No two people are the same, and it seems that this can also be said aboutcountries. All you do is cross a line that separates geographical areas, and suddenly the free toilets you were so accustomed to are paid, and the meal portions get strangely stingy.This time,Americanshad the chance to take this burden off their shoulders and share the myriad of weird behaviors they witnessed while traveling outside the US. From living without air conditioning to putting milk in bags, below you’ll find an assortment of things the rest of the world does that somehow rub the citizens ofAmericathe wrong way.This post may includeaffiliate links.
No two people are the same, and it seems that this can also be said aboutcountries. All you do is cross a line that separates geographical areas, and suddenly the free toilets you were so accustomed to are paid, and the meal portions get strangely stingy.
This time,Americanshad the chance to take this burden off their shoulders and share the myriad of weird behaviors they witnessed while traveling outside the US. From living without air conditioning to putting milk in bags, below you’ll find an assortment of things the rest of the world does that somehow rub the citizens ofAmericathe wrong way.
This post may includeaffiliate links.
Honestly? I understand most of it. People are raised where they’re raised. They eat food they know, watch entertainment that is local, follow the traditional sports in their neck of the world.I totally get that. I think people are the same the world over, they just want to have a good life and a better one for their kids. They don’t want to be hungry or poor or unhoused. I get ALL that.What I don’t get is Eurovision. What the actual fk?EDIT: Holy fk, I may not be the brightest fork in the drawer but I’m not a f**g idiot. I am well aware of the format of Eurovision. I do not understand the hype around Eurovision. I do not understand the politics around Eurovision. I do not understand the song selection OR performances of Eurovision. I do not understand how countries NOT IN EUROPE can be in a competition called EUROvision.There you go, ya pedantic fs. Happy now?
The vacation and time off in other countries. Its crazy to me. But holy cow am jealous.
When you rent an apartment in Germany, in most cases it doesn’t come with light fixtures, kitchen cabinets and counters, appliances, etc. You either have to purchase and install these yourself, or hope that the previous tenant is willing to sell theirs to you. In my last apartment search, there were even a few apartments where I would have had to supply and install my own flooring. It’s insane.
An American thinking thatpaying for waterin a restaurant is weird or putting potatoes on pizza is gross is a perfect example ofethnocentrism. This means they’re evaluating other countries from their culture’s point of view. They’re judging or making assumptions about the food of other countries based on their own norms, values, or beliefs.However, this can lead to negative judgments anddiscriminationagainst different cultures and people. To avoid this,cultural relativismsuggests approaching unfamiliar ways of life without imposing their own bias on what is wrong, right, or normal. Instead, we should try to understand cultural practices in their own cultural context.
An American thinking thatpaying for waterin a restaurant is weird or putting potatoes on pizza is gross is a perfect example ofethnocentrism. This means they’re evaluating other countries from their culture’s point of view. They’re judging or making assumptions about the food of other countries based on their own norms, values, or beliefs.
However, this can lead to negative judgments anddiscriminationagainst different cultures and people. To avoid this,cultural relativismsuggests approaching unfamiliar ways of life without imposing their own bias on what is wrong, right, or normal. Instead, we should try to understand cultural practices in their own cultural context.
The assumption that all Americans are similar instead of a diverse group with a vast variety of backgrounds and beliefs.
Not “the rest,” but some countries throw toilet paper in the trash can, and that is f*****g horrifying.
As an alternative, one should ask, “Why do some cultures eat fried insects?” They might learn that they are full of protein in Mexico, are a famous part of the cuisine, and have been eaten for thousands of years as a healthy food source.
Not the rest of the world, but I will never understand arranged marriages. I can’t imagine being forced to have children with someone you may not like.
Specific to Europeans but yall have no business judging Americans for our issues with racism given how yall talk about and treat the Romani.
Appreciating one’s culture can be healthy, as it can result in a shared sense of community and connect people in a society. However, all cultures are beautiful in their own ways and shouldn’t be blindly criticized because of that.
Milk in a bag.
Lack of disability access.Don’t give me that c**p about how old your buildings are, you had no problem rebuilding most of the ones that were leveled after WWII, you can install a concrete ramp.
Pay toilets.
That you believe we are all the same.There are over 339 million people in America. We are all different, some born here, some moved here.When we hear “Americans are dumb” or “Americans are ruining the world” - just know none of us think you are talking about us.There are dumbasses, who live here, just like people where you live and others all over the world. There are also amazing, intelligent, beautiful, fantastic people who live here that care about the world outside their front door. We are not all ethnocentrists or Nationalists.Many of us want the world to be a better place. A safe place. A happy place.But, to lump almost 339,000,000 people into one group and expect them all to have the same traits is absurd, especially in a country that has a higher incoming immigration rate than almost any other country in the world. A country that was built specifically for immigrants to come get a fresh start, build their dream, and live a peaceful life.By contrast:The entire UK has 67.7 million people.Germany has 83 million.France has 64.7 million.
How are yall living without AC.
Soccer. Not the game, but how insane the fans are.
Turd shelves. I’m looking at you, Netherlands.
Pay money for water in restaurants.
That smoking is still so common. This goes for Europe, Asia, South America. Probably other places too. I know we in the US have since started embracing vaping which is its own problem but at least we made cigarettes uncool. The rest of the world is dealing with both in huge numbers. There were a few glorious years in the US before vaping but after cigarettes were uncool where almost no one smoked. That was amazing.
Monarchies.
I don’t know if it’s everywhere or just certain countries, but having to pay to use a public restroom. Even if you’re filling your tank and buying snacks in the store you still have to pay extra to take a leak at a gas station. I could maybe understand charging non-customers, but if I’m a paying customer of your establishment I think it’s a little weird to charge me extra.
Apartment rentals not coming with kitchens… how does anyone afford to install new kitchens every time you move?? And you can’t even take it with you as every apartment had a different arrangement.
Believing media-stereotypes about the USA without ever having been here.
See Also on Bored Panda
Complain about us so much.
I wouldnt call this ‘absurd’, but when i lived in Norway finding out nearly every store closed all day on Sundays was crazy. Additionally- they put CORN on pizza, ew.
This may be because of my proximity to New York City, but:Tourists from around the world come to our big cities, and spend a huge chunk of their time and money shopping at Macy’s and Target and Sephora.Not all, obviously, but a lot…EDIT: I understand the idea of shopping for the novelty of it. I do that too. That’s not my point. The key words above are “huge chunk”. Like, people fly several hours across an ocean to come here, and some spend the vast bulk of their time buying stuff that’s mass produced in factories and available in 3,000 locations nationwide.EDIT 2: Ok, maybe it’s me, because I grew up in the middle of New Jersey, with access to at least five shopping malls within an hour drive, and all of them had Macy’s, JC Penney, etc.EDIT 3: Although I was aware of the gap between the US and other countries in terms of price, selection, and availability… holy moly I didn’t realize it was such a major driver of tourist commerce. Forgive me, please, for my ignorance.
The toppings they put on pizza in Korea.
Continue reading with Bored Panda PremiumUnlimited contentAd-free browsingDark modeSubscribe nowAlready a subscriber?Sign In
Continue reading with Bored Panda Premium
Unlimited contentAd-free browsingDark mode
Unlimited content
Ad-free browsing
Dark mode
Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber?Sign In
People that don’t wear deodorant. Obviously not the whole world, but a lot of people don’t. How can you be in a relationship with someone who smells from 30 feet away?
Criticizing Americans lack of “culture”, all the while wearing American style clothes, listening to American music, watching American movies/tv shows, following American politics and basically copying American popular culture at every turn.
I’ve always thought it was odd that some Europeans could have such strong opinions on America and Americans without ever stepping foot in the States.
Washers and dryers (and washer-dryers) that take 3 to 5 hours to complete a single small load of laundry. Seriously, how are you even able to get a reasonable amount done? If you ask me, any set that consistently takes longer than 2 hours to complete what it considers a full load isn’t worth the parts it was built with.
Throw fits over how we measure things and how we write the date.
Not being able to buy a party bag 5lbs or 10lbs of ice for a get together in a grocery store….
The cheek kiss thing.
Modal closeAdd Your Answer!Not your original work?Add sourcePublish
Modal close
Add Your Answer!Not your original work?Add sourcePublish
Not your original work?Add sourcePublish
Not your original work?Add source
Modal closeModal closeOoops! Your image is too large, maximum file size is 8 MB.UploadUploadError occurred when generating embed. Please check link and try again.TwitterRender conversationUse html versionGenerate not embedded versionAdd watermarkInstagramShow Image OnlyHide CaptionCropAdd watermarkFacebookShow Image OnlyAdd watermarkChangeSourceTitleUpdateAdd Image
Modal closeOoops! Your image is too large, maximum file size is 8 MB.UploadUploadError occurred when generating embed. Please check link and try again.TwitterRender conversationUse html versionGenerate not embedded versionAdd watermarkInstagramShow Image OnlyHide CaptionCropAdd watermarkFacebookShow Image OnlyAdd watermarkChangeSourceTitleUpdateAdd Image
Ooops! Your image is too large, maximum file size is 8 MB.
Upload
UploadError occurred when generating embed. Please check link and try again.TwitterRender conversationUse html versionGenerate not embedded versionAdd watermarkInstagramShow Image OnlyHide CaptionCropAdd watermarkFacebookShow Image OnlyAdd watermark
Error occurred when generating embed. Please check link and try again.
TwitterRender conversationUse html versionGenerate not embedded versionAdd watermark
InstagramShow Image OnlyHide CaptionCropAdd watermark
FacebookShow Image OnlyAdd watermark
ChangeSourceTitle
You May Like37 Of The Most Random Items People Always Carry - From No Reason At All To Surprisingly AdorableMonika Pašukonytė30 Very Well-Designed Products That Are Almost Guaranteed To Last You (Almost) A LifetimeDenis Krotovas30 “Cheap Versions” Of Things That People Swear Are Better Than The “Luxury” OnesMindaugas Balčiauskas
Monika Pašukonytė
Denis Krotovas
Mindaugas Balčiauskas
Curiosities
