I was watching a video the other day that mentioned the cassava plant, and how it’s a staple food in many parts of the world. I may have had it once or twice, but for some people it’s something they eat every day. This got me thinking - how many things do I assume that everyone else in the world must come in contact with and take for granted, because they’re so ubiquitous in my life? It’s very easy to take a self-centred view, and particularly when you assume that we live in a totally globalised world. But the experience of life for someone elsewhere may be completely different.
One silly example, in the UK nearly every house would have an electric kettle for brewing hot drinks. But a lot of countries don’t.
What items, food, clothing, buildings do you have that other people may never come across in their lives?
Trams. Half of the world is urbanised, but I don’t think big portion of the world’s cities have trams.
Asparagus is almost as big a hype here as I assume cherry trees are in Japan.
Kale is also a big thing here, but I think many folks have access to kale, so I’m not sure about this one. People sometimes gather with a handcart full of alcohol and music, going on a tour to a place where they eat Kale (Kohlfahrt).
Döner, obviously.
Bottle deposit explains more of a non-existence of bottle littering.
Pretty much everything. The world wide median per-capita household income is less than 3k USD per year. It is easy to forget how insanely wealthy we are in western Europe.
I live in Atlantic Canada so the obvious answer is anything snow-related.
Maple syrup. We always have at least one can in the house.
Growing up in Norway, I didn’t believe it when my dad told me when I was 5 or so that there were people in this world who’d never experienced snow.
Yep in Ontario too. You just punch a hole into it to drizzle out of. Perfectly normal. I sent my friend in South Africa some and she said she never tasted anything like it.
.22LR rounds and shells. Everywhere.
Being a rimfire cartridge, I’m always bringing duds home in my pocket and placing them wherever. Or, I get home from camp and unload to clean something, there’s another. They’re tiny and roll off tables and countertops. When my kids go to camp they pick up shells and splatter them all over the house.
Plus, when shooting semi-auto they pop and fly everywhere. .22 shells are the glitter of the shooting world.
Slippers. It’s weird to me how people go barefoot or wear socks inside the house.
I’ve always changed depending on the weather. Slippers in the winter, socks 80% of the time and barefoot when it’s (occasionally) warm enough. Is wearing slippers just what you grew up with, or is there a reason?
