Not to startle any of you, but death stalks us.
We all have nightmares about diseases and murderers.
But what if, in the end, we just choke on a pickle we inhaled too fast?
Maybe instead of a pickle, a little coleslaw would have been the wiser choice.
We'll never know.
The most minute things can send us packing.
Redditor SuffocatedByThighs wanted to discuss the things that can extinguish our lives in the most basic ways, so they asked:
"What simple mistake has ended lives?"
Tripping over untied shoelaces.
It can break your neck.
TIE YOUR SHOES!!!
Off the Rocks
On No Falling GIF by Outside TV
Giphy
"There have been too many instances of rock climbers rappelling off of the ends of their ropes, which could have been easily avoided by tying stopper knots at the ends of their ropes."
LZRDLZRD
Seconds
"I worked at a tire place for a summer and the first thing they told me was 'See that torque wrench? One mistake with this and you can kill a whole family in a matter of seconds.' I thought well, better take this thing seriously."
FrenchMicrowave
"Man for a second I was thinking 'F**k you'd have to swing that thing around fast to take out an entire family' and just bluescreened on the idea of changing a tire."
lurking_my_a**_off
How Vexing...
"THERAC-25. The world’s deadliest software error. Cost several radiation patients their lives by administering lethal amounts of radiation, and for a while, the doctors didn’t even know."
Longjumping_Event_59
"THERAC-25 suffered a particularly vexing sort of error known as a race condition. Essentially, the circuit required multiple inputs in a particular sequence, but sometimes the timing of that sequence could get thrown out of whack and it would lead to all sorts of nonsensical output."
"This is less than ideal when all you're doing is manipulating pixels, but when your software is handling radiation beams you really don't want this to happen."
"Even more vexing is that race conditions are frequently heisenbugs, which can vanish altogether when one attempts to study them. If you don't have a good idea of what's causing the error, you may never cotton on to what sort of bad input is required to test it. Under those circumstances, it's easy to write them off as imaginary, only to then find."
dancingmadkoschei
Heavy Drifting
"Leaving the stranded vehicle on the road in winter and trying to walk to get help. It happens in rural parts of our province once or twice a year and they find the body a few days later. They get disoriented and freeze."
Regina_Runner
"I got blown off a road in high winds. Heavy drifting. Less than a mile from a friend's house after I had turned around. Drifts made it impossible to complete the trip. Trying to run a mile in full blizzard conditions was a fight for my life as an in-shape 24-year-old male athlete.
"rotyag
Simple Slips
Uh Oh Omg GIF by Bounce
Giphy
"Almost any simple mistake can end a life if you're an anesthesiologist, that's how my grandpa died in his early 60s."
dwserps
Any second. Any moment.
Stay vigilant people.
Celibacy could be better...
Oh My Wow GIF
Giphy
"Not being honest with doctors about Viagra. It has many dangerous drug interactions and can cause a lot of problems from what I’ve heard. Trust me the doctor ain’t gonna judge you guys, they have seen many more embarrassing things. And it would suck to die because you wanted to hide something just for it to be later stated in your death certificate."
The_upsetti_spagetti
Check the Numbers
"As a healthcare worker, giving the wrong amount of insulin."
UzumakiHorror
"During the first shift of my first clinical rotation in nursing school, I watched a nurse draw up insulin out of an auto-injector pen that was CLEARLY marked to specifically not do that AND she was drastically wrong about the dosage and almost killed a guy by giving him essentially like a hundred times the intended dose."
someguynamedg
Stay In
"Pulling the knife out of someone."
rcadephantom
"Yeah, I did that but it was a broken tree branch that had impaled my leg. Without even thinking I pulled it out. Blood started gushing so I pulled off my shirt and tied it into a pressure bandage. I was lucky I didn’t bleed to death."
Olddog_Newtricks2001
"Shock is an IQ reducer. I once sliced a bit off the side of my hand with a broken glass, and sort of dazedly picked off the piece of me and tried to stick it back on. It did not work."
UncannyTarotSpread
Stay Dirty
"Mixing cleaning ingredients."
Jonnysource
"My dad was trying to unclog his kitchen drain and mixed drain cleaners by adding one then adding another a few minutes later. It started bubbling and he began coughing intensely. I heard him coughing from the other room, saw what happened, and opened the nearby window to get rid of the chlorine gas he just produced."
"I forgot there was a large hive of wasps that had moved into that window and they did not appreciate this unexpected interruption. I took him to the emergency room for the gas exposure and it was tough explaining that the wasp stings were not why we were there."
CharmingTuber
Dear God
Jeff Goldblum What GIF by The Late Late Show with James Corden
Giphy
"A friend’s husband locked himself out of their home. He tried to get in through a window that had security bars. While squeezing through his foot slipped and he essentially hung himself on the window sill."
Cokej01
Life is fleeting. Here is proof.
LIVE!! But live smart.
Redditor Timely_Wonder3839 wanted hear about the times the Reaper almost came for some us, just because we were a little too ditzy, so they asked:
"What was the dumbest way you almost died?"
I'm super afraid of death. I'm trying to figure out eternal life. Until then, I'm always aware. No falling toilets for me.
Swim Swimming GIF by Guava JuiceThat coulda been me!
"When I was a kid (maybe 4yo), the first time I won against my grandma in UNO I was so happy, I ran into the house screaming 'I WON!' (we played in the yard) - little me wasn't able to stop fast enough so I slammed right into a wooden frame-door with a big glass window. My whole face was cut open (luckily everything healed, all I am missing is a small piece of my nosetip and its not even visible if you don't know where to look)."
"The glass shattered in a star-shape around my head and one of the spikes from the remaining glass door missed my main artery for 0.5cm (0.19 inches). I almost killed myself by accident because I won against my grandma in UNO." ~ salem7753
Shelling at night...
"I went to Aavdiyvka in Eastern Ukraine with my brother. We wanted to make a film/photos about the situation in Donetsk but basically had no planning/training/fixer. We got in a car with a random Russian dude who took us to the village. Soldiers everywhere. Minefields everywhere. Shelling at night."
"There were many points when I thought my heart stopped/I nearly pooped myself. Also got our passports temporarily confiscated by Ukrainian soldiers who rightly assumed we didn't know what the fuck we were doing. This was back in 2018. 10/10 would not do that now." ~ Saynthewrongthings
Gagging
"I was drying off after taking a shower. For some reason I was using a Christmas themed towel that had been around a few years and had some loose threads throughout. I was drying off my face and I guess I inhaled through my mouth and one of the threads wrapped itself around my uvula. I just gagged on it and was able to very slowly pull it out, but it took a few seconds and I was starting to get dizzy."
"When it came out I was left with a very sore throat and was gasping for air. It is humbling to know that I could’ve easily been found naked, wet, and dead with a towel in my mouth. I now take a deep breath and hold it before bringing a towel to my face. I also frequently purchase new towels." ~ PeripheralVisionMan
Close Shave
Iron Chef Cooking GIF by GIPHY Studios OriginalsGiphy"A boat ran over my head in a lake once. I saw the propeller go right past my face." ~ MyHeadGetsSalty
Drunk... that would be my downfall of stupidity, should it happen. I'm going dry.
Piggy
mike lookinland piggy bank GIF by HULUGiphy"As a kid I swallowed about 15 pennies because I was acting like a piggy bank." ~ odagled86
Lost Lake
"Swimming drunk in a frigid lake. I made it like 50 meters out to a floating dock and decided to hop on the dock and just lay there for a while. When I jumped back into the frigid water, the temperature and my drunken stupor caused me to sink like a stone. When I finally floated to the surface I was flailing and asking for help. My friends (one of which was a lifeguard) thought I was screwing around and didn't help me."
"I somehow managed to backstroke my way back to shore after what seemed like an eternity and proceeded to vomit my guts out. My lifeguard friend was drunk and stoned. also the lake was ironically named Lost Lake, every time i'm in town i retell the tale of how i almost lost my life in Lost Lake." ~ elmerjstud
Waterways...
"We have underground water storage tanks at the apartment block where I lived. Back when I was 8 or 9 I was playing with a football (soccer for all the Americans) that my friend brought in the heat of kicking the ball hard enough to send it flying to the other block i stepped back farther than necessary."
"Now being a stupid kid I thought running as fast as I can I could kick the ball to great distance. And so I ran, ran like the wind and in running super fast when it was time to kick my feet tangled leading me to fall on the water tank. Which was unlocked at that time (water bowsers were called to fill them that's why)."
"I went in half my body hanging 20ft above a dark space with what i was told 6ft of water in it. The security guard came running to help me. Sometimes I think what if he was not around and was assisting someone i wouldn't be here in bed sharing this with the world. Truly a hero in my eyes wherever he is now." ~ zambo0893
Off the Plank
"Stepping on an unsecured plank on a scaffold 10 stories up. When I stepped off of it. It teetered like a see saw. I damn near wet myself grabbing it so it wouldn’t tip over and fall. (10’ 2” plank would’ve been my end in construction if it fell or my life.) my boss was just pulling it into position and I misunderstood his instruction. F**k me that was scary moment." ~ Wizdad-1000
Flying
North America Weather GIF by BBC AmericaGiphy"A full grown tree flying towards me during a cyclone." ~ PirateKing802
Who eats pennies? Really? Good night. And watch out for cyclones. Check.
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I love money too much to lose it. I've misplaced it every now and again and it nearly gave me a stroke. So I am over the top with keeping track. But apparently some of you are not.
3 flights up...
Mad Tommy Wiseau GIF by The RoomGiphy"Deciding to carry my 52" flat screen to up to my flat alone up 3 flights of stairs and tripping and dropping it. I died inside when that happened."
Wrecked
"Not me - but I personally know 2 different people who purchased an expensive car on credit and failed to pay insurance. Wrecked car. Total loss. Tens of thousands of dollars in debt and had to buy a beater with cash because no bank would lend again."
"On the flip side, almost twenty years ago in Europe some of the car insurance + financing combo deals were insane. I worked for a major brand and we had one case where a woman had bought a new car at a normal discount, benefitted from the bundled insurance at full market valuation, drove around for three weeks, then she wrote off her car in an accident (her fault) - we had to send her a check for the €1000 more that her policy was worth above what she had bought the car for. Yes we had created a system through which crashing a car a month paid out €12k net a year."
Bits...
"I sold all my bitcoins (500-1000) right before they price started to grow up instantly. Yes, I didn't lose money, but just imagine how many I could get if I sold them after they price grew up. So yep, very expensive mistake."
"Same. My friends and I bought $20 worth of bitcoins for each of us in 2012. Today, none us remember the account that we created. We all regret it every second."
- Gharyl
STOP!
"Starting smoking as a teenager."
"You can quit them! If you want to do it, I can tell you some tricks that helped me. Of course, there is no "magic pill" and you will have to use some will power, mostly in the first 2-3 weeks, but it gets way easier with time and I can assure you that your future self will be grateful to you for it."
I Don't
Pay Day Money GIF by Boomerang OfficialGiphy"Marrying my ex? Yep, that's the worst mistake in money and time. At least I got these cool kids though. They rock."
Marriage is always a dicey situation. That is why prenup. I don't share my change with anyone, that is one way to lose it. And stop smoking.
Hire Someone
Toilet Paper GIF by 100% SoftGiphy"Picked up a free toilet to install for a remodel. Ended up breaking my car window driving it to location. Most expensive free toilet ever."
Pre-Production
"Made a mistake on a laptop main board, the design got rushed into production. On the upside, it was caught during the pre-production build. Reworking the laptops cost $185,000."
"I feel like theres stuff like that where I work. Since they deal die casting large parts, even a single smaller portion of a die can be an easy $12k mistake."
Craps...
"Gambling. Started with $1,000, kept winning and had $73,000. Got greedy and wanted to hit $100k, and lost it all chasing the loss. All in the course of 12 hours. I was depressed for weeks afterward and haven't gambled a single dollar since."
"Well you really only lost $1000 and if you weren't the type to keep gambling, you wouldn't have gotten it up to $73k in the first place. Many people would have stopped at a few thousand."
Careful with Numbers...
"So this was able to be corrected without actually paying any cost, but it made me sick to my stomach all the same. I was put in charge of ordering new cars at a dealership, and was making my first order. Nothing exciting, just two dozen basic coupe cars with A/C. I got the whole order in, and was pretty pleased with myself until I hit send and then saw my error. See, there are different model numbers. ZZACD is a base model car - NOTHING added."
"ZWACD is a base model plus A/C. And I had chosen ZZACD by mistake. I ran to my General Manager right away, and after he made fun of me for being a dummy, we made a call together, and the people on the other end of the ordering process were able to switch out the models on the 24 cars I ordered. I am super duper ultra careful with numbers now, and get teased for triple checking everything, but man, that panic lingered for days."
Daddy Issues
"Didn't monitor the oil level in my car closely enough and messed up the engine. Downside I spent about $1200 and a month of weekends swapping the engine out. On the upside it was a good learning experience doing a major repair like that and I did it with my dad so it was a fun bonding experience with him."
- adeon
Redditors Recount The Wedding Objections They Witnessed | George Takei’s Oh Myyy
Weddings are supposed to be all about love and celebration, right? But let's be honest, weddings are stressful. According to a recent Zola survey of 500 enga...Alo-no...
Happy Dance GIF by PLAYMOBILGiphy"Moving to Hawaii. 12k in debt and back at my parents house at 27. Still not as bad as having kids though!"
- Ohdigidy
To Live
"I bought ARK Survival: Evolved (which is my fav game to this day) and it literally became free on Epic Games just a few weeks later."
"I did not get it when it was free, because I didn't think, that the game is interesting enough... ended with me buying that for full price a few weeks later."
- Enyy1
"That was a relatively inexpensive mistake in the grand scheme of things, but of course, it's the most expensive one for you. But i feel you because when you buy something, you don't expect it to fall in price so much (or even be free) just a short time after you paid regular full price for it."
By the Foot
"$150,000 for mis-measuring something on a construction site. Off by 1 foot."
"Did sort of the same thing fresh outta school as a surveyor, I didn't check the settings in the total station and laid out a row of 12 2'x2' concrete columns that were later poured and they were out by enough they couldn't be salvaged. Didn't get fired though but it taught me a valuable lesson to always double check crap."
- taco1911
Super Super Happy Face
"I got scammed for the Super Super Happy Face in Roblox. Was worth 10k Robux when I got it and now its around 60k. Might not seem like it matters but that was a big loss that day and I didn't even notice it."
"Used to be a developer for them when it was a new game. Started when I was in elementary school back in '09. Had ~300k Robux worth of stuff, stopped playing when I started college. My account got hacked when I started getting back into it and they won't restore it. Kind of crushed tbh. It was a huge part of my childhood."
- Aelsar
Ragged
Car Fixing GIF by The Back RoadsGiphy"Left a rag in the engine bay which got sucked up into the timing belt housing leading to a violent interaction between the pistons and valves."
Laundry Day
"When I was like 15 I was staying at a fancy hotel in Vienna with some friends. One morning I noticed that some of my clothes were a little dirty (a pair of jeans and a t-shirt) so I thought I should get them cleaned. There was a self-service laundry a couple of blocks away from the hotel but it was snowing outside and I was too lazy to put on my winter clothes and walk in the cold so I just asked for the hotel's laundry service instead. I was very naive and thought that the laundry service was free for guests of the hotel."
"It wasn't free and the next day I ended up paying 90€ for the service (just a f***ing pair of jeans and a t-shirt). At the time that was like half of my savings and I stayed broke for the rest of the trip. If I had decided to walk to the self-service laundry instead of being lazy I would've spent 5€ instead of 90€ for the exact same service."
Moving Art
"I was very young at the time, my parents had put a painting in the corner of out living room cuz we were gonna move it somewhere else, one day I was playing tag with my sister around the house, I ran into the living room (I was wearing socks) and so when I tried to stop to jump over the couch, I couldn't, so I slid on one foot keeping balance and using the other to stop, and the foot I was trying to stop with went straight into the very expensive very big painting."
Check it out...
"A friend of mine started a new job and didn't realize he needed to check the oil on the equipment he was operating. 2 million dollars later and all is running. Believe it or not he is still working there. Of course it's a government job."
- elmoz26
"I mean, they did just spend two million dollars on him for a very valuable lesson. Next person won't have that lesson."
Toilet Issues
Sesame Street Dancing GIFGiphy"I once hired some exterminators because it wasn't previously disclosed to me that my house had a termite infestation. Long story short, they replaced my toilet with a toilet that had a joke hole that's just for farts and now I can't take a dump in my own house."
Raisins
"I once left an opened box of Raisin Bran on the kitchen table and left the house to hang out with a friend. I came back to find my three poodles had pulled it down and eaten almost all of it. My wife and everyone else was out of town so I had to bring all three dogs to the emergency 24-hour vet to get their stomachs emptied. One didn't get any raisins so he got to come home. The other two were admitted and monitored for two days. Ended up being a $3,000 vet bill. They were all ok though."
No Exes...
"Got back together with an ex. Found out she had been freaking a former best friend/manipulated me into thinking I was a bad guy for questioning her story prior to the full truth being revealed. Sent me into a massive depressive spiral that ended with me withdrawing from medical school in my 4th year due to a breakdown. Now I owe hundreds of thousands of dollars and am in a dead end job making about 1/10 of my former potential."
Always prepare properly when you're making a move. Even a move down the street can get costly. What have we learned? Be cautious with your finances, it easily comes and goes.
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Don't Look
Cat Driving GIFGiphy"My aunt, unexpectedly, drove up next to me. My wife was currently going down on me. We make eye contact. I obviously say "the hell" which made my wife look up. The look of horror as we all made eye contact was pretty awkward."
"I don't know"
"Not me, but I was there. My best friend's mom caught her having sex in the garage when we were teenagers. Her mom asked me where she was and I just said "I don't know." And then I hear the garage door open and was like "she's screwed." Happened over ten years ago and my best friend and I still laugh about it."
- Winter
Not a Teen Movie!
"I was caught naked in the closet of my lesbian then-girlfriend's bedroom as a teenager, by her catholic parents. They got home early and my clothes were right there in the living room. Yes I know it sounds like a teen movie, no I didn't mean to star in one. They didn't even wait for me to leave before yelling at her."
"I was internally like what in the hell. I awkwardly left and she ended up joining me a while later crying, pretty much the only time I ever saw her cry. We're friends now and we just pretend it never happened. I manage to forget it until times like this."
- ramune_0
On the Job
"Going back many years but I got caught having sex with my then girlfriend at work (now ex-wife). We knew it was an area with no cameras but our manager walked past and caught us. Somehow we didn't lose our jobs that day and he told us he'd look the other way, but to never do crap like that again."
Pillow Talk
season 2 chocolate with nuts GIF by SpongeBob SquarePantsGiphy"My grandpa once walked in on my fifteen year old self making out with a pillow while I was spending the summer with him and my grandma, it's a good thing he was senile and didn't know what I was doing."
People Share Their Unexpected Happiest Moments | George Takei’s Oh Myyy
While many of life's big events like weddings and births bring us joy, even the smallest of gestures or gifts can leave a lasting impression. Especially if y...Oh my, y'all are scandalous. I mean you could write romance novels and comics about these clandestine encounters. I feel "Like a Virgin" reading all of this. Let's continue...
Bad Times
where are you waiting GIF by SWR KindernetzGiphy"Out after my towns curfew. I didn't even know we had a curfew till that day. Or was it the time i was caught on the church roof next to my trailer park? Dunno, but it was with the same friend from both times."
Butt Twins
"I was at the gym and saw my wife in front of me on the stair machine. I stood behind her and used my phone to video her, particularly her butt. She didn't know I was there. I texted the video to my wife. She texted back later and said "you like her do Yah?" I looked over and from the side I could see this girl on the machine and it absolutely was not my wife. She looked exactly like her from behind. FML."
- Deedum78
High as Kites
"I got caught smoking pot and drinking when I was in high school by a teacher, a substitute teacher, and the principal. We were having a small get together, like 6 of us, at my friend's grandmother's house. We didn't realize her neighbor, who was a teacher at our school, was having her own get together. She was normally at the country club letting loose on the weekend. We saw that and knew we couldn't smoke in the house, so we just turned out the lights and snuck outside."
"We were sitting out there and had gotten high as kites. We thought we were in the clear. We heard someone from the neighbors house go "hello?" And we all got super quiet. They again said "hello? Is someone out there?" I said "hey!" Them:"what are y'all doing" Me: "oh just hanging out" Them: "who's all over there?" I told them. Well the teacher had gotten sloshed and decided to come over to say hello."
"We reeked of pot and booze and she picked on us for it. The sub was like leave them alone, "I told you not to come over here." The principal walks up beer in hand and sees it's her students- and her eyes get big. We were all a part of a Christian school and should've been expelled and them fired but we all just kind of agreed to never speak of it again. I still laugh when I think about it."
Whipped
that 70s show whip cream GIF by IFCGiphy"It was the middle of the night at my boyfriend's house, and his mom caught me drinking whipping cream straight from the carton when she came back in from taking the dog out."
- hei4esnn
So much sex. Why is it always sex? We really need to calm down about sex. But it really is the most interesting and blush inducing topic. Always will be.
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When I was in London I learned that whether you can do a great British accent or not... don't. They've seen and heard enough of it. You're not Bridget Jones. Just enjoy the sights.
Fingered
Vhs Kiss GIF by vhspositiveGiphy"Thumbs up means ok in America but in Iran it has the same effect as the middle finger."
No Touching
"In Brazil we are very pro-hugs even with strangers depending on the situation. Like tight hugs. We have no problems about touching as in the shoulder or arm while talking, or side hugging to take pictures with strangers. We also have the kissing thing (not between men tho). We share our life's story and feelings with strangers pretty easily. Waiting-in-a-line-together micro friendships are a thing. There are many cultures where this level of touching and sharing would be considered incredibly weird."
- tdeinha
Greetings...
"In the west a lot of people when greeting kids, put their hand in the kids head, ruffling up their hair or something like that. In Thailand the majority of the country is Buddhist and follows the beliefs so some extent. The head is held as a sacred and cleanest part of the body, even if its a kid so this practice is considered very offensive."
"Luckily the Thais are a very understanding and forgiving people and would happily accept an apology for this oversight and would only hold a grudge if it came from someone who they know to be aware of this. Another thing that we in the west might do without thinking is step across someone in you needed to get past."
"For example if people were sat on the floor around a fire, or a low table, maybe just chilling on the grass with friends in the park or at a festival. If you needed to get past someone you may step over their body to some degree, maybe stepping over their legs or something innocuous to us."
"Just as the head is held in high regard, the feet are the opposite, believed to be dirty and it is very disrespectful to point your feet at someone, step over any part of their body etc.. A simple excuse me (koh toad khap), with a gesture in the direction you wish to pass will result in the person happily moving out of your way and appreciating your respect of their cultural beliefs."
- fifadex
"Are you Canadian?"
"Took a trip to Australia last summer, and I'm from the US. When people heard my accent they would ask, "Are you Canadian?" and after having replied no to several people, I asked why they never asked if I was from the states. Apparently Canadians are insulted if you ask them if they are American, so it's just custom to ask everyone if they are Canadian first."
Tips
Giphy"Although tipping is obligatory in the US, but I also heard that in some countries like Japan and China tipping often makes them feel inferior."
- Qrainix_
Now that is a lot of new information. Look how easy it is to step in. And the bigger the step, the bigger the fix. I still say in this day and age, the less touching the better though. No offense...
Listen Close
Listen GIF by The Maury ShowGiphy"German 'tschüss' (goodbye) apparently sounds like 'Qù sǐ' (去死) to Chinese tourists, meaning 'go to death'."
And I mean STARE...
"I had a Chinese neighbor who would stare at me. And I mean STARE. There was one time when he was in his front yard and I was getting in my car. I decided to stare back. We just stared at each other for a good 20 seconds. I lost the staring contest because it was agonizingly awkward."
"I researched Chinese customs and found out that they apparently stare a lot and I guess it's not really "friendly," but it's just a normal thing in China. In the US, staring is considered extremely strange and rude. He didn't speak English, so I couldn't even tell him that he was making me and my wife uncomfortable with his constant death stare."
American Principal...
"Not necessarily rude but still weird/surprising. In India when you meet someone who is your elder (like significantly older) you touch their feet as a gesture that you are asking for their blessings and showing respect towards them. I think there is a video of an Indian Student who touched the feet of his American Principal on his graduation and left him confused."
Let's Chat
"In America, people talk to strangers on regular basis, do small talk, ask how the other person is doing, etc. in my country if you ask a stranger how is he doing it will be really weird and awkward for the person. You don´t even smile or talk in general to strangers in my country."
Cook & Clean
"My sister in law recently came to stay with me while my husband was out of town. Apparently in my husbands culture it is a sign of gratitude for guests to help clean around the house and help with cooking. Meanwhile in my American culture having a guest over means busting my butt to clean the house to the point of being spotless and making sure there is a ton of snacks and food available before the guest gets there. First morning she got up like an hour before me and swept the whole house and even brushed the cat hair off the cat tree."
"She also would not let me help cook dinner lol. It made me uncomfortable at first and I tried to tell her that she didn't need to do all that (nicely not in a rude way), but she was very insistent on wanting to help out so I just let her. Apparently it was making her uncomfortable sitting around while she was here lol. Definitely a conflict of cultural norms there lol."
- Eened
Say Nothing
season 1 episode 102 GIF by BBCGiphy"I read once that in some cultures, if you're a guest in someone's home, it would be bad form to compliment a household item or decoration, because they will then be obligated to offer it to you as a gift. I can't remember which countries they cited where this was a thing."
On a side note, when in Amsterdam, don't overdo it with the weed. They really can't stand that. Act accordingly.
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