Unspoken Rules & Taboos in Vietnam and Germany | Culture Cuddles #13

[@EvaLitzenberg]

As a German in the UK, I think there are unspoken rules in every country. One thing I had to learn is that when you ask someone for help or make a request in the UK, you need to think about if they would be likely to say yes. Stuff like: Hey I am in your city, can I crash at your place. A lot of Brits are really uncomfortable saying no, so you should only make this a request of someone who is close enough and extroverted enough.

[@kitm141]

Ha! You are so right. I’m from the UK and I’d be less comfortable saying no than tolerating someone I barely know on my couch for however long. And I would *hate* someone sleeping on my couch. I just started working with German clients and so far, the only “unspoken” rule is that they expect meetings to start and end on time. Which should be standard. Can’t wait to work out how Ive offended my new German clients accidentally.

[@EvaLitzenberg]

@kitm141 It's pretty hard to offend most Germans. Just bear in mind that Germans really don't mind saying no and to tell you when they don't like something.

[@kitm141]

@ oh, I’m sensing that. I presented a piece of work last week and after a minute of silence there was just one line. “No, that won’t work”. But after a moment of terror, we talked it through and they were right! I appreciate the directness, even though I’m not used to it.

[@samchan1031]

UK is on the side of "indirect communication" even they are European!

[@samchan1031]

​@@EvaLitzenbergreally… everytime i say to Germans "No it will not work", they are getting angry,100% work if you want to piss them off. Am i facing faked Germans?

[@saxcartoon]

I'm the weird German, smiling at other people, just to give positive vibes to everyone... Let's all smile at Uyen and German boyfriend in public, just to confuse them 😁❤

[@Mythraelis]

It is funny, how irritating this sometimes is for other people. I also kike to do it.

[@Freaky0Nina]

I did that too. And then I had full grown adult married men with kids trying to flirt with me. So I immediately stopped.

[@dorothyfeelings3701]

i do it too with my german husband and i am italian

[@maryam_nn]

I always find it strange when my German colleagues talk about their relationships at work (which to me is a private topic) but find some other topics private. For example one time a German colleague was telling me about a class he goes to on Wednesdays, and I asked him what is the class he goes to, and then there was an uncomfortable silence, because apparently that information was private! sometimes it's so hard for me to know what is considered private to them.

[@steffis9969]

Maybe it was something Like „Pole dancing“ 😅

[@brotherjames6401]

I think this case was quite individual and it was just him feeling uncomfortable about telling you where he's going to. I'm german and I've never heard about this topic to be considered private. Maybe it was indeed a delicate subject (like a striptease course or sth. :D) but then again why is he telling you about the class in the first place if he doesn't want any follow-up questions? I think it's quite hard to generalize in that regard because it hardly depends on someone's background whether they consider something private and also on the way they grew up (in the countryside or in an urban region), from which part of Germany they come from etc.

[@sinahagen6492]

My guess would be therapy or mental coaching.

[@johntran-qj5it]

If someone doesn't tell me a specific detail straight away then I assume it's private

[@Fievelavie]

in the Netherlands we say that we go to mindfulness 🧘 classes. ( when it’s therapy/mentalhealth)

[@franzi1285]

Very funny. When I visited Vietnam I was surprised you guys are talking 24/7. I expected you like and enjoy silence ;) I asked them: what are you talking about all the time? They said: usually we complain about the government. 😂 I did not expect that answer.

[@RenataJ]

I like the bear illustration on the wall behind Uyen and what it represents. So cute!

[@hollylanevintagetreasures]

Aw!! I didn't even see that until you pointed it out!! ❤ So stinking cute!!!

[@r_s7540]

You guys are one of my favourite internet couple, such genuine love its very refreshing to see it

[@MistydawnGRAHAMCRACKERMeas-s7c]

❤

[@rebeccabroos6600]

Most tourists don't know this but in the Netherlands when you get of the tram and notice that someone is holding the little gate for you... They're not really holding the gate for you. They just don't want you to get hit by the gate. You're meant to take over the gate so you can do the same for the person stepping out behind you! Please when in Amsterdam, take over the frigging gate so we don't have to stand there like a doorman!!

[@sabs7880]

Good to know, thanks

[@helens2219]

Didn’t know that, thanks!

[@judyperri9496]

Well that just makes sense to me

[@ohshesmiles]

I used to teach English as a second language to high school students in America. Some of my students were completely new to America and during Christmas, they received gifts from some of the teachers. I had several teachers complain to me that they had not seen my students wearing or showing off their gifts and they thought it was rude. I asked if my students had thanked them upon receiving the gifts and each teacher said they were all thanked very graciously but they wondered if the kids even liked their gifts. The culture the kids came from is a culture that values gifts to the point where they are taken home and placed in safe space only to be worn or used during special occasions. Gift giving has many nuances especially when it comes to different cultures. I explained that it was not out of lack of gratitude that the students weren’t openly using their gifts. Their culture dictated a different form of value. American culture has a tendency to be very outwardly grateful - you show off the gifts you receive. It took awhile for my colleagues to understand the difference. Now I wonder how do other cultures receive gifts?? 😅

[@vickiebasu1080]

When I pass by people I like to nod, or smile, or say hello because it’s nice to acknowledge the presence of another person. Often I’m ignored, but I’m always happy when I get a nod, smile or a hello in return.

[@jtidema]

I live in New Jersey, and when we walk the dog in the morning we smile and wave at EVERY passing car, and 95% of them wave and smile back. A few roll their windows down and say good morning. When someone ignores us it's strange. Maybe they are just half asleep, or they are just a jerk... ;-)

[@randomrachael420]

Same but it makes me kinda feel sad and unseen when people don't respond and I find I start the day with hellos and smiles and everytime I get rejected I want to do it less and less

[@feralhomunculus]

I think acknowledging people in passing etiquette depends on if it's a larger city or not. In a big city, you can't really acknowledge everyone that crosses your path or you'd be nodding and greeting someone every 2 seconds or more. That's not practical, but if you go to the smaller towns or even once you get to know the locals in your neighborhood, you do greet them or give a nod and a wave. In a larger city in the states is the same unless you're hiking, then there's trail etiquette.

[@karlylo]

I personally HATE that. I feel like i'm just walking, a passerby, just pass me by without acknowledgemen, I want to be ignored! So there's different types of people who value different things. 😅😂 but if in a setting of a cashier for example, a smile or a nod is okay.

[@TheBioExplorer]

It's like discussing age. In the US and many places it is considered rude to ask the age of someone especially someone you've just met. But in Korea it is practically the first thing brought up in conversation because the age of someone compared to you dictates how you will speak and act towards them even if there's only a couple of months different.

[@653j521]

She's gone into that in several videos.

[@Fyrn33]

In most small towns here in Canada, it is normal and somewhat expected that when you walk past someone on the sidewalk, you smile or say good morning/afternoon etc. When I was growing up shopping on the weekends was definitely done on Saturdays because all shops were closed on Sundays. This gradually changed in the late 1980s to early 1990s. Now you're hard pressed to find any store closed on Sundays and holidays (with the exception of Christmas Day for MOST places).

[@Tessa_Gr]

I grew up in a village/town in Bavaria, Germany. On the countryside it definitely still is common to greet everyone you meet on the street if you're on the same side of the road. It might be a bit different depending on the area in Germany, but to me greeting or not greeting seems to be mostly a divide between cities and villages/towns. And you can definitely smile when greeting, but if they're strangers you just say the greeting phrase and nothing else, if you know them even just a little bit you can exchange a few more words. In one small, neighbouring village it is even custom to just walk on the road, not on the sidewalk. And bc it's so small you know everyone except maybe people who came from the city, who are outsiders until they integrate into village life. But after that you can easily loose a lot of time when taking a walk because it's very normal to talk to almost everyone you meet.

[@garyrowden7150]

smaller towns in NZ we say hello as you pass someone on the street

[@jennie9]

​​@@Tessa_Gr I agree that a lot of it is about the size and location of the place. I live in Canada in a medium-sized city (300,000) in the west. It's common to keep to yourself when out and about but it's also fine to talk to strangers. There's no problem with smiling at someone if your eyes meet or saying hello when walking past someone on the street. However, when I lived in Toronto, it was much less common to talk to strangers or even make eye contact and smile at them. At the other extreme, my parents live in a tiny village of fewer than 100 people near me. Any time someone drives by, you give them a slight wave to acknowledge them and they wave back. It doesn't matter if you know them or not. If you see people when outside and they're close enough, you talk to them. If not, you wave. Sometimes my parents find strangers wandering around their yard because they have large, beautiful gardens, although most people ask before they do that. Very different customs in each of the places.

[@Thingybob]

Germans drive the Spanish hotels crazy with their chair bookings! It does not make any sense to get up at dawn only to place a towel on a deck chair and then expect it to remain empty waiting for you, while lots of people who are at the swimming pool need it. After lots of arguments among guests, many hotels decided to remove the towels left in empty chairs. One gets a chair when going to the swimming pool to stay.And to me, it seems fair.

[@Zanji1234]

that's something even some Germans don't understand xD

[@Herr_Damit]

I am German and this is insane to me, we even have an idiom "Weggegangen, Platz vergangen." "Go away and throw away your right to the seat." (loosely)

[@izibear4462]

British people throw the towels in the pool 😂

[@roseflores1386]

I wouldn't go to a sauna...I agree with you, Uyen

[@bta8355]

you can always use a towel in teh sauna, nobody forces you to be actually naked

[@cooledcannon]

Being that north you basically have to though

[@new0news]

ya as a Canadian this is something that bothers me in other cultures. No swim suits in sauna or hot springs. We have both and they don't spontaneously combust so I don't know why it's not even allowed in other places 🤣🤣🤣

[@sarahr.6874]

​@@bta8355 thats not true, it depends on the sauna and some saunas even have extra saunas you can go in with clothing, so if you just keep your towel on, you definitly will get weird stares

[@bta8355]

@@sarahr.6874 towels are a must in every sauna, you have to sit on them. Of course there are saunes for clothes on lmao, you can still should still have a towel and it is absoluty ok if you decide to hide some body parts with said towel

[@kittymoore2776]

I loved living in Germany, but did so many things wrong the first time. Over the years I have learned so much. The quiteness of Sundays in Germany is wonderful. It was initially difficult for us Americans to adjust to all of the stores being closed on Sunday. Now, it is relaxing, peaceful, and a day for reflection.

[@meredithfrench5258]

It was like that in USA not so long ago. Everything stopped on Sundays. It was indeed quiet. Nice!

[@debbimeyersbrant5752]

It's still like that in some of the small towns I know where I live in the USA the only thing open in my town is a Sheetz on Sunday in the churches

[@judyperri9496]

Too quiet It would drive me mad

[@paolagrando5079]

I feel for the introverts in Vietnam

[@irina_vhmc]

Vietnamese introvert here, moving to Germany does make it easier - people understand if I need time by myself to recharge my energy and don't want to talk.

[@tmc2907]

@@irina_vhmchaha relatable! I’m introvert, born and raised in Hanoi. I was overwhelmed by my own hometown the first time i flew back from Germany!

[@ullaharris8980]

I'm German, living in Ireland since '79 and NEVER missed Germany !! 🤣🤣

[@Rebecca.42]

Hogging the spot for the whole day with your towel is so rude to me. Toss the towels! 😂🇦🇺

[@Fievelavie]

Dutch people are the ones hanging towels in the trees or giving them to pool employees when people reserve Sun loungers.

[@lilalexei01]

Yeh. Good luck hogging a spot like that in a lot of other countries.

[@roxydus3746]

I really hate this behaviour and I am German.

[@muaowa]

Dark side of overplanning haha

[@jtidema]

I can't imagine going into a sauna with other people... I agree with Uyen. I LOVE the 'don't brag about yourself' - I wish more people were like that.

[@LanaGoesArt]

I noticed that people in Germany may look grumpy, but they'll great strangers on the street - unless it's very busy. It has a nice touch to greet others and get greeted too.

[@shirurirun]

Yes, usually in smaller towns we do greet everybody we pass like around the neighborhood and on trails.

[@trinitygrimes2011]

Where I live in the USA (I live in the Midwest), it is quite common to hold the door for anybody coming after you when you are opening a door in a public place. Sometimes it can create comical situations if you are unsure if the person is too far away to hold the door for them or if they are coming in after you. Oftentimes the person will tell you if they are not going to use the door if they see you holding it for them, so you know that you can leave. I've also been in situations where one person will be coming from a bit far off and feel obligated to get to the door quickly because they see that the other person is standing there holding the door for them and they don't want to make them wait 😅. It can be funny when that happens, but I like the custom.

[@darlataddeo6376]

I LOVE the German Sunday quiet laws! Wish we had it here in the US. I’ve been to Germany many many times, as my best friend is German. I’ve learned these “unspoken rules” over the many years that we’ve been friends.

[@judyperri9496]

Nope I would never want to live somewhere that people would give you grief over a life noise

[@Squidwardsangryface]

9:11 in the US, it's first come first serve. If you leave the chair and and there are no personal items on it, it's no longer your chair. If there's only a towel on the chair, someone may ask you if you're still using the chair. Most people would just say no out of politeness, especially if they haven't sat on the chair for a long time.

[@GoodMorning-b2w]

timestamps are an odd feature, right? jk really sorry

[@samchan1031]

fully agree, can we just help educating Germans to behave better?

[@izibear4462]

They're not going to change ha ha The Brits will continue throwing them on the pool, ja. 😊

[@kelmac1618]

German BF: I am already practicing. 😂 In the US, smiling is encouraged, but like Germany, talking about religion, politics, age, and money is personal.

[@anaisabelribeiro2721]

I have a tip for German boyfriend's sensitive ears! Next time he goes to Vietnam he should get some Loop earplugs. I have two pairs, one called Experience to protect my ears in concerts and another called Engage to block background noise but I can still hear the person I'm talking to.

[@Hufflestitcher87]

Unspoken rule in Australia is you thank the bus driver when you get off at your stop! Even if it is just a quick "thanks!" As you get off the bus.

[@mole1461]

We do this in England too

[@chelsee2263]

In major US cities, you don’t rly thank the bus driver. You can, but most don’t. Outside of major cities, people are a lot friendlier.

[@ichbinmauswurst6665]

Thats actually a really nice rule!

[@simbelsim]

In Sydney yes, but in Melbourne people don't do it!

[@Hufflestitcher87]

@@simbelsim Weird!! We do it in Canberra and Brisbane does too!

[@Serafinelly]

Thank Goodness everyone is supposed to be quiet on Sundays. I am already stressed out about the daily leaf blower noise. I would rage if they would do that (or similar loud things) on Sunday, too :D

[@arilaine6113]

Not sure is it the biggest unspoken rule but one important rule in Finland is that when you come into the house you have to take shoes off.

[@hellohjbgjh]

It looks like you're at a step of taking a jumper or pants off and sleeping over then ! 😜

[@cris_ad]

Romanian living in the US. I always have to smile and ask people how they are doing or else they lose their sh!t and think I am mad at them. It's so exhausting. I just want to be and not constantly perform.

[@mamaloh8165]

Yeah, though theyx are actually not really interested in how you're doing nor telling you , how they are.

[@lostundgefunden8023]

You signed up to be in another country. What were you expecting? Little Romania?

[@daisyd3w3491]

​@@lostundgefunden8023 so just because you moved to a different country means that country is now exempt from criticism? We don't know why they moved and assuming they did so blindly without knowing anything about that country is just dumb and unnecessarily mean

[@lostundgefunden8023]

@ sure sweetie, whatever you say

[@karlylo]

Just don't. You don't have to follow the fake friendless. A better way would be to always just wear headphones on, so you look busy! Plus sunglasses or a cap, you can be a bit more invisible!! Good luck, and don't conform to something this shallow because your mental health will suffer. 😄

[@valhallamcgaughey3720]

In the US (at least in the south), putting your stuff at a table or chair at the beach/pool does reserve that spot for you. BUT it is considered very rude to keep that spot for too long if it’s crowded. Like each family member can have his own chair when the place is empty but if you see more people coming, you get out of the water and move your family’s stuff all to one chair so there is room for more people.

[@puteracahyadi]

Indonesian people very friendly, we will smile and ask how people's doing. Specially to foreigner. One time I meet few germanies in Bali and have chance to know them. They very happy and amazed with how friendly we are and they even stop and talk to locals. They love it.

[@simplysandeee]

Loved Uyen’s comment about just avoid Sauna. 😅

[@KalleKilponen]

**confused Finnish noises**

[@ichbinnichtich]

The bragging is so true. I personally feel very uncomfortable in Vietnam because it feels like many times people will brag or showcase more than they have to look good in other people's eye. In the west, we don't really care about those things and actually believe that at times bragging can lead to jealousy, evil eye and just general looking bad in other people's eye. And the showing up unannounced I do struggle with too haha please let me know in advance so I can prepare mentally and the house the amount of times we're in Vietnam and random family friends and neighbour's will just show up 😬 But all good there's cons and pros with every culture 💗

[@cris_ad]

I don't open the door if someone shows up unannounced. Absolutely not. What if I am showering? What if I am having a bad day? What if I am in the middle of SPECIAL TIME and you just barge in? Are you going to join us???

[@cornchip07]

this video makes me want more vietnamese friends! 😊 i like the normalization of self-disclosure and spontaneity. sending love from the US!

[@samchan1031]

i think there is already a huge viet community in US, isnt it?

[@cornchip07]

@ in some cities, yes! where i live now, no.

[@kristaanderson8055]

Where I live, in a small city in Canada, the bus system is very simple. The only challenging part is that there are so many different busses that you have to do something different, just to open the door. Half the time foreigners are confused because they don't know whether to wave their hand at the door, or to push the handle. Sometimes the will just stand at the door and expect the door to open automatically like how trains do in most places. Then they start calling at the driver to let them out, but the driver can't do anything to help them because on the door handle it says, "push to open." I think similar to Germany, we like our space and to give other people their space too. We also like to form lines, and we can get annoyed when people try to budge in line.

[@izibear4462]

Luckily I'm in the UK so that one doesn't throw me for a loop but many got the stern admonishment at the Hauptbanhof last time I visited !

[@belindablu845]

i'm from South Africa and one of our unspoken rules is you must greet when you enter a room

[@Rina493]

These are your personal experiences and I appreciate them (very south Germany though..) BUT: they are not typical for the whole of Germany. It's not everywhere that you have to clean the house. Here in Potsdam it's part of my rent that facility management does it. Also I CAN put my purchases into a private bag while shopping with no one bothering me at all. No one freaks out here when you make some noise between 1 and 3 or after 8. At my house we also have a Whatsapp group between all renters to track our packages. Come to Potsdam! 🤣

[@samchan1031]

same here Munich! no cleaning required, kids are shouting on the ground floor in the Sunday mid-day.

[@csailer2353]

I stayed in Potsdam with a host family after high school for 2 weeks. My German class did an exchange type of program. It was years ago but I remember it being a very nice town to visit and the people to me seemed quite friendly, even if my German was terrible and I preferred to interact in English (I can speak German ok but I can’t translate fast enough when it’s spoken to me, and my vocabulary is rather small) But you are the first German I’ve ever seen online who’s from Potsdam so I just had to stop and say hello! 👋

[@Rina493]

@@csailer2353 That is so sweet, thank you! Greetings and best wishes from here!

[@sabs7880]

Germany and Switzerland need to please provide foreigners with a guide to thermal bath and sauna etiquette. Everytime I have been to these countries someone has yelled at me. I have no idea what I am doing wrong

[@sazji]

As an older American guy who was learning Vietnamese, I had been warned but was still surprised at how often people asked me “lập gia đình chưa?” 😅 Literally within 5 minutes of leaving the airport. And of course they asked what work I did. I told them I worked in a store that sold house plants. But I translated it directly and said “cây nha. :-) And people looked puzzled and said “cây nhà là gì?” 😅 I realized pretty quickly that there didn’t need to be a concept like that, because anything you could grow inside you’d probably grow it outside anyway. A reality that I miss! Appointments in the US is a more common situation now. When I was a kid people would just drop by. If it was a bad time you could always say so. Then the rule became, “call first.” Nowadays you can hardly even call someone on the phone without asking first. Of course that’s also because in the old days, phones were at home or at work; now we all have phones in our pockets and you never know where the other person will be.

[@Rachel-g6g9p]

Uyen you’re such a beautiful person. Your content is the best! You can tell you and German boyfriend complete each other and you both lighten the mood for everyone around you!🌼

[@datgal2u]

The birthday cake thing is weird. I like that you take a stand on that. People are celebrating YOUR day, so they should show up with cake/treats and sing! LOL! The appointments thing with everything...yikes! Friends and family should not be appointments. Life happens and you may need a friend right then and there, not book an appointment 3 weeks later. And heck no to cleaning my own building.

[@kat_ha.777]

Agree about the birthday thing. I don't even know how it ever came to be the way it is. Just strange. About appointments; when you have good friends and you need them, they will be there, if they're honestly good friends. Just when it comes to going to the cinema or having dinner somewhere or something, that's when the "appointments" come into play.

[@VampireKnightGirl89]

I am German and when I started to work I also thought the cake thing is weird because usually, you get a cake! But it kind of makes sense, this way you only have to bake a cake once a year, imagine you have lots of friends at work, you have to bake all year round. Also, you somehow have to decide who to bake a cake for. Does every colleague get one, or just your besties? You might offend someone by not baking them a cake while they expected to get one coz they think you are friends. The German way is easier I think.

[@datgal2u]

@@VampireKnightGirl89 In the US, we're friends at work, unlike in Germany. Many companies will pay for the cake/treats, you just need someone to pick it up. I used to be responsible at one of my jobs of getting the cakes for that person's birthday and then just expensing it. And no one really bakes cakes, we buy them from the grocery store or whatever. I think it depends on how big of a group you work with, what kind of rules you follow. The smaller the group, the friendlier and more intimate so everyone gets a cake purchased for them. In larger groups, there are often cliques, so the cliques will get them for you or celebrate how they choose. I'm sure there are those whom get left out (probably antisocial ones), but typically not as everyone loves treats and celebrating.

[@lenanayashkova]

I think that it is kind of inevitable that friends and family would be by "appointment". It's easy to be really spontaneous when you are really young, but when you get older and you get more things you are taking care of it is very difficult to always be super spontaneous. Don't get me started on what happens when you have kids - you are suddenly taking of not just your business but 2, 3 or more people's. Of course if a friend or family needs some urgen help or support it's different

[@Sunny-ik2jj]

It is rooted in ancient germanic and celtic thinking: You've been alive another year, you have the privilege to get older, so you celebrate life! You are the one having birthday, you are the one cherishing your own life more than anyone else, and by bringing cake or paying for drinks you invite others to celebrate with you. That's the mindset to this tradition.

[@birdlandartrenae2632]

Germans are super comfortable with their nudity. Having married a German, I knew this. But I learned first hand when I was in Greece. At a lake spa I visited, there were only two changing rooms. Two German ladies comfortably stripped down right in the hallway outside the entrance to the changing rooms. 😬 I was quite uncomfortable, but also rather impressed. 😅

[@angiew2324]

I went to a nude beach once & I was one of the only people there in a pair of shorts & a bikini top - _that_ was uncomfortable for me as I've always been really modest. My boyfriend at the time, on the other hand, totally naked. Lol We had an older guy start a conversation with us, he was also completely naked. We were sitting down on some rocks, he was standing in front of us so everything was dangling right in our faces. It was so weird, definitely not a place I have any desire to visit again. 😂

[@kat_ha.777]

... but then again there are also Germans who haven't been in a sauna or public changing room or shower since they were kids. Like me :D. I'm 34 now. If you go to a German sauna, you of course only see the Germans who are chill about nudity and comfortable enough in their skin.

[@sarahlongstaff5101]

In Tucson Arizona it was the same for the mom and baby swim classes. We all stripped down and passed the baby shampoo. So relaxed!

[@Fievelavie]

Dutch strip naked easily too.

[@izibear4462]

I have recounted this before. A colleague met a German girl in London at work and as they got serious she took him over to meet her parents. She tried the front door but it was locked, so they went around the back. First introduction to his soon to be in laws was them both gardening in their birthday suits. 😂

[@TheBioExplorer]

The smile/no smile thing varies even among areas of the US. I've lived many places and learned to observe a lot before doing anything. I live in the southern US and here we smile and greet people on the streets and in stores. We even start conversations as if we know them. But when I go to NYC... you just walk forward and pretend to ignore everyone. They think something is wrong with you if you smile at people as you pass by.

[@653j521]

I've heard that's because of testers, criminals who see how aggressive you are before choosing a victim. I accidentally insulted someone in TN by not giving a little wave when the person drove past, because I didn't know everyone by car. (The little wave varies by region, I have found out.)

[@simbbam]

just an interesting something to point out - Uyen said there is almost no religion in vietnam, but watching your videos you describes the ancestors family shrine and traditions which were quite elaborate - I would argue that's very much a religious practice.

[@mayly8960]

The shrines are for ancestors and family, not religious figures. Maybe the concepts were inspired by Buddhism and Confucianism but some practices are so ingrained into the culture it doesn't matter if a person is of faith or not.

[@miridium121]

The reason for no swimwear in the sauna is partially if you have been swimming in water with chlorine: it can produce toxic fumes as it evaporates in the heat of the sauna. Historically, you would have gone to sauna with your family. Parents, siblings, grandparents. And it was a place to get clean, so wearing anything would just be a hindrance and unnecessary. At least here in Finland.

[@shellygauvreau399]

Hm, German by heritage (and its strong bonds even over time). The chair thing is a real thing!! I have been on vacations in the Caribbean and every one knows that "the Germans" will take up all the beach chairs by 6 am ... they wake early specifically to claim chairs with their towels and then go back to bed. In many resorts this is no longer allowed. I will say though, that I don't know that things are specifically German but perhaps more European centric.

[@samchan1031]

they can write those warning in German language only to see if there is any improvements later

[@lottaisaveryangrywoman]

this video is so cozy and the mics are so good!

[@biancaphone]

I am Flemish (Flanders part of Belgium) and we are exactly like the Germans. In every aspect you discussed!

[@emilj9399]

3:38: When you put stuff in your backpack or any bag in which you can`t look into ( before the cashier), it is considered thievery by law. Or in German...wenn man es den Blicken des Eigentümers entzieht. So if you use an open basket or a net or something with some kind of window, it`s totaly fine.

[@itspaul3792]

Loved it ! My boyfriend who's from France and me from Cambodia we have exactly the same cultural differences 😂😊

[@yvonnestubbs4093]

I love your picture of a big brown bear with his arm around a panda❤

[@sandrak.robbins6305]

Thank you for sharing all of this. I really enjoyed this video! :)

[@Amelias_Edits]

I find your KZbin videos so comforting 🥹

[@ronagreenfield9545]

The sauna is like the elevator... just stare straight ahead.😂

[@woodsTjackets]

Eye opener! Really loving this series :)❤

[@ziptiefighter]

I loved this one...appreciate the insight into two other cultures' take on everyday stuff. 💚

[@sarahlongstaff5101]

Oh! That reminds me of the awesome saunas in Japan! You scrub off when you go in, and then there are all sorts of different baths you can dip in. It was awesome. Yes, everyone naked, at least 30 years ago. There was even an electric bath that you could get in and get your muscles vibrated. And then outside the bath area they had movies and food!

[@thelastoffluffs6755]

after almost 14 years working in the same company, I can confidently say that I've only ever spent time with two colleagues outside of work. and both of these connections have not lasted once they left the company. colleagues and friends are just not the same 🙅🏻‍♀️

[@anihsve]

hahaha the towel thing!! And then they bring that rule with them on holiday and everyone else at the hotel annoyed at germans or gets in arguments with them over hoarding sunbeds with towels 😅 At least that's what I remember from my holidays as a kid, the grown ups always cussing out germans for waking up at 5 am going to the pool side and put their towels down 😂😂

[@kilsestoffel3690]

Collect the towels and bring them to the "lost and found" spot when they have breakfast.

[@samchan1031]

this is how i feel "Germans always think the whole world use the same standards and norms"

[@angiew2324]

​@samchan1031 I don't think it's intentional, we can all kind of do that because it's just what we're used to- from what I've heard, Americans are probably the worst. Lol

[@agadorisabel]

I’m from UK and obviously we are dreadful at thinking everyone needs to follow our rules too. I got into trouble in Spain once though because I sat on a pool chair that was next to one with a towel and the Spanish person was angry that I sat on it so I think Europe has gone towel crazy all over 😂

[@sharonpalmer8844]

You two are adorable and Hi from the UK. We need to talk towels by pools whilst people are out for most of the day ! This so infuriates us……. ! Whilst on holiday in Mexico and the Caribbean and Europe I remove the towels and take them back to the towel hut it’s not acceptable at all. There was one couple whom saved the same beds each day before light and daily arrived back from the beach at 5pm mean while people had no where to sit it’s so selfish. I have no issues if people have just gone to get some lunch for an hour but holy moly I do if they are being saved for longer 😂 rant over and thanks to Uyen I now want to go to Vietnam on holidays it looks stunning ❤

[@skymusings]

I'm italian and I feel we also have many unwritten rules, especially when it comes to food. The main one I can think of is cappuccino being a breakfast drink (you could maybe also drink it in a cafè or bakery along with a dessert at 'merenda' which is the afternoon snack you eat mostly when you're a child, but never with other meals). A few years ago there was a video of an American girl in Italy drinking it not even after, but DURING her lunch with like some pasta or a pizza, and I remember how many bad looks she got from other customers and all the pissed off Italians there were in the comments.

[@jojons6484]

OMG. To even care with somebody else is drinking is bizarre

[@serenityviolet1304]

Australia drinks it at all times of the day.

[@ladywoodelf]

The US workforce is fueled by coffee breakfast, lunch and in-between. Watch almost any 90s TV sitcom and you'll see a character drinking coffee during the episode. The coffee is not an exaggeration.

[@frankfurtonfoottours2361]

Laughed about the Sauna. It was such a mystifying moment for me the first time, that I wrote about Sauna Etiquette on my blog to help others for the 1st time. In Frankfurt, every 2nd person is not German, so it is fine to smile and people smile back. What about wishing someone happy birthday a day or two before? Huge no-no. Fun with cultures.

[@CELERITAS-BONITAS]

Very interesting how cultural norms can control how we behave!

[@sjrrhd]

I just gotta say, y'all are just so darn adorable. I greatly enjoy listening to your content.

[@martinbruhn5274]

We thought centuries of wars about religion. Maybe that's why we're more reserved about that issue and why we have decided, that it's more of a intimately private issue.

[@georginamcallum1324]

Canada used to have quiet sundays ,i remember when the stores were close on sundays. God i am old

[@bizburgess1947]

So interesting to hear all the unspoken rules.

[@eastfrisian_88]

I strictly separate work and private life because I've had bad experiences. I'm pretty strict about it, regardless of whether my work colleagues think I'm arrogant or not. I used to like going to the sauna with a towel around my waist and I met a teacher there once when I was in training - completely naked and that was very strange because there was only room next to him and he started with "Hey, you're in class blabla, I'm teaching you accounting?" ...ugh, that was so awkward, he remembered because I was one of the best three students who had a 1 (A) grade 😂

[@idoj4ever]

I (Canadian) remember sharing a hotel room in the USA with my best friend (German) and being told that I shouldn't turn on the TV because it was past 22:00 and people in the next room might be able to hear it. 😮 I'm not a loud person, but I don't think that I needed to be THAT quiet! 😂

[@paramkore1101]

I still think it’s crazy that y’all have to clean the building. That’s so foreign to me. I pay rent, I’m not cleaning the hallways, haha

[@lenakohl2339]

In some buildings, it's included in the rent. But it's rare. And more often, it's not the whole staircase and basement 3-4 times a year, like it's the case for Uyen, but only the staircase on your floor every 2-4 week, depending how many apartements there are on that floor. The basement is also somehow included, but often nobody cares.

[@paramkore1101]

@ interesting. I feel like that should be part of the apartments duties. Not all but many apartments where I live have a common area, pool, fitness center, and parking garage. That’s all just included in the amenities along with the cleaning which is done by someone the apartment hires.

[@samchan1031]

this is why we pay "FACILITY MANAGEMENT FEE". if they are so lazy to do as typical Germans, fire them, change a management company which is non-German worker based!

[@VampireKnightGirl89]

I think it is very common in the South (Schwaben?) but not anywhere else. In Berlin for example you never have to clean the hallway.

[@KalleKilponen]

In many ways the German rules make sense to me (a Finn) like not smiling to strangers. But cleaning apartment building's common areas is really odd. Historically here in Finland buildings used to employ a full time caretaker who would live in the building and take care of maintenance, cleaning and such. Nowadays that role has been largely replaced by maintenance companies that do the same thing, but I've never heard of a multi story building where occupants would be expected to do it by themselves.

[@traecruz9341]

My favorite rule that you shared in Germany is NO noise on Sunday. I live in Cherry Hill NJ with my husband. That's our rest day anyway. what I would find hard is not openly talking to people. I love to get to know others. I know it's not just a female thing, because my brother is the same way. We are very open but we have our limits too.

[@barbaravoneitzen7367]

This was very interesting. Thanks for sharing.

[@talithaseeber8704]

Something funny just dawned on me. I grew up in the Midwest of US. We also “brag” about what a great deal we got on a new purchase. And many areas were settled by Germans. I wonder if that is something they are passing down to us still?? I never realized how often I did that until I moved to the South where that is not a thing (and many less German ancestors!!).

[@michaelz.7140]

they should inform you when you move in and set the days. You also find it in the contract. my grandma had "Kehrwoche" where every household had to clean the public space once every 12 weeks (becvause there were 12 parties)- but after 3 years it has been changed because everyone was using an external service anyway, due to the old age, so the renters association changed it to an external company and let the cost be paid as "Nebenkosten". all my other rentals had cleaning services

[@abcxyz4866]

Because of the smiling I love Asian people 😁 as german

[@SewardWriter]

This is really handy! I'm American, but part of a group that tends to not do so well under fascism. The two safest places for me to go are Israel and Germany. Since I have recent German ancestry, it's probably the easier of the two, legally. These videos give me a better idea of how to function should the worst happen. 💖

[@AngelaPickles1929]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@annatyra671]

Most thermal baths have signs that say not to serve a chair or it may be subject to clearing by staff.

[@naomiloeb2736]

My father was British and it was important to him to not do loud stuff on Sundays. I think this was in response to the Commandment in the Bible to " Remember the Sabbath day to keep it Holy, six days your shall labor but the Sabbath is a day of rest and on it you shall do no work.

[@z0zRAMC]

Lol in the UK you can put your shopping in your bag in the shop to carry it around and then either unpack it at the till to scan and pay and then re-pack or most places let the customer have a scanner and you scan and pack as you shop. Then at the end, you just leave.

[@GoodMorning-b2w]

lol great episode!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@conniephillips8217]

Thanks, it's always fun to compare our lifestyle with other cultures! Also, the rules today are very different from my childhood. We seem to have no rules any longer. 😢

[@653j521]

Where is that?

[@lorriescott8775]

My life, 7 days a week, I can do anything unless I know that my neighbor is sleeping. 10-10 can mow grass. Sunday is equal to any day.

[@Morbid_micko]

This was really interesting, I like the sit down chill vibe!

[@Priyantochakma19]

Hi uyen sis you are so humble and good woman 💕💕🎉caring of fans ,family,etc❤❤

[@tinyshinyyyy]

Cheeky smile in the sauna 😂😂😂😂

[@Herr_Damit]

My grandma used to talk about how everyone in a radius of 3 km came to her unannounced and they had a backyard-party everyday. And she lived in the city, so it was not just a thing in small communities. This thing about making an appointment with your friends, really only came about with the advent of the smartphone. Even when SMS were widely used, just ringing on your friends door and asking them to come out to play was normal.

[@marbernal463]

I live in Eastern Germany, so maybe that’s the reason, but I actually was really surprised by the amount of group activities and dinners that you are expected to participate at work. I work at the University so maybe the environment is different, but it gets annoying when every week there is a working group activity that you are supposed to join…

[@chloeburnette9830]

there should be more signs in both countries. explaining rules in different places

[@samchan1031]

more ISO standards, more DIN standards 😂

[@marias8007]

😂😂😂 GB: all those ppl who refuse to integrate

[@samchan1031]

this is strange that birthday cake is so single german thing... it is so hard to relate this is a kind of refuse to integrate!

[@yanied9646]

Unspoken rules are ingrained in how you are raised, so it's like second nature... Vietnam and many of the countries in Asia would be full of this, for sure. From speech patterns, formality and informal speech, who you can talk to in what way...

[@min-yw8es]

i love this podcast so much !!!

[@martynaagneta6720]

You're very honest Uyen, so you naturally want to share your success with others. Here in this Western world people are more envieous, won't getting excited for your success. I'm not saying everyone is like that, but there's an ongoing competition to do better, earn more, get promoted etc.

[@oliviamorgan333]

I wish we could all be more happy for each other’s successes

[@izibear4462]

Europeans tend to be like that whereas Americans are not, they tend to celebrate success.

[@staceythompson163]

I'm in Canada and I think we are a blend of both of these cultures!

[@yvetteha7818]

I lived in missenback..are man we rent was mr.mullier..i never saw him smile..but a very kind man❤hy Ramstein..

[@stargazer0016]

We have almost the same rules in Switzerland, except bringing a cake on your birthday and getting the neighbour's packages. In my experience at work, basically nobody even knows if it's your birthday or they might just congratulate you and that's it. And the packages are just left at your front door or at the little grocery store in the village. EDIT: I forgot the biggest difference! We actually smile at people in public. Many people still have grumpy face but it's also normal to greet people in passing and smile.

[@TheRavenfish9]

Finding out Veitnam is largely atheist just blew my mind. That sounds wonderful.

[@drezhb]

Beware that only means most of the country is "not associated with a formalized religion". Most are superstitious or have spiritual beliefs in some way, like a belief in ghosts or karma or past lives. Source: am Viet.

[@Christinasgifts]

So informative stuff funny n cute😂❤

[@elmarijansevanrensburg5188]

Many of your rules are the same in South Africa (but kind of unspoken). Loved your episode.

[@mwintersweet3538]

I think I live in the wrong Germany! Every place I have worked in, there have been very toxic dynamics of people making groups of friends and gossiping and sometimes bullying. While I just want to work in a calm, uncomplicated environment without having to overshare. Also, I have had several German neighbours who were super loud and inconsiderate. My first neighbour, a German man, liked watching TV at a very high volume till 3 am ! I had to use Google translate to tell them to please lower the volume a little so that i can sleep. To be fair, I live in Berlin, so I guess that doesn't really count at Germany :D

[@Lord_Ivoundy_Creood]

Lol in the Ph, we kinda have both... We walk very close together in public and also greet eachother intimately with relatives and friends

[@sandyruitenberg2928]

In the Netherlands we joke about the Germans reserving chairs in the morning at holiday resorts.

[@Marit123]

In Norway to…

[@izibear4462]

I have a feeling that if a sign was written in only German at resorts they would stop it. It is our biggest peeve with them as tourists. Now, if only some Brits would stop being chavvy drunks, that would also help.