Im a US American, how much time do you have? There is almost no aspect of my culture I wouldn’t trade for another. Music I’ll keep but everything else… meh
I quite often feel americans show a lot of interest in new people they meet. If I tell something about myself usually they think its ‘amazing’ or ‘wonderful’, ask questions, not often steer the conversation to themselves. I think thats a quite nice cultural thing you have.
I don’t remember what it’s called, but in Japan there is a tendency to repair things rather than replace them; and further than that, a repair made properly can be see as enhancing the beauty of an object. I like that.
Tipping culture, the lack of it everywhere but the US seemingly. Tips as a substitute for wages is awful. In the US servers are paid inadequately without tipping and so a culture of tipping is the norm.
Meh, lots of that exists in Canada and mexico as well, unfortunately
I hang out with drunk Chinese people for work and there is no friendlier bunch around. I also admire the Chinese cultural focus on gardening and growing plants
I have always found saris really exquisite. But as a white lady from the Midwest USA, and no people in my life at all from cultures that wear them, it would be weird to have or wear one. I’d never want to wear it like a costume but they are so beautiful.
Similarly, bunad here in Norway where I live now. I didn’t grow up here and I only skate by on languages most of the time, I’m not tied to the culture by marriage or children. I just love it here. But because I’m just an immigrant, I’d feel strange wearing one. But one of my absolute favorite parts of 17 May celebrations (Constitution Day) is going out in the city and seeing all of the various bunad from different regions of Norway. I don’t know if I’ll ever feel Norwegian enough to wear one without feeling like an impostor/appropriator.
Really petty but I’m jealous of Norways football crowd activity where everyone pretends to row a boat.
The French widely mistrust their politicians.
I was also coming in to say I envy the French tendency to fuck shit up when their politicians act like scumbags. In the US we just drool and watch fox news tell us it’s actually for our benefit that we sacrifice our lives for billionaires.
Peru - super fresh, locally grown food; incredibly hard working people who are super friendly
Ireland - craic
New Zealand - respect of the environment, freedom camping
France - long luxurious meals with family/friends; delicious pastries; willing to burn shit down when political leaders forget who they work for
Vietnamese: The absolute bonkers way they combine a turbocapitalistic hustle culture with slow living / enjoying life
Persian food, especially the rice dishes.
Songkran in Thailand.
Live in hot country, so New Year celebration is to hit the streets and have an all in waterfight!
“Celebrations are known for public water fights, which symbolize ritual cleansing.”
So much fun. It takes place during the hottest time of the year.
I like the cultures that have leaned more into socialism. Not just for the practical benefits to society, but because they just seem to be more caring and community oriented in general. In the US I always feel so isolated. There are all sorts of norms that put up barriers between people and can make people feel like they’re on their own when they need help. I’d like to live somewhere where people would care and do something if their neighbors needed help or where I wouldn’t feel so weird talking to strangers. Maybe this is too idealized. I know no culture is a monolith, but there seem to be some better tendencies in other countries.
EDIT: For all the time I’ve spent watching anime (including 2 trips to Japan), I have a hard time thinking of much I actually admire about actual Japanese culture. They’ve got the toxic work culture, they’ve got the confucian family thing going on, there’s the xenophobia, and then there’s their… suspicious obsession with some other questionable countries like the US, UK, and Germany. I guess anime can be funny and they have nice trains. So at least they have that. Oh I guess they also seem to be more chill when it comes to religion. Like it’s still there, but it doesn’t seem like the intensity of it is enough to cause regular problems like it does in the Western world.
Dutch cycling culture
French long lunches
Spanish siestas
Portuguese late dinners
Italian punctualityGerman humor. (Yes, seriously)
They joke about efficiency/optimization etc. One of them is a man visiting a small grocery shop with the intention of buying some olives.
It start by him asking the price for a glass of olives. What about two? What about 5? etc. prices per glass goes down for each increase.
Then you see him leaving the shop with several large boxes of olives.
