10 Things that are common in Brazil, but can be quite rare in other countries

Each country has its customs and peculiarities, some are more common to foreign eyes, others are more unusual. In Brazil, due to its great cultural diversity, we ended up adapting to different habits influenced by other countries. But still, whenever we travel abroad, it is still common for us to have some culture shock, but it ends up allowing us to open our eyes to new discoveries.

Knowing this, the awesome.club selected a list of things that are so common to Brazilians, but that are different or simply don’t exist in other countries. Come check!

It is common to have the habit of taking cell phones, notebooks and even some devices to style or dry our hair on our trips. Until it’s time to turn them on, and then we realize that we can’t connect them, because the socket is different from the plug. While in Brazil and Switzerland, we see J-type models, that is, three round pins, two parallel and one central, in other countries, the pins can be flatter, or even three parallel, as in Italy.

This is because each nation has an electrical standard. For this reason, it is advisable to buy an adapter before traveling and be aware of the volt ranges in each region.

If for you the best way to clean your kitchen floor is by washing it with soap and water, you may not know that there are many other ways to accomplish the same task. In some countries, this option is not so common, as there is no drain to drain the water. In Germany, for example, cleaning is done using cloths or wet wipes and cleaning products, and this even happens in bathrooms. And it is not just a privilege of houses and apartments, there is also no drain in the bathrooms and kitchens of shopping malls, restaurants and universities.

In summer it is common to take a cold shower, in the cold, just turn the shower knob so the water is warm. In Brazil, we have hydroelectric plants that use the force of water to generate energy, economically favoring the energy consumption of electric showers. In other countries, the gas heater is the most common way to take a hot shower, even at a temperature hotter than the electrical system we have in our country.

In fact, it was the Brazilian Francisco Canho who invented the electric shower, at the time of the Industrial Revolution.

Don’t have money, but want to buy some product? That’s no problem, just swipe your credit card and pay in 30 installments, right? Well, that doesn’t work in many other places besides Brazil. In other countries, this practice is not common.

But what to do when traveling? In this case, one option is to shop online while still in Brazil, calculating the delivery time for the period you are traveling, but check beforehand if the hotel where you will be staying accepts the receipt of orders, even if charging a fee for save your order.

While Brazilians have the habit of using paper towels or napkins for various purposes, such as frying, keeping food fresher, cleaning windows, etc., in some countries, this habit seems not to be so common. In South Korea, for example, it is normal to use toilet paper for functions other than the bathroom, and that includes using one in the kitchen — to help with the preparation of some food, to clean the table or mouth after meals. After all, for them, “paper is paper”.

You decided to go out to eat with your friends and when you arrive at the restaurant, snack bar or bar, each one receives an individual command, chooses what to eat and drink and pays at the exit for what only you consumed in the establishment. Abroad, this practice is different, each group pays for the round, dividing the value among themselves, or even, take the food and drink, paying the value immediately. No eating first and paying later.

Here in Brazil, going to the beach is not just about getting a chair and hat to enjoy the moment. In addition to the traditional “farofada”, we take wooden rackets and a ball to play a little racquetball. This sport was created in Rio de Janeiro, in the mid-1940s, and it is for its cooperative style that it distinguishes itself from beach tennis. Despite not being widely practiced or even known in several countries around the world, matkot would be a possible “twin brother” in Israel.

In a hypothetical situation, you go to a bathroom in another country and when you look around, you see that there is no trash can, and then despair hits: “Where am I going to throw this paper? What if the toilet clogs?” While here in Brazil, toilets can clog even without throwing toilet paper inside, in some countries, this practice is quite common. Outside, the type of sewer plumbing is different. In addition, the flush is more powerful than ours, precisely to pull the paper – which makes the practice something really common.

Who has never heard the popular expression “at a bargain price”, referring to something with a very cheap price? We are lucky to have a variety of fruits in our country, at an affordable price. In some other countries, such as Japan or South Korea, tropical fruits — bananas, pineapples, bananas, mangoes, among others — are very expensive, and sometimes even sold by the unit, as in the case of bananas.

In addition to enjoying multiple holidays 365 days a year, we also have the benefit of taking 30 days of paid vacation a year. Something that is so simple for Brazilians can be very different in other countries. For example, in some countries in Asia, workers take between 7 and 14 days of vacation per year. Would you take it?

Do you know other things that only exist in Brazil, and that possibly seem peculiar to foreigners or tourists? Tell us in the comments section!