Whether you travel abroad, in regards to cash withdrawals: the ATM knows the card is from your home country, so it brings up dynamic currency conversion (which is the ATM's own quote regarding the exchange rate), giving you the option to choose that or continue without it (leaving that up to your home bank instead). For example: you decide to withdraw 300€ from the ATM but the machine's exchange is 300€ = $410 (which is a rip off).

But, if one continues to not use DCC: the bank does the conversion from their end, in this case it comes out as $358 including a $5 transaction fee (more like $353). The same applies to contactless payments, as at some establishments, the reader will give you a choice between local currency or the one from your home country, do you pick the one that's already converted or pay in local currency leaving it up to the bank?

It's funny, since they are fixated on framing China as a "mass surveillance" dystopia (and propagation of their so called social credit score) but there's hypocrisy since they implement similar tactics in the Anglosphere (though less obvious) while China is openly flexing that.

Snowden can't be called a conspiracy theorist as he showed evidence that the NSA is spying on everyone behind their backs (first, he managed to smuggle the intel out of his workplace which was difficult to execute) turning him into a whistleblower who's now living in Russia.

I've heard of a case where an American man was ranting about "why can't they speak English" despite him being in a country where it's not even spoken (in this case: Japan), like WTF? He's literally in another country where a different language is spoken, isn't that already common sense? Yes, there are (some) Americans who are like this: assuming that everyone all over the world just knows English from the get go, but that's not always the case.

Another was when an American woman wanted to pay for the bread at a French bakery using a crisp US$20 bill, but that was not accepted since France uses Euros as their main currency. I guess it stems from the fact Mexico accept that assuming that's universal in countries where their own currency (like the Korea uses Won, UK uses the Pound, Oman uses Rials & etc). I mean, why do (some) Americans think that every country uses US Dollars?

To put it into perspective, the USA is making the draft system automatic from the end of this year and there's opposition to it since the current system is that the individual is registered via the Selective Service System (it's put into the database when one gets a driver's license for example). From their case, the American government's argument is: "it saves money from military recruitment campaigns" which is a pile of horse shit.

I mean, there are European countries where the draft is normal and expected for men over 18 (Austria, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Greece, Cyprus & Croatia) including both Norway & Switzerland (despite them NOT being EU members at all). And yes: Ukraine has the draft, since men ages from 18-60 cannot leave the country due to them being made to stay behind on fending off against Russia.

But there are also European countries where the draft is non-existent, remains dormant or abolished: France, Germany, Poland, Romania, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Bulgaria, Belgium, Netherlands, Albania, Ireland or the United Kingdom. However, what would happen if your country's government suddenly enacts an automatic register for conscription?

As in, your country's government refers to a name list of guys who possess EU identity cards, driver's licenses or passports verifying if they're over 18 by putting their name on a database. Like this: your name refered from your EU identity card now put into a conscription register meaning you can be called up at any time when the circumstances deem it necessary, like all of that done behind everyone's back.

What I mean is that: they either use the Israeli New Shekel or Jordanian Dinar to process and conduct transactions due to them not having an official currency of their own that deems it Palestinian. Why don't they have their own, since they are using someone else's currency for daily purchases or transactions.

It's weaker than let's say Pound Sterling or the Euro for example. But, does a weak CAD affect international travel towards Canadian travelers? Since they'll be paying more whilst abroad requiring CAD in higher amounts to exchange for larger sums of cash (like if 1000€ = C$1617 that alone is a steep hike while C$1000 = 618€ see the difference?). Also, when you travel: do you bring CAD or exchange for USD first prior due to that having a better exchange rate?

I know for instance, between Japanese & Mandarin there are a few words that are written the same despite them being pronounced differently along with having different meanings altogether:

In hindsight: if you are bilingual, do you know any false friends between two languages (i.e. English & French) or (i.e. Spanish & Portuguese) that are spelled the same but have different definitions across both languages?

It's a country that's overlooked since UAE has skyscrapers or high rises while Oman doesn't have that (since their focus is more on culture and maintaining the "old Arabia" look & vibe whilst being rich in their own way). I mean, you can look up travel content about the UAE and there's tons of results while for Oman the amount of travel content is kind of sparse in comparison even though people do go there.

I know that for example, Japanese has words starting or ending with りゃく, りょう or りゅう which is difficult for English speakers to pronounce when they are learning the language. There are words such as 遠慮 (えんりょ), 留学生 (りゅうがくせい) or 略奪 (りゃくだつ) to mention a few, even Japanese names that have those sounds (i.e. 久常涼 or ひさつね・りょ) but they often mispronounce them (り・よ / や / ゆ) which are separate sounds in Kana but clustered together from り (like り + よ becomes りょ).

I know that in certain countries like Japan or South Korea: it's normal to leave the front door unlocked since the probaility of someone breaking in is low since their crime rate isn't high. I knew a friend of mine who resides in Korea where they even left the car unlocked with the keys inside, can you do either of those things in America?

The scenario is: landlord or lady intends to ask the tenant about the rent (because money from their account is not there to be withdrawn from) only finding the tenant's corpse, meaning they are not alive. Whether there is foul play involved or it's self inflicted (suicide): does that circumstance alone just "erase" the tenant's due rent?

It may be shifted onto the roommates (if he has one, but in this case there're none) and even they had company: it's not their problem as the landlord or lady only speaks to the tenant who signed the lease but that's not possible since the tenant passed. Would the landlord or lady just ask for the tenant's last will & testament instead?

To put it in perspective: the USA has it (but dormant as it was last used in the 60s) now, instead part of an automatic register. I've heard that last year Germany for example proposed to impose a mandatory, volunteer-focused military service model on boosting defense against threats like Russia but would you really enlist in the German Army (Bundeswehr) or refuse instead of adhereing to politicians interests?

I've heard a similar thing in France with them introducing a new voluntary 10-month military service program for 18-19 year olds starting this summer 2026, but would guys there be willing to enlist or outright refuse? What ever the case is, would guys in Europe either accept voluntary military service imposed by their nation or refuse to enlist as they know that politicians are the ones who instigate wars in the first place?

For EU nations that still have the draft enforced (mandatory conscription): what happens if guys refuse it? Do they end up in jail? In that case, would you rather be imprisoned for refusing or comply? I know that some countries have alternative service (civic) rather than conventional military service, but what happens if the individual refuses either? I mean, is it a criminal offense for simply refusing conscription?