Join the Fun!

37 Things That Are Normal In Some Countries, Yet Make The Rest Of The World Confused Actually telling people how you’re doing when they ask you how you’re doing. We don’t use a lot of polite phrases just for the sake of being polite, so when people ask “how are you”, it’s interpreted as a genuine question rather than polite smalltalk or a greeting. My grandma once asked a cashier how she was doing and she replied “Not great. I have type 2 diabetes.”

(I’m from Norway)

deleted , Zen Chung Report

Final score:

106points

POST

tom 2 months ago

keep it simple..."I'm super happy, I have this constipated dog and it finally did it's business. Sorry for over sharing but this was causing us great distress" how are you today?

19points

37 Things That Are Normal In Some Countries, Yet Make The Rest Of The World Confused I'm Irish, and we tend to swear a lot in ordinary conversations. It means nothing most of the time, just a normal part of speech, but some of my non-Irish friends seemed a bit taken aback by it.

ladyblithe , Pressmaster Report

Final score:

102points

POST

Rafael 2 months ago

TIL I'm part Irish, f**k the fuckity yeah!

44points

lostkarma4anonymity , Deepak Khirodwala Report

The global travel and tourism industry is huge and one of the most competitive in the entire world. It also has a large impact on various places’ economies. Statista reports that travel and tourism contributed a mind-boggling $9.9 trillion to countries’ gross domestic product. That comes out to around 9.1% of the total global GDP.

The industry is projected to grow to over $1.1 trillion by the year 2029. That same year, the hotels market, a large chunk of the travel and tourism industry, is expected to grow to 1.8 billion users.

37 Things That Are Normal In Some Countries, Yet Make The Rest Of The World Confused In India, arranged marriage is still the norm. I went to law school with a guy who already had an engineering degree. He told me he only enrolled in law school because his family expects him to return to India when he's finished schooling and have an arranged marriage. As a result, he keeps enrolling in new higher education programs to postpone his engagement.

Final score:

100points

POST

Bat cat in a hat 2 months ago

I have no idea if it's the same everywhere in India, but a colleague had an arranged marriage (as in the parents agreed they'd marry once they completed their degrees) but both she and the to-be husband would also had a say and if they didn't want, they wouldn't have to get married, so they dated for a year and then decided that yes, it was a good match - they're still together 30+ years on! Different story with a Pakistani client, he thought he was going to a party and it was his wedding, they didn't have a say at all and although they are still married they can't stand each other, they even work opposite shifts so interaction is absolutely minimal

13points

37 Things That Are Normal In Some Countries, Yet Make The Rest Of The World Confused Going to the sauna with the whole family naked. Completely normal where I live but for almost the whole planet it would be very confusing.

Edit: yes, Finland.

marsmars124 , Timo Newton-Syms Report

Final score:

96points

POST

varwenea 2 months ago

I am "team rest of planet". 🙅🏻‍♀️🙈

53points

37 Things That Are Normal In Some Countries, Yet Make The Rest Of The World Confused People dying because they don't have free universal healthcare. A lot of people will choose to not get medical attention because they don't have health insurance. So they end up dying. It's cheaper to die than have insane medical debt.

Bear-M , Karolina Kaboompics Report

Final score:

82points

POST

ZuriLovesYou 2 months ago

Gee! I wonder fụcked up country this is! 🤔

81points

The number of global inbound tourist arrivals recovered from 406 million during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic to 1.3 billion back in 2023. To put it another way, around every 6th person from around the world traveled abroad that year.

According to Statista, the most popular destination for international tourism continues to be Europe. Especially Southern and Mediterranean Europe. Around 265 million tourists traveled there in the 2022 period.

We pay companies in case we get sick or injured and they decide if we are sick or injured enough for them to use the money we pay them to help us. And we still have to pay more money once they help us.

Snoo_63187 Report

Final score:

82points

POST

Liz The Biz 2 months ago

That's called insurance isn't it?

30points

Independent-Tree-848 , Anna Tarazevich Report

37 Things That Are Normal In Some Countries, Yet Make The Rest Of The World Confused In Vietnam, you can buy anything you want (and as much of it as you want) from the local pharmacy without doctor's prescriptions

Final score:

81points

POST

Kat 2 months ago

GoooooooD MORNING VIETNAM! 🙃

55points

37 Things That Are Normal In Some Countries, Yet Make The Rest Of The World Confused I've been living in China for two years and I still can't bring myself to shout in a restaurant to get a server's attention. I'm British, so I'm so used to awkwardly raising my hand and saying, 'Excuse me' when the server looks in my direction. But in China, oh boy, you just have to shout and hope you're louder than the next table.

TyranM97 , Ketut Subiyanto Report

Final score:

76points

POST

Rigor Moreno 2 months ago

I watched a TV show explaining this part. If you're silent and meek in a restaurant, its either you did not enjoy the food or something's wrong. Well... I still respect their colorful culture. :D

23points

With so many people traveling abroad and domestically, mutual empathy starts to matter. A lot! This means that, as a traveler, you should try to be as respectful of other people’s cultural norms as possible. It’s unlikely that you’ll be prepared for everything before you leave on your trip (many norms are very subtle and take time to notice and truly ‘get’), but what matters is the effort you put in.

Learning a bit of the local language and about the etiquette amd taboos goes a long way. Do some online research. Talk to some friends who’ve been where you’re going. Even consider going to a local cultural center for some useful resources.

On the flip side, it’s a reminder for locals to try to be friendly to outsiders. Sure, some tourists will inevitably be loud, rude, and disruptive. But many and more of them are decent folks who are having completely novel experiences outside their comfort zones. A few helpful words, a smile, some recommendations, and a gentle guiding hand can really make their trip memorable.

#10

37 Things That Are Normal In Some Countries, Yet Make The Rest Of The World Confused In New Zealand being barefoot out of the house is considered normal. Many children walk barefoot to school (they have shoes, just choose not to wear them). You'll also see barefoot people in supermarkets and fast food restaurants

StenSoft , ThruTheSnowBarefoot Report

Final score:

72points

POST

Littlemiss 2 months ago

It's not as common as it was many years ago. As kids we didn't wear shoes unless expected to. Mind you, no snakes or venomous creatures here

35points

#11

37 Things That Are Normal In Some Countries, Yet Make The Rest Of The World Confused Cheering when someone accidentally drops and smashes something in a restaurant/pub.

JRB0bDobbs , Lisa Fotios Report

Final score:

68points

POST

Passerby 2 months ago

My dad "meows" when someone drop something in a restaurant. It's not a cultural thing. It's just my dad being my dad.

48points

#12

37 Things That Are Normal In Some Countries, Yet Make The Rest Of The World Confused Rootbeer floats. I tried to introduce this American delicacy to some German friends. They thought I was playing a trick on them. Thought it was so weird and gross they wouldn't even try it.

TheBlueSlipper , YoSammitySam666 Report

Final score:

67points

POST

Francois 2 months ago

I am with ze Germans

55points

No matter how different people might seem on the surface, there are always things that unite us. Food, for example, is something that’s shared across every culture across the globe. Sure, the recipes, ingredients, cooking methods, and eating etiquette might differ from country to country.

But broadly speaking, you’ll still see folks get together in a communal space to eat together. It’s difficult to imagine any culture not having some type of traditional soup or dumpling to offer. Eating is a way to connect with the people you love and to show respect to someone from outside the community.

Singing, dancing, music, and art—they’re also universal and core parts of the human experience. Even if you don’t speak the local language (well, yet), you can still find other ways to connect with everyone around you. Travel might seem scary initially, but you’d be surprised by how many people are kind to outsiders.

#13

37 Things That Are Normal In Some Countries, Yet Make The Rest Of The World Confused In Asian culture. Relatives fight with each other. Because each one wants to pay the bill for the whole family, eating out.

'I will pay. I am the most elder person. I have responsibility to the family'

'No I will pay. Even though I am young. I earn well enough. To cover. Let me pay this time'

That sorta argument happens.

When I tell it to westerners. They don't believe it.

shuttermayfire , Louis Hansel Report

Final score:

64points

POST

Nicky 2 months ago

This is an Arab thing, too. I would pay the bill when my friend was in the loo. It's actually fun, like a game, with the winner buying.

34points

#14

37 Things That Are Normal In Some Countries, Yet Make The Rest Of The World Confused Here in Sydney, the police regularly deploy d**g detection dogs at train stations. They bring them into pubs as well. People visiting from overseas seem genuinely shocked by it, but most people here seem to ignore it.

satisfiedfools , Martin Podsiad Report

Final score:

63points

POST

Moxitron Jazz 2 months ago

If only there were police dogs to sniff out corporate crime...

74points

#15

37 Things That Are Normal In Some Countries, Yet Make The Rest Of The World Confused Saying "yeah, naaahh" = no. Saying "nah, yeeaah"= yes.

bitofapuzzler , Helena Lopes Report

Final score:

62points

POST

Littlemiss 2 months ago

It's an NZ/Aus thing

44points

What are some local cultural norms that you think outsiders would find a bit (or even a lot) strange, dear Pandas? On the flip side, what were the biggest culture shocks for you on your last trip? How did you handle them and how quickly did you adapt? You can tell us all about it in the comments.

#16

Having a maple syrup reserve. The most lucrative heist in Canada's history was the Maple Reserve. Many millions of dollars in maple syrup were stolen. I just listened to the 'My Favorite Murder' podcast episode about it

HeathenHumanist , freepik Report

Final score:

61points

POST

R Dennis 2 months ago

I have a maple syrup reserve... three sugar maples in my back yard.

16points

Safe_Chicken_6633 , cottonbro studio Report

#17

37 Things That Are Normal In Some Countries, Yet Make The Rest Of The World Confused TV ads for pharmaceutical products.

Final score:

60points

POST

Jessica SpeLangm 2 months ago

USA person here....I used to not care one way or the other. Now I can't stand it. I mute the commercials and go in another room for a few minutes.

30points

#18

37 Things That Are Normal In Some Countries, Yet Make The Rest Of The World Confused In Malaysia, calling older people not related to you uncle or aunty

noorx3 , Pixabay Report

Final score:

55points

POST

varwenea 2 months ago

It's true for many Asian cultures. Any elder family friend is automatically an auntie and uncle.

34points

PresidentElectFLMan Report

#19

Adding tax onto the price listed on the tag. That drives non-USA folks nuts.

Final score:

52points

POST

Jrog 2 months ago

It doesn't drive us nuts. It just show you guys are insane.

42points

#20

37 Things That Are Normal In Some Countries, Yet Make The Rest Of The World Confused Living with parents is common in India. People aren't considered 'losers' for living with heir parents. I never understood why being 30 and living with your parents was considered as something 'bad'

tittyf**k_00 , Ketut Subiyanto Report

Final score:

51points

POST

Passerby 2 months ago

I think this is common in Asia. It's totally normal to live with your parents even into old ages. It might even be respected because it means you are taking care of your parents. I was surprised to learn that this is considered bad in the West. I was even more surprised when I heard that some family expect their child to move out at 18.

11points

#21

37 Things That Are Normal In Some Countries, Yet Make The Rest Of The World Confused Weights and measures.
I’m 5’10” and weigh 195lbs
My over cooks at 350 degrees
My pool is 72 degrees
But

I drive 80km/h
The temp outside is 21 degrees
I buy meat in either lbs or kg
Milk comes in 1 litre bags
Liquor in 26 fl oz bottles
Lumber in 2”x4” (which are really 1 1/2 by 3 1/2) plywood in 4x8’ sheets.

dodadoler , Lina Kivaka Report

Final score:

49points

POST

varwenea 2 months ago

You're Canadian!

60points

#22

37 Things That Are Normal In Some Countries, Yet Make The Rest Of The World Confused Flashing headlights to warn incoming traffic of police presence or speed traps. Got a few awkward reactions doing it abroad.

nuteteme , Nishant Aneja Report

Final score:

49points

POST

Cee Cee 2 months ago

Illegal here in the UK but we still do it.

30points

Dutch Swimmer Goes Viral For Super Revealing Trunks During 2024 Olympics: “Is This Legal?”

See Also on Bored Panda

Thrill-Seeking Diver Jumps Down Extreme Waterslide, Ignoring The Strict Ban For Women

#23

37 Things That Are Normal In Some Countries, Yet Make The Rest Of The World Confused As an American, when i “lived” in England for three months, i realized just how rude and unacceptable Brits view the act of “pointing fingers”.

not that i was ever doing shit like pointing at and/or making fun of people, but just any kind of pointing even remotely in the vicinity of anyone’s direction was just a straight up no-no, regardless of context. my ex-fiancée (who was British) was constantly like “stop doing that” lmao. kinda interesting.

shuttermayfire , Rodolpho Zanardo Report

Final score:

49points

POST

Francois 2 months ago

Not just England. Just to warn you.

57points

#24

37 Things That Are Normal In Some Countries, Yet Make The Rest Of The World Confused In my family's home country, it is normal to "try" things out in food stands, like, just shove your hand in the pile and try one, you like it? You buy by weight from the pile of whatever it is you tried. And it is apparently totally acceptable to just snack on whatever while you shop and browse through the store, as long as you buy something at the end.

I had a massive cultural shock on my first visit 😂.

Cup-Cait , Maria Burnay Report

Final score:

46points

POST

Green Tree 2 months ago

This would gross me out. Too many nasty people do not wash their hands after using the toilet

18points

Woman Put A Water Fountain With A Camera In Her Yard, Here Are 24 Photos Of Regular Visitors (New Pics)

See Also on Bored Panda

“Ma’am I Live Here”: Woman Refuses To Back Out Of Driveway, Learns A Lesson The Hard Way

#25

37 Things That Are Normal In Some Countries, Yet Make The Rest Of The World Confused In my country, eating rice with every meal is a must.

YUmmy_BOdy_003 , Pille R. Priske Report

Final score:

45points

POST

Roxy222uk 2 months ago

Someone I know was very excited to prepare a full English roast dinner for his south Korean girlfriend, but after one or two bites she apologised and went to cook herself some rice. She explained that she couldn't eat a meal without rice.

14points

isaidyothnkubttrgo Report

#26

Waving at magpies. I've done it in the USA and people look to see who I'm waving at and find a bird. I don't stop waving to the birds f**k off because of the superstition that goes with the number of magpies you see.

>One for sorrow, Two for joy, Three for a girl, Four for a boy, Five for silver, Six for gold, Seven for a secret, Never to be told".

Final score:

40points

POST

Cee Cee 2 months ago

Here in the UK it's perfectly normal to acknowledge a magpie or three. I've done it most of my life. Morning handsome maggers is my usual greeting. Got tedious this year when a pair built an enormous nest in my garden.

23points

#27

Coming over around diner time unannounced, fully expecting to be welcome and invited to dine with them.

Zeddski Report

Final score:

33points

POST

ZuriLovesYou 2 months ago (edited)

Apparently, this is in the Netherlands. I can't even fathom someone walking into my home without telling me first, expecting to eat my food.

25points

#28

37 Things That Are Normal In Some Countries, Yet Make The Rest Of The World Confused 1. No small talks. You don't even acknowledge strangers, no random "How are ya" to people you pass on the street. You can say "Good day" to your neighbours or people you know, but not strangers. When you go shopping, you don't engage in polite banter with the cashier, it's just "Good day", they tell you the price of your items, you say "Card. Thank you. Goodbye" and that's it. No small talk with friends. No small talk whatsoever.
2. You can say "How are you" when meeting a friend, and the normal response to it is to complain about your latest problems. After they're done complaining, it's your turn to say "Ah f**k" and offer some advice or help, or tell them about you being in a similar situation. Complain about your problems, then they offer advice or help. And both sides mean to help, it's not just "Ah, call me one day, I could help you with that".
3. Don't talk about mayonnaise unless you want to divide people and start a war. Don't even think about starting mayonnaise conversation when people are drunk. It's very serious. It's something that's discussed at early stages of relationship and can be a dealbreaker for many.

Edit to add some more.

4. We don't tip. There's no tip culture. No one expects tip. You tip for excellent service, and if you leave a tip, people will be happy, but no one will be pissed if you don't tip.

5. We love to pick mushrooms. Every autumn most people go to the woods to pick mushrooms at least once. And I'm not even talking about the psychedelic ones. Every person in the country has at least basic knowledge about mushrooms that are safe to eat and the toxic ones. I was surprised when I moved abroad and found out how many people in my new home were scared of picking mushrooms because what if they're not safe? They just have no idea at all.

6. Carp fish swimming in the bathtub before Christmas Eve.

7. We celebrate Christmas on the 24th of December, not the 25th, and we open our presents in the evening.

8. SHOES OFF AS SOON AS YOU ENTER THE HOUSE.

9. There's a trash can under the sink in the kitchen and one drawer that has a plastic bag filled with other plastic bags. In every house.

10. You know that gesture when you beat your fist to your chest twice, like “I got you bro”, sign of truth and generally bro vibe? Yeah well in my country’s sign language it means “f****t”.

-acidlean- , Sara Cervera Report

Final score:

31points

POST

GoodWolf 2 months ago

Poland?

30points

50 Of The Most Incredible Shots That Were Submitted To The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards

See Also on Bored Panda

French Diver’s “Jewels” In Tight Swimming Trunks Become Talk Of The Town At Olympics

#29

37 Things That Are Normal In Some Countries, Yet Make The Rest Of The World Confused If we're having a casual gathering at a house, we usually don't sit on long tables but put newspapers on the floor as a makeshift "dining table" and sit around it to eat

I've had parties like this my whole life and it was only when my foreigner friends got culture shock from it did I realize it's not a norm in other countries.

Penna_23 , Thomas Charters Report

Final score:

31points

POST

TribbleThinking 2 months ago

I'm guessing this is in a warm country, where being closer to the ground can be desirably cool.

15points

Maleficent-One-228 Report

#30

Bunny chow 😅 " an Indian South African fast food dish consisting of a hollowed-out loaf of white bread filled with curry and a serving of salad on the side.".

Final score:

31points

POST

TribbleThinking 2 months ago

This might be just the place to ask! I knew about "bunny" in SA, but does anyone know what Indian word it might be derived from? For instance, I'd imagined a word that maybe looked like "bhani" originally?

4points

#31

Bringing your own alcohol to parties, being naked in saunas, ice bathing, no gendered toilets.

HerpinDerpNerd12 Report

Final score:

30points

POST

Graham_Illegal 2 months ago

In my experience, men tend to behave terribly in public restrooms, except when they're uncertain about the next person's gender. In those cases, they're more careful and tidy. Non-gendered bathrooms in Finland or Estonia were by far the most civilized experiences I've had, and I see no reason not to standardize them internationally. The model works in most households, and all it takes is a lock and a bin.

16points

#32

37 Things That Are Normal In Some Countries, Yet Make The Rest Of The World Confused Apparently ice in a drink.

valtboy23 , Anna Pyshniuk Report

Final score:

29points

POST

Kristy Marion 2 months ago

I work for an airline with a lot of American passengers and they love their ice!

18points

tuzdayschild 2 months ago

Sipping a cold drink just hits differently. I love the sensation.

9points

Slap Shot 2 months ago

Yes we do. Ice water is my favorite drink.

6points

Stannous Flouride 2 months ago

I've heard that the ice machines on most aircraft are almost never completely cleaned.

3points

Mike m 2 months ago

Corporations trained Americans to pay handsomely for mostly ice.

1point

Auntriarch 2 months ago

I love ice in drinks, the cool and the sound. Mr Auntriarch thinks I'm bonkers...

6points

MC C 2 months ago

most of the Americas was built post automobile and refrigerator car, most of the rest of the world was not, therefore transportation of ice was built into the infrastructure here and has become part of the culture, it's something I don't even think about till I visit another country

5points

On the right side of the turf 2 months ago

I love in Scotland and no matter how hot or grey and miserable the weather, I always take ice. It's the only refreshing way to enjoy juice

5points

Weasel Wise 2 months ago

I LOVE ice water and iced tea!!! I don't care that my house doesn't have heating and the windows are freezing over, I've got my 32oz container of ice water by my shivering side.

4points

Juanita, the ginger cat 2 months ago

Same here 🙋‍♀️

0points

Kristin 2 months ago

Mmmm ice, everyone loves crushed ice or as we call it"the good ice" haha seriously though sonic ice is absolutely everyone's favorite 😍 we buy big bags of it weekly. Not me anymore as i invested on a ice machine.

4points

El Dee 2 months ago

I live in a cold country but we get warm enough summers. Generally people haven't gone for ice because it waters down the drink. Not needed either as cold drinks are actually served COLD..

3points

mike fish 2 months ago

In Singapore the venders always put ice in cold beer. If they didn't the beer would be warm before you were halfway through.

2points

Alexandra 2 months ago

Why would you dilute your drink?

2points

Upstaged75 2 months ago

What makes you think I let my drink sit there while the ice melts and THEN drink it? Have some common sense!

4points

P Peitsch 2 months ago (edited)

That's the USA. I'm working in gastronomy, the only folks asking for ice (even for their wine) are 100% from the USA. Just to clarify: we serve the drinks already cold, and don't really add ice to them, except the cocktails.

2points

Bewarethere@gmail.com 2 months ago

COUNTRY

1point

MC C 2 months ago

USA

1point

Zephyr343 2 months ago

American. I can't stand ice in my drinks

1point

Riley Quinn 2 months ago

I don't use ice for water or the occasional spirit, and I freeze black coffee cubes for my summer coffee. I can't remember the last time I've made ice cubes.

0points

Ephemera Image 2 months ago

I HATE ice in my drinks. But I drink hot tea in the heat of summer, lol. I could never get used to all the ice in drinks in the US. I'm buying a Coke, not icewater.

0points

Beth Wheeler 2 months ago

If the drink is cold I don't want ice in my drinks because it waters them down. I will get ice in sweet tea because not every restaurant can make good tea a d I always ask for LOTS of lemon just in case. I can't drink Bojangles tea because it's way 2 strong and sweet, I don't know how anybody can stand it.

0points

Ashlie Ann 2 months ago

To keep the beverage cold longer. I can can have it with or without.

0points

Laura Gillette 2 months ago

I'm American, and I do *not* like ice in my drinks. I guess I'm weird.

0points

Toothless Feline 2 months ago

I have difficulty drinking beverages that aren’t cold enough. Hot drinks are almost entirely a no go for me (I can sometimes handle hot cider, if it’s not scalding). Ice keeps the drink cold enough.

0points

Savahax 2 months ago

The world? 🤨

-1point

Woman Moves Out Of Parents' Home After They Asked Her To Give Her Space To Brother, They Freak Out

See Also on Bored Panda

Mom Leaves $250k Inheritance To Son, Throws A Fit When Daughter Stops Looking After Her

#33

37 Things That Are Normal In Some Countries, Yet Make The Rest Of The World Confused Asking “how are you?” after greeting someone, and no, you are not supposed to answer this question. Goes like “how are you” ping pong. Especially weird when you switch to silence right afterwards (shop/taxi/store).

Anitolag , Sora Shimazaki Report

Final score:

28points

POST

Lisa T 2 months ago

In Australia - “How are ya?” Reply - “Yeah, good” or “Not bad”.

11points

#34

37 Things That Are Normal In Some Countries, Yet Make The Rest Of The World Confused Congratulating everyone who is present at a birthday party.

Prst_ , Adi Goldstein Report

Final score:

28points

POST

Caro Caro 2 months ago

* shaking hands* "gefeliciteerd", * shaking hands* "gefeliciteerd", * shaking hands* "gefeliciteerd", * shaking hands* "gefeliciteerd", * shaking hands* "gefeliciteerd", ...

32points

#35

37 Things That Are Normal In Some Countries, Yet Make The Rest Of The World Confused Tipping in addition to paying for a meal or service.

Leeser , Tim Samuel Report

Final score:

26points

POST

varwenea 2 months ago

U.S.A. Other than the menu price, add 10% for sales tax in our area, add 20% for tips when dining in. Each meal is 130% of total menu prices. It's expensive.

11points

#36

Saying that we have several loonies in our pants.

buckyhermit Report

Final score:

22points

POST

Marti J 2 months ago

Canadian!! Loonies are our gold coins worth $1, they are called 'loonies' because they have a picture of a loon on them.

31points