One of the coolest things about traveling is that you come face to face with so many different behaviors, values, and ways of living. However, once you spend some time abroad in any country, you begin to realize that no place on Earth is ‘perfect’ and no culture is the 'best.'
Every culture has its quirks, nuances, pros, and cons. The members of the r/AskReddit online community recently opened up about some of the most annoying and questionable things that people from their cultures do. Scroll down for a dose of reality.
We reached out to redditor u/CanaryResearch, the author of the intriguing thread, for their thoughts on embracing travel and the importance of being open-minded about other people's cultures. You'll find Bored Panda's full interview with the OP as you read on!
#21
As a semi slav I can tell you that Slavic superstitions are the strangest.
Here are a few examples:
Don't whistle in the house because the money will disappear.
Don't shake hands at the entrance to somewhere because there are corpses underneath.
If you need to look for something turn a glass upside down.
If you are about to leave your house for a couple of days, before leaving make sure to sit down in silence for a minute or so so that the spirit that lives in the house would think you are not leaving and will not mess up the house.
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43points
#22
Work yourself to death. If you don't, you're lazy. Sometimes I can't believe how crazy work culture gets in Germany. Bragging about going to work no matter how sick you are, infecting coworkers. You get called lazy for working less than a 40 hour week.
40points
#24
Taking photos of the deceased at funerals, including posing with them
Edit: some people even decide social media is a good place for these photos. So weird.
Edit#2: It's one thing to take photos and keep private for memories - which is still weird to me - I prefer to remember what they looked like while living - not in their casket, blood drawn out, discoloured, barely looking like themselves - but each to their own. And then another thing to post to social media.. gives me heebie jeebies when my family does this. I will not allow this when my parents pass away (in fact makes me angry thinking of someone putting a pic of my dead dad on social media - just NO!)
Edit#2: It's one thing to take photos and keep private for memories - which is still weird to me - I prefer to remember what they looked like while living - not in their casket, blood drawn out, discoloured, barely looking like themselves - but each to their own. And then another thing to post to social media.. gives me heebie jeebies when my family does this. I will not allow this when my parents pass away (in fact makes me angry thinking of someone putting a pic of my dead dad on social media - just NO!)
35points
#25
There is this thing in Iranian culture which is called Tarof. The definition goes something like this: Tarof is the act of offering something in a manner sufficient to demonstrate sincerity, but is simply a facade to appear more genuine than one actually is. It can be shown by conduct, an offer, or by any means in which there appears to be an intent to tender to another.
You see it pretty much everywhere and it’s just annoying to deal with.
You see it pretty much everywhere and it’s just annoying to deal with.
33points
#26
Anything and everything that proves that you are, "dominant", including but not limited to; breaking laws, disrespecting others, taking advantage of others, being disagreeable in general, violating others rights but demanding yours are respected, and trying to make people feel useless because they don't care about or value your ideas of work and/or productivity. - Southern US
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30points
#27
In the orthodox community, men and women are made to sit apart. Fyi; I’m not orthodox , but I am Jewish
30points
#28
Argue over the origin of Pavlova. Australia
28points
#29
Canada - cheat in relationships and brag about it, especially the whole 'side piece' bs - meaning any gender here.
28points
#30
The Philippines: Obsess over any western celebrity with even a h i n t of local blood. Also obsess over and worship (usually white or east asian) foreigners who are barely or semi-fluent in our language.
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16points