Hundreds of people have begun to reflect on what would totally surprise tourists visiting their countries of origin.
A Reddit user started the discussion by asking residents what tourists didn’t know about life in their country in the expat subreddit.
They started the conversation as Swiss residents and described the main lifestyle factors that only locals would know.
For example, Swiss families are required by law to take out health insurance, usually from a private provider.
And practically ‘everything is closed on Sundays’, with very few exceptions; apparently the only options that remain open are ‘train stations or airports’.
Dozens of people have pondered what would totally surprise tourists visiting their home countries, sparked by this Reddit post.
A resident in Switzerland noted that virtually all shops were closed on Sundays and that desperate shoppers only had luck at train stations or airports.
A Japanese native described a strict garbage classification system, stating that some places have up to 10 categories into which garbage must be sorted.
Another chimed in to offer ideas from Japan.
On the one hand, people “rarely visit” each other at home, due to the small size of the home and the valuing of privacy.
Native Japanese are rigorous about sorting trash thanks to strict laws that require trash to be sorted not only into recyclables, but also into “combustible,” “noncombustible,” food waste, and oversized waste, according to The smart place.
The Reddit user claimed that some Japanese locales have up to 10 garbage categories.
In New Zealand, one New Zealander explained, it is normal for entire workplaces to collectively pause and spend a few minutes answering a daily questionnaire printed in the local newspaper.
Meanwhile, in Spain, companies are required to give workers a mandatory lunch break of one or two hours during the day.
One user explained that the break is not for taking a ‘nap’ – that is, taking a nap – as is commonly thought; rather, it is mainly workers “having lunch and killing time until afternoon opening hours.”
Meanwhile, someone from the Netherlands talked about what it’s like to have dinner with them.
“What tourists don’t know about living in your country… a fun post,” suggested one user on the site’s r/expat forum.
They always have dinner at 6pm and tend to “gently shoo away” visitors at dinner time.
“Having dinner with a Dutchman is quite strange,” they add.
One Norwegian commented that the country had “so many hiking trails and little cabins where you can spend the night for almost nothing.”
“If you like hiking, don’t hesitate to come here,” they advised. But, they added, don’t start a journey without being prepared.
‘Just know that when the trail information says it takes 4 hours, it actually takes 4 hours of active hiking. I have met many people who complain about the length of the hike because they are in normal shape and expected the trail to take less time.
‘I also ask you please, for the love of God, not to wear flip flops in the mountains.’
One person from Türkiye advised visitors to avoid tourist trap restaurants and taxis.
That said, since the city is hilly terrain, “be prepared to do some cardio.”
Beyond that, they warned visitors to “avoid talking about politics.”
The Dutch, one person from the Netherlands chimed in, “are not hospitable” and will “scare away” visitors before dinner at 6 p.m.
A Norwegian boasted of the country’s idyllic mountain hiking trails
In Taiwan, cash is still king, and many places don’t even accept cards, one resident wrote.
In Taiwan, the number four is considered unlucky and, like the number 13 elsewhere, does not appear as a floor on buildings.
Furthermore, in Taiwanese apartments, kitchens “are considered unnecessary…because eating out is very cheap and convenient.”
A native of the Philippines admitted that most of them “love gossip.”
However, ‘we are very welcoming, generous to the point that even if we don’t have money, we will find a way to give you good food as a welcome,’ they swore.
‘Strangers can be trusted too. The only problem here is the corrupt government, heavy traffic, pollution and dust, especially in Manila.’