Do's And Don'ts In Different Countries (14 pics)
Referring to Barcelona as 'Barca:'
"It's always cringy to see outsiders pretending to know a place so well that they use the "local slang" and nicknames even though it's been roughly five days since they're here."
Leaving a large tip in the UK:
"Tipping in restaurants is generally expected, but much more modest than in the US, as wait staff earn a reasonable wage. In the US, service staff are expected to be polite to customers. In the UK, customers are expected to be polite to service staff."
Pronouncing 'Edinburgh" wrong:
"The '-burgh' at the end of a place name is pronounced '-burra,' as in 'Edinburra,' not 'Edinberg'."
Whistling while indoors in Russia:
This casual gesture immediately identifies you as a non-local. This is because the Russians believe that by whistling you're blowing your wealth away."
Not dressing for the rain in Ireland:
"Tourists are always surprised when it starts raining and they’re not properly dressed even though they took a look at the forecast in the morning and dressed accordingly. We sometimes get 4 seasons in a day."
Speaking the wrong language in Hong Kong:
"Trying to speak Mandarin. A lot of locals do know Mandarin, but it’s not our main language. Our main language is Cantonese."
Chewing gum and/or littering in Singapore:
"It is illegal for chewing gum to be sold in Singapore and Singaporeans are notoriously afraid of violating the rules."
Visiting the Navy Pier during a Chicago Summer:
"The Navy Pier is the most visited place in Chicago every summer. But everyone there is a tourist. If a local wants to go to Navy Pier, they go in the fall."
Calling them 'Flip-Flops' in Australia:
"Okay foreigners, it's time to get this straight: THESE ARE TWO THONGS! And calm down England, we are not walking around commenting on revealing underwear all the time."
Visiting Times Square in New York City:
"Locals would not be caught dead hanging out here."
Wearing Camo in Egypt:
"I don't know what it is but for some reason, a lot of tourists walk around like they're about to go on some super dangerous, ultra important journey through a jungle. They wear big hiking boots, thermal backpacks, etc. They also wear very camouflagey stuff."
Shaking someone's hand before entering their house in Russia:
"Never shake a person's hand before entering the doorstep as doing so is cursing the house owner. Don't do it."
Not bargaining when buying from a local shop in Lebanon:
"Most local shops have the price tags adjusted with the idea that shoppers will try to bargain and lower the price when they’re buying something. This means unless you don’t try to negotiate the price then you’re going to be ripped off on almost everything."
Eating lunch before 1PM in Madrid:
"In big companies where there is an office cafeteria, or in schools, 1pm is a normal time for lunch — it's considered earlyish but more or less in the middle of the work day. Otherwise the normal time is 2pm, or even 3pm on weekends."
