1.

Switzerland — Honesty shopping

Tiny little shops in the middle of the Swiss Alps share the idealism of this society in the form of
honesty shops. These are little shops that allow you to buy your fresh cheese, milk, bread, honey,
and butter without anyone there to watch you indulge in the delicious dairy products of the area. In
fact, most of the day, no one watches these shops because they are owned by farmers who are out
taking care of the animals, so all you do is leave your money behind in a little basket. And what’s
amazing is that this form of consumer trust results in incredible customer loyalty and honesty
among the communities.

2. Colombia — “Tranquilo“

The flights will likely be canceled, the buses won’t run on a schedule or sometimes at all, and you’ll
probably show up to school as a teacher and there won’t be any class — for two weeks. No
importa. Tranquilo. It’s not important, don’t worry, chill-out. This prevailing attitude in Colombia creates a
constant air of tranquility because everything will work out, especially with the overwhelming kindness of
every Colombian who will go out of their way to help you when you’ve missed a bus, don’t have a plane, or
need something to do when you have no work for two weeks. And I’m convinced this tranquilo lifestyle is
why all Colombian maintain the look of eternal youth.

3.Turkey — Heart-warming hospitality

Photo: Esther Lee

The idea of hitchhiking made me nervous but with my only ticket out of Istanbul, 900 km away, and no
working forms of currency, I stuck out my thumb. I was overwhelmed by Turkish hospitality, I was always
welcomed to the homes of those who gave me rides, be it to share giant meals of kebab or be given a place
to stay; and I could never part ways without sharing the richest Turkish coffee.If we happened to end up at a
restaurant, my hosts always picked up the tab. Maybe it was the luck of arrival during Ramadan, but Turkish
hospitality needs to be adopted worldwide.

4. South Korea — NOT tipping

For someone who was raised in the United States and has worked in the food service industry throughout
university, tipping is in my blood. I want to tip everyone as a way of showing my gratitude for their service,
and solidarity with them in their work. But no sooner did I attempt to display my gratitude in a charming
cafe in Seoul, then my tip was snatched quickly by my host with a sharp glare. In South Korea along with
many other countries, employees in the food service industry are given fair wages and take pride in their
work, and it is insulting to attempt to tip them. A habit and concept maybe the world would do well to
consider.

5. Colombia — Tinto time

Tinto is a tiny cup of rich, dark coffee sweetened with panela (sugar’s sweeter relative), and tinto time is all
the time. You simply stop at one of the hundreds of carts of tinto being wheeled around, or at stands in the
street for ten minutes to enjoy your sweet-caffeinated pick-me-up, catch up on the local gossip, and chat
with friends. Tintotime means you’ll probably be late for that meeting, but since everyone stops for tinto, so
will everyone else.

6. China — Noodle slurping

Photo: Cathy Stanley-Erickson

After a long train ride, we were starving and were drawn to a ramen restaurant by its alluring aroma and the
promise of warmth. But as soon as we entered, we were hit by the sound of slurping. For such a polite Asian
culture, this seemed out of place and rude. Clearly, this was a custom I had yet to understand, but as soon as
my host explained it, I was excited to partake. The slurping makes the food more enjoyable, the meal more
comical and tells your host you loved it. The world would enjoy meals more if we allowed ourselves the
polite Chinese custom of slurping (and the childlike delight of noisy, interactive eating).
7. Japan — Pushers on the subway

The Japanese subways are pristine and quiet enough that I’ve heard many pins drop, except when there are
tourists aboard and you can hear them from two train cars away. But just like any other metro system,
Japan’s subway is crowded during rush hours. But instead of settling for the inefficiency that personal space
demands, Japan has “pushers.” They are exactly what they sound like — employees whose sole job during
rush hour is to push more people onto the train cars. You thought there wasn’t space enough for you?
Wrong. There’s space for you AND ten complete strangers.

8. Germany — Crossing the street

We could go on and on about the efficiency of Germany — from the buses and the trains that run perfectly
on time to the incredible timeliness of every citizen — but one of the best German organizational habits that
should be adopted worldwide, is pedestrians waiting for streetlights. In New York if you don’t jaywalk,
you’re an obvious tourist; in Vietnam traffic NEVER stops for pedestrians; and in Mexico, pedestrians are
just as sporadic as drivers. If the whole world was to adopt the organized and predictable street of Germany,
the world would be a safer place.

9. Iceland — Christmas Eve books giving

We obsess over the eternal question of Christmas gifts; do we spend tons of money on new technology for
our loved ones or just stick with the always-safe gift card? Will they read too much into a “fitbit”? Iceland
has solved this problem with the Christmas Eve tradition of giving a book. After everyone unwraps the
books, they spend the evening reading together. Iceland has preserved the culture of books in this beautiful
Christmas custom which many countries would do well to emulate!

10. Russia — Offering vodka

Photo: Nick Farnhill

It is the custom to welcome new friends with shots of vodka, and this is even expected from older
generations. What better way to break the ice than with some stomach-warming shots of this Russian
tradition? I think friendships would form faster worldwide if we all adopted this idea, and that’s something
we can all toast to, or, as they say in Russia, “Na zdorovye!”.