Cultural differences can sometimes lead to awkward or confusing situations. Imagine being born in the UK, India or Australia and traveling anywhere else; you might wonder why people drive on the left side of the car. Conversely, if you’re not Italian, you can enjoy a good cappuccino after lunch, something that in Italy can be as outrageous as having a bowl of cereal after a steak.
today, not awesome.clubwe have compiled some of the most peculiar things that might surprise you when visiting another country.
1. The British drive on the left
The real question is why did people stop driving on the left? In fact, when horseback riding was still a common activity, people carried their sword on their left, meaning it was easier to have left-hand traffic. Only after the French Revolution and with the invention of boxcars did driving on the right become increasingly popular.
2. Instead of saying “cheese”, the Netherlands say “laugh at the bird”
Each country has a different expression for asking someone to smile on camera. While most Spanish-speaking countries say “whiskey”, for example, in the Netherlands “laugh at the bird” is a common expression, because ancient photographers used to place a bird on top of their cameras. In Brazil, in addition to saying “xis”, in reference to the word “cheese” (cheese, in English), there is also the expression “look at the bird”.
3. Japan uses blue traffic lights
In ancient Japan, the basic traditional colors were black, white, red and blue. Anything green was described using the designated word for “blue” or “aoi”. In recent times, the word “midori”, which expresses the idea of “bud”, began to be used to describe green, which is still considered by the Japanese as a “tone” of blue.
4. When answering the phone in the Netherlands, you don’t say hello
While most languages use some variation of “hello” to answer the phone, in the Netherlands, when you answer the phone, you must say “com + your name” so that people can immediately identify you. In Brazil there is the custom of saying “alô”, “pronto”, among other expressions.
5. In Ecuador, garbage trucks play music similar to ice cream trucks in America
As you can hear in this video, garbage trucks from Ecuador have a very particular sound. Some people compared them to the ice cream truck sound of other countries.
6. Public transport is free in Luxembourg
Although Luxembourg is a rather small country, it suffers from a terrible traffic problem. This is because approximately 210,000 workers who live outside the country cross borders to work there every day. Free public transport is an attempt to solve this problem while offering a greener alternative.
7. You can walk across the country of Monaco from north to south in about 50 minutes
Monaco, the second smallest independent country in the world, can be crossed in about 50 minutes from north to south. It is almost the same size as Central Park in New York, USA, with an area of 1.95 km².
8. Many streets in Costa Rica don’t have names
Most streets in Costa Rica are unnamed, which means that when you need to send something there, you’ll need to know which famous monuments or other well-known landmarks are close to the place in question. Detail: it may happen that such reference points no longer exist, but continue to be used! Nowadays, it is normal for people to resort to GPS coordinates to ensure that their parcels and correspondence will reach the right destination.
9. In Italy, cappuccino should only be taken for breakfast
In Italy, milk is rarely consumed as a beverage other than for breakfast, as it is considered too heavy. This unwritten rule clearly affects coffee drinking habits. Cappuccino with puff pastry counts as a full breakfast. Milk in coffee after lunch or dinner is not consumed.
10. If you’re single when you turn 25 in Denmark, take a cinnamon bath
Back in the day, traveling spice sellers were known to be notorious bachelors. They were called “pebersvend” (and “pebermø” for women) and are now honored by covering 25-year-old bachelors in cinnamon, a popular spice in Danish cuisine. Already at the age of 30, the cinnamon attack is replaced by pepper.
What do people do in your country that others might find odd? What do you think of the particularities that we have listed? Are you willing to adopt them?
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