Sometimes the differences you encounter when traveling are difficult. They are unfamiliar and some of them take a while to get used to. However, sometimes you see things and you wonder why they are not as common at home. This could be that they are there but we don't know about it, or maybe they're just less used. Either way, today I will talk about 20 things from other countries that I think I would like to see more of or maybe adopt for myself one day.
1. European tilt and turn windows. Turn the handle one way and you open it like a door; turn it the other and you tilt the top open for air. We do have these (Pella brand for one) but they are expensive (can be $2000 for one) and I just don't see them very often.
2. Japanese toilets. To be fair, these are also in other Asian countries. Regardless of where they are, there is nothing better than sitting on a warm toilet seat and having a nice squirt of water for when you are done. Also, some public ones play music or make soothing noises, so that you can have complete privacy no matter where you are.
3. Taiwan lines. The people in Taiwan know how to queue! There is a queue for everything from food to trains, and it is very clear where you should stand, and pretty much nobody (except tourists) cut in line! Everyone just patiently waits.
 |
| Waiting for food |
4. Italian pizza. The first time I had a Naples pizza, I was in love. I also rather like eating it with a knife and fork, and I love that I can eat an entire pie myself.
5. Electric kettles. Hot water in minutes? Yes please. I had a kettle that I would put on the gas range at home, but I do love being able to heat up water with the push of a button, so much so that I got my brother one for Christmas since he makes French press coffee every day. (Bonus item! I also love the electric induction stoves.)
6. Hot water dispensers. Taiwan often has a hot water dispenser instead of a kettle and the water in them is boiling! So if you want a cup of tea, you can have it in less than a minute!
7. UK electrical outlets. In the UK, you can often turn each outlet independently off and on. In addition, they sometimes have power strips with the same function, so even if you have six things plugged in, you can just flip one switch to turn off power to that specific thing. However, don't do what I did and plug in your phone to charge and not realize for hours that the outlet was off!
 |
| Don't forget to turn it on! |
8. Coffee culture. I think this is more of a romantic notion, as I am not really one to sit in a coffee shop for a long time, but I kind of want to be that kind of person...I think?
9. Hawker stalls. We need more street food! I love the night markets, hawker stalls and street food stalls in Asia. The food is fast, hot, cheap and it's delicious!
 |
| Taiwan |
10. Thailand massages. Let me be clear, I do not mean Thai massages. Those are painful! I want the gentle one. Getting a massage for less than $10 is a pretty good deal in my book! Daily massage, anyone?
11. Self cleaning public toilets. We actually have these in San Francisco, but they end up being homeless abodes. However, I wish they would work like the ones in France do!
12. Pho for breakfast. I love sitting down at a tiny little table off a random alleyway in a Vietnamese city and eating beef soup for breakfast. Top that off with the fact that it is often only $2 and it is right up my alley!
 |
| Sign found in Vietnam |
13. Cycling culture. I know some cities at home have it, but it is not as common as you will find in some of the other parts of the world.
14. Weekly (or sometimes daily) outdoor markets. Getting fresh in season food is so easy in many places! It would be called a "farmer's market" where I am from, and the prices would be sky high, but in many places, this is just the weekly market, and its the best place to shop!
 |
| Fresh market in Sarajevo |
15. Carafes of wine. House wine is delicious and a half liter is a perfect size for me if I am dining solo. Actually it may be a tad too much, but sometimes they have smaller options, like 25 cl (about 8 oz). However, when in Rome, ya know... I like them too because you can get a small one of each kind.
 |
| Beef Bourgogne and wine in Dijon |
16. Food on the plane. If you fly KLM, even on domestic flights, they still give you a sandwich on the plane! I actually don't mind getting my own food in the airport or beforehand; however, it is kind of fun when you get a meal for a sometimes very short flight!
17. Cheese markets. We need more cheese markets. Big wheels of cheese. Stinky cheese. Soft cheese. I actually have a great one near where I lived before (the Cheese Board; if you have not been there, go, but don't go on a weekend!) but we still need more!
 |
| Dijon, France -- Les Halles |
18. Bullet trains. The Japanese Shinkansen and the French TGV go approximately 260-320 km/h (about 160–200 mph). They are not cheap, but man it is nice to get somewhere fast! Fun fact: The fastest bullet train speed achieved is 603 km/h (375 mph). In contrast, a normal commercial airliner's cruising speed is around 800-965 km/h or 500-600 mph.
19. Being naked. Hear me out here. I know North Americans can be a bit modest, but there is something kind of freeing about some cultures and their blasé manner about nudity. I definitely have had Swedish people just whip off their clothes right in front of me, but it may surprise you that in many hot springs or spas in places like Japan, Georgia and Türkiye (and more) that it is very common to have little to no clothes on.
20. Recycling. It is different everywhere you go, but some countries really have it dialed in pretty well! Most European countries are very diligent, and the last two places I have been (Taiwan & Japan) are pretty strict as well. I am not sure if it is true, but it seems like both of them do it the same across the country, whereas in the US for example each city or county may have a different system.
What thing have you noticed in another country (or region of where you are from) that you liked a lot or wanted to adopt in your own location?
The toilets and public washrooms in Asia are super impressive. I mean, the toilets alone are so high-tech! But the washrooms that I encountered were all universally very clean and maintained. I also found that flights and transport were really well-run in Asia. Actually public transport anywhere other than where I have lived seems incredible, but also the bar is very low in Calgary, and it's basically on the ground in Kelowna.
ReplyDeleteI love wine as you know and in Italy I love how inexpensive it is!
This is so fun. A sandwich on a short flight? Wild. I'd settle for GF snacks on flights vs the pretzels that I hand to my kid/husband.
ReplyDeleteWhen I studied abroad in Ireland, everyone goes to the pub most nights/often. They meet neighbors and it's just a lovely social time that so many people embrace. When I stayed with one of my friends, her aunts and uncles all lives in the same town and we bumped into most of them when we walked up to the pub in the evening. Her aunt told a story about how she walked up to the pub and was surprised to run into her husband there too. I don't remember the details, but it was something like They each made an excuse to step out when the kids were in bed - then they both wound up at the pub.
I don't drink coffee, but lingering over a cup of coffee in a cafe does sound like a lovely practice.
This is such a fun and interesting list. I've heard of some, and others not. I agree that the outlet switch off in the UK is great! I have never sat on a toilet that squirts water on me and I'm not sure what I'd think of that! Concept seems smart, but I think it would probably startle me! lol.
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of tea are you having that steeps in less than a minute?! That is what I'm puzzling over right now!
ReplyDeleteThe coolest thing I saw when traveling in Europe was a hotel where your lights only worked if you put your key in a little slot by the entrance to the room. So you would not be able to leave lights on while you were gone, saving electricity, and you are unlikely to misplace your key!
ReplyDeleteBesides that, I wish we had the public transportation in general that Europe has. And give me all the cheap massages!
I do think Minneapolis is one of the best cities about recycling and composting. Every resident has the option to get a compost bin that is collected the same day as your trash. Many places have compostable containers for take out/coffee - even Starbucks! I think Starbucks is required to in the city of Minneapolis. The availability of recycling bins seems to really vary depending on what part of the US you are in... Some of us are greener than others, I guess you could say.