30 People Expose The Things Their Country Finds Normal But The Rest Of The World Doesn’t
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.
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Going bankrupt from medical debt. (USA)
We don't just find it weird, we find it sad and we're worried about if you're okay.
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.
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.
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.
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)
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)
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.
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.
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)
Having a reality tv star as president (USA)
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...
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.
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.
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)
Men holding hands in public as a display of friendship is normal in Afghanistan but super weird in the west.
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.
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)
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.
This means during Kanamara Matsuri you can tell someone to go eat a d**k without sounding suspicious.
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.
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”
Leaving your baby alone outside for their nap, even if it rains or snows. (Norway)
Lithuanian there, was sleeping in balcony straight out of hospital (born at the end of November), this is also very common in Estonia
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)
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.
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)
It depends on where you are in Canada obviously. We have plenty of sun here on the West coast.
To get money back when you bring empty plastic bottles to the supermarket. In Germany its called Pfand. Each bottles makes 25 cents.
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)
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)
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.
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.
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.
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)
A lot of people refer to the US as "Backwardistan" or "Dumbfvckistan" since the tangerine toddler took office.
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)
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.
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)
Queuing politely (UK)
I don’t understand the mentality that it’s okay to push in front of somebody who’s already waiting.
Don't come to Spain then. At least to the north of Spain. Most people here consider queueing, and waiting in general, an affront against their human rights.
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When I lived in Germany I would wait for my turn behind another customer being served by a cashier, only to have someone else walk right in front of me to be served like I wasn’t even there. Drove me nuts.
When I was queuing in Germany they stood so close I felt like offering them my shoes.
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Manners cost nothing, dear boy. Better to wait your turn with dignity and decorum, than to wildly push past everyone like some feral beast who revels in chaos.
I live in a seaside city (UK) where we get a lot of foreign students, we have so many arguments/problems when we, Brits, stand politely queueing for the bus etc and these foreign people just appear and push and shove us out of the way. i am disabled and use a buggy or even elbow crutches on a good day, I have been known to 'tap' the student with the crutch and say WAIT your turn.
Most people in the midwestern US will also politely stand in line. Why? Because it's the f***in polite thing to do. If someone does try to break that rule though there's a good chance all standard social niceties will be dropped and that person will be made to regret those actions.
Agreed, although I believe that the people in most US states queue nicely. Another thing we do in the US that even some members of our own society find odd is to actually acknowledge people that we pass face to face and... get this... smile. (Although, this too may be a midwest thing as I am from Ohio.)
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And the f'tards that stand RIGHT IN FRONT OF the elevator doors to get on before the people already on there try to leave. That pisses me off to no end!
Queuing politely also occurs in Australia. When I have been on tours overseas, travelling predominately with Australians, there is a general feeling of shock when we are queuing politely waiting our turn and other nationalities push pass us.
No, no, no - there will be grumblings and complaints muttered under the breath and maybe one brave person saying 'excuse me, there is a queue' and being ignored.
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Many years ago, in Harrod's in London, I was waiting outside the women's toilet for a friend. After a couple of minutes, a very polite woman tapped me on the shoulder from behind and asked, "Excuse me. Are you queueing?" As I turned to answer, I saw that a line of 5 or 6 more women had mysteriously appeared behind her. "No. Sorry! I'm just waiting here!" Seems if you stop anywhere in London, a polite line will form.
Nothing appeals to our sense of fairness more , than forming an orderly queue!
They queue for everything in France and don't stand in line, it's more like a cattle crush.
lol...when i used to queue up and wait for my turn to serve when doing practice drills in lawn tennis....my coach would be all like this is India..wake up ...you will never get a turn that way....and it was true ..you can never get a turn that way. Everyone will just push to get through you
Good luck finding that. A few days a go, I was shopping in a large Southampton primark store and someone jumped me. They looked 13 so I left but still
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)
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.
Calling a Traffic Light a Robot (South Africa)
...and a gas station a garage, and a pick-up truck a bakkie.
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For me, my favourite comment was about the UK's schizophrenic measuring system. If it's an outdated, obscure measurement then we use it. "which measurement sytem are you using, sir?" ..... "why, whatever one you're NOT familiar with, my good friend!!!"
My aunt is Filipino. From what I gather, it's because you're a very strict Catholic nation. Is that right?
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We have three (3!) presidents! (and probably the most idiotic and complicated and ineffective administration) (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
USA: land of the fatty foods with guns and a gigantic military and lots of nukes and stuff + no healthcare
#8 there are certain parts of the UK that used to have broken glass on the walls during the 1970's.
This made me think of how in Taiwan, people wear those medical masks in public if they are sick to not spread their germs to others in public. If I were sick and wore a mask in public in the US, they would think I'm afraid of other germs spreading rather than being courteous and not spreading my germs to others.
From these: Scandinavians are super happy and Americans live in hell and have the least fun of any country.
tendencious perhaps, but as the thread is pointing out divides and differences between various places, I really don't get your point.
Load More Replies... For me, my favourite comment was about the UK's schizophrenic measuring system. If it's an outdated, obscure measurement then we use it. "which measurement sytem are you using, sir?" ..... "why, whatever one you're NOT familiar with, my good friend!!!"
My aunt is Filipino. From what I gather, it's because you're a very strict Catholic nation. Is that right?
Load More Replies... We have three (3!) presidents! (and probably the most idiotic and complicated and ineffective administration) (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
USA: land of the fatty foods with guns and a gigantic military and lots of nukes and stuff + no healthcare
#8 there are certain parts of the UK that used to have broken glass on the walls during the 1970's.
This made me think of how in Taiwan, people wear those medical masks in public if they are sick to not spread their germs to others in public. If I were sick and wore a mask in public in the US, they would think I'm afraid of other germs spreading rather than being courteous and not spreading my germs to others.
From these: Scandinavians are super happy and Americans live in hell and have the least fun of any country.
tendencious perhaps, but as the thread is pointing out divides and differences between various places, I really don't get your point.
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