Read and prepare in advance, lest one day you will feel a real shock.
Culture shock is a concept that refers to our feeling of surprise and confusion when we have to interact and work in a new environment. Whether the shock is severe or mild will depend on how long you have been there, and how different it is from your previous living environment.
However, in some countries, there are customs and habits that are so strange that anyone who comes and experiences feels surprised.
If you expect a piece of toilet paper after “flushing” the toilet in India, you will soon be disappointed. Because, most of the toilets of this country are not equipped with toilet paper. Instead, they will put a small bucket of water next to you for you to clean yourself after the act.
The reason is because the drainage system of many toilets in India is not really good. If everyone uses toilet paper and drops it in there, the drain can get clogged and cause… disaster for the next user.
That’s what happens if you visit the Tidong community in Indonesia. The custom of this tribe requires that after marriage, couples are not allowed to enter the bathhouse for 3 days to avoid bad luck, in the hope that the love will be smooth, without problems and at risk of divorce. weird.
Simply put, the bride and groom within 3 days will not be able to bathe, nor go to the toilet. To make sure the custom is taken seriously, the family will keep a close eye on the couple these days. They are also only provided with a small amount of food and drink to limit the need to “pick flowers” and “go to space”.
Spitting is considered rude in many cultures, but when visiting the Maasai tribe in Kenya, be prepared to see it often.
Maasai ethnic people have a tradition of spitting to greet and show respect to the opposite person. They also shake hands when greeting guests, but before that will spit on the palm of their hand. When welcoming a baby, they also do the same, to bring good luck to the baby.
Roses are a fairly safe gift in any culture around the world. However, in some countries like Mexico, each color of the rose has a different meaning.
If you want to give a rose to someone from Mexico, make sure to avoid the yellow color. This is the color that symbolizes death in this country’s culture.
The Germans also have a wedding-related custom, which is quite interesting but can scare outsiders called Polterabend.
A few weeks before the wedding is when Polterabend takes place. The bride and groom will invite friends and relatives to attend this custom. The only requirement for guests is that each person will bring an item made of ceramic or glass in the house – such as bowls, cups, plates – and they will be responsible for… smashing all the items. at the couple’s house.
This custom means breaking the previous life and starting a new journey after marriage. In addition, this custom is said to bring good luck and prevent “war” moments between the couple.
Everyone hates people with the habit of rubbering time, but not in Venezuela.
Whether going to an event, meeting or party, Venezuelans will always be about 30 minutes to 1 hour late. They see it as a leisurely way of life, and they need it even in business. In addition, at major events, the delay is also for the purpose of honoring that event.
However, it is also important to know that Venezuelans are very punctual when going abroad, because they know what “customary entry”.
The Hungarian “drinking” culture has a difference compared to the rest of the world, that is, they do not have the habit of clinking glasses. Even letting glasses collide and make a squeak can get you attacked.
The origin of this habit dates back to 1848, when Hungary lost a battle to the Austrian army. The Austrians then celebrated by toasting to the angry eyes of the natives, and so the Hungarians decided never to toss again.
Since then, it has been more than 150 years, and they still insist on keeping this custom.
In Brazil’s Sateré-Mawé tribe, a male coming of age is forced to undergo a macabre ritual: wearing a leaf glove filled with bullet ants.
For those who do not know, the bullet ant is the creature with the most painful bite in the world, which can make an adult person unconscious. The pain of bullet ants is said to surpass the pain of childbirth.
Business meetings, meeting partners are events that require seriousness, so everyone thinks it will have to take place in the meeting room. But in Finland, they meet in a sauna.
In fact, sauna is a rather special traditional culture of the Finnish people. It is not only a daily activity, but seems to be a place of lifelong attachment for each resident here.
They are even willing to hold business and political meetings in rooms filled with steam. It is not uncommon for bosses and employees to invite each other to sauna after work.
In some countries of the Middle East, greeting or eating with the left hand is considered rude. For them, the left hand is only used for personal hygiene, so it is also considered dirty, never allowed to be used on the table or to greet friends.
One of the strange customs in India is to marry a dog. In order to avoid having to enact a law banning inbreeding, Indians have to marry dogs. However, they themselves do not understand where their future and this mate will go.
In Vietnam, only monogamous marriage is considered consummate, while in Nepal, women have the right to marry two brothers in the family. The culture here believes that marrying the same wife will help brothers not have to dispute property. Accordingly, each child will have two fathers to take care of.
Iran is one of the very few places where the trade in human organs is legal. Here, the government not only does not prohibit but also runs this barbaric business form. Many people are willing to sell their kidneys to get out of poverty.
Not only do drugs and prostitution be legal, in the Netherlands there is a “protection” law for thieves. If you steal the painting and keep it for 20 years, it will automatically belong to you. All you need is a cool head, professional stealing skills and a ticket to the art museum.