)

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#6

Tax not included in advertised price (USA)

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The United States of America is one of the most powerful countries on Planet Earth, but it doesn’t mean that everything its citizens do is the norm across the world. Some things are minor differences. While some take you aback, make you stop, and keep you awake at night thinking about the cosmos, Multiverse theory, and humankind as a whole.

#7

Bears on motorcycles driving on roads, drinking vodka and playing balalaikas.

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Hahaha! Gotcha. What I said was untrue. Russia doesn't have roads.

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#8

Putting broken glass bottles on the walls around your house so burglars cant jump it and rob you. I moved to Canada and they don't even have walls around the houses! (Brazil)

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#9

Having a reality tv star as president (USA)

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Emerald Joanna
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Or an actor as president? Or a non-American actor as governor? Americans must think that people in the public eye are automatically qualified to run things...

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For example, one thing that is really odd is how Americans write today’s date by starting with the month, then writing down the day, and ending with the year. Most countries in the world start with the day or end with it. While we’re on the subject, how is it that the US still uses the Imperial System? It seems like the American War of Independence didn’t get rid of all of Britain’s influence over the colonies.

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#10

In my high school (US) we had a group of australian students come to live a day in the life of an american high school. They all thought it was so bizarre and cult-ish that every morning we had to stand and recite the pledge of allegiance to the flag with our hands over our hearts. I couldn't agree more that it is, indeed, bizarre and cult-ish.

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#11

Direct democracy in Switzerland. It often baffles me when I read what the government can pull off in other countries without ever involving the population. Like...yea, you get to elect representatives but it often seems to me that those people then elect someone who elects someone who elects someone...is it really still democracy if you're about five steps removed from the actual decisions? (Switzerland)

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#12

Men holding hands in public as a display of friendship is normal in Afghanistan but super weird in the west.

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Constantly tipping everyone, no matter how well they did their jobs, also causes a lot of people to shrug and give Americans peculiar looks. Japan’s a real wonderland in that regard: there’s almost no tipping.

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#13

In my country you bike everywhere. Cars aren't used much. For longer distances you mostly use train and public transport. Also being 6 foot is normal (The Netherlands)

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#14

I have two to share since I'm half and I get to see those every year. Dead. We celebrate dead and we have parades about dead. We laugh about dead. Dead is our friend. In Mexico we treat dead with love and fun.

Also in Japan we celebrate kanamara Matsuri. Wich is basically a parade about fertility with dicks everywhere. Small dicks. Giant dicks. Dicks as food.

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chi-wei shen
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This means during Kanamara Matsuri you can tell someone to go eat a d**k without sounding suspicious.

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#15

Small talk in Poland actually is quite sincere. If someone asks you what's up, you tell them exactly that it's s**tty etc.

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#16

Being left off of maps (New Zealand)

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#17

Whole restaurants cheering when a plate or glass is smashed (UK). Once was in a Canadian bar/restaurant on holiday and a waiter dropped a tray of glasses, the local looked horrified when i was out of my seat screaming “wheyyyyyy”

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#18

Leaving your baby alone outside for their nap, even if it rains or snows. (Norway)

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MagicalUnicorn
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Lithuanian there, was sleeping in balcony straight out of hospital (born at the end of November), this is also very common in Estonia

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#19

Being middle-class with a property having a 6' wall, electric fencing linked to an alarm, automated gate and garage doors (with security clamps over the gate motor to prevent theft of the motor), security gates over every door, burglar bars, and a house alarm system with infra-red sensors linked to armed response with a reaction time of under 3-4 minutes. (South Africa)

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Catherine Waite
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This was something I found very hard to adjust to when I moved to South Africa from the UK. I went from if you forget to close a window or lock a door odds were you would be fine. ~To nope nope nope, you do that and you're probably coming home to an empty house if lacking said security features.

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#20

We have no sun here. Around this time of year everyone start asking each other "You been taking vitamin D?". It doesn't matter if you're talking about feeling sad, dealing with the flu, or missing limbs... you been taking vitamin D bro? (Canada)

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Geoffrey Holland
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It depends on where you are in Canada obviously. We have plenty of sun here on the West coast.

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#21

To get money back when you bring empty plastic bottles to the supermarket. In Germany its called Pfand. Each bottles makes 25 cents.

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Katchen
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I wish we had that where I live. I remember buying soda “gegen Pfand” in Germany and turning the bottle back in.

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Craptavaganza
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We have the same system in The Netherlands, here it is called statiegeld.

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Uwe Theiss
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It is not only for plastic bottles. Also for glass ones and for cans made out of aluminium. It is just to reduce garbage and it works.

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Monique Miller
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You don’t actually get 25 cents, you just get it back. When you bought the bottle you paid 25 cents extra which is returned to you when you return the bottle.

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Geoffrey Holland
Community Member
4 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Canada has been doing this for decades, it's called recycling.

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Marlene Ricker
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In Canada, we don't take our bottles and cans to the store, we take them to bottle depots.

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Juniper
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I know its quite common with glass bottles but I was surprised by the plastic bottles and cans when I moved to Germany.

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Kathy Baylis
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We used to have this in the US too, back when all soda bottles were glass. Most stores stopped it sometime in the late 1980s - early 1990s—-around the time they switched to plastic bottles. Wish they’d start doing it again.

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Marc O'Callaghan
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It used to be a common thing in most of Europe, until people got too lazy to bring the empty bottles back.

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Baby Clanger
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We used to do this in the Uk with lemonade bottle, but they were glass.

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LM Jones
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Used to do that with glass bottles in the US. Now, good luck finding pop in glass bottles (yeah, I'm in the Midwest)

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Maria Rohlen
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In Sweden we get pant for bottles and cans. Nothing weird, just common sense.

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Maria Rohlen
Community Member
4 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Same in Sweden. Weird not to, people tend to throw away cans and bottles if there's no "pant". We get money for empty beer and soda cans as well.

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Ole Peder Amrud Hagen
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Norway has this, too. In fact, a Norwegian company is the world's largest producer of bottle recycling systems (Tomra), and probably produces a lot of the machines you use. Also, in Norway (and Scandinavia as a whole, I guess) we only have one system whereas in Germany there are several, meaning you need two or three different machines and some bottles can't even be returned at all.

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Stine Gianelli
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In Denmark it is both glass and plastic bottles and cans. No matter if it is juice, soda or beer.

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Gracie Mae
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

in the US back in the 60s we returned glass soda bottles for a nickel; now the county wants you to recycle for free (no issue there), but only accepts a few limited types of recyclables...

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Yasmin Janette
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This happened in UK many years ago but with glass bottles, you had your soda then returned the bottle and got a few pennies,. kids used to go out looking for discarded bottles so they could earn some pocket money.

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Steven Carter
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Plastic,aluminum,glass deposits in Massachusetts for 40years now.

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Huib van Wees (hvwees)
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is also true in The Netherland, except for small bottles (which will be charged in the future).

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Origami Chik3n
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think it's becoming norm in EU. You get charged 10 extra cents for every bottle when you buy beverages (it's called "deposit"). Automated collection facilities are built near many grocery stores. You simply return empty bottles there and get a check that you can use in that store.

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Laughinmydreams
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Canada you pay a deposit at time of purchase, and can redeem the empty container for refund after use.

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Bean53
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In some states in the US, you pay a deposit (in the form of a higher price) for bottles, and then can bring the bottles back for a refund of the deposit.

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Suzanne Harris
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A small handful of US states do it, but they're few access far between.

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L McN
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Some states in the US do this, but most that do also charge a deposit on said can. Buy a 6 pack? The refund is $0.10? Then you now pay $0.60 on top of the listed price....even if you are residing in a location that does not allow/offer the return/refund options (like you are just passing through). The state that I live next to has recently even removed the turn in locations, providing only 1 within an hours drive, and the maximum you can turn back in is $5 worth. That isn't worth the gas to get there and back....it amounts to theft under the guise of being environmentally friendly since the government knows you wont turn it in, because you would lose money.

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Dave P
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

we have that in the US, in my State you get 5 cents per bottle

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Amanda Nielsen
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We do that where I live in Portland, Oregon, USA. When we buy a drink we get charged an extra $0.10. Then people collect cans and turn them in to get the $0.10×every can they turned in. Exampl3: If you bring in 140 can you get $14.

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Paul Ihme
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

8 cent for bear bottles, 15 for hard plastic and other glas bottles, 25 for one way plastic

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Frederikke Pedersen
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Same in Denmark, we have 3 different rates on plastic and glass bottles and on beer/Soda cans 🙂

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Jazz Akins
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They do this is Michigan too I dunno about other states though

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Andy Betony
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Also in Denmark, depending on the size of the bottle you get a different amount. Each returnable bottle has a "pant" rating.

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Nathalie Langevin
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We also have that in Canada. Cans (soda, beer, etc) are 5 cents and bottles 25.

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Ryo Bakura
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The campsite I stayed at in Germany did that with the bottles they sold at their on-site shop, except the bottles were glass, and we'd be refunded the whole mark (as it was at the time) for handing back the empty bottle. I was there a week, and I think it was responsible for at least three cavities.

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bee pot
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

we have that with cans. there's a guy who comes to walmart with just an insane amount of cans. he uses a mobile scooter with a trailer someone hitched to his chair to bring in about 500 cans at a time in.

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Honey
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We have that in Canada. Except different bottles/cans/cartons are worth different amounts.

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Niffler_13
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Different states in the US do this, its a deposit return. You'll see the can or bottles' value on the side and which state you return them in, but you have to be a resident of that state.

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Wil Vanderheijden
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Netherlands uses the same system for larger plastic bottles and soon there will be a container-deposit for beer and lemonade cans too.

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#22

On Valentine's day, men don't give any gifts. Only women give gifts, they only give it to men, it's always chocolate, and they get it for all the men in their lives, including coworkers. Then there is a day on the 14th of March where the men reciprocate. The gifts are only from men to women this time, and are chocolate or jewelry or nice clothes, and the amount spent is directly related to the amount of chocolate received. (Japan)

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#23

Eating most of the organs of an animal, I had some people look at me in disgust when I told them how tasty the brain and the heart of an animal are (Romania)

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Heins Zhammer
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4 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

that's the main problem with today's western culture-when thinking of a chicken you get chicken breast or a leg rather than a chicken medley. post-CCCP countries (romania, bulgaria, poland, lithuania, the whole eastern block and the balkans), much like still asian and african cultures, utilized not so long ago the whole animal and did not waste any parts, hence the brain (stir fried), gut soup, bone soup, blood sausage, lard with bread, cow tounges and many other delish dishes.

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#24

I think tips are a thing in other countries, but in America you have to tip almost everywhere you eat or you get hardly judged by everyone. And if the tip isn’t big enough, they judge you too. It’s so dumb.

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Wil Vanderheijden
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In civilised countries employees are paid a proper wage and their tips are an extra for them. Tips are considered a token of appreciation on how well the server did. Bad service means no or very small tip. In America servers rely on their tips to get a decent income.

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#25

People are always shocked at in my country: 1) our “public” restroom stalls are constructed in such a way that you can pretty much see what a person is doing in there thanks to a constant crack between the door and its frame... 2) I say “public” in quotes because most of our so-called public restrooms are in private businesses who don’t let our surprisingly very large number of homeless use and since there is no actual fully public restroom to use, said homeless often piss and sometimes even s**t in our streets. Oh- and we have a higher percentage of our population in jail than literally every single nation on earth. (USA)

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Wil Vanderheijden
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A lot of people refer to the US as "Backwardistan" or "Dumbfvckistan" since the tangerine toddler took office.

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#26

Strangers sitting totally naked skin to skin in a steamy room heated to +80 to +100C... and us having competitions on who can last the longest in there. (Finland)

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chi-wei shen
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Some 50 years ago this was unthinkable in Austria but today it's common for strangers to sit naked in a sauna, except for the skin-to-skin part. Even the slightest touching is totally inappropriate.

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#27

In my friend's country, Easter is when gangs of boys roam the countryside, pouring water over girls and beating them (gently) with sticks. The girls then have to thank them for it. I thought that was pretty weird. (Slovakia)

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#28

Queuing politely (UK)

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Si
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4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don’t understand the mentality that it’s okay to push in front of somebody who’s already waiting.

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#29

Putting cable ties, branches, fake eyes etc on helmets, buckets and hats in spring time to scare away the birds. Magpies are vicious bastards (Australia)

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OhForSmegSake
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm 30+ and I've never been swooped. In fact I used to take refuge from the school bullies underneath the magpie trees because the birds would swoop the bullies but not me.

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#30

Calling a Traffic Light a Robot (South Africa)

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