this. you mean I don’t have to show up 2 hours early, get invasively patted down by the TSA, and then cram myself into a tiny seat? the first time I rode in a German train quiet car with a foot rest and a snack/wine cart truly changed my life
Also trams, buses, and public transportation in general. It Austria we rarely use our car, but in the USA I practically lived in my car, and could not have run a single errand without it.
Not even just trains, bit public transportation in general.
I can go travel all of Finland by trian and most of Finland by bus. I couldn't even go between Jacksonville and Atlanta by train, and greyhounds are so expensive compared to Finnish buses going the same distance.
What makes me mad is, a flight from Helsinki to the UK is between 50-150 if you plan ahead, and the same flight distance in the states is like 500+
Germany: the windows and doors that tilt/ open "off kip"
Germany/Netherlands: bike paths everywhere.
Canada: poutine. How this has not caught on in the USA is a mystery.
Italy: coffee from a moka pot
Brazil: street food: coxinhas, pastel, and all the other incredible fried foods. Brazil does it right. Also the churrasquinhos (like a skewer of grilled meat) at every bus station.
This might have been unique to the Espirito Santo region but I feel like every room had a drain in the floor and since it was all tile floors it was super easy to clean cause you just hose the place down.
I learned that in Turkey they call those windows, "Was ist Das" Windows and it still makes me giggle. But seriously, these windows are fabulous!
Also, the bathroom with a drain in the floor is fairly common here in Austria and yeah it's brilliant
> poutine. How this has not caught on in the USA is a mystery.
I've had that exact thought for years! It would get huge here if it would just catch on.
It's the French name.
Let KFC come out with *Deep Fried Cheese Fries WITH Gravy* and we'd be in there.
They could even have kids advertising, "It's the Squeak!"
^(ETA: I forgot the fries)
The weird part is that there are things like baked potato bars that give you basically all the same toppings you'd use for poutine so it's definitely a marketing issue.
Maybe it's just too Canadian? Like if this had been invented in Texas it would be everywhere.
I just moved from the northern US to Texas and I miss poutine so much. It would kill here if it was marketed right so I figure it must be an anti-Canadian sentiment thing.
It would probably have salsa on it here though and I don’t know how I feel about that
I'll die on the hill that while the tilty European windows are nice, they're no replacement for a window with a screen in places that need it. At various points in my life I lived in a dorm room in both the US and Czechia in summertime that faced a forest, and while in the US my (screened) window stayed open almost 24/7, in Czechia I was forced to choose between opening it (even the crack) and letting every mosquito in the area into my room, or closing it and boiling alive.
The tilted windows come with an optional screen. They stay in year round and you can open your windows in the tilted and completely opened version while they are in place. I have them in every of my tilted wi down in my Dutch house. They are quite expensive though.
People have told me before that they're available as an add-on, but that's not really a realistic purchase when living in a dorm - I guess I'd consider the screen an essential part of the window when living somewhere where bugs can be an issue.
the floor drain thing was also common in northern argentina when i lived there, the first time i saw someone hose down their floors with the outside hose and just mop them that way i was like oh my god… genius…
I dont think house builders want to tell you force you to put your bed somewhere specific by putting a switch in a specific spot...so they keep it in the "safe" place and put by door
I live in the US and have one on each side of my bed to turn on the bedside lamp. Of course, I saw it on a show on HGTV and had it done several years ago.
Example: you enter your bedroom to go to bed. Switch on ceiling light to see where you are going. Go to night stand, switch on small side light. Switch off ceiling light without having to go back to the door.
You can do the opposite in the mornings
Kind of knew it already but leaving the UK really highlights: transport, housing, litter, weather, driving on the left, anti-social and aggressive behaviour in public, unable to drink and behave in public. Minor details really.
I’m curious about this too. Given that the majority of people are right-handed, I would have thought having the dominant hand closer to the window/door would be preferable. Not to mention the pain that comes with changing gears and indicating with the same hand.
Japanese toilets, yes yes yes. as an American I was blown away by how high-tech all the bathrooms were AND optimized for privacy. like, no public restroom stalls with big cracks you can (accidentally or on purpose) see people doing their business through. the stall doors go straight to the floor, every toilet is a bidet and might also have privacy sound effects to hide the sound of your bodily functions. incredible.
>like, no public restroom stalls with big cracks you can (accidentally or on purpose) see people doing their business through.
That's an American thing; toilet stalls with real privacy aren't unique to Japan, they're normal in Europe too. It's only Americans (and maybe Canadians) who really like to play footsie with their neighbors while sitting on the pot.
I'm going to latch on to this post (American that lived in Japan's opinions) :
Paying all of your bills at a conbini, rung up with your other shopping as well.
Before I left it wasn't as common as today, but assigned seating for movie theaters.
Being able to drink alcohol anywhere, because the people they become when drunk is a lot less issue prone.
Japanese people, while loving a good office gossip, tens to stay out of your business / life.
Fireworks. I thought us Americans were the fireworks Champs, but Japan makes us look like flicking a lighter that's out of fuel. 3+ hour fireworks shows, or nothing else.
Festivals and holdiays. Older countries have this advantage over America, but I feel we don't have as many events and days to celebrate together as a country.
Even though the hours and expectations are too much for some, Japan having at least three 10-day vacation blocks a year (Golden Week, Obon, New Year's, Silver Week if lucky) to actually recharge and travel.
Japan does a great job of keeping its people aware of other countries. There's so many TV shows that do deep dives into different countries. Some years a place will get a huge rush of Japanese tourists because of these shows. A lot of Japanese people have a big sense of wanderlust fueled by curiosity, instead of for the 'Gram or to check off countries for a list only you care about.
This one is personal for me, but most of Japan is agnostic. I never in over a decade met a religious person, outside of anyone born into a monk family, or who's family has a shrine or temple. It made dating have one less hurdle, and no strange government decisions being made to appease one religious group in the country.
Culture events. Growing up in LA I went to various events for different countries, cultures and so on. I feel Tokyo at least, had so many events to truly embrace the diversity of the city. Brazil and Jamaican festivals that pull everyone from there in the city together, plus the Japanese people who love them and their culture, are something I wish I grew up with.
There's more that can be said, but these ones popped up first.
It’s not just the United States, it’s North America. In Canada waitresses are paid 15.00 an hour or more and still expect 20% tips. Watching the personal finance Canada sub lately has become very enlightening.
Isn’t the whole “servers get paid $2 an hour“ thing a myth? Maybe not a myth but definitely misleading.
I remember hearing that the law actually says tipped employees must be paid state minimum wage unless their tips are higher than said wage.
Which means if you don’t tip the employer is obligated to pay them the normal minimum wage, like any other business.
It's a slightly complex and stupid thing.
The federal minimum wage is $2.13/hour for tipped employees; it is the minimum the employer must pay per hour, for every hour of employment. Tipped employees usually make substantially more than this; if they do not make at least $7.25/hour (or whatever their state requires, if it's higher) their employer must make up the difference so that they still achieve the non-tipped minimum wage. If a tipped employee receives no tips at all their employer will be required to pay them $7.25/hour, but if they make $100/hour including tips the employer must still pay them $2.13/hour for every hour they work.
Most employers will quickly find a way to dismiss any tipped employees that make few enough tips that the employer is required to pay more than the bare minimum.
You are correct and essentially it means the first $5 in tips per server per hour give nothing to the server and give profit to the owner who doesn’t have to pay the minimum wage
Why do you assume I didnt? I dd work as a server in a country where wages and tips are much lower. Its still one of the easiest jobs I had. Literary anyone can do it and pay to effort ratio is great, even outside of US.
Minimum wage is not even remotely a living wage. The federal minimum wage, for example, is $7.25 per hour. That is 15,080 per YEAR working all year forty hours per week. $1256 per MONTH before taxes or about $900 per month after.
If you don’t tip don’t go out to eat.
Thats 28% tax by your numbers. The 2022 standard deduction (USA) on federal taxes is $12,950 for a single filer. Nobody making 15k/year is paying 28% in taxes, even with state taxes and FICA considered.
For example, using the [forbes.com](https://forbes.com) tax calculator for 2021 in high-tax California, total taxes paid on $15,080 would be $667, or an effective total tax rate (state + federal) of 4.4%.
No argument that federal minimum wage is not a lot of money, but that low wage is hardly taxed. You would also be eligible for numerous subsidies/entitlements at that income. Especially if tipped income is under-reported, which is not at all uncommon.
And what job do you expect them to get? What life choices would have been correct? Go to college on a student loan and get a STEM degree? Boy, that didn't work out well for a shit ton of people.
You speak like an out-of-touch boomer. You can't feed an house a family of 4 on one factory worker job anymore. This isn't the 1950s.
Respectfully disagree. No other country has the customer service as good as American, and it’s highly unpleasant to face a poor (and sometimes rude) service, because workers don’t care as they don’t depend on the customers for tips.
I don’t mind mandatory tipping and receive a good customer service, while workers have an opportunity to be rewarded based on their individual performance and earn more than the living wage. Vs I don’t tip and have to face a poor service and often feel like i am hates just for being there and making them to do their job - because they get the same money if they have work and customers to serve, and if it’s empty and nothing to do. Of course they would prefer nothing to do, if there is no difference, and all they get is the same living wage, regardless of how many customers are there and how many people they serve.
And yes, I do prefer fake smiles over an honest gloomy faces - its not my fault if someone hates their job; I like to feel welcomed instead of feeling like I am being someone’s problem.
So I don’t agree that living wage is better for either customers or service workers.
I don’t know where you’ve travelled, but there is great customer service in some countries that don’t tip and, in my experience, far surpass what I had in the USA.
Pushing people to depend on tips, means they have to put up with crappy customers. This “the customer is always right” way of thinking has clearly gone sideways if you look at what is happening on airlines and in other customer service sectors. Treat others respectfully and get good service. Don’t get it? Don’t go back and the business fails, which should motivate the owner to ensure staff are professional and content in their work.
Taking your argument further, why not tip in other fields? We should tip our teachers too? So one kid will be given preferential treatment because their parents tip better? In China, teacher often receive gifts - it does have an impact.
Respectfully disagree too. Australian customer service is just as good and probably even more genuine, and they're not even motivated by a tipping culture over there.
Americam exceptionalism statement. Korea has great customer service, Japan has great customer service, Germany often has great customer, Finland had great customer service in the cities lol.
America, just like the rest of the world, can have the good, bad, and ugly when it comes to customer service.
Just to add to the other person, in Canada tipping wait staff is common, but that's only a small fraction of customer-facing jobs, where most don't get tips. Like, if you return an item to a store, or ask floor staff where something is located, or pick up something from Timmy's or McDonald's, none of those people get tips, but the service is still expected to be pretty good (and usually is, as long as they hire locally). And, I've been in places with terrible service that still expect a too and even add it into your bill themselves, and at those times I've actually fought them in it and refused to pay it (it's a matter of principle). The two things just don't really go together, imo.
Not to mention that working in a restaurant that doesn't split tips with kitchen staff is just uncool. I used to do it, and I'd get compliments passed back to me on my food, but tips? Nah, that's all for the waiters, even if other staff are an important part of the dining experience and aren't paid any more than they are...
Not racism. Racism depends on race. Locals can be people of any race.
Where I'm from a lot of temporary foreign workers were hired to fill in service roles that locals "didn't want" (though I question that seriously). And it's just been my observation that when a company hires many such people, the quality of service often goes down. My guess is that usually that happens because they're trying to lower the expense of employment by hiring cheap foreign labour, and service comes second to that, but it's just a guess.
Fire hydrants. In israel, they're not by the road, but these small vertical things on top of sidewalk next to the house. So there is no situation where you can't park next to a hydrant
Buses in Korea are very efficient, nearly every bus stop has a digital display of buses coming and how soon, displays each bus and all the stops, in the winter the stop has heated seating or they have warm houses, tells you which direction it is going, has a scan for the card or a machine for cash and makes change, has a button to declare your stop, they have long distance busses with comfortable seating, some of those are two story buses, the buses have heating or ac, color coded so easy to spot, stops everywhere. The cards work on metro and buses, can be reloaded at a train station or convenience store, or you can set up to pay by credit card or phone. It's just heaven.
I hate buses anywhere else, they don't compare.
I loved not having to wait outside for a bus in winter. Stay inside, watch the app, run out just in time for the bus to come by. That being said, some bus drivers in my city were like GTA drivers. Your life was expendable.
Same. I traveled in India and every single house and hotel had a bidet or some kind of water spray attachment for cleaning your butt. I said “I am never going to take America seriously again bc it is an entire nation of people walking around with poopy buttholes.”
After living in South Korea for a year I couldn’t not have a bidet when I returned to the US. It disturbs me that so many people think using a bidet is more disgusting than just using TP…yuck. I’m proud of how clean my b-hole is compared to the mass sea of butt wipers around me. 😂
the concept of wiping your ass with paper and considering it clean is absurd to me. like, if you had shit on your hands would you just rub it off with a tissue and call it a day? so disgusting
Some have fancy blowers that blow your bum dry. I use a bit of TP to dry off. You’re not soaking after so you don’t need much and you use way less TP than you would without a bidet. I know some people keep a basket of clean cloths near the toilet too. Since there’s no poo to wipe you’re just wiping water and can launder the cloths after. I’m lazy.
When I worked in Korea, the office toilet bowls had a fancy as hell seat. Controllable direction of water, heated seat, can blow hot air. Felt like a king
Wait, the Argentinians call the Europeans culos sucios?? I've lived in Spain for 14 years and see bidets everywhere in private homes. If you had said Americans I'd believe you
Same 😂 I live in the UAE and we've become so accustomed to the bidet sprayer next to the toilet that I eventually bought a portable one for when I travel to countries that don't have it. When we one day leave the UAE it will be the first thing I install if the house we move to doesn't have one.
Just basic humanity / cultural harmony. Going to the US it seems everyone is angry all the time, wants to be a superhero, is trying to become a billionaire, generally feels like a certain glue that has been holding communities together for millennia was just removed in order to maximize our sensory pleasures.
Religion and social satisfaction. In Sweden we don't believe in anything, we learn to all be independent, 40% of all young adults are single and live alone, and elderly loneliness are skyhigh because nobody cares for our elders.
After moving abroad I find all of that absurd and crazy.
I've experienced this both ways. Dual US-Israeli citizen by birth, grew up in the US, have lived in Israel for 6.5 years. My observations upon moving to Israel and then coming back for visits to the US.
From the US to Israel - Public transport. Car-dependent urban planning sucks. I never had a license, before moving I was dependent on my parents driving me everywhere. If you don't have a car and don't live in one of the handful of cities where living without one is doable you're basically helpless. In Israel, although it may lag Europe, the train system is excellent compared to the US and bus service is more expansive. Light rail is also catching on, Jerusalem has had such a system for a decade, a new light rail system for the Tel Aviv metro area is about to begin operations, and there are plans for additional networks. A car isn't a must-have.
Side-note, there's of course the obligatory dunk on US healthcare. Israel has a great universal healthcare system, from what I've read not just superior to the US but also to other countries like the UK and Canada. I fortunately have not needed to use it much but it gives great peace of mind. No depending on employers for coverage and shelling out bucketloads of money to rapacious health insurance profiteers. Plus worker rights and work culture are better. I never really built my career in the US as I have in Israel so I can't compare too much out of personal experience but I know enough to make the point regardless.
From Israel to the US - Buildings. Israel is full of crappy concrete commie blocks that were hastily built decades ago, which makes for a depressing built environment in many areas. These buildings aren't as insulated, you need to turn on a boiler if you want a hot shower, and they aren't reinforced against earthquakes and don't have bomb shelters as newer buildings are required to be. These buildings are gradually being torn down and replaced with newer and sleeker stuff. Not happening fast enough. I live in a very convenient location but its depressing due to the built environment. My neighborhood is slated to be evacuated, torn down, and replaced with newer developments in a few years. It's for the better. On the bright side, newer Israeli architecture is gorgeous, urban Israel is gradually looking better.
Also as a larger country there are more places to explore and more big cities. For its size Israel is pretty diverse in environments but the US is basically a continent. And if you want the big city experience you have lots of options. In Israel if you want the experience of a dense urban area you're basically limited to Tel Aviv and its satellite cities. You could get pockets of that feel in some other big cities but most Israeli urban areas are kind of suburban in nature, though they're evolving. The growing population is gradually making Israeli cities more dense and urban with time.
The public transportation in Israel is pure shit. It might be ok comparing to the US, but compared to literally any European country it’s just bad.
If you’re in TLV or Jerusalem, sure, you might be able to get by, but try to get between cities and you’re into real trouble.
While neighborhoods in other cities are built around cars and sometimes you start by 15 minutes drive just to get groceries.
This is also why Israelis only get groceries once a week or so and keep huge fridges.
After living in the Netherlands for a while I can say that literally everything that Israel does, NL does better:
Urban planning, transportation, supermarkets, education, work culture, banking… you name it
That said, non of this is made to invalidate your points. Since I’m making a different comparison here mostly
(American who lived in Russia for several years)
Wearing shoes or being barefoot indoors, yuck! Never really minded before, but now shoes *must* come off at the door and into slippers.
Also, what's with the wall to wall carpet every where? It gets dirty so easily and doesn't look good.
I’ve noticed this varies based on the region. In the southern states, shoes usually stay on, but in northern states, shoes off. This is a generalization of course. I now prefer shoes off. I love that some of my friends have house slippers for guests. Other times, I bring my own to change into.
> Happy_Napping
> I’ve noticed this varies based on the region. In the southern states, shoes usually stay on, but in northern states, shoes off.
I can believe it. It might have to do with snow and taking boots off before walking around inside.
Maybe people just got in the habit.
Interestingly we didn’t take our shoes off in the city (when I lived in Texas) but when I was out at our farm I always took them off for fear of tracking dirt and sticker burrs into the house.
Not only. I have moved to the Netherlands a few years ago and still can't get used to it.
I always ask my Dutch friends to take their shoes off when they come over and they either excuse themselves politely and mention it's out of habit or give me a funny look.
My Eastern European mother still thinks I am exaggerating.
Nope. Not common in my circle family, friends, etc.
Loads of people don't do this. Something like this can't be an 'in America they don't wear shoes!' blanket statement. there are sooooo many different kinds of people/cultures that don't do this. Also, it could easily depend on the climate too. Lots of houses have mudrooms where you take shoes off and then maybe go barefoot or switch into house shoes.
I'm from the US and almost everyone I knew took their shoes off and also requested guests to take them off? It was never considered rude or impolite at all to say 'please take off your shoes before you come inside '. I'm very confused by this.
It depends on where in the US; in places that often get snow it would be pretty rude not to take off your snowy/salty shoes when visiting someone's house, and perfectly reasonable to ask someone to take theirs off when visiting. In dryer and warmer places where the shoes don't carry as much dirt comparatively, it is much less common to request them to be removed.
I beg to differ. It would actually be considered rude of the visitor if they didn’t take their shoes off after seeing that the host has taken theirs off
In Hawaii, most people take their shoes off at the front door of their own house and any house they might visit. People wearing flip-flops leave those at the door, too, and walk around barefoot inside. I remember going to parties in high school where there were something like 30 pairs of flip-flops on the front porch.
you realise that loads of Americans do this to, right? millions don't wear shoes indoors.
Same in the UK. Actually.. I'm the only one I know who is no shoes. and I'm American.
If you have carpet, the slippers aren't necessary. Seriously-- try it. Walk around barefoot for a couple of days somewhere with thick carpet vs somewhere with wood or tile floor. Your feet will be a lot less dirty after walking around on carpet.
And then you walk into the kitchen and bathroom back out onto the carpet. Then climb into bed with those feet! Disgusting.
(I'm American and have always had wall to wall carpets)
The first morning staying with my in-laws during my first visit to Hungary, there was a shot of homemade palinka (~140 proof liquor) on the table to go with breakfast. The world would be a much nicer place if everyone had a shot or two of hard liquor with breakfast.
I come from the Caribbean and all my dutch coworkers always look at me funny because I pack a homemade hot lunch, and then go "you know, I wish I had the motivation to pack such a tasty lunch every day".
I mean, just do it. Or use kliekjes from the previous day.
I'm the opposite. I'm kinda annoyed how there's hot food for every meal. I just wanna eat my bread. I went to a birthday party that had a hot buffet and a charcuterie table. I spent all night eating cheese, ham, salami and crackers and skipped the hot food. Best meal I've had in months.
Thailand:
- Rice and curry for breakfast (why do we limit ourselves in the west to X food at X time?)
- Motorbike taxis, 5x faster than car taxis during rush hour
- Condos with restaurants and 7-11 integrated downstairs
- Condos generally. Half of London is just taken up by expensive low-lying land-hogging housing for rich people.
- Cheap street food due to them not having to pay insane rents and taxes.
Spain: Tinto, Pintxos. Refreshing beverages and small snacks for a cheap price? Im in.
Sweden: Fika. Taking a 30-40 min break around 3pm during the work day to bullshit and drink coffee.
I had a Finnish coworker and he introduced us to the concept of Fika.
Combined with the Brazilian coworker trying to introduce the concept of 2-hour lunch breaks/siesta it was a miracle anything got done 😂
No I'm from the North. I can't trust a lot of restaurants to make a cup of tea. Often it's a cup of hot water with a tea bag on the side. And sometimes the cheapest possible tea bag too (looking at you, Lipton).
Ah, that's pretty unfortunate lol. I think I'm used to the Red Rose brand orange pekoe for black tea, that's a common one where I'm from, and it's much better than Lipton imo
Water quality makes a difference too, I wasn't a huge fan of most teats except herbal and green tea. Since I've been here I drink a wide variety because the water quality makes the tea better
i am completely shocked by the fact that westerners **STILL** uses toilet papers till today, like, wtf is stopping this country to simply install a water-hose next to every toilet, just for tourisme alone, every western hotel should have that or a bidet
Cleaning your butt after pooping. Detachable bidets are a game changer. Here not every toilet has toilet paper though and the most effective way is definitely using the bidet first and then toilet paper to dry lol.
dustpan, in USA
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Genuine-Joe-Heavy-duty-Plastic-Dust-Pan-12in-Wide-Plastic-Black/1002788544
what it should be
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dustpan#/media/File:Broom_and_dustpan.jpg
This style has become more popular, but that old style hangs on far after it should have faded away.
Usually the ones without the long handle are intended more small household messes whereas the ones with the long handle are sold for more outdoor messes in my experience. I’ve never had an issue with not being able to find one or the other.
We put it in the fridge, which renders it unspreadable. In Europe it’s mostly kept on the counter in a butter dish or in a cool cupboard in the summer months
Edit: same thing goes for eggs. They don’t live in the fridge but in a little basket on the counter/in a cupboard
Problem is in the butter you buy. Only salted butter can be left on the counter, and growing up in the US everyone had a counter butter dish, so not sure what op is talking about
I moved from Canada to Australia, and the answer has to be coffee, lol. You *can* find coffee as good as the Aussies do in Canada, but it's much, much less common.
Also, I like how many small businesses there are relative to my home area.
Public transport seems to be better too, at least comparing the Sydney area to the places I've been in Canada.
Oh also: no tipping, and taxes are included in the sticker price of items. Though, I suppose, that said, I have seem to have lost my ability to quickly add percentages onto the sticker price lol, so maybe that last one should get demoted for weakening my math skills...
We used to have it in some places when I was a kid growing up in London (UK), but just general neighbourhood/ community vibe.
I live in Vietnam now and even right in the city your local patch is like a small village, everyone just keeps and eye out on your stuff, small neighbourhood kids may randomly wander into your house or join you when you're having a coffee and make themselves comfortable, local food places and shops forgot your money no probs pay next time.
While US healthcare isn't great, other places have issues too.
I moved to the UK and while it is nice not having to pay (even though if you move here on a visa you pay a health surcharge), the wait times for some things are a bit ridiculous with the NHS. I needed some physio after going to 3 different appointments about a month a part and them finally deciding to get that for me. The closest appointment I could get was 8 months away.
Did your neighbor die because she couldn't afford cancer treatment like mine did in the states? I'll take a bit of a wait over forcing sick people into bankruptcy any day.
Grew up in Asia. Working in Europe.
When my boss literally had to apologise and beg me to stay late for 10 min to help him finish something. That's when I realised what's called "work life balance".
Mayonnaise. That crap that we have in the US is awful. Also sweetened condensed milk in a can that tastes just like the can. Our supermarket in Russia had an entire aisle of mayo, and it was so much better. The sweetened condensed milk was also very tasty.
USA > Sweden. Bicycle infrastructure. Bike lanes that are physically separate from the street (as opposed to a stripe of paint on the side of the road). Stop lights for bicycles at intersections with buttons you can activate without getting off your bicycle and which are separate from the pedestrian walk lights.
Croatia:
Raising boys from a very young age to believe it’s pathetic/unmanly to harass girls and women.
Dalmatia specifically:
[Fjaka](https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20180118-dalmatias-fjaka-state-of-mind) - it’s not quite the same as taking a ‘siesta’ - there’s more too it and you can be caught by it at any time and everyone understands.
Waiting in line in a store, market, office or any other space where there isn't a take-a-number system. In Spain you just ask who was the last person to arrive (¿Quién es el último?) and then you keep track of your place, let the next person who arrives know, and you can move around and look at things while waiting for the person who was right before you to get served without being stuck in line.
Japanese bathing culture. From the home bathroom being generally amazing, to the onsen public baths that you will happily spent evenings at. And Japanese bidets / Thai bum guns make you realise there are a lot of paper wadding dirty barbarians walking around in the west.
North America is big on recycling but is reality putting up bins dedicated to recycling is…stupid. In India, you can buy groceries without a plastic bag. I can buy 100gms strawberries for instance and not a whole big plastic box that may/may not be recycled and 20% of those strawberries will get moldy.
Back home we also have (or had?) ladies who would sell you pots and pans in exchange for clothes. Simple barter. No value village required. We would sell our junk/cardboard to a dude whose job was to collect these and give us money in exchange…by weight and then sell it to the govt. that was his means of living. Also freshly milled flour from the local shop…take the grains you want to him and he’ll give you the flour. Also freshly sprouted beans available to cook that day…no cans…lessen the load on the landfill.
Also I understand dignity of labour and I’m all for it but it is expensive to get anything made or up-cycled here. Leading to people throwing away furniture, appliances and such. Indian homes could have a 20-25yr blender that is set to be passed down to the next generation. Lol
The recycling isn't even that serious in the u.s. it's more feel good..many municipalities were caught bringing the recycling to landfills..it's just a sham to make you pay more money to the city or county
I remember the first time I went to North Korea. I was blown away to realize you could be paid to shop as like your job. In America, it’s unfortunately not that way.
Trains.
Word. Especially in Japan, where you can make a day trip between prefectures thanks to the Bullet Train.
this. you mean I don’t have to show up 2 hours early, get invasively patted down by the TSA, and then cram myself into a tiny seat? the first time I rode in a German train quiet car with a foot rest and a snack/wine cart truly changed my life
Also trams, buses, and public transportation in general. It Austria we rarely use our car, but in the USA I practically lived in my car, and could not have run a single errand without it.
Not even just trains, bit public transportation in general. I can go travel all of Finland by trian and most of Finland by bus. I couldn't even go between Jacksonville and Atlanta by train, and greyhounds are so expensive compared to Finnish buses going the same distance. What makes me mad is, a flight from Helsinki to the UK is between 50-150 if you plan ahead, and the same flight distance in the states is like 500+
Yes! My first trip on an intercity HSR blew my mind. So efficient and comfortable!
Yes not an expat but I’m planning my first international trip and the cost made me so mad because it’s so cheap and readily available!.
Can’t upvote this enough
Germany: the windows and doors that tilt/ open "off kip" Germany/Netherlands: bike paths everywhere. Canada: poutine. How this has not caught on in the USA is a mystery. Italy: coffee from a moka pot Brazil: street food: coxinhas, pastel, and all the other incredible fried foods. Brazil does it right. Also the churrasquinhos (like a skewer of grilled meat) at every bus station. This might have been unique to the Espirito Santo region but I feel like every room had a drain in the floor and since it was all tile floors it was super easy to clean cause you just hose the place down.
I learned that in Turkey they call those windows, "Was ist Das" Windows and it still makes me giggle. But seriously, these windows are fabulous! Also, the bathroom with a drain in the floor is fairly common here in Austria and yeah it's brilliant
In French, too. That's where Turkish got it from. Vasistas.
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What about them makes them so good. Does the coffee taste better?
The coffee is closer to an espresso but not quite as strong. It's delicious
Thank you
>"off kip" Auf Kipp :)
Omg my Denglish was strong here haha
> poutine. How this has not caught on in the USA is a mystery. I've had that exact thought for years! It would get huge here if it would just catch on.
It's the French name. Let KFC come out with *Deep Fried Cheese Fries WITH Gravy* and we'd be in there. They could even have kids advertising, "It's the Squeak!" ^(ETA: I forgot the fries)
disco fries 🕺🏻
The weird part is that there are things like baked potato bars that give you basically all the same toppings you'd use for poutine so it's definitely a marketing issue. Maybe it's just too Canadian? Like if this had been invented in Texas it would be everywhere.
I just moved from the northern US to Texas and I miss poutine so much. It would kill here if it was marketed right so I figure it must be an anti-Canadian sentiment thing. It would probably have salsa on it here though and I don’t know how I feel about that
>Maybe it's just too Canadian? It sounds vaguely French and therefore not too be trusted.
Can you imagine a Texan trying to say poutine? Considering the way my American relatives mangle the word foyer, it wouldn't be pretty.
I mean southerners can say 'boudin'... It rhymes... ?
How do you’re American family members mangle foyer? It’s pronounced differently depending on where you are in the US.
I'll die on the hill that while the tilty European windows are nice, they're no replacement for a window with a screen in places that need it. At various points in my life I lived in a dorm room in both the US and Czechia in summertime that faced a forest, and while in the US my (screened) window stayed open almost 24/7, in Czechia I was forced to choose between opening it (even the crack) and letting every mosquito in the area into my room, or closing it and boiling alive.
The tilted windows come with an optional screen. They stay in year round and you can open your windows in the tilted and completely opened version while they are in place. I have them in every of my tilted wi down in my Dutch house. They are quite expensive though.
People have told me before that they're available as an add-on, but that's not really a realistic purchase when living in a dorm - I guess I'd consider the screen an essential part of the window when living somewhere where bugs can be an issue.
having drains in every room would make me feel like i’m living in a horror movie 😂
the floor drain thing was also common in northern argentina when i lived there, the first time i saw someone hose down their floors with the outside hose and just mop them that way i was like oh my god… genius…
I like how in Italy and Spain it is common to have a light switch next to the bed. I don't see that everywhere
Wait... why wouldn't you have one? Culture shock.
In Japan most lights have a controller so we just keep that by the bed
What of kaiju attacks? Are there bunkers?
I dont think house builders want to tell you force you to put your bed somewhere specific by putting a switch in a specific spot...so they keep it in the "safe" place and put by door
Welcome to China, where for all bedrooms except the Main, the lightswitch is by the door ***outside the room***.
Ok...Outside the room makes no sense
for when the patriarchy decides it’s bed time
I live in the US and have one on each side of my bed to turn on the bedside lamp. Of course, I saw it on a show on HGTV and had it done several years ago.
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Example: you enter your bedroom to go to bed. Switch on ceiling light to see where you are going. Go to night stand, switch on small side light. Switch off ceiling light without having to go back to the door. You can do the opposite in the mornings
Work-Life balance.
Those two words can't be in a sentence together. Unpossible.
The Nederlands
Where did you move?
Japan
Yeah, they’re doing it veeeery wrong…
Kind of knew it already but leaving the UK really highlights: transport, housing, litter, weather, driving on the left, anti-social and aggressive behaviour in public, unable to drink and behave in public. Minor details really.
Compared to?
austria and other more progressive nations in western europe/ the world
Whats the issue with driving on the left?
I’m curious about this too. Given that the majority of people are right-handed, I would have thought having the dominant hand closer to the window/door would be preferable. Not to mention the pain that comes with changing gears and indicating with the same hand.
Japanese toilets. Japanese trains. Japanese convenience stores.
Japanese toilets, yes yes yes. as an American I was blown away by how high-tech all the bathrooms were AND optimized for privacy. like, no public restroom stalls with big cracks you can (accidentally or on purpose) see people doing their business through. the stall doors go straight to the floor, every toilet is a bidet and might also have privacy sound effects to hide the sound of your bodily functions. incredible.
>like, no public restroom stalls with big cracks you can (accidentally or on purpose) see people doing their business through. That's an American thing; toilet stalls with real privacy aren't unique to Japan, they're normal in Europe too. It's only Americans (and maybe Canadians) who really like to play footsie with their neighbors while sitting on the pot.
Vending machines! It’s bad enough that our trains are garbage and never come when you want them to, we can’t even grab a can of coffee while we wait!
Or hot lemonade!
I'm going to latch on to this post (American that lived in Japan's opinions) : Paying all of your bills at a conbini, rung up with your other shopping as well. Before I left it wasn't as common as today, but assigned seating for movie theaters. Being able to drink alcohol anywhere, because the people they become when drunk is a lot less issue prone. Japanese people, while loving a good office gossip, tens to stay out of your business / life. Fireworks. I thought us Americans were the fireworks Champs, but Japan makes us look like flicking a lighter that's out of fuel. 3+ hour fireworks shows, or nothing else. Festivals and holdiays. Older countries have this advantage over America, but I feel we don't have as many events and days to celebrate together as a country. Even though the hours and expectations are too much for some, Japan having at least three 10-day vacation blocks a year (Golden Week, Obon, New Year's, Silver Week if lucky) to actually recharge and travel. Japan does a great job of keeping its people aware of other countries. There's so many TV shows that do deep dives into different countries. Some years a place will get a huge rush of Japanese tourists because of these shows. A lot of Japanese people have a big sense of wanderlust fueled by curiosity, instead of for the 'Gram or to check off countries for a list only you care about. This one is personal for me, but most of Japan is agnostic. I never in over a decade met a religious person, outside of anyone born into a monk family, or who's family has a shrine or temple. It made dating have one less hurdle, and no strange government decisions being made to appease one religious group in the country. Culture events. Growing up in LA I went to various events for different countries, cultures and so on. I feel Tokyo at least, had so many events to truly embrace the diversity of the city. Brazil and Jamaican festivals that pull everyone from there in the city together, plus the Japanese people who love them and their culture, are something I wish I grew up with. There's more that can be said, but these ones popped up first.
\- public transit \- walkable cities (not just major metropolises) \- no tipping culture
Tipping in the US. We should pay a living wage.
It’s not just the United States, it’s North America. In Canada waitresses are paid 15.00 an hour or more and still expect 20% tips. Watching the personal finance Canada sub lately has become very enlightening.
I'm Canadian and I'd basically never tip, lol. I don't care how cheap they think I am.
Isn’t the whole “servers get paid $2 an hour“ thing a myth? Maybe not a myth but definitely misleading. I remember hearing that the law actually says tipped employees must be paid state minimum wage unless their tips are higher than said wage. Which means if you don’t tip the employer is obligated to pay them the normal minimum wage, like any other business.
It's a slightly complex and stupid thing. The federal minimum wage is $2.13/hour for tipped employees; it is the minimum the employer must pay per hour, for every hour of employment. Tipped employees usually make substantially more than this; if they do not make at least $7.25/hour (or whatever their state requires, if it's higher) their employer must make up the difference so that they still achieve the non-tipped minimum wage. If a tipped employee receives no tips at all their employer will be required to pay them $7.25/hour, but if they make $100/hour including tips the employer must still pay them $2.13/hour for every hour they work. Most employers will quickly find a way to dismiss any tipped employees that make few enough tips that the employer is required to pay more than the bare minimum.
You are correct and essentially it means the first $5 in tips per server per hour give nothing to the server and give profit to the owner who doesn’t have to pay the minimum wage
Why don't you get a job as a server and report back. It can be a very tough way to make a living.
Why do you assume I didnt? I dd work as a server in a country where wages and tips are much lower. Its still one of the easiest jobs I had. Literary anyone can do it and pay to effort ratio is great, even outside of US.
Why don’t you post this opinion on r/ServerLife and see if they agree with you.
Minimum wage is not even remotely a living wage. The federal minimum wage, for example, is $7.25 per hour. That is 15,080 per YEAR working all year forty hours per week. $1256 per MONTH before taxes or about $900 per month after. If you don’t tip don’t go out to eat.
Thats 28% tax by your numbers. The 2022 standard deduction (USA) on federal taxes is $12,950 for a single filer. Nobody making 15k/year is paying 28% in taxes, even with state taxes and FICA considered. For example, using the [forbes.com](https://forbes.com) tax calculator for 2021 in high-tax California, total taxes paid on $15,080 would be $667, or an effective total tax rate (state + federal) of 4.4%. No argument that federal minimum wage is not a lot of money, but that low wage is hardly taxed. You would also be eligible for numerous subsidies/entitlements at that income. Especially if tipped income is under-reported, which is not at all uncommon.
There are many, many other deductions to pay.
But why do only servers get special treatment when many people are forced to live on minimum wage?
They've tried it many times at restaurants and it never works. The servers quit. They like tips. Of course they do.
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And what job do you expect them to get? What life choices would have been correct? Go to college on a student loan and get a STEM degree? Boy, that didn't work out well for a shit ton of people. You speak like an out-of-touch boomer. You can't feed an house a family of 4 on one factory worker job anymore. This isn't the 1950s.
Respectfully disagree. No other country has the customer service as good as American, and it’s highly unpleasant to face a poor (and sometimes rude) service, because workers don’t care as they don’t depend on the customers for tips. I don’t mind mandatory tipping and receive a good customer service, while workers have an opportunity to be rewarded based on their individual performance and earn more than the living wage. Vs I don’t tip and have to face a poor service and often feel like i am hates just for being there and making them to do their job - because they get the same money if they have work and customers to serve, and if it’s empty and nothing to do. Of course they would prefer nothing to do, if there is no difference, and all they get is the same living wage, regardless of how many customers are there and how many people they serve. And yes, I do prefer fake smiles over an honest gloomy faces - its not my fault if someone hates their job; I like to feel welcomed instead of feeling like I am being someone’s problem. So I don’t agree that living wage is better for either customers or service workers.
I don’t know where you’ve travelled, but there is great customer service in some countries that don’t tip and, in my experience, far surpass what I had in the USA. Pushing people to depend on tips, means they have to put up with crappy customers. This “the customer is always right” way of thinking has clearly gone sideways if you look at what is happening on airlines and in other customer service sectors. Treat others respectfully and get good service. Don’t get it? Don’t go back and the business fails, which should motivate the owner to ensure staff are professional and content in their work. Taking your argument further, why not tip in other fields? We should tip our teachers too? So one kid will be given preferential treatment because their parents tip better? In China, teacher often receive gifts - it does have an impact.
I've been to 43 countries. I've had good and bad service is all of them.
Respectfully disagree too. Australian customer service is just as good and probably even more genuine, and they're not even motivated by a tipping culture over there.
Americam exceptionalism statement. Korea has great customer service, Japan has great customer service, Germany often has great customer, Finland had great customer service in the cities lol. America, just like the rest of the world, can have the good, bad, and ugly when it comes to customer service.
Just to add to the other person, in Canada tipping wait staff is common, but that's only a small fraction of customer-facing jobs, where most don't get tips. Like, if you return an item to a store, or ask floor staff where something is located, or pick up something from Timmy's or McDonald's, none of those people get tips, but the service is still expected to be pretty good (and usually is, as long as they hire locally). And, I've been in places with terrible service that still expect a too and even add it into your bill themselves, and at those times I've actually fought them in it and refused to pay it (it's a matter of principle). The two things just don't really go together, imo. Not to mention that working in a restaurant that doesn't split tips with kitchen staff is just uncool. I used to do it, and I'd get compliments passed back to me on my food, but tips? Nah, that's all for the waiters, even if other staff are an important part of the dining experience and aren't paid any more than they are...
I agree with all of this, except what appears to be the racism.
Not racism. Racism depends on race. Locals can be people of any race. Where I'm from a lot of temporary foreign workers were hired to fill in service roles that locals "didn't want" (though I question that seriously). And it's just been my observation that when a company hires many such people, the quality of service often goes down. My guess is that usually that happens because they're trying to lower the expense of employment by hiring cheap foreign labour, and service comes second to that, but it's just a guess.
You can't say anything against the TIPPING IS BAD echo chamber on reddit or they will downvote you to oblivion.
You mean 10% instead of 20%?
Anything that means when a server gets stiffed on a big bill, they don’t have to worry if they can afford food for the next week.
Fire hydrants. In israel, they're not by the road, but these small vertical things on top of sidewalk next to the house. So there is no situation where you can't park next to a hydrant
How does the fire truck connect to them if there's parked cars between the street and the hydrant?
Use flexible hoses.
Buses in Korea are very efficient, nearly every bus stop has a digital display of buses coming and how soon, displays each bus and all the stops, in the winter the stop has heated seating or they have warm houses, tells you which direction it is going, has a scan for the card or a machine for cash and makes change, has a button to declare your stop, they have long distance busses with comfortable seating, some of those are two story buses, the buses have heating or ac, color coded so easy to spot, stops everywhere. The cards work on metro and buses, can be reloaded at a train station or convenience store, or you can set up to pay by credit card or phone. It's just heaven. I hate buses anywhere else, they don't compare.
I loved not having to wait outside for a bus in winter. Stay inside, watch the app, run out just in time for the bus to come by. That being said, some bus drivers in my city were like GTA drivers. Your life was expendable.
Trains. Once you take trains in Japan you'll never look at them the same way in America.
The idea of not using a bidet now freaks me out, and I understand why Argentinians call certain Europeans "culos sucios".
Same. I traveled in India and every single house and hotel had a bidet or some kind of water spray attachment for cleaning your butt. I said “I am never going to take America seriously again bc it is an entire nation of people walking around with poopy buttholes.”
india also taught me that squatting to poop is the correct way. shitting on european/us toilets is so difficult and so much worse for you
Dropped a whole lot of change out of my pockets squatting in SE Asia & Japan! Newbies to the squat be forewarned.
Use a “squatty potty” or whatever the brand is. Allows you to lift your legs higher when sitting on your western toilet.
Yes! Currently live in the US and at an early age my grandmother taught us how to squat over a public toilet.
After living in South Korea for a year I couldn’t not have a bidet when I returned to the US. It disturbs me that so many people think using a bidet is more disgusting than just using TP…yuck. I’m proud of how clean my b-hole is compared to the mass sea of butt wipers around me. 😂
the concept of wiping your ass with paper and considering it clean is absurd to me. like, if you had shit on your hands would you just rub it off with a tissue and call it a day? so disgusting
Do people dry off with TP after using the bidet?
Some have fancy blowers that blow your bum dry. I use a bit of TP to dry off. You’re not soaking after so you don’t need much and you use way less TP than you would without a bidet. I know some people keep a basket of clean cloths near the toilet too. Since there’s no poo to wipe you’re just wiping water and can launder the cloths after. I’m lazy.
When I worked in Korea, the office toilet bowls had a fancy as hell seat. Controllable direction of water, heated seat, can blow hot air. Felt like a king
Wait, the Argentinians call the Europeans culos sucios?? I've lived in Spain for 14 years and see bidets everywhere in private homes. If you had said Americans I'd believe you
Just Northern Europeans, the Italians and Spanish brought the bidets to Argentina so they're exempt :)
Ah, interesting! No wonder I was befuddled : )
Same 😂 I live in the UAE and we've become so accustomed to the bidet sprayer next to the toilet that I eventually bought a portable one for when I travel to countries that don't have it. When we one day leave the UAE it will be the first thing I install if the house we move to doesn't have one.
SEA the bum gun is a game changer.
Same, I honestly now think most Americans are unhygienic for not using a bidet
Just basic humanity / cultural harmony. Going to the US it seems everyone is angry all the time, wants to be a superhero, is trying to become a billionaire, generally feels like a certain glue that has been holding communities together for millennia was just removed in order to maximize our sensory pleasures.
Canada is becoming like this too in major cities 😢
Religion and social satisfaction. In Sweden we don't believe in anything, we learn to all be independent, 40% of all young adults are single and live alone, and elderly loneliness are skyhigh because nobody cares for our elders. After moving abroad I find all of that absurd and crazy.
I've experienced this both ways. Dual US-Israeli citizen by birth, grew up in the US, have lived in Israel for 6.5 years. My observations upon moving to Israel and then coming back for visits to the US. From the US to Israel - Public transport. Car-dependent urban planning sucks. I never had a license, before moving I was dependent on my parents driving me everywhere. If you don't have a car and don't live in one of the handful of cities where living without one is doable you're basically helpless. In Israel, although it may lag Europe, the train system is excellent compared to the US and bus service is more expansive. Light rail is also catching on, Jerusalem has had such a system for a decade, a new light rail system for the Tel Aviv metro area is about to begin operations, and there are plans for additional networks. A car isn't a must-have. Side-note, there's of course the obligatory dunk on US healthcare. Israel has a great universal healthcare system, from what I've read not just superior to the US but also to other countries like the UK and Canada. I fortunately have not needed to use it much but it gives great peace of mind. No depending on employers for coverage and shelling out bucketloads of money to rapacious health insurance profiteers. Plus worker rights and work culture are better. I never really built my career in the US as I have in Israel so I can't compare too much out of personal experience but I know enough to make the point regardless. From Israel to the US - Buildings. Israel is full of crappy concrete commie blocks that were hastily built decades ago, which makes for a depressing built environment in many areas. These buildings aren't as insulated, you need to turn on a boiler if you want a hot shower, and they aren't reinforced against earthquakes and don't have bomb shelters as newer buildings are required to be. These buildings are gradually being torn down and replaced with newer and sleeker stuff. Not happening fast enough. I live in a very convenient location but its depressing due to the built environment. My neighborhood is slated to be evacuated, torn down, and replaced with newer developments in a few years. It's for the better. On the bright side, newer Israeli architecture is gorgeous, urban Israel is gradually looking better. Also as a larger country there are more places to explore and more big cities. For its size Israel is pretty diverse in environments but the US is basically a continent. And if you want the big city experience you have lots of options. In Israel if you want the experience of a dense urban area you're basically limited to Tel Aviv and its satellite cities. You could get pockets of that feel in some other big cities but most Israeli urban areas are kind of suburban in nature, though they're evolving. The growing population is gradually making Israeli cities more dense and urban with time.
The public transportation in Israel is pure shit. It might be ok comparing to the US, but compared to literally any European country it’s just bad. If you’re in TLV or Jerusalem, sure, you might be able to get by, but try to get between cities and you’re into real trouble. While neighborhoods in other cities are built around cars and sometimes you start by 15 minutes drive just to get groceries. This is also why Israelis only get groceries once a week or so and keep huge fridges. After living in the Netherlands for a while I can say that literally everything that Israel does, NL does better: Urban planning, transportation, supermarkets, education, work culture, banking… you name it That said, non of this is made to invalidate your points. Since I’m making a different comparison here mostly
(American who lived in Russia for several years) Wearing shoes or being barefoot indoors, yuck! Never really minded before, but now shoes *must* come off at the door and into slippers. Also, what's with the wall to wall carpet every where? It gets dirty so easily and doesn't look good.
Shoes inside is disgusting and I can’t believe how many people do it
Wait, you guys wearing shoes inside your private houses and apartments?
In the US it's pretty common, ugh.
I’ve noticed this varies based on the region. In the southern states, shoes usually stay on, but in northern states, shoes off. This is a generalization of course. I now prefer shoes off. I love that some of my friends have house slippers for guests. Other times, I bring my own to change into.
> Happy_Napping > I’ve noticed this varies based on the region. In the southern states, shoes usually stay on, but in northern states, shoes off. I can believe it. It might have to do with snow and taking boots off before walking around inside. Maybe people just got in the habit.
Also consider: the south has a lot of big scary bugs. Ain’t no WAY I’m stamping on a palmetto bug with my bare foot, or even my nice slippers.
Interestingly we didn’t take our shoes off in the city (when I lived in Texas) but when I was out at our farm I always took them off for fear of tracking dirt and sticker burrs into the house.
Not only. I have moved to the Netherlands a few years ago and still can't get used to it. I always ask my Dutch friends to take their shoes off when they come over and they either excuse themselves politely and mention it's out of habit or give me a funny look. My Eastern European mother still thinks I am exaggerating.
Nope. Not common in my circle family, friends, etc. Loads of people don't do this. Something like this can't be an 'in America they don't wear shoes!' blanket statement. there are sooooo many different kinds of people/cultures that don't do this. Also, it could easily depend on the climate too. Lots of houses have mudrooms where you take shoes off and then maybe go barefoot or switch into house shoes.
But would your or family insist on a visitor taking off their shoes? It wouldn't be polite to do so in the US.
I'm from the US and almost everyone I knew took their shoes off and also requested guests to take them off? It was never considered rude or impolite at all to say 'please take off your shoes before you come inside '. I'm very confused by this.
It depends on where in the US; in places that often get snow it would be pretty rude not to take off your snowy/salty shoes when visiting someone's house, and perfectly reasonable to ask someone to take theirs off when visiting. In dryer and warmer places where the shoes don't carry as much dirt comparatively, it is much less common to request them to be removed.
I beg to differ. It would actually be considered rude of the visitor if they didn’t take their shoes off after seeing that the host has taken theirs off
I'm in the US and have never seen anyone do this.
In Hawaii, most people take their shoes off at the front door of their own house and any house they might visit. People wearing flip-flops leave those at the door, too, and walk around barefoot inside. I remember going to parties in high school where there were something like 30 pairs of flip-flops on the front porch.
They’re not flip-flops. They’re SLIPPAHS
you realise that loads of Americans do this to, right? millions don't wear shoes indoors. Same in the UK. Actually.. I'm the only one I know who is no shoes. and I'm American.
If you have carpet, the slippers aren't necessary. Seriously-- try it. Walk around barefoot for a couple of days somewhere with thick carpet vs somewhere with wood or tile floor. Your feet will be a lot less dirty after walking around on carpet.
And then you walk into the kitchen and bathroom back out onto the carpet. Then climb into bed with those feet! Disgusting. (I'm American and have always had wall to wall carpets)
Windows that open 2 different ways (Germany)
The first morning staying with my in-laws during my first visit to Hungary, there was a shot of homemade palinka (~140 proof liquor) on the table to go with breakfast. The world would be a much nicer place if everyone had a shot or two of hard liquor with breakfast.
Outside Netherlands: hot lunch! I'm never eating just a cheese sandwich for lunch again
I come from the Caribbean and all my dutch coworkers always look at me funny because I pack a homemade hot lunch, and then go "you know, I wish I had the motivation to pack such a tasty lunch every day". I mean, just do it. Or use kliekjes from the previous day.
>kliekjes Had to look that one up. Google translate (Dutch-to-English) says "cliques" but other sources showed the more appropriate "leftovers".
Kliekjes are the way
I'm the opposite. I'm kinda annoyed how there's hot food for every meal. I just wanna eat my bread. I went to a birthday party that had a hot buffet and a charcuterie table. I spent all night eating cheese, ham, salami and crackers and skipped the hot food. Best meal I've had in months.
Thailand: - Rice and curry for breakfast (why do we limit ourselves in the west to X food at X time?) - Motorbike taxis, 5x faster than car taxis during rush hour - Condos with restaurants and 7-11 integrated downstairs - Condos generally. Half of London is just taken up by expensive low-lying land-hogging housing for rich people. - Cheap street food due to them not having to pay insane rents and taxes. Spain: Tinto, Pintxos. Refreshing beverages and small snacks for a cheap price? Im in. Sweden: Fika. Taking a 30-40 min break around 3pm during the work day to bullshit and drink coffee.
I had a Finnish coworker and he introduced us to the concept of Fika. Combined with the Brazilian coworker trying to introduce the concept of 2-hour lunch breaks/siesta it was a miracle anything got done 😂
Cities. You can walk to anywhere you need to go for daily life in all major European cities.
Anything to do with hot tea in US restaurants tends to go poorly. I didn't realize this until I lived in England.
Just call it tea. Like coffee, tea is by default hot,as you make it hot. Iced tea is separate.
Took a minute, but we found him.
Must be from the South?
No I'm from the North. I can't trust a lot of restaurants to make a cup of tea. Often it's a cup of hot water with a tea bag on the side. And sometimes the cheapest possible tea bag too (looking at you, Lipton).
Lipton tea really isn't very good. Especially the green tea, ugh.
It's what practically all the baby boomers and grandparents that I know buy 😖
Ah, that's pretty unfortunate lol. I think I'm used to the Red Rose brand orange pekoe for black tea, that's a common one where I'm from, and it's much better than Lipton imo
Yes I've found Red Rose to be quite good for the price
Agreed ☺️
Lipton yellow label and some mildy warm water is the height of despair when you are expecting a brew.
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Water quality makes a difference too, I wasn't a huge fan of most teats except herbal and green tea. Since I've been here I drink a wide variety because the water quality makes the tea better
In Thailand the bum guns. As an American I was shocked how effective they were vs straight toilet paper.
i am completely shocked by the fact that westerners **STILL** uses toilet papers till today, like, wtf is stopping this country to simply install a water-hose next to every toilet, just for tourisme alone, every western hotel should have that or a bidet
Dutch bike infrastructure was mine. Closely followed by butter!
Tea (moved to India & Nepal from North America)
Cleaning your butt after pooping. Detachable bidets are a game changer. Here not every toilet has toilet paper though and the most effective way is definitely using the bidet first and then toilet paper to dry lol.
Lived in the Netherlands. Bikes and biking infrastructure.
Public transport
When I went to the UK I couldn’t believe the stalls in public bathrooms. For once in my life I didn’t worry about someone climbing in there with me.
dustpan, in USA https://www.lowes.com/pd/Genuine-Joe-Heavy-duty-Plastic-Dust-Pan-12in-Wide-Plastic-Black/1002788544 what it should be https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dustpan#/media/File:Broom_and_dustpan.jpg This style has become more popular, but that old style hangs on far after it should have faded away.
Usually the ones without the long handle are intended more small household messes whereas the ones with the long handle are sold for more outdoor messes in my experience. I’ve never had an issue with not being able to find one or the other.
Bureaucracy. It’s always gonna be a slow bitch, but damn, at least Norway tries to mitigate that as much as possible
Wait, what do we do with butter?
We put it in the fridge, which renders it unspreadable. In Europe it’s mostly kept on the counter in a butter dish or in a cool cupboard in the summer months Edit: same thing goes for eggs. They don’t live in the fridge but in a little basket on the counter/in a cupboard
Problem is in the butter you buy. Only salted butter can be left on the counter, and growing up in the US everyone had a counter butter dish, so not sure what op is talking about
Ice in soda
Toilet paper. The bidet is vastly underrated in the US.
I moved from Canada to Australia, and the answer has to be coffee, lol. You *can* find coffee as good as the Aussies do in Canada, but it's much, much less common. Also, I like how many small businesses there are relative to my home area. Public transport seems to be better too, at least comparing the Sydney area to the places I've been in Canada. Oh also: no tipping, and taxes are included in the sticker price of items. Though, I suppose, that said, I have seem to have lost my ability to quickly add percentages onto the sticker price lol, so maybe that last one should get demoted for weakening my math skills...
Education.
We used to have it in some places when I was a kid growing up in London (UK), but just general neighbourhood/ community vibe. I live in Vietnam now and even right in the city your local patch is like a small village, everyone just keeps and eye out on your stuff, small neighbourhood kids may randomly wander into your house or join you when you're having a coffee and make themselves comfortable, local food places and shops forgot your money no probs pay next time.
Healthcare. Literally anywhere outside the US.
While US healthcare isn't great, other places have issues too. I moved to the UK and while it is nice not having to pay (even though if you move here on a visa you pay a health surcharge), the wait times for some things are a bit ridiculous with the NHS. I needed some physio after going to 3 different appointments about a month a part and them finally deciding to get that for me. The closest appointment I could get was 8 months away.
Did your neighbor die because she couldn't afford cancer treatment like mine did in the states? I'll take a bit of a wait over forcing sick people into bankruptcy any day.
Grew up in Asia. Working in Europe. When my boss literally had to apologise and beg me to stay late for 10 min to help him finish something. That's when I realised what's called "work life balance".
Mayonnaise. That crap that we have in the US is awful. Also sweetened condensed milk in a can that tastes just like the can. Our supermarket in Russia had an entire aisle of mayo, and it was so much better. The sweetened condensed milk was also very tasty.
Winter tyres
public transportation. i miss Gwangju’s buses and Seoul’s subway :,)
I lived in Gwangju for 3 years and miss the direct bus to Seoul/airport/Daegu/anywhere.
USA > Sweden. Bicycle infrastructure. Bike lanes that are physically separate from the street (as opposed to a stripe of paint on the side of the road). Stop lights for bicycles at intersections with buttons you can activate without getting off your bicycle and which are separate from the pedestrian walk lights.
Bread. What is you DOING, USA?
Croatia: Raising boys from a very young age to believe it’s pathetic/unmanly to harass girls and women. Dalmatia specifically: [Fjaka](https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20180118-dalmatias-fjaka-state-of-mind) - it’s not quite the same as taking a ‘siesta’ - there’s more too it and you can be caught by it at any time and everyone understands.
Waiting in line in a store, market, office or any other space where there isn't a take-a-number system. In Spain you just ask who was the last person to arrive (¿Quién es el último?) and then you keep track of your place, let the next person who arrives know, and you can move around and look at things while waiting for the person who was right before you to get served without being stuck in line.
USB ports on busses (Germany)
Japanese bathing culture. From the home bathroom being generally amazing, to the onsen public baths that you will happily spent evenings at. And Japanese bidets / Thai bum guns make you realise there are a lot of paper wadding dirty barbarians walking around in the west.
North America is big on recycling but is reality putting up bins dedicated to recycling is…stupid. In India, you can buy groceries without a plastic bag. I can buy 100gms strawberries for instance and not a whole big plastic box that may/may not be recycled and 20% of those strawberries will get moldy. Back home we also have (or had?) ladies who would sell you pots and pans in exchange for clothes. Simple barter. No value village required. We would sell our junk/cardboard to a dude whose job was to collect these and give us money in exchange…by weight and then sell it to the govt. that was his means of living. Also freshly milled flour from the local shop…take the grains you want to him and he’ll give you the flour. Also freshly sprouted beans available to cook that day…no cans…lessen the load on the landfill. Also I understand dignity of labour and I’m all for it but it is expensive to get anything made or up-cycled here. Leading to people throwing away furniture, appliances and such. Indian homes could have a 20-25yr blender that is set to be passed down to the next generation. Lol
The recycling isn't even that serious in the u.s. it's more feel good..many municipalities were caught bringing the recycling to landfills..it's just a sham to make you pay more money to the city or county
Healthcare. Not doing so great up here in Ontario right now but I've saving an extra 15k a year compared to the US
Heated toilet seats, hot carpets, customer service, cheaper eating out, good transportation…
I remember the first time I went to North Korea. I was blown away to realize you could be paid to shop as like your job. In America, it’s unfortunately not that way.
wait, what? please explain!
Fair work practices