I’m constantly finding things that are much different than what I’m used to in the United States. Here are three more.
Water heaters are suspended off the ground, near the ceiling of the bathroom, which is normal for Europe, but for me it’s a wild sight. There are little relief valves on the bottom that will let pressure out of the water heater if something goes wrong. So instead of building up pressure and exploding, riddling me with shrapnel as I brush my teeth, boiling hot water will spray all over me . . . I’m not sure which I would choose, but here’s an idea – PUT THE WATER HEATER SOMEWHERE THAT ISN’T RIGHT NEXT TO MY HEAD!
Hand soap smells really good. Almost too good. You can smell the hand soap well out into the hallway where the bathroom sink is located. It’s like the hand soap company is not only wanting you to smell good, but also simultaneously to let the rest of the world know that you just washed your hands, and to try and make the rest of the world smell good. I say bravo.
Most people have multiple names. I talk about Ghafoor and Khaliq and others, but these are not their only names. SayedGhafoor is Ghafoor’s complete first name, and AbdulKhaliq is Khaliq’s. At home, their families normally also have another name that they use. This could be confusing if you were looking for someone, because they have a conditional identity. “Do you know Khaliq?” “Not here I don’t!” In addition, this doesn’t take into account all the last names. There is a new guy here in our office that demands to be called by his last name. I’m agreeable, as long as he calls me dBase.