It’s no secret that we Brits have somewhat of a reputation for doing things a little bit differently, often times perhaps a little bit strangely. However, our general oddities aside, since moving to Malaysia I’ve noticed three main British habits which locals here bring up time and time again. I guess you could call these our most famous British quirks.

So, let’s dive right in to the 3 things we Brits do which Malaysians find strange.

1. British Dish Washing Habits

When it comes to washing dishes, it seems we Brits have created a method that horrifies not only Malaysians, but possibly the entire rest of the world. Any Brits reading this may wonder what is so strange about how we tend to do it, well allow me to break it down for you!

In Malaysia (and, it would appear, most other countries) when somebody is washing their dishes they don’t fill the sink or a bowl with soapy water, but instead wash the dishes with soap under running water. In the UK of course it’s common practice to fill a sink or bowl with soapy water and essentially give the dishes a bath. This in itself is considered slightly odd as after a few dishes you’re effectively washing the rest of them in dirty water. But the most shocking thing for most people outside of the UK, is the fact that many Brits don’t even rinse the dishes afterwards!

When I was young, the British method I’ve described above was normal to me, in fact it probably wasn’t until I started sharing a house with a bunch of Asian friends in Australia that I learned just how strange people find this way of doing things. Of course this always leads to the question of whether our dishes taste soapy in the UK, and the honest answer is usually no, but occasionally yes! Suffice to say I have since adopted the wash under running water and rinse method.

2. Wearing Shoes Indoors

This one will certainly divide any British readers, as it certainly varies from one household to another, but wearing shoes indoors is extremely common in the UK. Of all the people I’ve known personally in the UK, I would say the majority regularly wear their shoes inside their own homes. And as such this is probably one of the most well known and talked about British habits.

Now in Malaysia, and in fact most Asian countries, this is a big no-no. The first reason being simply for hygiene and cleanliness. Obviously if you’ve been stomping around outside you are likely to have dirt on your shoes which you probably don’t want to bring inside your home. For most Asian cultures, personal hygiene and cleanliness of the home are of significant importance. Secondly you have the cultural aspect of respect for the household and its inhabitants; removing one’s shoes acknowledges that the home is a personal and sacred space. Then of course there are a range of various religious and cultural reasons why different groups within Asia will remove their shoes; it could be to do with floor centric living (floor seating, low tables etc. such as found in Japan) as well as religious and spiritual practices concerning not bringing impurities from outside into sacred spaces.

So whilst it’s common to see people strolling around their house wearing shoes in the UK, this is something you will almost never see in Malaysia, or in many other Asian countries. Instead, you’ll generally see a line of shoes and slippers outside the front door of every house!

3. Eating Rice With a Knife and Fork

Obviously we can’t talk about strange British habits without mentioning the most famous one of all – eating rice with a knife and fork. Again, something that was pretty normal to me when I was growing up. Even the Indian curry house in my local town would provide a knife and fork for its patrons – not because that’s how Indians eat rice, but because they were catering for Brits.

So how do people eat rice in Asia? Well, this depends upon the person, their culture and even what they’re eating but generally you will find it’s either with a fork and spoon, with chopsticks, or with the right hand. Having spent quite a bit of time in Asia I’ve found that I enjoy all three methods, and generally swap between the three depending upon what I’m eating. Banana leaf curry or Nasi Lemak I definitely prefer to eat with my hand, if I’m eating Chinese or Japanese rice then it’s chopsticks, and if I’m eating Thai food, or something particularly potentially messy in public, then I’ll use the fork and spoon!

Of course there’s nothing wrong with using a knife and fork to eat rice, and if that’s your preference then nobody should tell you otherwise. However, over here in Asia it’s something we Brits do that will always be considered a little bit quirky.

Conclusion

So there we have it, 3 British habits which Malaysians (and Asians in general) find strange. I did consider also adding sunbathing to the list (which is partly included in the video I made on the subject), as it’s not common for Malaysians to sunbathe, but some Malaysians do it, and certainly it’s not something specific to Brits.

As always you can watch the video I made on this subject on my YouTube channel, and you’ll find the video below.