THE NAKED TRUTH ABOUT CULTURE

There’s something that fascinates me deeply, how beautifully different cultures can be.
Our world is a mosaic of habits, traditions, and ways of seeing life. None better or worse, just different. My own family is living proof of that: Sean and I built a home together, two people from two different worlds, raising children in a mix of accents, languages, and customs that somehow blend perfectly into love.

I’ve lived in Venezuela, the U.S., Panama, and now Canada. And one of the things I find most intriguing is how differently we can all see and experience the same simple things, like how to greet someone.

In Venezuela, you say hello to everyone. “¡Buenos días!” “¡Buenas tardes!” You greet the cashier, the neighbor, the person in the elevator, even the stranger walking their dog. It’s not just manners; it’s connection. In Panama, when my kids went to baseball or swimming, I’d spend hours chatting with the other moms, not just “the moms,” but my friends: Isa, Diana… women I truly love and miss deeply.

Here in Canada, it’s… different. I go to baseball or swimming lessons, and even though I see the same faces every week, a simple “hi” is rare. Everyone keeps to themselves — polite, kind, but distant.

And yet — here’s where my mind completely blows — the same people who don’t say hello at the pool will walk straight into the changing room and get completely naked in front of everyone. No hesitation, no towel dance, no shame. Just full confidence, walking around casually while I stand there thinking: 

“Wait… you won’t say hi, but you’re comfortable showing me everything?” In my family, we call this moment “showing your goodies.” (If you know, you know.)

And honestly? I’d much rather get the “hello” than the whole show — thank you very much.

But that’s the beauty of culture, isn’t it? What feels normal to one person can feel shocking, funny, or even awkward to another. None of us are right or wrong; we just carry different maps of what connection looks like.

At the end of the day, maybe that’s what makes life so endlessly interesting, these little cultural surprises that remind us how diverse and human we all are.

So wherever I go, I’ll keep saying “hello.” Even if I’m the only one doing it — fully clothed and all.