02-07-2003 00:35									#1
	Weird foreign customs. Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations

I thought this might make a good idea for a thread. What are some of the weirdest, most bazaar, or just plan unusual cultural customs you've encountered? I know we all have a strange or embarrassing story from when we were on holiday or failing that we at least have stories about the weird things have doneo while visiting our own homelands.

I’ll start us off by telling a story about what happened to me when I was visiting Thailand. In Thailand all of the upper class fancy restaurants and night clubs have a bathroom (WC) attendant who’s dispenses mints, cologne, and the like. Nothing unusual there seeings how many western establishments do the same so what’s so weird? You see this attendant is also supposed to give the patrons a back massage while he takes a leak. I never knew that so I stumbled into the WC and began to take a piss when all of the sudden the attendant began giving me a back rub! I freaked out and almost hit the guy; I mean the last thing a guy wants is to have his shlong in his hands whilst another man rubs his back! I quickly finished taking a piss then I went and complained to the waitress about the bathroom attendant which is when I learned it was his job to give massages while men “handle their business”. Weird but nearly all of the places in Thailand did the same thing and… once you get used to it it’s not such a bad thing. Still it’s a little weird.

	02-07-2003 00:44									#2
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quote: Originally posted by Oerdin I freaked out and almost hit the guy; I mean the last thing a guy wants is to have his shlong in his hands whilst another man rubs his back

In some circles that would be considered an acceptable "Hi, how are you?" Obviously Thai resturants and seedy underground gay leather saunas have something in common.

	02-07-2003 00:44									#3
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they have gays working the bathrooms and they CANE you for throwing eggs? what a country.

	02-07-2003 00:52									#4
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they say "Sieg Heil" all the time in Germany... sort of disturbing...

	02-07-2003 00:53									#5
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quote: Originally posted by Ecthelion they say "Sieg Heil" all the time in Germany... sort of disturbing...

i find it refreshing.

	02-07-2003 00:58									#6
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wanna visit and say it on TV?

	02-07-2003 00:59									#7
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When I visited Orlando, Florida, I noticed that the cars would stop for the pedestrians to walk across the street even if they were supposed to drive by. Now this is weird.

	02-07-2003 01:02									#8
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quote: Originally posted by Uber KruX they have gays working the bathrooms and they CANE you for throwing eggs? what a country.

Malaysia is the country which canes people.

	02-07-2003 01:03									#9
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I was cicumsized as a baby :cutenot foreign, but definately a weird 'custom')... who the hell came up with that. i mean really, who was the brave soul that decided to circumsize himself... weird...

	02-07-2003 01:06									#10
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don't you euro-bast3rds drown your food in mayonaisse?

	02-07-2003 01:07									#11
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quote: Originally posted by Oerdin Malaysia is the country which canes people.

hrm... why was i thinking thiland?

etch, give me a free trip to Germany and i'll goosestep down to the Reistag, giving the good ol' salute to anyone i meet.

	02-07-2003 01:07									#12
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eugh!

yah I saw'em man, they ****ing drown em in this ****

BTW, friends that have been to the US know to report they do the same there

only fries, too. both pond sides.

	02-07-2003 01:08									#13
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I have another story though this one happened to a friend of mine who went on vacation in Turkey. Apparently Turkish bathrooms don't have any toilet paper in them and instead they have an old man who sits by the door and sells you liquid soap after you have used your bare hand to wipe your rear. :barf:

My friend didn't know this so he went in took a dump and then had to whip his behind with his hat (which he then left in the pit toilet) because he couldn't find anything else to use. Talk about a weird custom; I mean **** tickets (toilet paper) only cast a penny for a dozen or so sheets. Talk about cheap.

	02-07-2003 01:08									#14
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quote: Originally posted by Kramerman I was cicumsized as a baby :cutenot foreign, but definately a weird 'custom')... who the hell came up with that. i mean really, who was the brave soul that decided to circumsize himself... weird...

religious morons, i mean zealots, which were attempting to remove the pleasure from sex.

	02-07-2003 01:26									#15
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I heard that circumsition also has a weak but still useful effect of stopping infections. Back in the old (I'm talking old testiment) days men would get these infections and die. Circumsition prevented these infections.

Now days with modern hygiene this shouldn't be necissary but people keep it up for religious reasons. (i.e. every good Jew and Christian is supposed to get it done & the doctors assume you want it done to your kids unless you say other wise).

	02-07-2003 01:29									#16
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meh... im indifferent. i was, so i guess my sons should be too, but it wont be for religious reasons

	02-07-2003 01:30									#17
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quote: Originally posted by Uber KruX hrm... why was i thinking thiland? etch, give me a free trip to Germany and i'll goosestep down to the Reistag, giving the good ol' salute to anyone i meet.

you should wear a nice suave black uniform, with the trousers tucked into the pants... no not the nazi S/S uniform...

	02-07-2003 01:40									#18
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quote: Originally posted by Oerdin I heard that circumsition also has a weak but still useful effect of stopping infections. Back in the old (I'm talking old testiment) days men would get these infections and die. Circumsition prevented these infections. Now days with modern hygiene this shouldn't be necissary but people keep it up for religious reasons. (i.e. every good Jew and Christian is supposed to get it done & the doctors assume you want it done to your kids unless you say other wise).

I dont think theres any religious reason for christians. Am I wrong?

	02-07-2003 01:40									#19
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quote: Originally posted by Uber KruX religious morons, i mean zealots, which were attempting to remove the pleasure from sex.

if thats the reason i can assure you it failed.

	02-07-2003 01:43									#20
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quote: Originally posted by Oerdin I heard that circumsition also has a weak but still useful effect of stopping infections. Back in the old (I'm talking old testiment) days men would get these infections and die. Circumsition prevented these infections. Now days with modern hygiene this shouldn't be necissary but people keep it up for religious reasons. (i.e. every good Jew and Christian is supposed to get it done & the doctors assume you want it done to your kids unless you say other wise).

Ermm, christians are supposed to have a circumsition?

Nah what they do is when you get born they see if teh thingy of which I don't know the English name is not too long or too narrow?
If that's the case, and only then they do a circumsition. For example I've had one (I think ) but my parents are not christian, jewish or anything else...

	02-07-2003 01:45									#21
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When I lived in California nobody was in the habit of taking off your shoes when you enter somebody's house.

	02-07-2003 01:47									#22
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quote: Originally posted by lord of the mark if thats the reason i can assure you it failed.

from what i've heard, it worked well. i hear sex is much more pleasurable for a man who is uncircumsized, as the foreskin has a large mass of sensitive nerve endings.

but, the uncircumsized man will probably last longer (with less, erm, "practice"), so it's a toss up.

	02-07-2003 01:48									#23
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Read your bible yea heathen scum.

P.S. I don't read the bible so I'm going by word of mouth (yeah I'm a hypocrite).

	02-07-2003 01:52									#24
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quote: Originally posted by Oerdin Read your bible yea heathen scum. P.S. I don't read the bible so I'm going by word of mouth (yeah I'm a hypocrite).

Thats one of the parts of the bible y'all aint been following since St. Paul, IIUC. Along with all the unclean animals and stuff like that.

	02-07-2003 02:33									#25
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Many of the places I've stayed in in England they had carpet on the bathroom floor. Yes, carpet, in a bathroom. Eeeuuw

	02-07-2003 02:43									#26
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That makes me wonder how many other men have pissed on that carpet which I am, as a hotel guest, supposed to step out of the shower bare foot upon.

	02-07-2003 02:47									#27
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oh man, everytime i see a carpet in a bathroom, i have an irresistable urge to whip it out and take a piss right there...

	02-07-2003 02:50									#28
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Well, in Sweden there were some weird customs. I bought some 'snus' (not sure what it is in english, smokeless tobacco? But you don't chew it, you but it under your lip) to my friend and this customs guy was actually serious 'what's this?!'.. then I had to explain for good 5 minutes I just bought it from a tax free shop 50 meters away from that spot. It was like he never heard of it, and they made that Ettan brand in Sweden! I was truly overwhelmed and like wtf.. then I got into trouble as I couldn't remember my combination to my suit case.. I had just borrowed it from my dad. 'Is this your suit case, sir?' 'umm.. sure' 'why don't you knwo the combination' 'well.. it's not exactly MY suit case..' I guess you can predict what happened after that? Yeah, once again the brave finnish world traveller experienced yet another back room of airports... I've done them all over.

One funny incident happened in the JFK. This dude just said 'thank you' when he was supposed to check me out and used to being checked out all the time I just replied 'no problem, thank you' and started opening my suit case. Then he waited a bit and said 'thank you, sir' and I was kind of lost and replied 'no problem, nice day' and he was like 'it is.. thank you'. I was like what kind of Japanese thing this is so I just replied 'thank you' and I started sweating and finally he said 'I MEAN YOU CAN GO NOW, THANK YOU!'.. talking about being embarrased..

And about other customs, well.. I've mostly travelled Europe and the US, so .. nothing really very exotic and the customs have been pretty much simular all over.

	02-07-2003 03:06									#29
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Snus is banned in the EU isn't it? Well except in Sweden of course, but they're not allowed to export it to other EU countries.

	02-07-2003 03:09									#30
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Gangerolf, so I'm now guilty of smuggling banned substance? COOL!

I didn't know that.. neither did the customs guy I guess, he let me go. Why do they sell it on the airports then? Or in the cruise ships in route finland-sweden? Maybe so, but this ban is not enforced.