surprises about a country

[vonPeterhof]

This doesn't really apply to me as I had been warned about this prior to coming to Japan, but apparently a lot of Westerners are actually surprised by how low tech Japan can be in some aspects. Many if not most retail stores outside large shopping centres and convenience store chains only accept cash. A lot of organizations still only accept certain documents by fax. Public Wi-Fi (including in restaurants) is largely non-existent outside of a select few touristy areas (the government is pushing for this to change ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but most people don't seem very enthusiastic about this; public Wi-Fi networks are apparently seen as a data theft hazard). And yeah, the lack of central heating feels like barbarism if you're from Russia (not that there aren't parts of Russia that still don't have central heating). Another curious detail is that if you speak of a "Japanese-style toilet" people outside of Japan will probably think of those fancy high tech toilet seats with dozens of buttons, seat heating, inbuilt bidet and other conveniences, whereas in Japan "Japanese-style toilet" refers to a squat toilet, which is available in at least one of the stalls in most public restrooms in the country, even in the big cities.

[whatiftheblog]

Another curious detail is that if you speak of a "Japanese-style toilet" people outside of Japan will probably think of those fancy high tech toilet seats with dozens of buttons, seat heating, inbuilt bidet and other conveniences, whereas in Japan "Japanese-style toilet" refers to a squat toilet, which is available in at least one of the stalls in most public restrooms in the country, even in the big cities.

On this, um, "matter", the very first time I flew through Narita, I was jokingly warned by a Taiwanese friend of mine to expect complex toilets, but the level of complexity still managed to surpass my expectations. Those, however, were nothing compared to the toilet in my hotel room in Taipei, which came with a full-on Cape Canaveral launchpad and which eventually led me to text my friend, who was waiting downstairs, something like "give me 2 more minutes, I tried to turn it off and it hit me, it's beeping and now there's water everywhere and all of the lights are blinking".

Also, being from the apparently underdeveloped nation that is America, I thought the mirror in my bathroom in Taipei was just that - a mirror. Then I accidentally hit some button on the wall and Christiane Amanpour appeared in my mirror. Fascinating! (Needless to say, I LOVED Taiwan. I can't think of a country I've been that I haven't loved, but Taiwan will forever hold a special place in my heart.)

Now that I'm IN FRANCE ( !!! ), what's surprised me the most this past week was that packages aren't left at your door/mailbox - unless you're home and all of the delivery stars align properly for you (the delivery person accurately identifies your callbox, calls you, the call goes through, you pick up, etc), it seems you're going to be trekking to the nearest point de relais to pick up your stuff. I went ahead and scheduled an Amazon delivery directly to a point de relais to save myself the trouble, and this point de relais is inside of a nondescript clothing store for some reason, so we'll see how that goes tomorrow. I suppose it cuts down on theft?

Also, no pet stores within walking distance in a fairly large city - but seemingly everyone has a critter of some kind? I managed to stock up on supplies while I still had a rental car, but I guess I'll be hauling Amazon-supplied litter from the point de relais when I run out. That said, I have four bakeries within a minute of my home, and all of them give out free baked goods in the early evening, so my "complaints" are really nonsensical

[tiia]

@whatiftheblog: Don't the normal supermarkets in France have a section for pet food and litter? (Of course I wouldn't expect the same variety as in a pet store though.)

[MorkTheFiddle]

Surprising is driving through rural Mexico and seeing no trash along the road. Once I drove about 140 km southwest of Ciudad Juarez and saw 1 (one!) piece of trash beside the road the whole trip (a plastic bag). Actually, come to think of it, Mexico is full of pleasant surprises. On a bus trip from Leon to Guanajuato, a lad with a guitar came on board and played songs for us. No boom box, just music. We all dug into our pockets for loose change and gave it to him. At one of the stops, where there was no snack machine, someone came on selling snacks. In a cafe in Guanajuato, the waitress did not provide a written bill, she simply spoke what we owed. 'Dime la cuenta,' you could say. 'Tell me the bill.' Refreshing customs.

[Teango]

I was surprised that there are some parrots in London. I don't mean in the zoo, or birds' park, but in the wild. They are in the trees, and they fly in groups.

I remember being woken up one morning by what looked like an enormous flock of green birds in the distance while staying at a country hotel in Surrey (England) many years ago. At first I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me, but curious all-the-same, I went for a walk and headed across the nearby park to investigate the source of all the noise. Much to my surprise, I discovered hundreds of rose-ringed parakeets, nestling and performing their pre-breakfast acrobatics on the edge of a grove of tall trees. I then recalled your post the other morning when I saw my feral friends again, this time here in the middle of the Pacific. My little daughter in her stroller was delighted to point out several of them hanging upside down and nibbling playfully on fruit in a local banyan tree. These little fellas seem to get around!

[Jar-Ptitsa]

I was surprised that there are some parrots in London. I don't mean in the zoo, or birds' park, but in the wild. They are in the trees, and they fly in groups.

I remember being woken up one morning by what looked like an enormous flock of green birds in the distance while staying at a country hotel in Surrey (England) many years ago. At first I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me, but curious all-the-same, I went for a walk and headed across the nearby park to investigate the source of all the noise. Much to my surprise, I discovered hundreds of rose-ringed parakeets, nestling and performing their pre-breakfast acrobatics on the edge of a grove of tall trees. I then recalled your post the other morning when I saw my feral friends again, this time here in the middle of the Pacific. My little daughter in her stroller was delighted to point out several of them hanging upside down and nibbling playfully on fruit in a local banyan tree. These little fellas seem to get around!

They like London and Surrey I don't see them eveyr day, but every week. I really like them, but I'm a bit worried that they are frightening for the little birds or that they eat their food and place in the trees.

[qeadz]

When I visited Germany years ago:

Lack of public washrooms in general, and what there is are paid. On my first proper day wandering around I spent 10 euro just going to the loo (I have a small bladder! But additionally costs can add up at 1 euro per visit).

It seems its not always standard for establishments providing food and/or drink to have a washroom either. I've never thought about it, but in the countries I've lived in they all do so probably its like some common bylaw or something.

When I visited Denmark years ago:

We saw a surprising amount of nudity in places we're not used to seeing it such as newspapers and just regular advertisements.

One notable encounter was when we were on the train and a guy opposite us was admiring a full-page nude model in the paper (which seemed to be part of an advert for a product). He then spent a few minutes chatting with an older woman next to him seemingly about the picture. Some minutes later, after putting the paper down, he introduced himself to us after realizing we were foreigners visiting. Turns out the woman next to him was his mother! I would have paid to have seen our reactions at that point - I bet our facial expressions were priceless.

Visiting Korea:

The sheer number of little corner-stores about the size of a small bedroom is surprising. Convenience stores, worlds-smallest-pharmacies, even electronics stores or mobile phone retailers. My parents-in-law live in central Seoul and within 5 minutes walk of their place there must be at least six 7/11 style convenience stores of varying sizes.

Nobody holds the door. Now this wouldn't be so bad if it werent for the times when the other person glances at me and lets it slam in my face! Now I KNOW nobody is intentionally being rude because doors dont get held for anyone, but it goes to show how deeply rooted culture can be because despite my head-knowledge of it, I cant help but feel immediately affronted by it.