I know not everyone on this sub is from the US but what are things you have been surprised to learn are not a “standard” in other parts of the world (compared to where you grew up)?

I’ll add a few of mine

  • Ice is not standard outside the US
    • We went to Ireland and I had recently broken a part of my ankle, finding any ice was a wild endeavor
  • US food portions are actually substantial
    • this one is super easy mode but still, it shocked me seeing how and what we eat against other countries
  • Major cities/countries can have power grid issues (looking at you South Africa)
    • I had no idea that the grid was that unstable in SA until this most recent season of Other Way
  • HollyB73@alien.topB
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    1 year ago

    The standard of throwing poopy toilet paper away in a garbage can in Mexico is always unsettling.

    The squat toilet on the moving train in S. Korea was 😳. You can see the tracks through the hole.

    The hotel room in Poryong (S.Korea) that was completely unheated and freezing. There was a sleeping mat in a concrete floor and that was it. Super weird. It was $125/night and that was in 2001. There’s no way it would even be legal to offer that sort of accommodation in the US.

    • Iheartmalbec@alien.topB
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      1 year ago

      For sure. All of that. I didn’t like throwing the paper away when I was in China, Peru and Bolivia. I think though, that a great many countries in the world do this.

      When I lived in Japan, I had a VERY hard time getting used to no heating outside of a space heater / air conditioner heater. I hated every single day I was cold.

      Edit: PS, Happy cake day!

      • SwissyRescue@alien.topB
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        1 year ago

        Every night in Japan, a reminder would come on over a loud speaker in the area to remind everyone to shut off their heaters lest they burn to death in their sleep. That was a super unnerving thought.

        • Iheartmalbec@alien.topB
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          1 year ago

          Omg you know what? I was staying in flimsy teacher housing with tatami rooms. I would drag my kerosene heater into my room and close the door because fucking… at that point, I didn’t care. At All. As you can see, luckily I survived.