Expats, tell me what aspect or social norm of your new country was strange to you?

cleofatra that’s probably because they’re paying reduced commission to the estate agent if they conduct the viewings

Rainbow where does the muffin thing happen? That sounds bizarre.

I lived in Brussels a few years ago. It baffles me that leisure facilities were closed during most people's leisure hours - most shut at 7 in the week and all day on Sunday.

Lol Gennz18, I said to my DH as we got on the plane at Heathrow that I was sad to be moving back to NZ after 4 years, as I’d only just figured out how to answer when people said “alright?”

Also estate agents when they sell houses, always put a picture of themselves up - why would my house buying be influenced by an estate agents face - I want to see the house, not whose selling it.
Yes, totally. They have started to do this around here (Uk) now too.
Also found it odd that owners who you around their houses when selling..rather than the agents. It's quite anonymous back home. You generally don't even ever meet the previous owners.

NotSure

You sound like you really don't like living in the UK!

not being acknowledged in the street by people who I work with

This is not standard British behaviour. It has never happened to me, nor have I done this when I have seen anyone I work with. Maybe your colleagues don't like you? Maybe they sense how much you dislike them and the UK?

totally surprised people do not rinse the soap after cleaning dishes with clean running water

Also never heard of this. I think you are judging the behaviour of a whole nation based on a couple of very strange people you have met.

Brit in NZ. Same as the OP really...the lack of formality when it comes to clothes. And how shoes are seen as optional. We moved here in the winter and I never forget seeing school kids doing their cross country runs on the frosty roads with bare feet.

Heating up chocolate muffins and serving them with ham and cheese - blerghh. A muffin is a cake, why would you want it hot!

Also estate agents when they sell houses, always put a picture of themselves up - why would my house buying be influenced by an estate agents face - I want to see the house, not whose selling it.

Oh yes, and people eating, having snacks and meals etc on short train journeys (like a 2-3 hr journey). I remember my first one many years ago and a trolley went through the train selling food and drinks. I was really surprised. Mind you, a very nice old lady beside me gave me some chocolate biscuits as she had a thermos and bsicuits with her. So kind.
Another one is - when hiking or walking, having so much equipment. I was used to a hat, sunscreen and a bottle of water.
Love the differences :)

NotSure I can assure you that speaking as a Brit I do rinse my dishes under running water, it is something I am really fussy about.

OK, this might be a reaction from the horror of realising that how my mother did the dishes was just...wrong. (bowl of soapy water, all the dishes in it, wash and drain. Gross)

I lived in Paris for a bit in my twenties.

Things which I noticed there were;

• people often looked really unfriendly, until you spoke to them and then they were the most warm and helpful people
• asking for tokens for the toilets in restaurants
• a lot more dog poo on pavements
• men chatted me up a lot, to the point where it was a nuisance and I’m not even good looking! My very pretty friend struggled to walk down the street without someone latching on to her and declaring their love / asking her for sex, depending on what type of pest they were

Zulu - excellent 😂😂

Australian in UK

YY to the "alright?" thing.
Also

Cards....really unprepared for the card giving thing (at every occasion)
Rounds - I had no idea
Kids in uniforms playing out (I get it now, how cheap are the uniforms here??!! Fab)
School girls with makeup and handbags as school bags (how do they fit their books in there?
Closed windows (I still get in trouble for opening the windows when the heating is on)
Chips (just why?)
Amazon home delivery EVERYTHING...LOVE THIS
People letting you in while in traffic...wow!

In Africa "hello" is not a thing. "How are you?" is the common greeting. "Allo" is used to get someone's attention. So if i answered the phone i got locked in a crazy spiral i couldn't get out of until I realised:

Phone rings:

Me : hello?
Caller: good morning ZuluWarrior, this is the bank calling.
Me: hello (greeting)
Caller: (assuming i hadn't understood) allo?
Me: hello!
Caller: allo?

Now i say " how are you?" And the conversation continues in the conventional way .

Being greeted as “love” and not being acknowledged in the street by people who I work with. I also was shocked at sharing a spoon to do several rounds of teas without properly washing the cups between servings... and the washing up, totally surprised people do not rinse the soap after cleaning dishes with clean running water.

Oh, and the rituals of the tea towel in a shared kitchen. How do you know one is for drying hands and the other for drying cups if they look exactly the same?

Australian in the UK.

Mayonnaise on chips, just why?? Bleh!!

When I moved to the UK (I'm a kiwi) I was totally confused by being greeted with "Alright?/You alright?"

I assumed that the person asking must have thought I looked upset because in NZ "you alright" would translate as "is everything ok?"

I would always get flustered and say "yes I'm fine! Why?"

It took me ages to figure out it just meant hello 😳