Budget

Whats free in your country

but not in mine?
By Lindsey Galloway
12 September 2016
From mineral water to water slides, things that are free in some countries
often cost in others, sometimes much to the surprise of travellers venturing
out of their homeland.
To find out what bargains can be had abroad, we looked to question-andanswer community Quora.com to ask, "What are some things free in
your country that you have to buy when visiting other countries?"
The answers not only revealed good deals, but a fascinating insight into the
local culture.
Northern India and Pakistan
Pretty much every grocery shop in this part of the world offers a free and
generous side of fresh coriander and green chillies, common local
ingredients in curries and chutneys.

"In most of northern India dhaniya-mirch (coriander and chillies) is

synonymous with groceries," said Khusrau Gurganvi from Varanasi. So
much that he explained that "Kal dhaniya-mirch lana hai" translates into "I
need to buy groceries tomorrow."
An anonymous answerer echoed the perk within Pakistan. "Whenever you
go to buy vegetables, the shopkeeper will give you a handful of free
coriander and green chilli," the person said. "If they don't, then all you have
to do is ask."
India
Not every free thing mentioned was a physical object. It seems that in India,
people enjoy an unlimited supply of advice.
"In other countries, there are wedding planners. Here, we have aunts,
uncles, uncle's uncles to give us advice for free," said Mehul Manot from

Calcutta. "In other countries, there are counsellors. Here, we have the everpoking neighbours: 'You shouldn't take up Arts, it's for girls. Do engineering,
you'll earn lakhs per month.'"

He added that travel agents are replaced by jet-setting cousins, and trendy
friends step in for fashion consultants.
Advice doesn't always have to come from just friends and family, either.
"In other countries, you need to pay for consultations, but in India you can
get it free of cost at tea stalls, [during] marriages or family functions, [on]
trains, buses by almost anyone," said Kanchan Saxena, who currently lives
in the United States. "We love giving advice."
United States
Fast food may have originated in the US, but the free condiments that
generously accompany meals haven't always translated to their
counterparts overseas.

American Jon Baldwin experienced this first hand when visiting a

McDonalds drive-through in the United Kingdom and noticed his bag of food
was conspicuously missing the typical sauce packets.
"Excuse me, you forgot the ketchup," he told the server. "Instead of reaching
for ketchup packets, she starts typing away on the cash register: 50p."

To make matters worse, the 50p went toward just a single ketchup packet.
"In the US, not only do they not charge for ketchup, they hand you like 10
packets when you ask. Literally a fist full of ketchup.
Dave Holmes-Kinsella vouched for the fact that his American wife "was
driven into fits of rage by the capricious condiment tax" in his native New
Zealand, especially since salt and sugar sides come free.
Singapore
A different kind of condiment is given away in abundance in this small
nation.

"We have unlimited, free access to chilli sauce in any fast food restaurant
and any food court," said native Joseph Lee. "We literally eat anything and
everything with chilli sauce, from the iconic chicken rice to McDonalds
hamburgers."
In fact, McDonalds even makes a "garlic chilli sauce" thats exclusive to the
heat-loving Singapore market.
Australia
To accompany Australia's great outdoors, the country offers plenty of free
things to enjoy outside.
"Many public parks and national parks have free barbeque hot plates," said
Christopher Mardell from Adelaide. "You bring meat and whatever else
you want to cook, push a button to start it up and away you go. After 20
minutes or so, they turn off automatically, so you push the button again." All
visitors have to do is keep it clean, and Mardell said most people follow this
etiquette.

In the Northern Territory, residents can enjoy a unique respite from the heat.
"As the waters are croc infested, residents can cool down by using free
water slides," said Jane M, originally from England. Leanyer Recreation
Park in Darwin is just one example, with three large water slides (including
a 124m-long raft ride) and a water playground and pool all completely
free.
Slovakia
Tap water might be free in some countries, but true mineral water usually
comes at a premium. Not so in Slovakia, where mineral springs are
everywhere.

"Every region has a number of mineral water sources that are open to the
public and free to drink," said Juraj Spisak, who currently lives in Brussels.
"Mineral springs in Slovakia each have a particular taste. Some are more
sulphuric, others are rich in manganese or iron."
While it's still possible to buy water in shops, it's common for residents to
refill their own bottles at the local springs.
Norway
In this Scandinavian country, very specific laws keep nature and the
enjoyment of it free for all.
"We have a set of laws known as the 'Freedom to roam', or actually in a
more literal translation as 'Everymans right," said Eivind Kjrstad.

These allow residents to have free movement on roads, rivers and lakes; to
forage for berries, mushrooms and wildflowers; and to camp overnight as
long as its 150m from the nearest building.
"We divide land into 'innmark' and 'utmark', which literally translates to
infield and outfield," explained Kjrstad. "The distinction is that 'innmark'
is cultivated and actively used land such as gardens, fields, parks and roads.
'Utmark' is everything else; mountains, forests, moorland, tundra, swamps,
beaches, lakes and rivers."
The nature laws apply to anyone anywhere in the utmark, even if the land is
privately owned.

Define with your own words: Quora.com, freedom to roam,

inmark vs utmark, mineral spring, tap water, water slides,
etiquette, heat-loving Singapore market, unlimited supply of
advice.
Questions:
o What did the answers reveal? (para. 2)
o What does the term dhaniya-mirch stand for in northern India,
and why?
o In Pakistan, do shopkeepers always give you those free
groceries when you buy something?
o What is there for free in India? Is it given only by friends and
family?
o How different is sauce in UK McDonalds compared to the USA,
according to Jon Baldwin?
o Would you continue going to these fast-food restaurants in
Spain if they charged you for the sauce? What would you do?
o What is given for free in Singapore? Would you be OK having
this in everyday dishes?
o What things are said to be free in Australia? What do you think
of this?
o Why cant people swim in the water?
o Is there anything similar in your country?
o Would you drink mineral water from an Australian spring? Do
you have anything similar in your country?

Write an article (magazine or newspaper) in which you tell

tourists about food, services, etc. that they can get for free in
Spain (or in Murcia). [150-180 words]