Instead of simply painting lines all over the road, these streets in Belgium have been cleverly designed to actually incorporate pieces of white marble. It looks so much classier while still having the same functional effect. Plus, unlike paint, these bright white markings will never fade away over time.

Ever been on a bike ride around a park and found yourself with a flat tire or some other little issue that could be easily fixed, if only you had the right tools? Usually, you have to drag the bike all the way home to fix it up, but in some Canadian parks, you can simply head over to one of these bike repair stations.

As populations rise, many big cities are struggling to offer enough parking lots, garages, and street spaces for all the cars. In this South Korean city, however, smart parking systems have been installed that actually store cars vertically, taking up way less space than a typical lot.

In Iran, respect and honor between people are exceptionally important parts of national culture and identity. Politeness is huge, and the concept of ‘taarof’ shows just how polite people can be over there! Shopkeepers will sometimes refuse to accept money from customers who are of a higher social standing, and the customers have to be equally polite and insist on paying for their goods.

Many buses around the world have little buttons to let the driver know you want to get off, but this one, in Finland, has another extra special button too: a thank you button! Passengers can press this little ‘thumbs up’ symbol as they step onto the sidewalk to let the driver know they were happy with his or her driving.

Those famous red telephone boxes in the United Kingdom aren’t really fit for purpose anymore, in an age when everyone has their own smartphone. So, instead of just leaving them to go to waste, British councils have decided to repurpose them, fitting the old boxes with defibrillators to potentially save lives in emergency situations.

Another iconic part of British culture, in addition to its telephone boxes, is its famous red post boxes. During the Olympics, the post boxes in certain towns get painted gold if an athlete from that location wins a medal! It’s a cute way of honoring sporting heroes.

How many times have you had a set of keys in your hand and fumbled around, trying to get the key into the lock to open up a door? This is especially true at night, when it’s hard to see the lock. This clever German lock design has a curved band of raised metal surrounding the lock, making it super easy to open up at any time of day or night.

Over in Finland, a land of fairy tale scenery and gorgeous landscapes, the education system is more centered around getting kids outdoors in the fresh air. Rather than keeping students cooped up and doing test after test, Finnish teachers take kids out to experience the real world. This system results in Finland consistently being ranked among the very best in terms of PISA scores.

To try and cut down on stress at work and help people relax a little, Sweden has the practice of ‘fika’. This is when, two times per day, workers are able to enjoy a quiet, relaxing coffee break with their colleagues. They don’t have to worry about any other responsibilities, simply enjoying a drink and a snack.

Back in 2017, a law was passed in France that allows workers the ‘right to disconnect’. This basically means that once the working day is done, employees can totally disconnect from their emails and work phones, not needing to worry about being contacted or bothered regarding work-related issues in their free time.

Over in the Philippines, Bayanihan is an incredible cultural concept in which communities will actually come together to physically lift and move a family’s entire home! It’s the best way to move house, keeping all of your possessions and space intact while heading off to a new spot.

In various Asian countries, brides-to-be enjoy ‘henna nights’. Just a couple of days before the wedding, the bride and various other women from her circle of family and friends come together and paint beautiful henna patterns and designs all over her body. Many of them are meant to symbolize good luck and fertility.

One problem facing so many countries is road safety. There are countless schemes and programs around the world designed to encourage people to drive safely, and Norway might have come up with the best one ever. Over there, money gathered through speeding tickets is added to a big lottery fund. Good drivers get automatic entry into the lottery each year, with a chance to win up to £2,000 each.

Tipping is an integral part of American culture, driven mostly by the fact that service workers are paid very low wages and often rely on tips to survive. In other countries, however, like Japan, tipping is unnecessary. Service workers are given fair wages and other advantages, so it’s actually considered quite rude to tip there.

It feels like we’re constantly searching for chargers and outlets to boost up the batteries of our smartphones, tablets, and other portable devices. In Finland, buses are outfitted with little USB ports for passengers to quickly and simply give their devices some much-needed energy while on the move.

In France, schools really take their time when it comes to school meals. They care about the quality of nutrition provided to their students, so most items on the menu are home-made and every meal features a starter, main course, and dessert, with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables typically featured on the menu.

A big problem in so many towns and cities around the world is litter, with countless people ignoring trash cans and just dropping their junk on the ground. In Sweden, Wi-Fi-enabled trash cans have been introduced, giving people a reason to get closer to the cans and throw their garbage away properly, while also giving citizens easier access to the internet.

Over in Norway, as soon as any new book gets published, the government buys a thousand copies of it and sends them out to various libraries across the nation. This is a great way for the country to show support for its ambitious, first-time authors, while also supporting smaller publishers too and encouraging people to read.

Over in Cuba, where cars are actually quite rare, the government passed a law to ensure that all vehicles must pick up hitchhikers, as long as they have space in their cars to do so. This helps people, especially tourists, get around more easily, and it cuts down on the country’s carbon footprint as more people are car-sharing.

If you order fries at a fast food joint in South Korea, you won’t have to worry about having sticky, greasy, dirty fingers when you’re done. They often give you little plastic finger covers to use, letting you enjoy finger food with minimal fuss and better hygiene too.

Beyond the borders of the United States and Canada, retail taxes are simply included in the price you see in stores. This means you pay the price listed for each product and don’t have to worry about calculating the added tax in your head when you get to the checkout. It’s much simpler than the system used throughout North America.

Over in Germany, people actually get charged for the trash they throw out. Citizens have to pay up to $2 per pound of trash, so this encourages everyone to live in a more eco-friendly way, recycling whenever they can. The result is that waste across the country has dropped by a whopping 50% in the last few decades.

Pretty much every country worldwide offers paid parental leave for new moms, except the US. This means that so many American women feel forced to either give up their jobs or rush back to work as quickly as possible after having a child, causing all kinds of undue stress.

Ever feel so angry you just want to scream? Well, in one city, some 50 miles outside of Tokyo, Japan, a special festival lets people do just that. The festival of Akutare Matsuri, which can be translated as ‘the bad language festival’ or ‘the naughty festival’ involves people walking up a dark mountain road yelling, screaming, and cursing into the night about everything that has annoyed or angered them during the year.

In the US, paper bank notes are still being used, but in many other countries, currency systems have evolved to make use of polymer notes instead. This means that the notes have way less of an effect on the environment, last a lot longer, are much more resistant to damage, and can incorporate unique safety and security features to prevent forgeries and fakes.

The entire nation of Estonia is totally covered by free, public Wi-Fi. This means you can go absolutely anywhere and always get an internet connection without even needing to pay a penny for the privilege. It’s a dream come true for smartphone addicts and online workers.

If you’ve ever had to hitchhike, you’ll know how frustrating and challenging it can be. There are no real rules when it comes to hitchhiking, so you just have to hold out your hand, smile at every driver coming your way, and hope for the best. In Denmark, however, they have specially designated hitchhiking spots where drivers can stop safely and hitchhikers can buddy up and get around more easily.

For such a small country, Iceland is a true global leader in many fields, especially feminism! Back in 1975, 90% of the nation’s women went on strike to make a statement about equality, and it worked. Since then, the nation has led the way in many feminist statistics, having the first ever democratically elected female president and the smallest gender wage gap worldwide.

Norway is one of the most beautiful nations on Earth, well known for its wonderful, scenic landscapes. In order to encourage people to get out and enjoy the nation’s nature, the country has adopted the principle of ‘Fruiluftsliv’, which translates to ‘open air life’. Essentially, following the principle of Fruiluftsliv means that everyone in Norway is free to explore pretty much the entire country, camping, hiking, skiing, and exploring anywhere they want, without having to pay or obtain permits.

Over in Austria, paid vacation is taken very seriously. While workers in other parts of the world barely get any paid leave whatsoever, Austrian companies allow their workers to take at least 22 days off, fully paid, per year. They also get 13 additional paid holidays each year too.

Cat cafes are starting to become more and more popular around the world, but Japan leads the way. The Land of the Rising Sun is home to more animal cafes than anywhere else in the world, with lots of cat cafes, but also hedgehog cafes and even owl cafes, letting people sit, drink, and relax with all kinds of furry friends.

Healthcare is a controversial issue in the United States and in many other countries, but in Italy, it never really gets talked about. Why? Because Italians consider healthcare to be a basic human right, so they have a universal system that offers healthcare for absolutely everyone, covering check-ups, medications, hospital trips, and everything in between. Plus, Italy has been consistently ranked in the top ten countries in the world for healthcare quality, so they’re definitely doing something right!

Criminal justice is a big issue in many countries, and a lot of hard work is put into finding new ways to rehabilitate criminals and make them less likely to offend again. In Brazil, one very clever system has been put into place where inmates can actually reduce time off their sentences by reading books and learning new things. The inmates have to write reports about the books they read and the program has led to a 30% decrease in criminal relapses across the nation.

Ever tried pushing a dolly downstairs? It’s not a good idea, and many workers find themselves in difficult situations when needing to transport heavy goods up or down stairs. This clever, tank-style dolly is used in Japan to safely and securely move goods from one floor to another with ease.

Proving that gun ownership and gun safety aren’t incompatible ideas, Germany ranks quite highly in terms of countries with the most gun owners and also has some of the lowest numbers of gun-related deaths around too. Why? It’s all thanks to the nation’s smart laws that ensure everyone keeps their guns in locked and secure containers at home to prevent anyone getting their hands on them.

In some small Swiss mountain towns, honesty shops can be found. These are little shops that actually don’t have any staff keeping an eye on them or the customers throughout the day. You simply go in, find the products you want to buy, and leave your money on the counter. It might sound crazy, but it’s helped to foster a lot of trust in the local community and many tourists in the area like to stop off at these shops too.

Usually, if you turn up late to any kind of party, gathering, or event, you’ll be greeted with frowns and angry expressions. That’s not the case in South America, however. In countries like Chile, guests are actually expected to turn up a little later than the designated time. This gives people a little more freedom and flexibility, creating a more laid-back attitude for everyone and less stress too.

Many people don’t like using the restroom in public places due to the embarrassing noises sometimes associated with this process. Well, in Japan, some restrooms are equipped with little buttons you can press that play music or ambient sounds so you don’t have to use the toilet in total silence.

For Chinese New Year, it’s a tradition for adults and married couples to hand our special red envelopes to children and single people. The envelopes are filled with money. So, if you happen to be young or single in China at that special time of year, you can get quite a lot of cash given to you by relatives and friends.

Some cities, towns, and villages around the world, especially in Europe, have very narrow streets and alleys that are difficult or even impossible to access by car. So, UPS and other delivery companies came up with these clever, narrow delivery bikes that can easily navigate the winding streets and speedily deliver items to residents.

In Finland, when a woman announces that she’s expecting a baby, the government sends her a box filled with essentials to help the new family get off to the best start. The box is filled with diapers, onesies, a sleeping bag, bathing products, and more, and it can even be used as a little cot too.

Over in the United Kingdom, bars like this one aim to offer more than just great drinks and good music; they’ve installed retro video game consoles at various tables around the room, giving guests a great way to have fun with one another and challenge their buddies to classic titles from the past.

Parents love to see all the ‘firsts’ of their babies like their first word and first steps, but in the Navajo Nation, an actual celebration occurs when a baby has their very first laugh! This is considered a very special event in the child’s life, worthy of festivity, and the person who makes the child laugh is the one who has to cover the costs and organize the whole event.

Over in New Zealand, the very concept of ‘zero hour contracts’ is completely against the law. This means that employers aren’t allowed to employ workers without any guarantee of fixed work and a reliable income. It’s a lot fairer for workers and would definitely be appreciated as a big step for workers’ rights in many other countries too.

Over in China, it’s not uncommon for people to climb into taxis and find a fresh, leafy green plant looking back at them. Taxi drivers put plants in their cars to help improve the air quality for passengers and themselves. This is a simple but highly effective trick to help people feel healthier, especially in big cities with lots of pollution.

Recent years have seen a whole lot of progress for feminism and female empowerment, but there are still many dangers and unique challenges facing women around the world. These female-only parking spaces can be found in big city parking lots in Switzerland. They’re positioned closer to the exits, giving women safer and simpler access to their vehicles.

Over in Argentina, every member of the population is automatically listed as an organ donor, unless they specifically demand to be taken off the list. In other countries, you often have to apply to be an organ donor, and many people forget to do so, leading to shortages of organs for those in need.

We all rely on our phones each day to help us get around, stay in touch with our loved ones, keep up with the latest news from around the world, stream our favorite movies and music, and much more. But when the battery level starts to get low, we find ourselves frantically searching for a charger. In some Australian parks, exercise bikes have been installed that let you plug in your phone and charge it up by working out!

You know how it is when you’re stuck at traffic lights. You get bored, you have nothing to do, you stare at the lights just waiting for them to finally change over. Well, in some South American countries like Chile and Colombia, street performers will actually roll out onto the road while you’re waiting and entertain drivers with juggling and other amusing antics.