I’m asking because it’s a very normal thing to do here.
When you enter a room, but also things like a hairdresser or say a small cafe, you say hello to the people there and say goodbye when leaving. Or when taking a bus, you say hello to the driver and goodbye or thank him when getting off.
I was only recently told by some online friends of mine that this is pretty weird in other places. So I’m wondering if I’m (or my country) is the weird one or them
You have no idea what they’re experiencing at the moment though. Maybe they’ve just been served divorce papers or pulled the plug on their mother. Or maybe they were just sold to/hit on by someone with the exact same approach. People live in too high a density in most places to expect patience from strangers, because it will be taken advantage of and used up.